Narrative conventions Flashcards
Narrative ambiguity
Aspects of the plot are not clear
Creates a certain mystery or suspense
Characterisation
The way a character is made to seem. Can be done through their description, dialogue, thoughts, or actions.
Example: Alex is soft-‐spoken, has trouble talking to girls, and never speaks up in class.
Foil
A character who behaves in the complete opposite way compared to another character in the text. Exists to draw attention to the traits of the other character.
John is splashing loudly ang ungracefull as he swims through the pool. Sarah glides through like a dolphin.
Foreshadowing
Fred mentions offhand that he’s allergic to peanuts in chapter two. In chapter nineteen, he is accidentally served something with peanuts in it and almost dies.
Juxtaposition
When two contrasting objects or concepts are placed near to each other. This is usually done to highlight the differences between them.
A wealthy person is having a lavish party that displays tons and tons of wastefulness, and across the street there is a poor family who is struggling to survive.
Motif
A reoccurring image or idea that has a deeper meaning.
Dana goes on a journey through a forest, and she continues to see owls as she travels. Each time she sees one, she is reminded of her grandmother who told her that owls are a sign of good fortune and wisdom.
Parody
A text that copies the style of another text but changes certain details in a humorous way in order to draw attention to how absurd they are.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Stream of consciousness
A style of writing to mimic the way we think inside our own heads. This technique often ignores normal punctuation and grammatical structure.
Symbol
An object in a text that has a deeper meaning beyond what it actually is.
E.g. water as purifying
Tone
The way that the author or a character shows his or her opinion towards a subject.
E.g. nostalgic in a memoir, reverent in a biography, satirical or lighthearted
Dialogue
Spoken words between characters
Gaps and silences
Whose voice isn’t heard, whose dominates
Point of view
Third person (limited/omniscient) means refer to the NARRATOR’
Second person is ‘you’
First is ‘I’
