Literary terms

the series of events that unfold in a work of fiction

the process by which a writer makes a character seem real

when the author tells the reader about a character

when the author shows the reader the character's qualities through dialogue (talking), actions, and descriptions

word choice

language that appeals to the senses, creating mental pictures of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, or actions

example:A host of golden daffodils;  Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

language that goes beyond the literal meanings of words to create special effects or feelings

there are seven types:  similes, metaphors, imagery, hyperbole, personification, alliteration

use of extreme exaggeration

example:You snore louder than a freight train.

a contract between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens

direct comparison of two unlike things WITHOUT the use of "like" or "as"

example:  you are a couch potato

the overall feeling in a literary work - this may change over the course of the piece

giving human qualities to nonhuman things

example:  the sun played hide and seek with the clouds

the perspective from which a story is told

when the narrator participates in the action, uses "I" and "we" to tell the story

the narrative is restricted to the thoughts and feelings of this character

the narrator is "you" - rarely used because of awkwardness

the narrator does not participate in the action  - uses "he", "she" or "they" to tell the story

when the third person narrator does not see into the minds of any of the characters so cannot report any of their thoughts or feelings - can only do so through dialogue and actions

when the third person narrator can see into the minds of the characters and can report their thoughts and feelings

called "limited" when this knowledge is limited to only certain characters

the underlying message, usually about life or society

the author's attitude toward the subject and/or the audience

the time(s) or place(s) where a story unfolds

includes geographic, historic, physical, religious, economic, philosophical, and psychological landscape

comparious of two unlike things, using the word "like" or "as"

example:  busy as a bee

the way the author organizes words, sentences, and paragraphs

use of somthing visible and concrete, to represent something invisible or abstract

example:  eagle = America

the way the author chooses to write

includes diction, structure, point of view, figurative language, irony, etc.