6LiteraryDevices

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Literary Devices
Below is a list of definitions of some of the important story elements. Setting - The time and location in which the story occurs. Time and location together create the entire social and environmental context of the story. Closely related to the setting is the atmosphere, which is the aura or mood of the story. Characterization - How the writer reveals the characters to the reader. This includes what a character might say, do, or think. It also includes how other characters perceive him/her/it. For characters to be true to life, an author must provide them with sufficient reason to behave as they do. This is referred to as a character's motivation. Theme - The general point that the story attempts to make. The theme is not merely limited to the fictional reality of the character's lives, but often comments upon the reality of our own existence as well. The theme is often the moral or the message of the story. Point of View - The narrative technique that the writer uses to tell the story. In other words, who is telling the story. There are three main points of view that a writer can use: first, second, and third person. Plot - The structure of a story. Or the sequence in which the author arranges events in a story. The plot may have a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating what is called conflict. A plot may include flashback, or it may include a subplot which is a mirror image of the main plot. Protagonist - The hero or central character of a literary work. In accomplishing his or her objective, the protagonist is hindered by some opposing force (one of Batman's antagonists is The Joker). Antagonist - A person or force which opposes the protagonist in a literary work. In the movie Austin Powers, Dr. Evil is the antagonist that opposes Austin Powers, the protagonist. Flashback - A reference to an event which took place earlier in the story or prior to the beginning of a story. Foreshadowing - A method used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come.

6LiteraryDevices

Climax - The decisive moment in a story, the climax is the turning point to which the rising action leads. This is the crucial part of the story, the part which determines the outcome of the conflict. Resolution - The part of a story or drama which occurs after the climax and which establishes a new norm, a new state of affairs--the way things are going to be from then on. Conflict - In the plot of a story, conflict occurs when the protagonist is opposed by some person or force. Symbolism - The practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. Example: If an author wants to show a happy ending to a story without saying "and everybody lived happily every after," he or she might describe a sunny day or a rainbow--symbols of happiness and cheer.
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