Literary Devices 12 J Writers bring their stories

Literary Devices 12 J Writers bring their stories to life by using special tools called literary devices.

These tools include: • Flashback-a flashback takes you to the past to help you understand the events in a story. • Foreshadowing- foreshadowing is a hint of things to come in a story. • Symbolism- a symbol often provides a deeper understanding of a story.

Flashback • A flashback interrupts the sequence of events in a story to show something that happened before the story’s beginning. • The flashback helps the reader understand a character’s present situation. • Not all stories are told in chronological order.

Foreshadowing • In foreshadowing an author gives hints about what might happen later in a story. • These clues can be in the form of events in the story. • Clues can also come from information from the narrator or a character. • Foreshadowing is often used to build suspense or tension in a story.

Symbolism • A symbol is something that stands for, or represents, something else. For example, the U. S. flag is a symbol of freedom to Americans. • What do these symbols represent to you: A lion? A red heart? An owl?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx • Sometime an author will use a symbol in a story to create a certain feeling in the reader or to make an important point. Authors may use symbols to tell the reader something significant about a character or situation in a story. In a story, a symbol can be a person, an object, or even a situation.

• Symbols can often give you clues to theme of a story. As you read, look for any symbols the author may be using to help you understand the selection’s theme. • Theme is the underlying message about life or human nature.