Short Story Literary Terms
Setting: This is the time and place in which a story’s events occur.
The Tell-Tale Heart_________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost__________________________________________
Tears of Autumn____________________________________________
Thank you, M’am___________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band___________________________
_________________________________________________________
Character: A person or animal that takes part in the action of literary work. The main
character is the most important character in the story, poem, or play. The minor character
is one who takes part in the action, but who is not the focus of attention.
The Tell-Tale Heart
main characters:
___________________________________
minor characters:
___________________________________
The Day I Got Lost
main characters:
___________________________________
minor characters:
___________________________________
Tears of Autumn
main characters:___________________________________
minor characters:___________________________________
Thank you, M’am
main characters:
___________________________________
minor characters:
___________________________________
Flowers for Algernon
main characters:________________________________________
minor characters:________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band:
major characters___________________________________
minor characters:
___________________________________
Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces. A conflict causes the action. There
are two types of conflict: internal and external. External conflict is one in which a
character struggles against some force. An internal conflict is one that takes place within
the mind of the character.
*Circle if the conflict in each story is internal or external and provide a description of the
conflict.
The Tell-Tale Heart- Internal or External:______________________________
_________________________________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost-Internal or External:________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Tears of Autumn-Internal or External:__________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Thank You, M’am- Internal or External: ________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon- Internal or External:______________________________
_________________________________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band- Internal or Externa:l_________________
__________________________________________________________________
Inferences: drawing conclusions from the author’s words; using your knowledge and
imagination to supply information the authors don’t state directly.
The Tell-Tale Heart_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost__________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Tears of Autumn____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Thank you, M’am___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band___________________________
_________________________________________________________
Point of View: is the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told. Three
commonly used points of view are first person, omniscient third person, and limited third
person.
1st Person: the narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself or
herself as “I”.
Third Person Omniscient: the narrator knows and tells about what each
character feels and thinks.
Third Person Limited: the narrator relates the inner thoughts and
feelings of only one character, and everything is viewed from this
character’s perspective.
The Tell-Tale Heart_________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost__________________________________________
Tears of Autumn____________________________________________
Thank you, M’am___________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band___________________________
Theme: is a central message, concern, or purpose in a literary work:
The Tell-Tale Heart_________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost__________________________________________
Tears of Autumn____________________________________________
Thank you, M’am___________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band___________________________
Mood: is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.
The Tell-Tale Heart_________________________________________
The Day I Got Lost__________________________________________
Tears of Autumn____________________________________________
Thank you, M’am___________________________________________
Flowers for Algernon________________________________________
The Adventures of the Speckled Band___________________________
Flashback: a flashback is a section of a literary work that interrupts the sequence of
events to relate an event from an earlier time. Provide an example of a flashback that we
read in one of our short stories. Identify the story.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Foreshadowing: is the use, in a literary work, of clues that suggests events that have yet
to occur. Provide an example of foreshadowing in one of the short stories we read.
Identify the story.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Irony: is the general name given to a literary technique that involves surprise,
interesting, or amusing contradictions. Provide an example from one of the short stories
we read. Identify the story.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Mood: is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Surprise Ending: is a conclusion that is unexpected.
Plot: the sequence of events in a literary work.
1. Exposition – introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation
2. Conflict introduced -the introduction of the “problem”
3. Rising action – the increase in action
4. Climax – the high point of interest or suspense
5. Falling action- end of central conflict
6. Resolution- events that occur during the falling action
Give the Plot of one of the stories we read.
Story:____________________________
1. Exposition:
2. Conflict introduced:
3. Rising Action:
4. Climax:
5. Falling Action:
6. Resolution: