NAME THAT DEVICE
A story suddenly jumps back in time to show something that happened years earlier.
Flashback
Before the school play, your friend says, "Break a leg!"
Idiom
A student opens an old yearbook, and the story returns to the day they ruined the school talent show five years ago.
Flashback
The narrator says, "Oh, fantastic. Another surprise math test. My dream come true." The sarcastic attitude is the narrator's...
Tone
This literary device combines two contradictory words, such as "deafening silence" or "organized chaos."
Oxymoron
The school mascot is described as "seriously funny."
Oxymoron
A rubber chicken appears repeatedly whenever a character is about to tell a lie.
Motif
Two enemies learn to cooperate, showing that working together can overcome differences. This central message is the story's...
Theme
Instead of saying someone was fired, a character says they were "let go."
Euphemism
After accidentally destroying the science project, a student calls it "a minor technical difficulty."
Euphemism
Readers know the teacher's coffee has been replaced with gravy, but the teacher confidently takes a giant sip.
Dramatic Irony
A scene makes readers feel frightened, but the narrator describes everything with playful jokes. Name BOTH literary elements: the frightening atmosphere and the playful attitude.
Mood (frightening) and tone (playful)
This device involves a statement that seems to contradict itself but reveals a deeper truth, such as "The only constant is change."
Paradox
The school's brand-new "Silence Please" sign accidentally sets off a deafening alarm.
Irony
Throughout a novel, a locked door appears whenever the main character feels trapped. What is this repeated object an example of?
Motif
A story is about friendship, but its message is that true friends support one another during difficult times. Which is the theme: "friendship" or the complete message?
The complete message. A theme is a statement about life, not simply a topic.