English Midterm

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In Medias Res

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In medias res is Latin for "into the middle of things." It usually describes a narrative that begins, not at the beginning of a story, but somewhere in the middle — usually at some crucial point in the action.

The term comes from the ancient Roman poet Horace, who advised the aspiring epic poet to go straight to the heart of the story instead of beginning at the beginning.

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Flashback

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A flashback is a narrated scene that marks a break in the narrative in order to inform the reader about events that took place before the opening scene of a work.

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Exposition

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Exposition is a narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances. Exposition explains what has gone on before, the relationship between characters, the development of a theme, and the introduction of a conflict.

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Rising Action

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Rising action is the development of conflict and complications in a literary work that build toward the climax.

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External Conflict

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In literature conflict is the struggle between two or more opposing forces. External conflict occurs between the protagonist and other people, society, nature, God or fate, etc.

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Internal Conflict

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Conflict may be completely internal, such as the protagonist struggling with her psychological tendencies (drug addiction, self-destructive behavior, a moral dilemma, and so on); William Faulkner famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of "the human heart in conflict with itself."

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Suspense

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Suspense is a state of uncertainty, anticipation, and curiosity as to the outcome of a story or play, or any kind of narrative, i.e., emotional tension resulting from the reader's desire to know "what will happen next?" or "what is actually happening now"? Frequently, the greatest moment of suspension occurs leading up to the climax of the plot.

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Climax

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The climax is the moment at which the conflict or problem in a story reaches its point of greatest intensity and is thereafter resolved. It is also the peak of emotional response from a reader or spectator and usually the turning point in the action.

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Resolution

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The resolution is the outcome or result of a complex situation or sequence of events that usually occurs near the final stages of the plot. It is the unraveling of the main dramatic complications in a narrative, usually in the final chapter or scene, after the climax is over.

The resolution is also known as denouement, a French word meaning "unknotting" or "unwinding."

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Protagonist

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The protagonist is the main character in a work, on whom the author focuses most of the narrative attention.

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Antagonist

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The antagonist is the character against whom the protagonist struggles or contends (if there is one).

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Direct Characterization

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Characterization is a writer's use of description, dialogue, dialect, and action to create in the reader an emotional or intellectual reaction to a character or to make the character more vivid and realistic.

Direct characterization is the method of character development in which the writer simply tells what the character is like: “Jesse is worried.”

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Indirect Characterization

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Indirect characterization is the method of character development in which the writer shows the character's personality through his/her speech, actions and appearance: “Jesse sat at the table biting her nails, jumping up to look out the window every time a car drove down the street.”

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Dynamic Character

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Also called a round character, a dynamic character is one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change.

Typically, a short story has one dynamic character and several static ones; however, in longer novels and plays, there may be many dynamic characters.

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Static Character

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Also called a flat character, a static character is a simplified character who does not change or alter his or her personality over the course of a narrative, or one without extensive personality and characterization.

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Foil

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A foil is a character that serves by contrast to highlight or emphasize opposing traits in another character.

In the Harry Potter series, Draco Malfoy is a foil to Harry Potter. In Macbeth Banquo serves as a foil to Macbeth by demonstrating fidelity and honor, character traits that Macbeth does not have.