Elements of Literature
Action: refers to everything that goes on or happens in a story
Antagonist: is the character fighting against the main character or hero in the story; the villain
Character: a person or animal who takes part in the action of a story
Characterization: the author’s way of creating and developing a character
A dynamic character is one who changes during the story. A static character remains the same.
Conflict: the struggle between opposing forces (it may be internal or external); the problem in the story which triggers the action
There are five basic types of conflict:
1. Person vs. Person: One character in a story has a problem with one or more of the other characters.
2. Person vs. Society: The character may have a problem with society – the school, the law, tradition.
3. Person vs. Him or Herself: He/she struggles inside and has trouble deciding what to do.
4. Person vs. Nature: A character has a problem with some part of nature: snowstorm, avalanche, bitter cold.
5. Person vs. Fate: A character has to battle with what seems to be an uncontrollable problem.
Copyright information: Author, title, publishing company, publishing city or state, copyright date, number of pages
Example: P. D. Eastman, Go Dog Go, Random House, Inc., New York, 1961, 64.
Dialogue: the talking that goes on between characters in a story
Figurative Language: language meant to be interpreted imaginatively, not literally.
There are many types of figures of speech.
1. Metaphor: comparing two different things without using like or as.
example: He was a hard lump of clay, unable to show emotion.
2. Personification: a form of figurative language in which an idea, object, or animal is given characteristics of a person.
example: The cat smirked as the dog was sent outside after their scuffle.
3. Simile: compares two different things using like or as
example: She is as quiet as a mouse.
Flashback: an interruption in a chronological narrative; telling what previously happened while in the present time
Genre: an artistic or literary category
Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama
Imagery: language that emphasizes sense impressions that help the reader see, hear, feel, smell, and taste things described in the work.
Irony: a contrast between what is and what ought to be
Mood: the feelings a reader gets from the story: happy, sad, peaceful
Moral: the lesson the author is trying to teach in the story
A fable usually ends with the moral of the story.
Narrator: the speaker or character who is telling the story
Plot: the action of the story
Plot line: shows the action or events in a story
It has five parts:
1. Exposition: It explains the background and setting of the story. The characters of the story are usually introduced.
2. Rising Action: The part of the story where the problems arise, leading up to the climax.
3. Climax: The highest point (turning point) of the story.
4. Falling Action: The part of the story which follows the climax. It contains the action necessary to resolve the story.
5. Resolution: The end of a play or story where the problems are resolved.
Point of View: the angle from which a story is told
1. First-person: one of the characters is telling the story; refers to self as I
2. Second-person: (not commonly used); refers to the reader as you
3. Third-person Limited: narrator is outside the story and describes the actions of the story, refers to characters as he or she (camera view)
4. Third-person Omniscient: narrator is also outside the story, but can reveal any or all events, thoughts, and actions of the characters, as well as background information important to the story; refers to that characters as he or she (can see all)
Protagonist: the hero of the story
He/she is the main character of the work.
Setting: the time and place of the story
Symbolism: a method for exploring the unknown through the known
A familiar object is used to represent the unfamiliar, example: a flag symbolizes a nation; a dove symbolizes peace. It enables a writer to express a complicated idea or a deep feeling in a few words.
Theme: the central message, concern or insight being written about or discussed
Tone: the attitude of the narrator toward a subject
It may be sad, serious, funny, etc.