Literary Terms
Theme
The
author’s
message or reason
for writing the story.
Setting
Where
and when
the story took place
Plot
The
outline of events
in a story
Protagonist
The
hero of the story
Antagonist
Usually
the villain (or
bad person) in the
story.
Dynamic
Character
Character
who
grows or changes
through out the story
Static
Character
Character
who stays
the same throughout
the story
Flat
Character
Character
one trait
with just
Round
Character
Character
with
many different traits
Conflict
What
the character
desires and what
prevents he/she
from getting it.
Internal
Conflict
The
conflict is in the
main character who is
fighting between two
emotions or desires
Rising Action
Everything
that
happens before the
Climax; the buildup
of the story.
Climax
The
turning point in
the story
Falling Action
Everything
that
happens after the
climax.
Resolution
How
the conflict is
solved
Exposition
The
beginning of the
story that explains
what is happening
Foreshadowing
Clues
that suggest
events that haven’t
happened yet
Symbol
Anything
that stands
for or represents
something else
st
1
Person
Narrator
The
story is told from
the character’s point
of view
rd
3
Person
Narrator
who is
outside telling the
story
Plot Diagram