My Blog | A fine WordPress.com site



Short Story Definitions and Literary TermsWhat is a short Story?a short narrative written to entertain and sometimes bring a message (theme) to the reader.All stories are based on…All stories are based on a struggle (conflict) the author tries to resolve (climax).By its nature, short stories areconcise and focus on a few elements (character, conflict, description, setting, plot).A short story contains only one major …character, plot, setting, and theme.A short story usually focuses on a single …conflict, character or emotional effect.There are four kinds of short story, identified by emphasis on one of the following:ActionCharacterAtmosphere/MoodThemeThe main purpose of the introduction is …To make the reader continue reading through the use of suspense, violence, excitement, action, or by something unusual.The introduction often answers the questions:Where is this place?What has happened up to now? Who are these people? When does the story take place? What will happen next?SettingThe time and location in which a story takes place.There are several aspects of a story’s setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a storyPlace Time Weather conditions Social conditions Mood or Atmosphere What is plot?The sequence of events in a story or play. There are five essential parts of plot 1) Introduction2) Rising Action3) Climax 4) Falling Action5) ResolutionThere are two meanings for the word Character:The person in a work of fiction.The characteristics of a person.Characterization How the author develops the characters.The author develops characters throughcharacters physical appearancewhat character does/does not dowhat character says, thinks, feels, dreamswhat others say about the character & how they react to himauthor’s word choice in descriptive passagesProtagonist- Character who is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to him/her.- changes and grows because of experiences in the storyAntagonistThe opposition to the main character Types of antagonistspeoplenaturesocietyConflictA struggle between two opposing forcesTypes of ConflictInternal: in a character’s mindMan vs. Him(Her)self External: character struggles against an outside forceMan vs. Man Man vs. NatureMan vs. Technology/ProgressMan vs. Society (social)Man vs. SupernaturalThemeCentral message or insight about life revealed through a literary work. “main idea” of the storyPoint of ViewThe vantage point or angle from which the writer tells the story.First Person Point of ViewStory told by the protagonist. Use of the pronouns “I”, “me”, “we”Third Person Point of ViewThe narrator is someone outside the story, who refers to all the characters by name, or as “he,” “she,” “they.”Omniscient Point of ViewAll knowing narrator. The author can center on the thoughts and actions of any and all characters.FlashbackThe present scene in the story is interrupted to flash backward and tell what happened in an earlier time.ForeshadowingRefers to clues that hint at what is going to happen later in the plot. SymbolAn object, person, or event that functions as itself, but also stands for something more than itself.SimileComparing two unlike things using like or as.MetaphorComparing two unlike things (not using like or as)PersonificationGiving human qualities to non-human things.Irony______________________________Verbal Irony______________________________Situational Irony______________________________Dramatic IronyA literary device that creates a contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality; between what is said and what is meant. _______________________________Saying one thing but meaning something completely different.Calling a clumsy basketball player “Michael Jordan”A contradiction between what expect to happen & what really happens._______________________________Reader knows something important the characters do not know. AllusionReference to a statement, person, a place, or events from: Literature, History, Religion, Mythology, Politics, Sports.SuspenseA feeling of tension, anxiety, or excitement resulting from uncertainty. Atmosphere (Mood)The prevailing feeling in a literary work created by word choice, descriptive details and evocative imagery.ImageryCreating a picture in the readers mind through descriptionPoetic JusticeA literary device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punishedStereotypeA widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.ExplicitStated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.ImplicitFImplied though not plainly expressed. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download