AP Literary Terms
Terms
undefined, object
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- novel
- work of a few hundred pages
- controlling symbol
- dominant symbol in a work
- donnée
- given action or set of assumptions on which literature is based
- conflict
- opposition
- tragedy
- recounts the fall or misfortune of an individual
- motivation
- idea and impluses that propel characters to take action; hallmark of a round character
- concrete diction
- words that describe exact and particular conditions or qualities "cold."
- protagonist
- central character
- complex sentence
- sentence with independent and dependent clauses
- allegory
- complete narrative that may also be applied to a parallel set of moral, philosophical, political, religious or social situation
- fable
- brief story illustrating a moral truth
- myth
- traditional story that embodies and codifies the religious, philosophical, and cultural values of a civilizaiton
- hero/heroine
- major male or female character in adventure and romance
- exposition
- introduces all elements necessary for the development of a plot
- compound-complex sentence
- sentence built on three or more simple sentences
- genre
- types of literature
- major movier
- participant in work's action who causes things to happen or who is the subject of major events
- universal symbol
- symbol that is recongnized and shared
- syntax
- word order or sentence structure
- parable
- short allegory designed to illustrate a religious truth
- low diction
- relaxed, slange language; errors
- climax
- highest point of conflict
- theme
- concept, thought, opinion or belief in work
- style
- the manipulation of language
- simplicity
- style trimmed down to only essential details
- dialect
- language particular to a region
- antagonist
- oppostition
- simple sentence
- sentence with one subject and one verb
- metaphor
- comparison using a form of "be"
- structure
- arrangement and placement of materials in a work
- second person pt. of view
- reader is the protagonist; you
- verisimilitude
- "like truth" think Harry Potter
- epiphany
- realization; awakening
- middle diction
- correct language, simple and direct
- high diction
- proper, polysyllabic languange
- denotation
- standard meaning of a word
- allusion
- reference
- flat character
- static and unchanging character
- narrator
- imagined and consistently maintained by the author
- connotation
- the overtones of words
- simile
- comparison using "like" or "as"
- contextual symbol
- developed within an individual work
- first person pt. of view
- narrator is in the story
- unreliable narrator
- tells lies and distorts details
- flashback
- past events introduced into present
- diction
- word choice; types of words; level
- thesis
- introductory sentecne to be developed in the body of an essay
- mood
- emotional aura invoked by work
- symbol
- beyond literal meaning
- irony
- opposite
- archetype
- a prototype
- minimalism
- modern form of comedy; pointlessness of existence
- figurative language
- boadens, extends, deepens, emphasizes meaning
- omniscient pt. of view
- narrator with no limitations
- non-fiction
- essays, articles, books about real events
- abstract diction
- words describing qualities that are rarefied and theoretical "good"
- round character
- three-dimensional character profiting from experience
- objective pt. of view
- 3rd person narration; protagonist's thoughts are main focus
- limited pt. of view
- reports speech and action; excludes characters' thoughts
- denouement
- final stage of plot developement
- short story
- compact, concentrated work of narrative fiction
- stereotype
- a representative character
- tone
- techniques or modes of presentation that reveal or create attitudes
- plot
- plan or groundwork for a story