the time and place in which the work occurs
Setting
the main character in a work of literature
Protagonist
a person or animal that takes part in the action of a literary work
Character
the central, unifying element of the story, which ties together all of the other elements of fiction used by the author to tell the story
clues or hints signaling events that will occur later in the plot
Foreshadowing
a sudden and vivid memory of an event in the past; also, an interruption in the sequence of events in the plot of a story to relate events that occurred in the past
Flashback
a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject
Tone
a person who narrates something, especially a character who recounts the events of a novel or narrative poem
Narrator
an object, a person, or a place that stands for something else
Symbol
conversation between characters
Dialogue
the overall emotional quality of a work, which is created by the author’s language and tone and the subject matter
Mood
A word’s exact, literal meaning.
Denotation
a character struggles with an outside force, such as another character or something in nature
External Conflict
a character struggles with his or her own needs, desires, or emotions
Internal Conflict
A word’s suggested or implied meaning or emotion associated with a word beyond its literal definition.
Connotation