Narrative: Literary Terms

author develops the people in the story through their actions, words, thoughts, and how they interact with other people

the arrangement of words in a sentence, including grammar, punctuation, repetition, etc.

implied or suggested meaning of a word or emotion associated with a word

a person who stays the same throughout the narrative

a comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as

The narrator is a character in the story

the series of events in a story

another word for the resolution of a narrative

the character or force in conflict with the main character

when the audience knows something at least one of the characters does not

when a character's struggle is outside of him/her, such as against another character or rules

There is an outside narrator telling the story, but only one person's thoughts and feelings are revealed.

when a character's struggle is within themselves, such as a goal or fear

conversation in a story

giving human qualities to animals or objects

a person in the story whose personality is complex

an item or event stands for something more important and abstract

the feeling or atmosphere of a story

a person who changes throughout the story

the lesson or message of a story

the introduction of the story; contains background information and introduces the characters and setting

the high point of interest or suspense in a story; the turning point

author develops people in the story with straightforward descriptions

descriptive language, sensory details, and figurative language all contribute to the pictures in the reader's mind

hint at events yet to come

a person in narrative that is only displays limited personality traits

use of extreme exaggeration to make a point

where and when a story takes place

author's word choices

the main character of a story

when something unexpected for the characters or the audience happens in a story

direct comparison of two unlike things that does not use like or as

a reference to something well-known for the purpose of comparison

a break in the events of the current story to a previous moment of time

literal meaning of a word; dictionary definition

words and phrases that link ideas or move a story along

how the conflict was resolved or not resolved

There is an outside narrator telling the story; they know what everyone is thinking and feeling.