Jestice/English 1
Name: ________________________________
Jestice
English 1/Period _______
Date: __________________
Elements of Short Stories--Literary Terms
Psssst! You should be taking notes with the Power Point. Write a definition and an
example for understanding.
Plot Diagram—draw one in the space below
I. Exposition
A. Setting
B. Characters
1. Static
2. Dynamic
3. Round
4. Flat
Jestice/English 1
5. Indirect Characterization
6. Direct Characterization
7. Protagonist
8. Antagonist
9. Epiphany
C. Central Plot
1. Man vs. ?
2. Man vs. ?
3. Man vs. ?
4. Man vs. ?
II. Rising Action
III. Conflict
IV. Climax
Jestice/English 1
V. Falling Action
VI. Resolution or Denouement
VII. Point of View
VIII. Perspective
IX. Symbolism
A. Symbol
B. Motif
C. Archetype
D. Allegory
X. Tone
XI. Mood
XII. Irony
XIII. Theme
Jestice/English 1
XIV. Fiction
XV. Non-fiction
XVI. Flashback
XVII. Foreshadowing
XVIII. Allusion
XIX. Diction
Jestice/English 1
Study Help
I. Setting - the time and place of the story. Setting can play such a vital role that it can act as a character.
Setting can also be central to the conflict; particular settings or environments create certain conflicts.
II. Character - refers to the participants in the story
A. Static - characters that stay the same throughout the story
B. Dynamic - characters that change because of the experiences they endure
C. Flat - characters that are one-dimensional
D. Round - characters that are multi-dimensional, more than one side to his personality
E. Protagonist - main character, while he is usually someone the reader empathizes with, he is not
in all cases a likeable person
F. Antagonist - foe(s) of the main character, the antagonist may take many forms, including:
another person, a force of nature, a situation, fate, society, or the protagonist himself
G. Direct Characterization - the author tells the reader directly what he wants the reader to know
about the character
H. Indirect Characterization - the reader makes inferences about the character through the
character's actions, reactions, thoughts, and speech or through comments and reactions of other
characters
I. Epiphany - a revelation or enlightenment that leads to or causes a turning point in the character's
life
III. Plot - series of related events that make up a story
A. Exposition - information about setting, characters, and central conflict
1. Conflict - struggle between opposing forces
a. Man vs. man - external struggle between two or more individuals
b. Man vs. nature - external struggle between man and an element of
nature
c. Man vs. society - external struggle between man and an element
of society or society as a whole
d. Man vs. himself - internal struggle concerning emotion and
decision
B. Complication - mini-conflicts that contribute to the rise in action
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C. Climax - turning point of the story; emotional high point
(for the character, not the reader)
D. Falling action - events that lead to resolution
E. Resolution - outcome of the conflict
IV. Point of View - refers to who is telling the story
A. 1st Person - from a character in the story; his role may vary from a main character to a minor
character, and that will determine how much he knows.
B. 3rd Person - from a person outside the story looking in, he's not a participant.
C. Limited - 1st or 3rd person narrator who reports only what he sees
D. Omniscient - 1st or 3rd person narrator who knows everything
V. Tone—The Writer’s attitude toward a subject expressed through diction.
VI. Mood—How the writer’s word choice, diction, affects the reader.
VII. Theme – The POINT of the text--expresses an idea about life, not usually directly stated by an
author, and therefore must be inferred. It cannot always be stated in one sentence, but it must be done as a
statement.
VII. Symbol - a person, place, thing, or action that has meaning in itself as well as standing for something
larger than itself - such as a quality, attitude, belief, or value
VIII. Motif - recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the
text’s major themes.
IX. Irony - contrast between what is said or expected and what happens
A. Verbal - the character says one thing, but means another
B. Situational - a character's actions bring about unexpected results
C. Dramatic - the audience perceives something that a character does not know