Literary Terms
Term
Genre
Textbook Definition
A type or form of literature
Antagonist
Usually the principal character
opposing the protagonist; sometimes
the antagonist is not a character, but a
force of nature. The bad guy.
Protagonist
The central character or hero in a
narrative or drama. Often the good
guy.
Examples
Character
The people, animals, or imaginary
creatures who take part in the action of a
story or a novel.
Round- three dimensional characters or
characters that are fleshed out. You
know a lot about these characters as they
are usually main characters.
Flat- these characters are not as well
developed. You don’t know much about
them and they are usually minor
characters.
Static-characters that do not change
throughout the course of the story or
novel.
Dynamic- characters who are
transformed or undergo a change as the
work of literature progresses.
Plot
Chain of events; story line
Exposition
The beginning of the story, which sets the
tone, establishes the setting, introduces
the characters, and gives the reader
important background information
Rising Action
Events in a story that move the plot along
Climax
The turning point; the moment when the
reader’s interest and emotional intensity
reach the highest point
Falling Action
Also referred to as resolution of the
conflict, where loose ends of the plot, or
story, are tied up
Setting
Details related to location, time, and
historical context
Flashback
A conversation, episode, or event that
happened before the beginning of the
story and often interrupts the
chronological flow of the story.
Foreshadowing
Hints or clues that indicate events and
situations that will occur later in the plot
Irony
A contrast between appearance and
reality—usually one in which reality is
the opposite of what it seems.
Verbal-when someone knowingly
exaggerates or says one thing and means
another.
Dramatic- the reader or viewer knows
something that a character does not
know.
Situational-contrast between what a
reader or character expects and what
actually exists or happens.
Narrative Point of
View – who is
telling the story
1st Person-The narrator is a character in
the story. Narrator uses “I” and “me.”
3rd Person-The narrator is someone
outside of the action, not a character
writing the story. Characters are referred
to by name or by the pronouns he, she,
they.
Symbol/Symbolism A person, place, an activity or an object
that stands for something beyond itself.
Theme
The main idea or central message in a
work of fiction. It is a perception about
life or human nature that the writer shares
with the reader.
Tone
The attitude a writer takes toward a
subject
Mood
Mood depends on the tone.
The feeling or atmosphere that the writer
creates for the reader.
Diction
A writer’s or speaker’s choice of words
and arrangement of these words in a
sentence.
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
Internal:
man vs. himself
External:
man vs. man
man vs. nature
man vs. society