Elements of Fiction & Literary Devices Vocabulary

Instructions: Use a dictionary, online sources and materials provided in class to find the definitions for each of the terms listed
below. We will discuss each of these elements throughout our short story unit so it is important that you include a definition that
makes sense to you. You are encouraged to work with your classmates to have a discussion about the terms when completing the
list.

Literary Device Definition Example Image/Symbol

(visuals that help you remember)

allegory A story, poem, or picture that The Lord of the Rings is seen as a fight between
can be interpreted to reveal a good and evil during the two world wars.
hidden meaning, typically a
moral or political one.

alliteration Repeated initial consonant She sells seashells by the sea shore.
sound.
allusion A reference to another story. He thinks he’s such a Romeo with the ladies.

antagonist Opposes the main character; Voldemort in Harry Potter.

creates conflict with the
protagonist (problems,
obstacles)

character Complex (round): A character —Harry, Ron and Hermione are round characters.
four types: - who is realist because she They have complex backstories, likes, and quirks
round possesses a complete that make them dynamic and interesting.
flat personality —Crabbe and Goyle are flat characters.
static Simple (flat): A character with — Professor McGonagall and Bellatrix Lestrange are
dynamic only a few qualities that static characters as we notice that their
represents a particular attitude personalities are consistent and do not change.
or idea —Neville Longbottom is dynamic.
Static character:
a literary or dramatic character
who undergoes little or no inner
change; a character who does
not grow or develop.
A dynamic character is one who
changes and evolves throughout
the story.
characterization Characterization is the way in Cruel, kind— (tell)
which the author develops a Depicting a characteristic using actions, thought,
character. experiences— (Show)

climax Climax is the highest point of Harry Potter's confrontation with Professor Quirrell,
tension in a storyline, often who is being controlled by Lord Voldemort
depicted by a confrontation
between the protagonist and
antagonist.
conflict It can be any form of opposition Harry vs. Lord Voldemort
that faces the main character
(protagonist).

internal conflict Struggle within oneself. . An example might be wanting to eat healthy foods,
two types: but stopping for fast food when tired.
Character vs inner self
(psychological) – Protagonist The swimmer, despite having asthma, competed in
character vs self struggles to make some Olympics.
(psychological) decisions, overcome emotions,
character vs self resist an urge, choose between
(physical) right and wrong, etc.
Character vs. inner self
(physical) - The protagonist
struggles to overcome physical
limitations or illness.

external conflict Struggle with a force outside He had enough of the bully and started a fight.
five types: one's self. A tiger plunged on David as an attempt to scavenge
Character vs Character vs character: him.
character Protagonist struggles with He had no option but to fight against his vicissitude.
Character vs physical/mental strength against
nature another person. Harry seemed vulnerable to Voldemort’s magic.
Character vs Character vs environment –
supernatural Protagonist struggles against
Character vs surroundings for survival
society/communi Character vs. circumstances -
ty Protagonist struggles against
Character vs fate, or the circumstances of life
technology facing him/her.
Character vs supernatural –
Protagonist struggles against
supernatural forces (aliens,
ghosts, monsters, etc.)

exposition The exposition of a story is the A long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far, away…
introduction or beginning of a
story that reveals important
background information.

falling action All of the action which follows In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe,
the climax. the climax sees Montresor burying Fortunato alive
by plastering him into a brick wall. The falling action
sees Fortunato coming to consciousness inside the
wall and trying to break free. However dark and
grim this story is, it also shows that the falling action
can maintain a level of tension that can be exciting.
foreshadowing Hints at what will happen later. Juliet: Go ask his name. -If he be married. My grave
is like to be my wedding bed.

-You’ll thank me for this later.

Think that’s bad? Just wait until you hear this…

hyperbole An extreme exaggeration. Mrs. Jones just gave us a ton of homework.

My nose grew a meter long.

irony The contrast between what the Verbal Irony-Example: Parent looks over child’s
three types of reader or audience expects and report card filled with D’s and F’s and says, “Nice to
irony: the reality of the situation. see that you’re taking your grades
verbal Appearance is deceiving when a seriously.”
situational reader encounters irony.
dramatic —Verbal Irony: The simplest Situational irony— A pirate ship encounters many
form of irony. Occurs when a hardships while looking for treasure. When the
person says something but treasure is found; it is full of notes
means the opposite. warning you not to be greedy.
—Situational Irony: The contrast
between what the reader Dynamic irony— A surprise party.
expects to happen in the story
and what is actually happening.
 —Dramatic Irony: The contrast
between what the character in
the story knows or wants and
what the reader or audience
already knows.

juxtaposition The fact of two things being Night and day.

seen or placed close together Good and evil.
with a contrasting effect. Justice and revenge.
War and peace.
Humanity and technology.

metaphor Comparison of two things that He is such a couch potato.

doesn’t use “ like” or “as” We climbed a mountain preparing for this week’s
test.

mood Feeling of the story (how we Character, interaction, dialogue, description, setting
feel) as developed by the and foreshadowing.
author. Tone: author’s personal feelings coming through
description
Voice, word choice, sentence structure etc.
motif Is a recurring theme or concept He flew into the room,
throughout a scene or story. She fluttered with delight. It pecked on his mind.
(Bird motif)

onomatopoeia The pronunciation of a word Don’t slam the door; dogs barking; pitter patter;
mimics the sound it names. hissing.

personification Giving human characteristics to –This city never sleeps.

something not human. –The stairs creaked and moaned with old age.
–The sun smiled down on the park that afternoon.

Plot The plot is a planned, logical An example of a plot is a tragedy: In a tragic story,
sequence of events having a the protagonist typically experiences suffering and a
beginning, middle, and end. downfall. The plot of the tragedy almost always
includes a reversal of fortune, from good to bad or
happy to sad.

point of view Point of view, is defined as the First Person Point of View: The narrator (teller of
3 types: angle from which the story is the story) participates in the action of the story.
- first person told. Uses the pronouns I, me, we, us
limited The reader sees the story only as the character tells
- third person it so only knows what the character knows or
limited feels (often used in mysteries to build suspense)
- third person When reading stories in the first person, we need to
omniscient re realize that what the narrator is recounting
might not be the real truth. We should question the
trustworthiness of the information.

Third Person Point of View: Here the narrator does

not participate in the action of the story as one of
the characters, but lets us know exactly how the
characters feel from outside the action.
We learn about the characters through this outside
voice.
Sometimes the narrator is an outside storyteller and
sometimes it is the author.
Omniscient Point of View: A narrator who knows
everything about all the characters is all knowing, or
omniscient. The author can move from character to
character, event to event, having free access to the
thoughts, feelings and motivations of all of his
characters.
Information is introduced where and when the
author chooses.
Also uses third person point of view with pronouns,
he, she, him, her, they, them, etc.
protagonist Character of greatest Harry potter is the protagonist.
importance to plot and events.

resolution The literary device resolution Two friends fight over a toy, but in the end, they
(dénouement) means the unfolding or solution realize that friendship is more important.
of a complicated issue in a story.

rising action Rising action is one of the Romeo and Juliet meet secretly
elements of the plot, which They declare love for one another
begins immediately after its They decide to get married
introduction.

Setting The time and place in which the The story took place in a jungle packed with
story takes place. mysteries.
Simile A direct comparison of two Marley was as dead as a doornail.
unlike things (uses “like” or “as”) His future is bright as the sun.

Story arc The story arc is the foundation

for all traditional narrative in
western civilization. It can be
applied to all literary, film, and
theater devices. Once you
understand this basic structure,
you can proceed to deviate and
deconstruct a new form of
storytelling..

Symbolism An object represents a larger Flags

idea. Wedding rings
Logos
Status symbols
Theme The theme in a piece of fiction is Some common themes:
its lesson or the point that the Life/death; Love/hate; war; good/evil; family;
author is trying to get across to freedom; heroism; hope; prejudice; loneliness;
the reader. personal growth/change; loss of
innocence; envy; power/ambition/greed