Literary Devices

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Literary Devices

• Grade Eight Review

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Short Story

• A short story is a narrative which
• Focuses on a single incident.
• Is limited to one specific setting (setting
  usually stays the same throughout).
• Focuses on a limited number of key characters
  (one or two).

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Plot

• Arrangement of actions and events in a story. It
  is a series of incidents that produce a dramatic
  story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

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Parts of the Plot - 1

• EXPOSITION
• - the main character and his/her situation is
  introduced, including the central conflict.

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Parts of the Plot - 2

• CONFLICT
• - a problem or struggle that triggers the
  action.

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Parts of the Plot - 3

• RISING ACTION
• - a series of conflicts or struggles that build
  a story toward a climax, leading to

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Parts of the Plot - 4

• The CLIMAX
• - a high point of suspense, such as a startling
  revelation, a sudden insight, the turning point.

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Parts of the Plot - 5

• FALLING ACTION
• events slow down. The narrative reached its
  climax and is now moving towards resolution.

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Parts of the Plot - 6

• The RESOLUTION
• - the conflict is resolved in some way.

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Setting

• The environment or surrounding circumstances in
  which the story takes place. Setting is an
  important element in creating the mood.

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Conflict

• The force that moves the plot along and the
  struggles in which the characters are involved.
  There are five basic types of conflict
• Person vs. PersonPerson vs. SocietyPerson vs.
  SelfPerson vs. NaturePerson vs. Fate (God)

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Theme

• The central idea about life that emerges from a
  piece of literature.

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Atmosphere

• The overall emotional impression of a story. The
  author creates an atmosphere, or mood, by
  developing a strong sense of place and time

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Point of View

• The viewpoint from which the author tells the
  story. (Usually first or third person).

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Characterization/Character Development

• Method used by the author to reveal or describe
  characters and their various personalities. Also,
  how characters change and develop in the story.

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Characterization/Character Development

• The character is usually revealed to the reader
  through the following
• What the character says.
• What the character does.
• What other characters say about him/her.
• Description.

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Protagonist

• The main character or hero in a story, novel, or
  play.

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Antagonist

• The character who struggles or fights against the
  protagonist.

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Foreshadowing

• Clues and hints of what is to come later in the
  story.

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Flashback

• A return to an earlier time (in a story) for the
  purpose of expanding on or explaining something
  in the present.

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Foil

• A character who serves as a contrast or challenge
  to another (usually the main) character. The
  purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the
  traits of the main character by comparison or
  contrast.

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Imagery

• The words or phrases a writer selects to create a
  certain picture in the readers mind.

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Narrator

• The person who is telling the story (also
  referred to as voice).

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Symbol

• A person, place, thing or an event used to
  represent something else, usually larger and more
  important than the symbol itself.