| Term | Definition |
| resolution | the point of the story where all of the action is known and loose ends are tied up |
| climax | highest point of action in a literary work |
| imagery | the use of sensory language to create visual images in a reader’s mind |
| plot sequence | sequence of events that occur in a story
plot sequence contains:
exposition
rising action
climax
falling action
resolution |
| rising action | the events in the story leading up to the climax |
| foreshadow | hints at what is to come in a literary work |
| tone | the author’s attitude toward his or her audience and subject |
| indirect characterization | the author tells what a character looks like, does, and says as well as how other characters react to him or her |
| narrator | the speaker, or character, who tells the story |
| situational irony | when something happens that is opposite from what one would expect to happen |
| protagonist | the main character of a story or literary work |
| falling action | occurs after the climax, point where the outcome of the story is known |
| characterization | the author’s development of characters
two types of characterization:
direct characterization
indirect characterization |
| theme | the central message or insight into life revealed in a literary work |
| verbal | when something is said, but the opposite is meant |
| style | the way in which an author writes |
| mood | the feeling the reader experiences while reading a literary work |
| character | the people or animals who participate in the action of a story |
| dialogue | conversation between characters |
| exposition | the part of a literary work where the setting, characters and basic situation are introduced |
| irony | when something occurs that is different from what would expect to occur |
| antagonist | the character who causes conflict for the main character |
| suspense | reader’s feeling of curiosity, uncertainty, or anxiety about the outcome of events in a literary work |
| conflict | a struggle between two opposing forces
Four Types of Conflict
Man vs. Man – External
Man vs. Nature – External
Man vs. Society – External
Man vs. Self – Internal |
| direct characterization | the author directly states the character’s traits (i.e.-“She was tall with blonde hair.”) |
| setting | the time and place of the action of a story |
| symbol and symbolism | an ordinary, everyday object used to represent something other than itself |
| flashback | glimpses back to previous events |
| point of view | the vantage point from which the story is told |
| dramatic irony | hints at what is to come in a literary work |
| figurative language | language that is not intended to be taken literally |
