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Flashcards: Elements of Fiction
Point of View
the narrators view of the events of a literary work
First Person
the narrator is a character in the story,referred to as "I"
Protagonist
who the story is mostly about, the main character experiences the problem
Characters
the people (animals,things, etc...presented as people) appearing in a literary work
conflict
The problem in the story.
solution
How the problem is solved.
resolution
The end of the story. The very last event that happens in the story.
Dynamic characters
experience some changes in personality,atitude,etc... during the course of the story.
static characters
remain the same from beginning to end
Round
Characters are complex and have many sides.they often have unpredictable behavior because their personalities are fully devoloped.
dialogue
uses quotation marks; it is when characters speak
Antagonist
the character that opposes the main character. He/she are in conflict with the protagonist.
setting
when and where the story takes place
theme
the lesson or moral learned
plot
the action and events in the story
exposition
the beginning of the story where the characters and setting is introduced
rising action
follows the exposition, this is where the conflict is introduced
climax
the turning point in the story, where the character learns the lesson and has a change
falling action
follows the climax, any events after the character changes
Foreshadowing
words, phrases, or actions that hint something is going to happen without revealing the story or spoiling the suspense.
inference
a guess made based on what the text says, and your background knowledge
Flat
characters reveal only one personality trait. They are often stereotypes,and can be summed up in a few words(Ex. Bad/Good guy,lone ranger, etc...)
Internal Conflict
conflict within a character
External conflict
conflict between a character and an outside force
Third person limited
the narrator reveals the thoughts,feelings, and observations of one character
Thrid person omniscient
the narrator can describe the thoughts,feelings, and observations of any character, and can reveal information unknown to the characters
second person
the narrator rarely used, the narrator will narrarate directly to the reader as if he/she were a character in the story
Person vs. Person
The character struggles against the will or actions of another character or characters.
Person vs. Society
A character has a problem with some element of society: the school, the law, the accepted way of doing things.
Person vs. Nature
The central character struggles against animals, the elements, or other natural forces.
Person vs. Self
the type of struggle in which an individual is in direct conflict with his own desires or beliefs