Literary Devices
Character
Plot Devices
Plot elements
Miscellaneous
100

A reference to something outside the story that brings greater understanding of something that's IN the story.

What is an allusion?

100

The main character of the story, the person with a problem

What is the protagonist?

100

A jump to something that took place outside the story in the past.

What is a flashback?

100

Time, place, and atmosphere

What is setting?

100

Recording one's thoughts about the story in writing while reading

What is annotation?

200

A comparison using like or as

What is a simile?

200

Name two types of conflict.

Man vs. man

Man vs. self

Man vs. society

Man vs. nature

Man vs. fate/deity

200

"In the middle of things."

What is in medias res?


200

The moment of truth, the crucial point at which the protagonist must go in one direction or another

What is the climax?

200

Two reasons for annotating

Records thinking for future reference

Slows the reader down and helps focus thoughts

Helps avoid passive reading

300

The emotional impact of a word, not just the dictionary definition

What is connotation?

300

The person working against the protagonist

What is the antagonist?


300

"god from the machine"

What is deus ex machina?


300

The main idea of the story, the "truth" the author communicates through the story

What is the theme?

300

The term that describes who is telling the story

What is point of view?

400

A way of saying something that is less offensive

Eupemhism

400

A character that is a stereotype (typical doctor, mom, grandma, etc.)

What is a stock character?


400

A clue of something that is to come

What is foreshadowing?

400

The wrapping up of the story (after the climax)

What is the denouement?

400

The point of view in which the person telling the story is outside the story and knows the thoughts and feelings of ONE of the characters in the story

What is third person limited point of view?
500

Language that appeals to the five senses - sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch

What is imagery?

500

A character that is well-developed with strengths, weaknesses, unique personality traits, etc.

What is a round character?

500

Something in the story that seems totally insignificant but becomes crucial to the plot.

What is Chekov's gun?

500

The one thing all plots must have

What is conflict?

500

Ideas passed down from one age to the next, with people from each contributing to the evolution

What is the Great Conversation?

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