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Short Story Terms

Literary Terms

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237561386Define short storypiece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words which can be read at one sitting
237561387Why is a short story important?distinct art form, every word counts, much cultivated by American writers
237561388Short story is about the oldest form of literature.True
237561389Early short stories includedBook of Ruth and Book of Jonah
237561390English short stories during the Renaissance includedCanterbury Tales
23756139118th Century Tales resembling short stories includedAddison and Steele's The Spectator and The Tatler
237561392What is America's first short storyWashington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle".
237561393What is point of view?Relationship of the narrator and the story
237561394First person majorMain character tells own story
237561395First person minorMinor character who "happens to be there" tells the story
237561396Third person omniscientNarrator knows thoughts of all characters in the story
237561397Third person ordinaryNarrator tells reader only what she/she preceives
237561398Third person central characterNarrator tells only what the central character thinks, feels, does
237561399What is style?The way in which the writer uses language
237561400What is diction?Choice of words
237561401What are the elements of style?Diction, types of sentences the author uses, use of poetic language, theme, rhetorical devices and effects
237561402What is theme?Meaning or purpose of the story
237561403A theme should...Be specific, Be universal, Provide unity to the story, Be an integral part of the story, Present new awareness of life
237561404What is tone?How the writer feels about his/her characters
237561405Tone is set by...Action, choice of details and the author's style
237561406What is plotPlan of action in the story
237561407What makes up the plotBeginning, rising action, climax, falling action, end of tale
237561408The beginning of the story does what?Introduces setting and characters
237561409The rising action of a story does whatDescribes basic problems; includes the complicating incidents or obstacles
237561410The climax of a story is....Point of highest tension
237561411Falling action includesHow the problem is solved
237561412What is symbolism?Something that stands for something else
237561413Symbols may be what?people, object, or the action itself
237561414The symbol darkness representsevil
237561415What is direct characterization?The author comes right out and tells the reader what a certain character is like
237561416What is indirect characterization?The author gives certain information and lets readers draw their own conclusions regarding the character of a person in the story
237561417What makes up indirect characterization?name, appearance, what the character says, what the character thinks, what other people think, how animals react to the character, what the character does
237561418What is irony?The writer indicates something opposite to that which is stated
237561419Rhetorical (verbal) ironySaying the opposite of what is meant
237561420Dramatic, tragic or situation ironyReader knows more about the situation than the character--giving a statement a second meaning for the reader
237561421Cosmic, fate ironyDestiny control's one's fate..where one has little influence or significance. (soldier returns from war, killed in car accident)
237561422A short story creates an impression through?character, conflict, theme, setting, symbols, and point of view
237561423alliterationRepetition of initial consonant sounds
237561424Antagonistthe character who works against the protagonist in the story
237561425conflictstruggle between opposing forces
237561426external conflictcharacter struggles against an outside force
237561427internal conflictcharacter struggles with a conflict within himself or herself
237561428epiphanycharacter's sudden flash of insight into a conflict or situation
237561429foila character who provides a contrast to another character
237561430foreshadowingclues that suggest events that have yet to occur
237561431metaphora figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
237561432similecomparison using like or as
237561433narratorThe person telling the story
237561434personificationrepresenting an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature
237561435protagonistthe principal character in a work of fiction
237561436Define settingtime and place of action of a literary work
237561437Dynamic characterA character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action
237561438Static Charactera character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end
237561439Round characterthis character is fully developed - the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background
237561440Flat charactershows only one trait
237561441Define satirea literary technique that makes fun of its subjects in an attempt to bring about change
237561442Define voiceA writer's disctinctive "sound" or way of "speaking" on the page
237561443Define proseeveryday language
237561444ExpositionIntroduces the setting, characters, the basic situation
237561445denouementresolution

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