Lit Elements
The message/es explored throughout a
work of literature.
Theme
The opening of the story that sets up the characters, setting, (time and place), and basic information in introduced.
Exposition
The place where the story occurs. Ex. The setting of Trifles takes place in a farmhouse.
Physical
This is the main character, around
which the whole story revolves.
Protagonist
Makes a comparison of two unrelated things often using “is.”
Metaphor
a person, animal, being, creature in a story.
Character
The protagonist struggles between opposing forces. It can be external: person vs. person, person vs. nature
Conflict
The time period in history that either sur- rounds the story. Eg: 19th Century
Historical
This character, or group of char-acters, causes the conflict for the protagonist.
Antagonist
Makes a comparison of two unrelated things to show common quality between them using “like” or “as.”
Similie
The arrangement of events; consider chronological or use of flashback
Plot
The main character faces a series of conflicts.
Rising Action
A word or object that most every-one
agrees on the meaning.
Universal Symbol
Opposite of the flat character. Characters have many different traits, good and bad, making them more interesting.
Round Character
A thing- an idea or an animal – is given human attributes.
Personification
The time and place (or when and where) of the story.
Setting
A significant turning point in the story that determines how it must end.
Crisis
A word or object that stands for some- thing else just in the story or situation.
Contextual Symbol
Changes throughout the story. They may learn a lesson, become bad, or change in complex ways.
Dynamic Character
The characters are representative of some larger humanistic trait and attempt to convey some larger lesson or meaning in life.
Allegory
Repeated patterns in the story, particularly
the symbolic.
Motifs
The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends.
Falling Action
The feeling, emotion, or mood that an author creates in a narrative through descriptive lan- guage.
Atmospheric
Opposite character traits from another, char- acter meant to help highlight or bring out another’s positive or negative side.
Foil
A reference to something in history, cul- ture, or literature (especially historical).
Allusion