Literary Terms

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

the struggle occurring within a character's mind.

A decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot.

Narrator tells the story from his/her point of view using words like "I", "my", "we"

The story begins to draw to a close; occurs after the climax and almost resolves the conflict

The perspective from which a story is told

Sequence of events in a literary work

Conversation between characters

a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change,

A struggle between opposing forces.

The general place, time, and social circumstances in which the action of a story occurs

Secondary characters who help or try to hinder the protagonist.

The narrator tells the story using the pronouns "You", "Your," and "Yours"

The narrator can know anything that happens in the story and what any character in it knows.

A character or a group of characters in conflict to the protagonist or the main character.

Narrarator presents the thoughts of one character and the actions of all remaining characters

a literary or dramatic character who undergoes little or no inner change

The end of the exposition. Sets the rest of the story in motion before the rising action.

main character in a play or story, hero

a series of events that begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax

map of a book - includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.

a character struggles against some outside force (society, nature)

A main idea, message about life or nature, or an underlying meaning of a literary work

A narrative device, beginning of a work that provides necessary background information

the final part of a story, which the strands of the plot are explained or resolved.