Characters & Story Elements
a "second self"
Alter Ego
“Story within a story”; usually, the "hidden story" has something to do with politics, religion, morality, or other deeper topics that are sometimes more difficult to explain outright.
Allegory
When something is left up to interpretation by the author or creator of the film
Ambiguity
Words or phrases that are spelled the same both forward and backward
Palindrome
Making a comparison between two unlikely things without the use of “like” or “as”
Metaphor
Details provided that give insight into the character
Characterization
A symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a book, film, or story--can be symbols, actions, ideas, or words
Motif
When the audience knows something that the characters do not (the characters may arrive at an unexpected outcome, but the audience probably predicted it)
Dramatic Irony
When the same word is repeated at the end of sentences or clauses
Epistrophe
The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to critique
Satire
An idea, symbol, theme, or characterization that is usually seen as a universal truth
Archetype
A reference to something else
Allusion
A way of presenting ideas or arguments to an audience in a way that convinces or persuades them
Rhetoric
Word choice or phrasing in any written text or spoken script
Diction
A rhetorical device used to make comparisons between two things that are not similar.
Example: “My mama always said “life is like a box of chocolates–you never know what you’re gonna get.”” (Forrest Gump)
Analogy
Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or things
Personification
Giving the audience hints or clues about what is to come in the book, story, or film
Foreshadowing
The close placement of two things–usually to highlight their differences
Juxtaposition
Words that sound like what they describe
Onomatopoeia
A comparison using the words “like” or “as”
Simile
Can be created with the use of description and can be explored by seeing what the scene reveals about the story or the subject
Mood
The central idea, topic, point, or meaning of a story
Theme
An extreme exaggeration
Hyperbole
The feel of a piece of writing or a film that is created by the style or voice used
Tone
A work that is created with the intention of imitating, to make fun of, or to critique the original work
Parody