Literary Elements
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Irony
Characterization
Allusion
Paradox
Conflict
Fact v. Opinion
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Symbol
Point of View
Settings
Theme
Tone
Mood
Plot
LITERARY
ELEMENTS
Take good notes!!!
Irony
Verbal Irony (sarcasm):
A
writer or speaker says one thing
but really means something
completely different.
 Example:
In “The Most Dangerous
Game,” General Zaroff, who hunts
and kills people for sport, says, “We
try to be civilized here.”
“Great.”
Irony
Situational Irony:
 When there is a contradiction
between what we expect to happen
and what really happens
 Example: The police chief’s son
becomes a thief.
Irony
Dramatic Irony:
 when the audience or the reader knows
something important that a character in
the play or story doesn’t know
 Example: When, in horror movies, we
know that the killer is hiding in the
backseat of the car, but the actor does
not.
Characterization
Direct
Indirect
Characterization: Characterization:
• the author tells
readers directly
what a character
is like or what a
person’s motives
are
• the author shows
us the character
but allows us to
interpret for
ourselves what
kind of person the
character is
Direct Characterization
 Voldemort
is an evil wizard who
wants to kill Harry Potter.
Indirect Characterization
1. Describe the
character’s
appearance.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His
face was almost completely hidden by a long,
shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but
you could make out his eyes, glinting like black
beetles under all the hair.
Indirect Characterization
2. Show the
character in
action—what
he does or
how he acts.
The boy glanced around and then tossed his
empty can on the ground.
Indirect Characterization
3. Have the character speak… DIALOGUE!
“I don’t have to do what
you say,” declared little
Austin, glaring at his new
baby sitter.
“What if I brought you two
presents, Mrs. Sykes?”
Todd said. “By the way, can
I have another A???”
Indirect Characterization
4. Reveal the
character’s
private
thoughts and
feelings.
Scottie didn’t like the looks of the carrot pudding,
but he hated to hurt his mother’s feelings and
resolved to choke it down.
Indirect Characterization
5. Show how
others react
to the
character—
what they say
or think
about
“Work in a group with those idiots?” said Sean. “No
way! I’ll get stuck doing all the work.”
Allusion
• A reference to a statement, person,
place, event, or thing that is known
from literature, history, religion,
myth, politics, sports, science, or the
arts.
• Example: "Christy didn't like to spend
money. She was no Scrooge, but she
seldom purchased anything except
Paradox
A
statement or a situation that
seems to be a contradiction but
actually reveals a truth
 Example: “Parting is such sweet
sorrow.”
 This paradox is true because the
parting kisses are sweet, but the
leaving itself is sad.
 Method to the madness.
Paradox

"War is peace."
"Freedom is slavery."
"Ignorance is strength."
(George Orwell, 1984)
Conflict
External
Conflict:
includes a
struggle with
an outside
source
Man vs. Man
Man vs.
Environment/Soci
ety
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Machine
Man vs.
Supernatural
Conflict

Internal Conflict:
Takes place in a character’s
own mind

Example: A problem that the
character is dealing with inside
FACT vs. OpINioN
An
A
fact is
something
that can
be proven.
opinion is
a personal
belief that
can’t be
proven, only
supported
Symbol
• A person, place, or thing
that is itself but also
represents something else
altogether
• Example: The scale is
itself an instrument for
weighing things, but it is
also a symbol for justice
Point of View
►FIRST PERSON
One of the characters is
actually the narrator of
the story
Look for “I”
Point of View
•Second Person
–Look for the word “you”
–Typically used in
recipes, instructional
manuals, etc.
Point of View
Third Person Limited:
The narrator, who plays no
part in the story, zooms in
on the thoughts and
feelings of just one
character
Point of View
Third Person Omniscient
(all knowing):
- The person telling the
story knows everything
there is to know about
the characters & their
problems
Setting

The time and place
of a story
The
Theme
central idea of a work of
literature
Usually
a truth about human life
Rarely stated directly
Tone
• The author’s attitude toward his
subject.
• Tone is conveyed through the
author's words and details.
Mood
• Prevailing atmosphere or
emotional aura of a work.
Setting, tone, & events can
affect the mood.
• Mood is the emotions that you
feel while you are reading.
*PLOT*
• A series of related events,
each event connected to the
next, like links in a chain
*It’s what happens between
“Once upon a time” and
“happily ever after.”
Parts of a Plot

EXPOSITION:
gives information about the
characters and their
problems and conflicts
Exposition
Parts of a Plot
 Rising Action:
–Consists of a series of
complications. These occur
as the main characters take
action to solve their problems.
Rising Action
Exposition
Parts of a Plot
Climax:
The most emotional part of
the story—when the outcome
of the conflict is revealed.
Climax
Rising Action
Exposition
Parts of a Plot
FALLING

ACTION:
Presents events that result
from the climax
Climax
Rising Action
Exposition
Falling Action
Parts of a Plot
•Resolution:
•The end of the story where
all struggles are over, and
we know what is going to
happen to the characters.
Climax
Rising Action
Exposition
Falling Action
Resolution