Fiction Review

Plot Structure- sequence of events organized into exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

Exposition- Beginning of the story when the reader learns about background information, characters, setting, and environment

Rising Action: The events building up to the climax which build interest, tension, or suspense

Climax: the most exciting part of a story when the tension is at the highest point

Falling action: The part of a story that happens after the most exciting point, but before the problems are solved

Resolution: The part of a story in which the main problems are solved

Flashback- When the author of a story jumps back in time to have the character relive an important event or experience

Foreshadowing- When the author of a story gives hints about what's going to happen in the future

Protagonist- The main character, usually the hero of the story

Antagonist- the main opposing force. Antagonists are often thought of as the "bad guys", but sometimes the antagonist is just DIFFERENT from the protagonist.Antagonists are not always human characters. They can be nature, technology, etc- basically anything can be an opposing force.

Setting: Where and when a story takes place. Setting also includes cultural environment

Theme- The moral of a story; a life lesson within a story; a message about life the author is trying to convey*Note: Theme is always expressed in a complete sentence- not a single word. If you think the theme of a story is about "friendship", you are thinking about a subject instead of a theme. Ask yourself: What is the author trying to SAY about friendship?

Conflict: the problem or issue the main character needs to solve

Internal Conflict: issues that characters struggle with privately; a psychological struggle within the mind of a character

External Conflict: A struggle between the main character and outside forces

Figurative Language: Language that is not meant to be taken literally.

metaphor: Comparing 2 things WITHOUT using "like" or "as"

Simile- comparing 2 things using "like" or "as"

Personification: when animals, things, or inanimate objects have human characteristics

hyperbole: exaggeration

Idiom- a figure of speech commonly used by people

alliteration: repeated letter sounds at the beginning of words

onomatopoeia: When a word sounds like the word it's describing

Consonance- Repeated consonant sounds, but not at the beginning of the words.

Genre- a type of art, music, or literature characterized by a specific form