English - Short Story Elements

Front 1

human feelings

Back 1

emotions typically experienced and expressed by all human beings during some point in their lives (common human emotions)

Front 2

human nature

Back 2

typical qualities and characteristics of human beings, our common behaviors and reactions in certain circumstances - the way we are

Front 3

human condition

Back 3

the experiences in a human being's existence that are unavoidable

Front 4

setting

Back 4

time and place of the action ( including societal attitudes and cultural norms)

Front 5

societal attitudes

Back 5

social beliefs on a certain subject

Front 6

cultural norms

Back 6

behaviors based on societal attitudes

Front 7

what are the three functions of setting?

Back 7

create mood or atmosphere, reveal character, cause or influence action

Front 8

mood

Back 8

the feeling the reader gets when he/she reads the story

Front 9

character

Back 9

people in a work of literature or the characteristics of those people

Front 10

how do we find out a character's traits?

Back 10

through speech, thought, and action

Front 11

what is the difference between a trait and a feeling?

Back 11

traits are consistent over a period of time, feelings are transitory, they change

Front 12

plot

Back 12

an arranged sequence of related events, which lead from the conflict to the resolution

Front 13

conflict

Back 13

the problem - internal and external

Front 14

internal plot

Back 14

within the character, struggles of emotion or conscience

Front 15

external conflict

Back 15

against an outside force such as another character, thing, nature, society, etc.

Front 16

exposition

Back 16

the setting, characters, complication are introduced

Front 17

rising action

Back 17

the characters deal with the conflict which builds to the climax

Front 18

complication

Back 18

where the conflict is introduced

Front 19

climax

Back 19

when a character makes a decision, makes a discovery, or takes a decisive action which resolves the conflict

Front 20

falling action

Back 20

events that occur immediately after the climax

Front 21

resolution

Back 21

when all loose ends are tied, conflict is fully resolved

Front 22

point of view

Back 22

vantage point from which the story is told - who is telling the story

Front 23

first person

Back 23

when one of the characters actually tells the story

Front 24

third person

Back 24

narrator outside of the book focuses on the thoughts and feelings of just one person

Front 25

omniscient

Back 25

outside narrater focuses on thoughts and feelings of many characters

Front 26

theme

Back 26

underlying meaning or message of a work of literature

Front 27

what is universal

Back 27

something that is applicable to all humans, human nature, and/or life in general

Front 28

what are the clues to discovering theme

Back 28

1. is the title signifigant? 2. does the main character undergo a change/learn something? 3. how is the conflict resolved? (positive/negative) 4. are there any direct statements made a bout life or people in general?

Front 29

how do literary techniques and elements of literature differ?

Back 29

elements of literature are always present in literature, the author sometimes uses literary techniques, but doesn't have to

Front 30

allusion

Back 30

s reference to a statement, person, event, from literature, history, religion, mythology, politics, or popular culture.

Front 31

foreshadowing

Back 31

the use of clues to hint at important events that will occur later in the plot ( often foreshadowing isn't understood until the book is finished)

Front 32

symbolism

Back 32

a person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and something beyond itself

Front 33

mood

Back 33

the feeling of atmosphere of a literary work (relating to the reader)

Front 34

how does an author develop mood?

Back 34

setting, descriptive details, images, etc.

Front 35

tone

Back 35

the author's feelings/attitude towards a subject ( serious, jealous, bitter, ...)

Front 36

what are the three types of irony

Back 36

situational, verbal, dramatic

Front 37

situational irony

Back 37

a contrast between expectation and reality (when one thing is expected to happen, and something else happens

Front 38

dramatic irony

Back 38

the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not know

Front 39

verbal irony

Back 39

a contrast between what is said and what is meant

Front 40

juxtaposition

Back 40

placing two contrasting things next to each-other in order to emphasize their difference