Short Story Vocabulary

contrast between what is expected and what really happens

time and place a story takes place

sequence of events that make up a story

a person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself

a dominant or recurring idea 

brief work focusing on one or two main characters

perspective from which a story is told

struggle between opposing forces

central or main character

teller of a story

 language (accent) spoken in a particular place

words that characters speak aloud

a person, animal, or creature in a story

force opposing the protagonist

 techniques used to create characters

where an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological order of a narrative

writing that tells a story (real or imagined)

the main message or lesson the character or reader learns in a story

atmosphere or feeling a story conveys to readers

feeling of growing anxiety, tension, and excitement about what is going to happen next

a type or category of literature marked by certain shared features or conventions

hinting at what will happen later in a story