Ms. Miller
A
story with two or more levels of
meaning—a literal level and one or
more symbolic levels
a
reference to a person, place,
event, literary work, or work of art
Allusion provides more information
without a lengthy description or
illustration
a
comparison between two or more
items that are similar in some ways
but otherwise unalike
a
character (or force) in conflict
with the main character
(protagonist)
 the
act of creating and developing
a character
 Direct
characterization-the author
directly states characters’ traits
 Indirect
characterization-the
author tells what a character looks
like, does, and says and shows how
others react to him
 the
high point of interest or
suspense
 the
interruption of a serious
moment with a humorous
character or situation
a
struggle between opposing forces
5 types:
 Man v. man
 Man v. fate/gods
 Man v. nature
 Man v. himself
 Man v. society
 the
set of ideas associated with a
word in addition to its explicit
meaning
 the
dictionary definition of a word
 conversation
between characters
used to reveal character and
advance action
a
long narrative poem about the
deeds of gods or heroes
 the
action that follows the climax
and leads to the denouement or
resolution
 writing
or speech not meant to be
taken literally (metaphor, simile,
personification, hyperbole, etc.)
a
device that allows the writer to
present events that happened before
the time of the current narration or
the current events in the fiction.
Flashback techniques include
memories, dreams, stories of the past
told by characters, or even authorial
sovereignty (when Johnny was a boy.
. ..)
a
flat character shows only one
trait
 a static character does not change
(usually these terms are
interchangeable—the state of
Kansas considers them basically
the same)
 the
use of clues to suggest events
that have yet to come
a
type of literature
 deliberate
or extreme exaggeration
the term hyperbole is likely the
more-used term when discussing
literary devices; however,
overstatement is often used in
discussing rhetoric; the state of
Kansas interchanges the terms
a
phrase or expression that means
something different from what the
words actually say
Example: using the phrase “over his
head” instead of “he doesn’t
understand”
 descriptive
or figurative language
used in literature to create word
pictures for the reader—these are
usually created by utilizing the five
senses (sight, sound, taste, touch,
smell) or movement
 literary
techniques that portray
differences between appearance and
reality or expectation and result
 Verbal
irony-words used suggesting the
opposite of what is meant
 Dramatic irony-contradiction between what
the character thinks and the audience knows
 Irony of situation-an event which directly
contradicts the expectations of characters and
audience
a
figure of speech in which one
thing is spoken of as though it
were something else
 the
feeling created in the reader
by a literary work or passage
 the
use of words that imitate
sounds
a
statement the seems
contradictory but that may actually
be true
 repeated
elements in the plot
 figurative
language in which a
nonhuman subject is given human
characteristics
 the
sequence of events in a
literary work
 the
perspective from which the
story is told
First-person: the narrator is a character
or witness
Third-person limited: the narrator tells
the story through one character’s
eyes/thoughts
Third-person omniscient: the narrator is
all knowing, expressing thoughts and
feelings of any characters
 the
main character
 the
conclusion of a plot’s conflicts
and complications
 the
events leading up to the climax
(usually characterized by
complication and conflict)
a
round character shows many
different traits (faults and virtues)
 a dynamic character develops and
grows throughout a story
(usually these terms are
interchangeable—the state of
Kansas considers them basically
the same)
 humorous
writing aimed at
exposing flaws (usually through
ridicule or scorn)
 the
time and place of a literary work
A
figure of speech in which “like”
or “as” is used to make a
comparison between basically
unlike ideas/items
 The
manner of expression of a
particular writer, produced by
choice of words, grammatical
structures, use of literary devices,
and all the possible parts of
language use.
 subordinate
or minor events
(secondary action) in a novel or
drama (often connected to the
main plot)
a
feeling of uncertainty about the
outcome of a literary work
 Anything
that stands for or
represents something else
 the
central message of a literary work
 the
writer’s attitude toward his
subject or audience