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English

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
dynamic characters
characters that change in a story due to physical or psychological challenges
conventional symbol
the symbol is not universal: it is a convention contrived by a particular population of people
antagonist
character that apposes or impedes the protagonist
motif
an image, object, character, situation, theme, even a word that the writer uses repeatedly throughout a work
first-person participant
the narrator is in the midst of the action
equilibrium
the main character's life in the beginning of the story is relatively calm
first-person narrator
the narrator has witnessed the events from his or her own perspective
first-person observer
the story is told from the periphery of the action
universal symbol
a symbol that could be used and recognized in all or almost all cultures
setting
the locale in which you find the characters
static characters
characters that remain unchanged throughout a story
sympathetic characters
characters who appeal to us and have our good wishes
plots
the main story or side stories
limited omniscience
the third-person narrator tells us the thoughts of only one character
flashback
narrator begins at the end, and tells the story leading up to it
stream of consciousness
the flux of thoughts that run through our minds when we are awake
symbol
an object that represents something else, sometimes another object but more often an abstraction
unreliable
the narrator is naive, dim-witted, mentally handicapped, dishonest, or extremely prejudiced
allegory
special use of symbolism. in "this" characters or objects have a one-to-one correspondence with whatever they represent
central consciousness
the perceptions of the events given voice by the narrator are the perceptions of the character
omniscient
there is no limit to what the third-person narrator knows
enveloping action
the equilibrium is disrupted due to a problem and begins the rising action
projection
setting might also serve as a window onto the emotional state of a character
narrator
the person who tells the story
protagonist
the main character of a story, the person you would say the story is about
point of view
the same event will sound different when told by different people
theme
what that story is about, though not in a literal sense
interior monologue
a writer using stream of consciousness approximates the thoughts of a character
characters
the purpose the story is told
literary symbol
an object with symbol meaning limited to the very narrow context of a particular work of literature
third-person narrator
the narrator isn't a character

Deck Info

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