Narrative Elements
The beginning of the story when the main character, setting, and initiating event or conflict are introduced.
What is the exposition?
Literature that describes imaginary events and people.
What is fiction?
When an object, person, or event stands for something beyond itself (e.g., a heart symbolizing love).
What is symbolism?
The author’s attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice and style.
What is tone?
The main message or lesson of a literary text. It is usually not directly stated and must be inferred from details in the story.
What is theme?
Events that happen after the climax, and lead to the resolution.
What is falling action?
Literature based on facts, real events, and real people.
What is nonfiction?
Giving human traits to non-human things (e.g., “The wind whispered”).
What is personification?
The feeling or atmosphere that a literary work creates for the reader.
What is mood?
The sequence of events in a story. It usually includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
What is plot?
The turning point in the story, often the most intense or exciting part.
What is the climax?
Literary work that uses rhythm, meter, and often rhyme to evoke emotions and create imagery.
What is poetry?
A direct comparison between two unlike things (e.g., “Time is a thief”).
What is a metaphor?
Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
What is foreshadowing?
A struggle between opposing forces. It can be internal (within a character) or external (between characters, nature, or society).
What is conflict?
The part of the plot where the conflict begins to build and suspense increases.
What is rising action?
A play written for performance by actors.
What is drama?
A comparison using like or as (e.g., “He’s as brave as a lion”).
What is a simile?
A scene that interrupts the plot to describe an earlier event.
What is a flashback?
The perspective from which the story is told (e.g., first-person, third-person limited, third-person omniscient).
What is point of view?
The end of the story where conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.
What is the resolution?
A genre of fiction that includes magical or supernatural elements that are not realistic.
What is fantasy?
Language that goes beyond the literal meaning, including similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole.
What is figurative language?
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and helps create a vivid picture.
What is imagery?
The main character in a story, often the hero or the one facing the conflict.
Who is the protagonist?