Characterization
What is character development?
The internal change a character undergoes over a story, allowing the reader to see significant growth.
What are the seven stages of plot?
Exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.
What is the theme of The Giver?
Freedom and individuality: “Don’t confuse sameness with equality.”
What is the definition of genre?
A category of artistic work characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.
What is the inciting incident?
The event where the conflict begins.
What is the difference between dynamic and static characters?
Dynamic characters change internally, while static characters do not change.
What is the difference between a story stance and a universal theme?
Story stance is the author’s message; universal theme is the main idea of the story.
What is the theme of The Monkey’s Paw?
Greed—“Be careful what you wish for; be grateful for what you have.”
Name three types of conflict.
Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Society.
What is the climax?
The highest point of tension in the story.
What is the difference between round and flat characters?
Round characters are well-described; flat characters are not well-described.
What is the definition of setting?
The time and place where the story occurs.
What is the message of Flowers for Algernon?
Intelligence can be a curse.
What is the difference between a utopia and a dystopia?
A utopia is a perfect world; a dystopia is flawed, broken, or evil, often futuristic.
What is falling action?
The events after the climax but before the resolution.
What is direct characterization?
When the narrator explicitly describes a character's traits.
What is an allegory?
A work of art where everything symbolizes another person, idea, or object.
What is the message of Aunty Misery?
Cleverness and intelligence can outsmart enemies.
What are the three pillars of genre?
Realistic, fantasy, and sci-fi.
What is the denouement?
The events that occur after the resolution.
What is indirect characterization?
When a character’s traits are revealed through their thoughts, words, and actions.
Define tragedy and tragic hero.
A tragedy is a story centered on tragic events and a tragic hero who experiences loss and ends up destroyed. A tragic hero may reach a great achievement but loses everything by the story’s end.
What is the theme of The Flying Machine?
Technology—“Technological advancement in the wrong hands is dangerous.”
What is the subgenre of sci-fi?
Stories that could happen if technology advances.
What happens during the resolution?
The conflict is officially over.