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Types/Elements of Literature

Types of Literature There are two main character types of literature. Fiction is literature that is made-up. It comes from a writer's imagination. Non-fiction is literature about real people, places, things, ideas. Fiction and nonfiction are broken into many different types, too. Below you'll find brief descriptions of some of the most common types of literature. Autobiography: A type of nonfiction in which a person tells the story of his or her own life. Biography: A type of nonfiction in which a person tells the story of someone else's life. Drama: A type of literature that uses a lot of dialogue and is meant to be performed in front of an audience; also called a play. Essay: A short piece of nonfiction written about a single subject. An essay often expresses a person point of view or gives information about a subject. Fable: A short story that ends with a moral (lesson) and often uses animals as the main characters. Fantasy: A story that takes place in an imaginary world in which the characters often have supernatural powers or abilities. Folktale: A story that was originally passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Folktale characters are usually all good or all bad and end up getting the reward or punishment they deserve. Historical Fiction: A made-up story based on actual historical times, places, and facts. Novel: A fictional work that is longer than a short story. The plot, characters, and settings are much more developed in a novel than they are in a short story. Poetry: A type of literature that uses concise, colorful, and often rhythmic language to express ideas or emotions. Examples: rhyming poetry, free verse, haiku, ballad, narrative poetry. Science Fiction: Fiction that often takes place in the future and is based on real or imaginary scientific developments. Short Story: A fictional story that usually can be read in one sitting. Most short stories have only a few main characters and focus on one problem, or conflict. Tall Tale: A humorous, exaggerated story often based on the life of a real person. The story is exaggerated more until the main character can seemingly do impossible things.

Elements of Literature

The following glossary includes many terms used to describe the elements or parts of literature. You'll find this information helpful when you write or talk about short stories, novels, and other types of literature. Character: A person or an animal that performs the action in a story. Antagonist: The person or force that fights against the hero or protagonist in a story. Protagonist: The main character in a story, novel, or play. The protagonist is often a good or heroic character. Characterization: The ways in which a writer makes a character seem real. this can be done by... sharing a character's conversations, thoughts, or actions, describing the character's appearance, and showing what others think of the character. Conflict: A problem or struggle between two opposing forces in a story. There are five basic types of conflicts: Person Against Person One character has a problem with another character or characters. Person Against Self A character struggles with him- or herself. Person Against Society A character has a problem with society, the school, the law, or a tradition. Person Against Nature A character struggles against an element of nature : a blizzard, a hurricane, extreme heat, etc.
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Person Against Fate (God) A character struggles with a problem that seems beyond his or her control. Main Character: The most important character in a story, novel, or play. A piece of literature ma have more than the main character. (See protagonist.) Minor Character: The less important character (or characters) in a story, novel, or play Mood: The feeling a reader gets from a story. Moral: The lesson that story teaches. In fables, the moral is directly stated ar the end. Narrator: The person or character who is telling story. Plot:

The story's action, which is series of events called a plot line. A typical plot line contains five parts:

Exposition: The beginning of a story, when the setting, characters, and conflict are introduced. Rising Action: The main part of a story, when the main character tries to solve his or her problem. Climax: The most exciting or important part in a story The climax is often called the turning point. Falling Action: The part of a story that leads to ending, or resolution. Resolution: The end part of a story, when the problem is solved. Point of View: The angle from which a story is told, which depends upon who is telling it. The different types of point of view are listed here: First Person: In first-person point of view, one of the characters tells the story. Third Person: In third-person point of view, someone on the outside of the story is telling it. There are actually three third-person points of view: Third-Person Omniscient (All-Knowing) The narrator is able to tell about the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story. Third-Person Limited Omniscient The narrator is able to tell about the thoughts and feelings of one character only. - Camera (Objective) View The narrator tells the story, but shares no thoughts and feelings of the characters. Setting: The time and place of a story. Theme: A message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. The reader must usually figure out the theme, since it is not stated directly. Tone: The writer's attitude toward his or her subject. A writer's tone can be serious, funny, and so on.

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