Elements of Fiction and Key Concepts

A satisfactory conclusion that is either positive or negative for the character.

The statement about life a particular work is trying to get across to the reader

characters who are true to life, many-sided with complex personalities

The high point or turning point in a work, usually the most intense point or greatest emotion.

any clue or hit of future events in a narrative

Events that occur as the character works toward the resolution of the conflict

characters that do not change om the course of the story

Feeling created in the beginning of a piece of literature happy, sad, peaceful, suspense etc.

contradiction or incongruity between appearance or expectation and reality

Told from the viewpoint of one of the characters not involved in the story.

The comparison of two unlike things without "like" or "as"

Person (villain) or thing working against the protagonist or hero in the work

The action in a story. It is usually a series of related incidents.

allows the narrator to relate the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

a metaphorical figure of speech in which animals, ideas, etc are represented as having human qualities

when in history or season of the year a story takes place

Complications and events that occur as the character(s) tries to solve the problem

the geographical location or scenery of a story

The uses of symbols to represent ideas or qualities (lion = courage, rose=love)

characters that undergo some type of change or development

Main character or hero of the story

The story is told by one of the characters using "I".

an implicit reference to an historical, literary, or Biblical character, event, or element

characters that are stereotyped and shallow and have one or more personality traits.

comparison of two things using "like" or "as"

The start of a story that introduces characters and setting

within the story (man vs. man, man vs nature, man vs. self, man vs. society)

The perspective from which the story is told.

The time and place in which the action of a literary work occurs.