Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 1 - 5
Sequence of Events
The order in which things happen in a story is called
the sequence of events. Recognizing what happens
first, next, and last in a story will help you
understand what you read.
Cause and Effect
A cause is what makes something happen. The thing
that happens is the effect. It’s important to look for
cause-and-effect relationships as you read so that you
can better understand a story and the characters in it.
Characterization
A character is a person in a story. Sometimes characters are
described directly by the author or through the word of the
other characters. Other times, the reader must think
carefully about a character’s words, actions, feelings, and
thoughts to find out what the character is really like.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 6 - 9
Mood and Tone
The mood of a story is the feeling that the story gives
the reader. The Tone of a story is the author’s attitude
toward the characters and events in the story.
Main Idea and Details
The main idea of a paragraph or chapter, tells what the
whole section is about. Sometimes the main idea is
directly stated. Other times, readers must figure out the
main idea. Details tell more about the main idea.
Author’s Inference
Authors do not always explain every detail in a story. Readers
must often figure out some things on their own. When you use
information in a story and use your own experience to
understand something that is not directly stated, you are
making an inference.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 10 - 13
Dialogue
Dialogue is what characters in a story say each other. You
can learn a lot about characters from the words that they
use with each other.
Symbolism
Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols,
or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.
A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents
something other than itself.
Judgments
Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 14 - 17
Author’s Purpose
Authors write for many reasons. The reason an author writes is called the
author´s purpose. 3 of the mains reasons are:
To inform readers by using descriptions, information, or directions.
To entertain readers with enjoyable reading material.
To persuade readers to believe or act in a certain way.
.
Multiple-Meaning Words
Multiple Meaning Words are words that have several meanings
depending upon how they are used in a sentence.
We use context clues to help us figure out which meaning
is correct.
Prediction
When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a
story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully
about clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and
experience.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 18 - 21
Context Clues
You can often figure out the meaning of a new word by thinking
about the words and ideas around it.
This is called using context clues.
Flashback
A flashback is literary device in which a story returns to an
event that happened in the past. Authors use flashbacks to
add interest to their story plots.
Figurative Language
Figurative language may compare two unlike things, give
human qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning for effect.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 22 - 24
Compare and Contrast
When you compare two things, you tell how they are alike.
When you contrast two things, you tell how they are
different.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which clues from
a story hint about events that might take place in the
future. Authors use foreshadowing to add interest in
their story plots.
Generalization
When you make a generalization, you draw a conclusion
about all or most of the elements of a group. A valid
generalization is one that is based on many consistent
examples or facts. A faulty generalization is one for which
there are many exceptions.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 25 - 28
Fact and Opinion
A fact is a statement that can be proved to be true or
untrue. An opinion is a statement that tells what a
person thinks or believes. An opinion cannot be
proved.
Irony
Irony occurs in a story when something happens that
is the opposite of what is expected. Ironic situations
often have humorous results.
Point of View
The person telling the story is called the narrator. The point of view
of a story depends on who is narrating it. In the first-person point
of view, the narrator is a character in the story who uses words
such as I, me, and my. The character tells the story as if it were
happening to him or her. In the third-person point of view, the
narrator is someone outside of the story. The narrator uses words
such as he, she, and they, and often knows the thoughts and
feelings of all the characters in the story.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 29 - 32
Figurative Language
Figurative language may compare two unlike things,
give human qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning
for effect. Writers use figurative language to help
create vivid pictures in their reader´s minds.
Context Clues
You can often figure out the meaning of a new word
by thinking about the words and ideas around it. This
is called using context clues.
Sound Devices
Poets and authors use sound devices to add interest to their words.
Four common sound devices are;
Alliteration – two or more words with the same beginning sound.
Rhyme – words or lines that end with the same sound.
Repetition – using sounds or words over and over again.
Onomatopoeia – words that imitate the sound they stand for.
Prediction
When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a
story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully about
clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and experience.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 33 - 35
Draw Conclusions
When you draw a conclusion. You arrive at a decision based on clues in
a story and your own knowledge and experience.
Mood and Tone
The mood of a story is the feeling that the story gives the reader. The
tone of a story is the author´s attitude toward the characters and events
in the story.
Dialogue
Dialogue is what characters in a story say to each other. You can learn a
lot about characters from the dialogue they exchange with one another.
Setting
The setting of a story is the time and place in which the story takes
place. The setting of a story often affects the way a character feels.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 36 - 38
Cause and Effect
A cause is what makes something happen. The thing that happens is the
effect. It´s important to look for cause-and-effect relationships as you
read so that you can better understand a story and the characters in it.
Compare and Contrast
When you compare two things, you tell how they are alike. When you
contrast two things, you tell how they are different.
Judgments
Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 39 - 40
Figurative Language
Figurative language may compare two unlike things, give human
qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning for effect. Writers use
figurative language to help create vivid pictures in their reader´s minds.
Author’s Inference
Authors do not always explain every detail in a story. Readers must
often figure out some things on their own. When you use information in
a story and use your own experience to understand something that is
not directly stated, you are making an inference.
Prediction
When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a
story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully about
clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and experience.
Judgments
Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 41 - 42
Draw Conclusions
When you draw a conclusion. You arrive at a decision based on clues in
a story and your own knowledge and experience.
Word Referents
Authors like to avoid repetitions to make their writing more interesting.
To do this, they often use pronouns that stand for other words. These
are called word referents.
Point of View
The person telling the story is called the narrator. The point of view
of a story depends on who is narrating it. In the first-person point
of view, the narrator is a character in the story who uses words
such as I, me, and my. The character tells the story as if it were
happening to him or her. In the third-person point of view, the
narrator is someone outside of the story. The narrator uses words
such as he, she, and they, and often knows the thoughts and
feelings of all the characters in the story.
Maniac Magee
Literary Elements
Chapters 43 - 46
Cause and Effect
A cause is what makes something happen. The thing
that happens is the effect. It’s important to look for
cause-and-effect relationships as you read so that you
can better understand a story and the characters in it.
Context Clues
You can often figure out the meaning of a new
word by thinking about the words and ideas
around it. This is called using context clues
Judgment
Judgments are personal opinions
supported by facts.
Theme
The theme of a story is the most important message
that the story gives a reader. Sometimes the theme is
stated directly in a story. Other times, a reader must
figure it out the theme by thinking about what
happens to the characters and why it happens.