Literary Terms & Concepts
The term for a struggle between opposing forces, such as a character vs. nature or a character vs. nature or a character vs. another character?
Conflict
In a two-part test question, Part A asks a main question and Part B always asks for this to prove your answer.
Textual Evidence (test evidence)
The technique an author uses when interrupting the present story to show a scene that happened in the past (like remembering cooking with a parent years ago).
Flashback
The perspective from which a story is told, such as a father's perspective versus a son's perspective.
Point of View
Author's choice of words, such as using "relented" instead of "agreed" to show a character's hesitation.
Diction
When a test question asks you to "infer," you must combine clues from the text with this to reach a conclusion.
Prior Knowledge
When an author chooses a specific word—like "concocted" instead of "cooked"—to create a specific feeling or idea, they are using this skill.
Word Choice
The emotional atmosphere or feeling a story gives the reader, which can shift from serious to whimsical depending on who is telling it.
Mood
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, such as describing green tablecloths, red candles, and the hiss of blinding snow squalls.
Imagery?
A classic, recurring character type found across many stories, such as "the thrill-seeking explorer."
Archetype (characterization)
The term for dialogue or actions between two or more characters that help reveal their relationships and move the plot forward.
Character Interaction (Narrative Techniques)
When two different stories explore similar life lessons—like how father-son relationships grow through shared activities—they share a common one of these.
Theme
A recurring image, object, or idea in a story (like a snowstorm) that represents a deeper meaning beyond its literal definition.
Symbol (or Symbolism)?
The term for the overall atmosphere or feeling created for the reader by the author's choice of setting and descriptions.
Mood
Descriptive phrases like "a secret flowering" that go beyond literal meaning to create rich mental images are examples of this type of language.
Figurative Language (metaphor)
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The central message, lesson, or underlying insight about life that an author conveys through a story.
Theme
The strategy of reading a question carefully and ruling out answer choices that are obviously incorrect before picking your answer.
Process of Elimination
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When an author presents two stories side-by-side on a test, this skill requires you to find similarities and differences in how both texts handle the same idea.
Comparing Texts