ELT Narration, Voice, & Point of View

Drama

A narrative with characters who act out the plot on stage and who speak for themselves, usually without the intermediary of a narrator

Indirect discourse

A technique in which a third person narrator summarizes the words of a character but replicates his/her characteristic idioms and patterns of thought

Soliloquy

Derives from the Latin word for "to speak alone"; a monologue delivered by a character alone on stage either addressing the audience, or appearing to be "thinking aloud"

Epics

Narrative forms in verse and other poems that contain a plot and individualized characters

Flat

Refers to a 2 dimensional character that is more a type than an individual, and stays essentially the same throughout the work

Round

Refers to a 3 dimensional character which is multifaceted and subject to change and growth; similar to a human being, this character is capable of consciousness

Side

Refers to a brief speech heard only by the audience or sometimes addresses privately to another character on stage

Foil

Refers to a character who contrasts with the protagonist in ways that highlight the protagonist's moral, emotional, or intellecutual qualities

Stream of Consciousness

Refers to an extreme form of third person limited point of view which is used to replicate the thought processes of a character, with little or no intervention of the narrator

Villian

Refers to an opponent who has evil intentions

Stage directions

Refers to more specific descriptions of action and setting

Tone

Refers to the attitude that a literary speaker expresses toward his/her subject matter and audience

Speech headings

Refers to the description of characters' vocal tones or gestures

Telling

Refers to the process by which an author describes and comments on characters and events as a means of shaping the audiences' response

Direct discourse

Refers to the quoted lines a character speaks

Voice

The _________ of the author in the form of the convictions and values by which he or she judges characters and events, and stands behind every fictional narrative

Narrator

The ___________ of a literary work is one who tells the story

Narration

The act of telling a story, whether in verse or prose

Theme

The central idea conveyed either directly or implicitly of a literary work

Characterization

The means by which an author of a work of fiction represents the moral, intellectual, and emotional natures of the characters

Dialogue

The presentation of what characters in a literary work say, serves as a crucial element of drama

1) 2nd person 2) "you"

The term ______1_________ point of view uses the pronoun _______2______ through which the narrator addresses the audience directly and assumes that the audience is experiencing the events along with the narrator

1) Third person 2) "She", "He'', or "They"

The term ______1_________ point of view uses the pronouns _______2______ and presents a narrator who has a much broader view and usually a more objective perspective on characters and events

1) First person 2) "I" or "we"

The term ______1_________ point of view uses the pronouns _______2______ and refers to a narrator who seems to be relating personal experience and has the advantage of immediacy and directness

Setting

The time and place in which events in a work occur

Hero/Heroine

These terms imply a main character who possesses nobility, dignity, and/or elevated status

Antagonist

This term derives from the Greek word for "against the contender", and is a character who opposes the goals and interests of the main character

Protagonist

This term derives from the Greek word for "first actor or first contender", and is the main character in a work of drama, fiction, or narrative poetry

Omniscient third person

This term refers to a narrator who can enter the consciousness of any character, evaluate motives and explain feelings, and recount the background and predict the outcomes of situations

3rd person limited

This term refers to a narrator who only describes events from the perspectives and with the understanding of one, or sometimes, a select few characters

Objective

This term refers to a third-person narrator whose presence is merely implied

Intrusive

This term refers to an omniscient narrator who offers philosophical or moral commentary on the characters and events he depicts

Showing

This term refers to the process of presenting characters words and actions without commentary and allowing this dramatization to imply their motives and values

Novel, Novella, Short Story

What are the 3 main narrative forms in prose?

Point of View

_______________ can be identified by the pronoun the narrator uses to recount