Literary Devices English I

An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of characters, reader, or audience

A character that stays the same throughout a story

An event that happened earlier in the story.

A description that appeals to one's five senses

The introduction of setting, character, and basic situation in a story

A character that undergoes a major change over the course of the story

Atmosphere or feeling we get from the story

Problem or struggle between opposing forces

A comparison between two things using like or as

Giving inanimate objects human characteristics

Writer's attitude toward his or her subject

Hints that the author gives of things that are to come in the story.

The main character in a story

A character telling the story is taking part in the story; i.e. I, me, my

Comparison of two things without using like or as.

Force or character working against the main character in a story

A conversation between characters; can be used to move the action along.

When the character telling the story is an outside observer; i.e. they, he, she, it

A contrast between what appears to be real and what is actually real.

Where and when a story takes place

In a story, the highest or most intense point in the development

Anything that stands for or represents something else

Words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.

A character that has both positive and negative characteristics (like a real person)

A contradiction between what a character knows and what the audience knows to be true.

An author's word choice

A character that is stereotypical or only shows a few, one-sided traits

Conclusion of the story

Universal idea or lesson about life; understood by most cultures