Literary Terms 4-7
stock character
" a common, easily recognized character type that exhibits stereotyped or archetypal traits Examples: The Sidekick (Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien) The Damsel in Distress (Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling) The Wise Adviser (Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien)
anti-hero
"a central character (often the protagonist) who does not exhibit the admirable qualities of the traditional hero Examples: Satan (Paradise Lost, John Milton) Randle McMurphy (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey)
dynamic character
"a character who changes within a story as a result of the events in the plot and the actions of other characters; these changes include, but are not limited to, emotional maturation, introspective reflection, or even a regression to baseness or evil Examples: Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) John the Savage (Brave New World, Aldous Huxley) Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, 2005)
static character
"a character who does not change within the course of a narrative Examples: St. John Rivers (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) Sodapop (The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton)
flat character
"a character who only has one or two personality traits and is, thus, one-dimensional in nature Examples: Horatio (Hamlet, Shakespeare) Ron Weasley (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling)
Villain
"a character, usually, but not always, the antagonist, of a narrative or drama, whose purpose is to complicate or destroy the lives of other characters, particularly the hero
hero/heroine
"a chief character of a work (usually, but not always, the protagonist) who expresses admirable qualities such as courage, wisdom, or nobility Examples: Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) Harry Potter (Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling) Luke Skywalker (Star Wars, Episodes 4-6, 1977-1983)
repetition
"a device that incorporates multiple uses of a sound, letter, word, phrase, or other literary or grammatical element for emphasis Example: ". . . government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." ("The Gettysburg Address," 1963, Abraham Lincoln)"
dependent clause
"a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate but does not express a complete thought Examples: "Although he went to the beach" "Having a nagging doubt"
sentence fragment
"a group of words that is written as a sentence but cannot stand on its own as a complete thought Examples: "Because I heard the news." "And went to the beach."
independent clause
"a group of words with a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought
acronym
"a memorable term or phrase created by using the first letters (initials) of multiple words Examples: laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) radar (radio detection and ranging)
objective point of view
"a point of view in which the narrator (considered a reliable narrator) gives only the information that can be observed without inference, allowing the reader to make an independent judgment about a character or situation
complex sentence
"a sentence made up of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses Examples: "When I get to school, I'll finish my homework." "I'm going to stay in this class, although I am currently failing because I missed two big tests."
compound sentence
"a sentence made up of two independent clauses Examples: "Janie wanted to watch television, but Martha wanted to go to the mall." "He is a very fast talker; he is also very articulate."
compound-complex sentence
"a sentence made up of two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses Examples: "He is the best candidate for this position, and because the country needs his experience, he will get the most votes this November." "Although I am ready for school, I have to wait on my sister, but she hasn't even woken up yet!"
homonym
"a word that has the same pronunciation and spelling as another but with a different meaning (a type of homograph) Examples: "bark" - the sound a dog makes or the outer layer of a tree "deal" - to distribute cards in a card game or a bargain
heteronym
"a word that has the same spelling as another word but with a different pronunciation and meaning (a type of homograph) Examples: "row" (to move a boat, pronounced ROH) / "row" (a fight, pronounced RAHW) "desert" (to abandon, pronounced deh ZERT) / "desert" (a dry region, pronounced DEZ ert)
simple sentence
"an independent clause with no dependent clauses Examples: "My head hurts." "Senator Smith has decided to run for office.
interrogative sentence
"ask questions and always end with a question mark (?)"
parallel structure
"clauses or phrases with similar grammatical structure, syntax, and length often referred to as parallelism Example: "He loved swimming, running, and hiking."
round character
"complex, multidimensional characters; characters who have many different traits, some of which may even be in conflict Examples: Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling) Hamlet (Hamlet, Shakespeare)
Foreshadowing
"device a writer uses to allude to a future event in a story Example: "Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones. . . . "
exclamatory sentence
"express strong feeling or emphasis and always end with an exclamation point (!)
asyndeton
"intentional omission of conjunctions in clauses that would otherwise need them also referred to as parataxis (pair uh TAKS iss) Example: "I came; I saw; I conquered."(Julius Caesar) "If, as is the case, we feel responsibility, are ashamed, are frightened, at transgressing the voice of conscience, this implies that there is one to whom we are responsible, before whom we are ashamed, whose claims upon us we fear." (Grammar of Assent, John Henry Newman)"
inverted syntax
"involves constructing a sentence so the predicate comes before the subject; often used to create an emphatic or rhythmic effect Example: "At night appear the raccoons." [The subject (raccoons) appears after the predicate (appear).]
natural syntax
"involves constructing a sentence so the subject precedes the predicate Example: "Raccoons appear at night." [The subject (Raccoons) appears before the predicate (appear).]"
imperative sentence
"make a request or command and end with either a period or an exclamation point (. or !)"
sentence type
"refers to one of four functions of a sentence:"
declarative sentence
"simply make a statement and always end with a period (.)
archetype
"the foundation of all characters, plots, and symbols in literature; that is, a standard character type or plot formula that recurs in literature, even across cultures; from "original form" (Greek) Example: "the old and wise adviser" Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien) Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K. Rowling) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
parenthetical
"the insertion of a explanatory (or qualifying) word, phrase, or clause in a position that breaks the normal flow of the sentence and is enclosed within parenthesis marks Example: "One day in class we got off the subject (as often happens with over-worked, sleep-deprived juniors) and began to discuss the literature of Dr. Seuss.
antagonist
"the main opposing character to the protagonist; from "opponent, rival" (Greek) Examples: Teiresias is the antagonist to Oedipus in Sophocles's Oedipus the King. Claudius is the antagonist to Hamlet in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet. Voldemort is the antagonist to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Characterization
"the presentation and subsequent development of a character, a figure who plays a part in a narrative
protagonist
"the principal character in a narrative Examples: Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling) Satan (Paradise Lost, John Milton)"
epic hero
"the protagonist in a epic who possesses many, if not all, of the following qualities: is the embodiment of a nation or people has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth or childhood possesses superior strength and is extraordinarily brave gives an inspirational speech to followers is often aided by deities or other supernatural creatures undergoes a journey, which involves temptations or other internal conflicts often descends into the underworld as part of a journey of self-awareness or quest faces final task alone Examples: Beowulf (Beowulf), Odysseus (The Odyssey), Achilles (The Iliad)
homophone
"words that have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings; from "same sound" (Greek) Examples: "they're" / "their" "plain" / "plane" "knight" / "night"
Falling action
The events following the major climax of a plot that lead to an end in the resolution of the plot
Exposition
a plot element in which the characters and the setting of the story are introduced
editorial omniscience
a point of view in which the all-knowing narrator (known as an intrusive narrator) guides the reader to a judgment about a character or a situation
third person point of view
a point of view in which the narrator does not interact with the story but is, rather, an observer to the action;
byronic hero
a proud, passionate and socially defiant rebel who harbors remorse over some past moral transgression Examples: Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte) Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte) Rhett Butler (Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell) Logan (the Wolverine) featured in Marvel Comics
Plot
the arrangement of related events in a prose narrative or drama; the underlying structure of a story
Conflict
the opposition of two forces
Climax
the part of the narrative that contains the height of action and the most intensity
Rising action
the point of increasing intensity between opposing elements in a narrative, resulting in the climax (also referred to as the crisis.)
Resolution or Dénouement
when all the conflicts in a narrative are solved or untangled; from "unknotting"
direct characterization
when an author reveals a character's personality through direct, explicit statements Example: "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm, as the Tarleton twins were." (Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell)
omniscient point of view
when the narrator of a story is "all knowing;" a point of view in which the narrator can recount the actions, thoughts, and feelings of any character at any time
first person point of view
when the narrator of a story is also a character in the story
limited point of view
when the narrator of a story is outside the story and tells the story from the vantage point of only one character at a time
second person point of view
when the narrator of a work addresses the reader directly with the use of the personal pronoun you (used more frequently in works of nonfiction rather than fiction)
Point of View
whose thoughts and feelings the reader has access
synonym
"words that have similar meanings Examples: "happy" / "thrilled" "stop" / "halt" "hot" / "balmy"
anaphora
"the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses Examples: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills." (Winston Churchill, 1940) "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to reap; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) "I haven't heard how his policy on Iran is going to be different than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy with Israel will be different than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy on Afghanistan will be different than George Bush's. I haven't heard how his policy in Pakistan will be different than George Bush's." (Vice Presidential Debate, Joe Biden, 2008)"
Narrarator
"the speaker through whom the author presents a story; the storyteller"
Syntax
"the way in which words and punctuation are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences, particularly to achieve a specific effect "Calvin Coolidge believed that the least government was the best government; he aspired to become the least President the country ever had; he attained his desire." (The Aspirin Age, Irving Stone)
apposition
"two adjacent expressions, the second of which serving as an explanation of the first Examples: "Mr. Thibodeaux, a mysterious stranger to many, was never seen outside his home." "I would like for you to meet Mr. Stoll, my next-door neighbor."
run-on sentence
"two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation also referred to as a fused sentence Examples: "Studying is an important skill everybody knows that." "I want to apply to that school, however, I don't have any scholarships.
chiasmus
"two parallel phrases or clauses, the second of which being a reversal of the first; from "placing crosswise" (Greek) Examples: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."("Inaugural Address," John F. Kennedy, 1961) "Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget." (Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston)"
indirect characterization
"when an author reveals a character's personality through the character's actions, words, and interaction with others Example: "And I have my own daughters to consider. I can't keep other people's children as well." The stranger hesitated and then said in a voice which he strove to make casual but which trembled slightly. "Suppose I were to take her off your hands?" "What—Cosette?" "Yes." "Why, monsieur, my dear monsieur, take her! Take her away!" (Les Misérables, Victor Hugo)"
antonym
"words that have opposite meanings Examples: "happy" / "sad" "lost" / "found" "hot" / "cold"
