Narrative Techniques
Name one way an author can reveal a character’s personality.
Through actions, dialogue, or thoughts.
What is first-person point of view?
Narration told using “I” from a character’s perspective.
Identify the figurative device: “The wind whispered.”
Personification.
Define “rhetorical question.”
A question asked for effect, not an answer.
What is “theme” in a story?
The central message, lesson, or idea the author wants to convey.
What is third-person limited?
The narrator only knows the thoughts/feelings of one character.
What tone is created by: “The sun smiled warmly over the meadow.”
Cheerful, peaceful, hopeful.
What rhetorical appeal is used when a speaker says, “I’ve studied this issue for years, so you can trust me.”
Ethos (credibility).
How can setting influence a story’s conflict?
It can create obstacles (e.g., a desert creates survival conflict).
How does an unreliable narrator affect meaning?
It makes the reader question what’s true and interpret carefully.
What does a symbol represent in a story? Give an example.
Something that stands for something bigger (a dove = peace).
Why does repetition make a speech more powerful?
It emphasizes key ideas and makes them memorable.
Write one sentence of dialogue that shows a character is nervous.
Answers will vary
Why might an author use a flashback?
To give background, explain motivation, or reveal important context.
Identify the figurative device and tone: “Her words were daggers.”
Metaphor; tone = harsh, angry, painful.
Identify one rhetorical device from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Repetition, parallelism, imagery, or appeal to hope.
Explain how a character’s actions can show theme without the author saying it directly.
Answers will vary
Example: If a character forgives an enemy, it shows the theme of forgiveness through actions, not narration.
How does structure (like shifting time or order of events) change a reader’s perspective?
It can build suspense, highlight cause-and-effect, or shift sympathy toward certain characters.
Explain how figurative language can make writing more emotional for readers.
It creates vivid images, appeals to emotions, and makes abstract ideas more relatable.
Evaluate how rhetorical devices affect an audience’s emotions.
They persuade by creating emotional connection, urgency, or inspiration.