Short Story Literary Elements Alliteration Alliteration is the

Short Story/ Literary Elements

Alliteration • Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds generally at the beginning of words, or, within neighboring words in a sentence. Examples: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.

Antagonist • Force or character working against the main character. Protagonist • Main character, may be a hero or heroine, with whom the audience tends to identify.

Allusion • A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work, often used to help make a comparison. Examples: • “I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s. ” • “When she lost her job, she acted like a Scrooge, and refused to buy anything that wasn’t necessary. ” • “He was a real Romeo with the ladies. ”

Character • Person, animal, or creature in a literary work.

Character • Round characters are complex and multidimensional, like real people. • Flat characters are one dimensional and superficial; they can be described in a single sentence. • A Dynamic Character changes as a result of the events of the story. • A Static Character changes very little or not at all through the literary work.

Climax • Turning point in the story

Conflict • Conflict is the problem struggle in a story. or • There are four general types of conflict in literature: Ø Character versus Character Ø Character versus Nature Ø Character versus Society Ø Character versus Self

Dialect • Dialect is the way of speaking that is specific to of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people. • Commonly brought to mind are New Yorkers, the Bostonians, and the Southern Dialect.

Dialogue • Dialogue is a conversation between two or more characters.

Exposition • Found at the beginning of a story and used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, to the reader

Falling Action • The parts of the story after the climax and before the resolution.

Flashback • Flashback is an interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time.

Foreshadowing • Foreshadowing is the use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur later in the plot.

Hyperbole (Figurative Language) • Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement. Examples: She’s said so on several million occasions. It must’ve weighed a ton.

Idiom (Figurative Language) • An idiom is an expression peculiar to a particular language that means something different from the literal meaning of the words. • Hold your tongue is an idiom for don’t speak. • Bury your head in the sand is an idiom for ignore a difficult situation.

Imagery • Imagery is when words or language is used to appeal to one or all of the five senses – sight, touch, taste, smell or sound.

Irony and Dramatic Irony • Irony is the contrast between expectation (what is expected ) and reality (what actually occurs). • Dramatic Irony occurs when the audience or reader knows something a character does not know. • In “The Diary of Anne Frank”, the audience knows the fate of its characters. The characters, however, continue to discuss what they will do when they are free – Anne wants to ride a bike and go to Paris. Our knowledge that this will not occur is dramatic irony.

Metaphor (Figurative Language) • Metaphors are comparisons between two things without using the words like or as. Examples: The road was a ribbon of moonlight. She was a flower among women.

Mood/Atmosphere • Mood and Atmosphere are used interchangeably to refer to the “emotional feeling the reader receives from the literature. • The Mood or Atmosphere might be scary, happy, sad, romantic, nostalgic, or exciting.

Onomatopoeia (Figurative Language) • Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate sounds Examples: Buzz! Crackle!

Personification (Figurative Language) • Personification is when human qualities are given to an animal, an object or an idea. Examples: The little dog laughed. The cow winked at the little girl.

Plot • Plot is the sequence of events that happen in a story.

Plot Components Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action middle Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax. It is when something starts to happen beginning Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax end • Resolution: is the conclusion of the action when everything comes together.

Point of View • Point of view is how the story is told by the narrator or author; either first, second, or third person

Point of View First Person: The narrator is a character, often the main character, of the story. The first person narrator refers to him or herself as “I. ” Second person: The narrator tells the story to another character using "you, " so that the story is being told through the addressee's point of view. Second person is the least commonly used. Third Person: Characters are referred to as "he" and "she" in third person. In this case the narrator (who may be indistinguishable from the author) is not a character in the story.

Point of View Omniscient: This is the all-knowing narrator. The omniscient point of view sees everything and hears everything, and is able to see into the minds of multiple characters.

Rising Action • A series of events between the exposition and the climax that create suspense, interest and tension in a literary work

Setting • Time, place, and physical characteristics of where a story takes place.

Simile (Figurative Language) • Simile is when a comparison is made between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, than or resembles. • Similes are most often direct comparisons between two unlike things using the words like and as. • Examples: Timothy’s arms were like iron. My love is like a red, red rose. Her face was as round as a pumpkin.

Theme • a central message, idea, or concern that is expressed in a literary work • • Examples Never give up It is better to give than receive The truth will set you free Success comes from hard work

Tone • Tone is the attitude a writer/author takes towards his or her subject, characters and audience. Examples: humorous, passionate, sincere, solemn, and anger.

Fiction • Fiction is a prose account that is made up rather than true. • Fiction refers to novels and short stories. Nonfiction • Nonfiction is prose writing that deals with real people, things, events and places.