The World of Characters
The character, force, or group that tries to stop or hinder the protagonist from reaching his goals.
What is an antagonist?
The point of highest tension. Sometimes known as "the point of no return."
What is climax?
An item or icon that represents a deeper idea.
What is a symbol?
Subtle references to outside events or stories. Used to add extra meaning to the story.
What are allusions?
Recording your thoughts as you read.
What is annotation?
A character who is with the protagonist and used to show contrast.
What is a foil?
A conflict type in which a character faces opposition from a group of people or culture.
What is man vs. society?
The perspective that a story is written from.
What is point of view (POV)?
When and where the story takes place and how that affects the story.
What is setting?
The way that words are arranged in a sentence (word order).
What is syntax?
The reader learns about a character through inferences.
What is indirect characterization?
The resolution/how the story ends up (conclusion).
What is denouement?
The false view that there is neither a God nor absolute truth. Instead, various cultures have developed over time and each have their own truths.
What is postmodern worldview?
The underlying message in the story.
What is theme?
The tone that a word has. Two words can have different ______, but the same dictionary definition.
What is connotation?
A character type. These characters do not mature during the story; they have the same mindsets in the beginning of the story as they have at the end.
What are static characters?
An object is mentioned early in the story, but its significance is not explained until later.
What is Chekhov's gun?
The narrator knows the thoughts of multiple characters, future/secret events, and outside information in the story.
What is third-person-omniscient point of view?
How the word choices in the story make the reader feel.
What is mood?
The substitution of a nicer word/phrase to replace a slightly offensive or negative word.
What is a euphemism?
The true idea that God can direct things for His good.
What is providence?
Jumping into the action of the story before giving an exposition.
What is in medias res?
The narrator isn't truthful. This could either be on purpose (i.e. a criminal is the narrator) or accidental (i.e. a small child misinterprets the world). This is typically used to produce irony or deception.
What is an unreliable narrator?
The author's attitude towards what he is writing.
What is tone?
The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of sentences. Used to add emphasis on an idea.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek..."
What is anaphora?