Literature Terms Study Guide
TEST – Friday, December 21st
*You need to know “Vocabulary for Literature” (handed out in class) as well as information from Crash
-Antagonist – None
-Protagonist – main / most important character; a dynamic character; In Crash,
Crash Coogan is the protagonist
-Character – person, animal, or creature in a story
*Static – character traits stays the same throughout the story
*Dynamic – character traits change throughout the story;
-Characterization – developing the characters within a story. It is
sometimes stated directly (Direct Characterization) or
the reader must draw conclusions about the character
based on the reading (Indirect Characterization).
a. -Climax – highest point of suspense ( When Penn gives Crash the Missouri mud to heal Scooter)
-Conflict – struggle between opposing forces
-Internal Conflict – character is struggling against himself/herself (1st time when Crash bullies Penn Webb )
-External Conflict – character is struggling with another character;
In Crash, the conflict is External, Crash vs. Penn
(man vs. man) because Crash is always bullying Penn
-Dialogue – a conversation between characters
-Exposition – the part of the story that introduces the characters and setting
-Falling Action – actions that tie up loose ends and leads to a resolution or
solution to the central problem.
-Flashback – section that interrupts the sequence of events to relate
an earlier event
-Foreshadowing – using clues to suggest something that hasn’t happened yet
-Initiating Event – introduces the central conflict (When Crash took Penn’s Button)
-Mood – the feeling the author makes the reader feel or the general
feeling in a story
-Plot – sequence of events in a story
-Purpose in writing – reason why the author is writing; there are 4 purposes:
1. Persuade
2. Inform
3. Describe
4. Entertain – Jerry Spinelli’s purpose for writing Crash
-Resolution – the ending events of a work of fiction ( How Crash and Penn end up at the end of the story)
-Setting – time and place where the story takes place; In Crash the setting is
Pennsylvania, present day.
-Theme – the central message communicated in the story;
the theme in Crash is to be kind to others
-Tone – attitude or style of expression used by the author
-1st Person Point of View – character tells the story;
Crash is told in 1st person point of view
because Crash is telling the story
-3rd Person Point of View – voice outside of the story narrates
CRASH PENN
*main character / protagonist
*bullies Penn *bullied by Crash and Mike
*best friend is Mike DeLuca *cheerleader
*football player *Quaker and vegetarian
*changes during the story *born in North Dakota
* grandfather is Scooter *named for his great grandfather
*sister, Abby, wants to to *owns 2 toys – Conestoga Wagon
Stop the mall from being built and Mississippi mud