Literary Elements Flashcards
Literary
Adjective. Language with a marked style intended to create a particular emotional effect.
Literature
Noun. Written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.
Plot
Noun. The main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence.
Character
A person in a novel, play, or movie.
Characterization
Noun. The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
This can be done indirectly or directly.
You can use speech, thoughts, effects on others, actions, and looks to indirectly characterize.
Conflict
Noun. A struggle between two opposing forces.
Internal Conflict
Noun Phrase. A conflict between a character and outside forces.
External Conflict
Noun Phrase. A conflict within the character between two opposite emotions or desires.
Theme
Noun. The subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person’s thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic. What the work says about the topic.
Setting
Noun. The time and place in which a story takes place.
Symbol
Noun. A thing that represents or stands for something else. An object that represents a concept.
Point of View
Noun Phrase. The narrator’s position in relation to the story being told.
First person = I.
Second Person = You.
Third Person = He/She/They.
Mood
Noun. The emotional feeling or atmosphere that a work of literature produces in a reader. Mood is specific to how the writer feels about the writing.
Atmosphere
Noun. The emotions or feelings that an author conveys to their readers through description of objects and settings.
Tone
Noun. The attitude of a writer toward a subject or audience.
