Literary Elements
Plot
Point of View
Atmosphere
Setting
Foreshadowing
Characters
Flashback
Conflict
Theme
Irony
Motivation
Motif
Suspense
Symbol
Allusion
(Once upon a time…)
Plot: The sequence of events that take place in a story.
Exposition: sets up the story by telling background, setting, &
characters
Rising Action: main part of the story where
problems arise
Climax: point of greatest intensity; the turning point
Falling Action: contains dialogue & action
satisfying ending
Resolution: satisfying ending telling how
problems are resolved
…and they lived happily ever after.
leading to a
Plot Line
Climax
Exposition
Resolution
Time
&
Place
(It was a dark and scary night….)
Authors present believable
characters by:
•character’s actions & words
•character’s appearance
•character’s inner thoughts
•character’s background
•what other characters think
say about the character
&
•author commenting directly about
a character
Characters who change little, if at all.
Examples?
Characters who change significantly over the course of
a story.
Examples?
The central or main character in a story.
(The Good Guy)
Root word?
Examples?
Works against the protagonist.
(The Bad Guy)
Root word?
Examples?
The reason a character
behaves
in a certain way
 The struggle that takes place between two opposing forces.
EXTERNAL: (outside)
INTERNAL: (with in)
person against person
person against himself
person against nature
person against society
person against
unknown
Write an example of each type of
conflict with an arrow pointing to
the type!
Who is telling
the story?
1st person: a character speaks directly to
the reader & refers to him/herself as “I”
3rd person: a narrator who is not a
character & refers to all characters as “he”
or “she”
What
I can’t stand
the suspense!
will happen
next?
The author’s ability to make the
reader uncertain or tense about
what is to happen next.
How does this writing make me feel?
The mood or feeling
that runs through a
work of literature.
Writers create
atmosphere usually
through their choice of
details & description
The use of clues or hints by the author
to prepare the reader for
future developments in a story
Foreshadowing helps us make
predictions…and then we want to
read on to see if our predictions come
true!
FLASH
An interruption
of the action
in a story to
tell about
something that
happened
earlier in time.
BACK
Any person, place, or thing which has meaning in
itself but which is made to represent, or stand
for something else as well.
What is the author
trying to tell us? What is his
message?
The central idea in a work of literature
Why did the
author write
this book?
A reference to a statement, a person, a
place, or event from literature, the arts,
history, religion, mythology, politics,
sports, or science.
Examples of Allusion:
•The rise in poverty will unlock the Pandora box of crimes. –
“Pandora box” an allusion to Greek Mythology.
•“This place is like a Garden of Eden.” – It is a biblical allusion.
•“Hey! Guess who the new Einstein of our school is?” – “Einstein”,
here means a genius student, alludes to a famous mathematician.
•“Stop acting like my ex-boyfriend please.” – Apart from
scholarly allusions we refer to common people and places in our
speech.
A contrast between
what is stated and
what is really meant,
or between what is
expected to happen
and what actually
does happen.
MOTIF
• Recurring events, issues, or characters
across many stories from many
cultures.
• “Token” situations or characters
– Example: A wicked stepmother, a perilous
journey, a knight riding a white horse to
save the day, the number 3 (or things
happening in threes)
Fiction Genres
• Science Fiction: based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science,
usually set in the future or on other planets. Aliens and space travel are
common as well.
• Fantasy: not realistic. Has mythical, magical, and fantastic elements. May
include imaginary worlds, talking creatures, mythical beings, magic, etc…
• Adventure: action-packed stories, usually has heroes fighting bad guys.
• Historical Fiction: set in a specific time in the past.
• Mystery: investigators are trying to solve crimes. The investigators can be kids,
adults, or real detectives..
• Folk Literature: stories that have been passed down by tradition. Includes tall
tales, myths, and legends. Has heroes that fight villains, satisfying conclusions,
cultural/moral lessons.
• Drama: Written with stage directions and mostly dialogue. Meant to be
performed.
• Western: stories about cowboys, outlaws, and Native Americans in the
American west.
• Horror: contains magic and unexplained events presented in a way that is
intended to frighten the reader.