Literary Elements & Terms
CHARACTERS: people the story is about, including the following classifications:
PROTAGONIST-the main character in the story who typically undergoes a change,
usually the reader can relate to this person, the character who faces a problem
ANTAGONIST- the person or force that causes a problem for the protagonist
FLAT- one dimensional characters, identified by one trait
STATIC-characters who do not change in the story
ROUND- characters with more than one dimension, or trait
DYNAMIC/DEVELOPING- characters who change or grow
STOCK- a stereotyped, recognizable character
Characters may fall into more than one classification, such as static and flat.
Characterization: This is the author’s way of explaining the people in the storytelling their personalities, motives, and movements.
Direct- author tells us what a character is like
Indirect Characterization -character is shown and the reader implies what he or
she is like by what he or she does and says
CONFLICT: the struggle between two opposing forces, the problem in the story that
triggers action, the clash that makes the story interesting.
A conflict can be internal or external:
Person
vs.
Person
Person
vs.
Himself/Herself
Person
vs.
Society
Person
vs.
Nature
Person
vs.
Supernatural
MOTIF: A motif is a reoccurring idea in the story, but is stated in one word. Examples: ignorance,
destruction, leadership, friendship, loneliness. The motif is often identified as the theme, but a theme is
a complete sentence.
PLOT: series or sequence of events and actions in the story.
Exposition: The exposition introduces the setting, main characters, historical context
and other details that will be important in the story.
Rising Action: the building up of the plot, suspense may be included
Climax: the high point in the story where the reader knows everything is resolved
Falling Action: bringing the story towards resolution, the wrapping up of loose ends
Resolution: the resolution moves from the high point, settles the conflict, and brings
the reader to the story’s logical conclusion.
POINT OF VIEW: The point of view is the voice, angle, vision, or view from which the story is
told. Some define point of view as the perspective and/or the position the author or reader takes on the
story.
Subjective-opinion-based, the narrator or author writes with personal experience, he/she may show
bias and judgment, but relies on the senses and emotions
Objective- the narrator or author writes without judgment, the author does not interpret the
characters’ behavior or tell the reader their private thoughts or feelings, the person telling the story is
outside the story and uses his five senses to tell the story. Pronouns used are he, she, it, they or them.
First Person (1st person)- the person telling the story is a character in the story.
Pronouns used are: I, me or we, us.
Third (3rd) Person Observer/Objective- the person telling the story or narrator is outside the
story and reveals information through the senses.
Pronouns used are: he, she, it, they or them.
Third (3rd) Person limited Omniscient- the person telling the story is outside the
story, can use his or her five senses and can also say what
some of the characters are thinking.
Pronouns used are: he, she, it, they or them.
Third (3rd) Person Omniscient- the person telling the story is outside the story,
can use his or her five senses and can also say what most
or all the characters are thinking.
Pronouns used are: he, she, it, they, or them.
SETTING: place, time, and mood of the story including season, day, and any natural events
THEME: The theme is the universal idea expressed in the story. It can also be the meaning or
message of the story, sometimes it is a lesson learned by the main character implied to reach the
reader. The theme may be a universal truth about people. There are multiple themes in works of
literature. MOTIFS are referred to as one word such as DECEPTION, but a theme is a statement that is
universal and can be applied to many situations. For example, lying to cope in a situation may lead to
deeper awareness of oneself. In “The Destructors” and The Lord of the Flies, the theme could be: “The
dislocations caused by a devastating war may produce among the young a conscious or unconscious
rebellion against the values of the reigning society-a rebellion in which the creative instincts are
channeled into destructive enterprises.” (Perrine’s 160)
Other terms:
Dialogue: The talking that goes on between characters in the story. It is usually set off by quotation
marks.
Epiphany: a moment or event in which a character achieves a spiritual insight into life or into his or
her own circumstances. The epiphany or insight usually defines the moment of a developing character’s
or protagonist's change; it can be a sudden revelation.
Flashback: a literary technique the narrator uses to describe his/her life from a previous time period.
This technique is often used to show a more mature perspective, typically because the narrator is older.
Irony: Verbal- a way of saying or writing one thing and meaning the opposite
Situation-a situation in the story that reveals directly opposite or an unexpected outcome of what
is really happening. For example: A character who is illiterate is showing his peers an article about him/
herself in the newspaper. The irony is that he or she cannot even read the paper.
Dramatic- Within a play the characters respond to words or a situation in a way that is
appropriate, but the viewer/reader knows more than that character knows.
Mood: This is the feeling (s) the author intends for the reader to receive from a story, such as ecstatic,
foreboding, peaceful, lonely, desolate, and connected and so on.
Suspense: literary tool an author uses to keep readers interested when leading to an event, a building
momentum in the plot
Symbol/Symbolism: a symbol is an object that represents more than what it is. Authors may
deliberately use symbols to convey a motif or a theme to the reader. For example, a dove is a universal
symbol of peace.
Tone: This is the author’s attitude or feeling about the story. The author’s tone may be implied or
direct and is defined by adjectives such as: serious, humorous, angry, scary, and the list grows depending
on how the writer describes the poem, story, novel, nonfiction article, and graphic novel.