an educated guess, filling in the gaps created by limited information
short stories pick up in the life of a character at the moment just before the climax of a situation; think of a balloon being filled with water. A novel begins with a flat balloon which we experience being filled; a short story begins when it's already filled and about to burst.
the event that starts the plot moving forward. Every story begins with a new event that starts the chain of events. Think of trying to get a big boulder to start rolling.
sometimes the narrator tells us directly about a character
we must infer about the nature of a character based upon seeing him or her in action, or hearing about him or her from another character
the brief period in the plot after climax has been resolved. Think of a camera pulling back as music starts to play at the end of an action movie
the brief period at the start of a story that sets up the who, what, when, and where of this new tale. Think of a sit-com that begins with a song setting up the gist of the show.
usually a first person narrator who we have reasons to doubt--too young, liar, mentally unstable; on rare occasions can be a third person omniscient narrator.
the overall mood of a work of art, usually identified by a single adjective
refers to the words a person or character chooses to use. Think of a painter choosing colors.
the dictionary definition of a word
the feelings, images, or other words associated with a word, usually positive or negative
an object, word, song, image, etc. that is itself, but also represents something outside of itself
the observation, comment, or question about the nature of human existence at the heart of a work of art. ITS IMPORTANT!
a word, phrase, image, character, etc. that is repeated throughout a work of literature. It provides unity, cohesion. (footsteps and shoes in TOTC)
a work of literature in which several aspects of the story are symbolic of people or events in real life; they are typically meant to teach some life lesson.
the political, soical, cultural, and economic setting for a particular idea or event
the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs. ex. hunger in TOTC
has 3 characteristics: greatly admired, unusually brave, and the main character/ protagonist
has 3 characteristics: archetype, sophisticated, and has a secret identity
presenting something in a way that overpowers one's judgement to benefit the advertisor
a form of organizing a group of people, where a small minority has all the power over the majority
the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt; ex. hell=the hot place
using literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression to evoke a feeling of pity or compassion