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...a literary work that has parallel literal and symbolic meanings; the entire story is based on symbols. Example: "The Golden Kite; The Silver Wind" by Ray Bradbury |
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...the bad guy ...the person or thing that opposes the protagonist. Sometimes called the villain. Examples: Darth Vador in Star Wars Nature in "How to Light a Fire" by Jack London General Zaroff in "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell |
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...how an author reveals his characters ...can be done directly or indirectly Directly: Johny was a lazy boy. Indirectly: Johny hardly ever moved from his bed to do chores, homework, or anything difficult. |
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...the high point in a story ....the point of most interest and point of no return Examples: Rainsford kills Zaroff in "The Most Dangerous Game" |
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...the problem or complication in a story Three types of conflict: man vs. man, such as Rainsford verses General Zaroff or Luke Skywalker verses The Emperor or Neo verses Agent Smith. man vs. nature, such as The Perfect Storm, Titanic, and all those animal movies. man vs. self, such as Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vador (who tempts Luke to the dark side), all Jedi Knights who struggle with the Dark Side, the older brother in "The Scarlet Ibis" who struggles with pride and anger towards his brother. |
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...conversation carried on by two or more characters in a work of literature Example from fiction: Harry couldn't believe Sally was late to dinner. When she finally arrived he greeted her curtly, "Hi." "Hey Harry," she responded oblivious to his anger. "Why are you late?" "Am I late? I thought we said eight o'clock." Example from drama: Harry: Hi Sally: Hey Harry |
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...the use of clues that suggest coming events, usually negative or threatening Examples from Wikipedia: In Romeo and Juliet, both main characters state early on that they would rather die than live apart.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl which at the beginning shows Elizabeth Swann as a child. She was on a ship and looking out to the ocean singing Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) . This signified that there was going to be a terrible event in the movie that would involve pirates.
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...words describing sights, sounds, movements all creating a sensory experience Examples from "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst ...as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn... ...I dragged him across the burning cotton field... ...Doodle began to look feverish... ...there was no answer but the ropy rain. |
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...something different than it is suppossed to be or thought to be, surprising, a twist. Types of irony include:verbal, dramatic, and situational Examples of situational irony (the most common form) from readings: The end of "The Interlopers" when the characters' rescuers turn out to be wolves. The end of "The Gift of the Magi" when Della learns Jim has sold his watch to be her combs that she cannot use. Examples of verbal irony:A woman screams at her husband: "I'm not screaming!" Dramatic Irony is mostly related to Greek Tragedies. |
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...comparison of two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'
from As You Like It by William Shakespeare:
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances; — (Act II, Scene 7) |
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...the perspective of someone outside the events ...knows all and reveals all the characters' thoughts and feelings ...a bit like God
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...words that imitate sounds Examples: Buzz Hiss Murmer Click Quack Oink Meow |
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...the main charcter in a literary work ...the main good guy or gal
Examples: Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz Rainsford from "The Most Dangerous Game" Odysseus from The Odyssey Luke Skywalker from Star Wars (Episodes 4-6) Anne Frank from The Diary of Anne Frank |
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...an assumed or false name of any artist ...when used by writers, it's called a pen name
Examples: Samuel Clemmons used the pen name Mark Twain William Sydney Porter used the pen name O. Henry Curtis Jame Jackson III uses the pseudonym (stage name) 50 Cent. Dana Elaine Owens uses the pseudonym (stage name) Queen Latifah. |
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...time and place of a literary work Examples: "The Scarlet Ibis": Old Woman Swamp, Early 20th Century "The Necklace": Paris, Nineteenth or Early 20th Century Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, sometime in the distant future |
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...a comparison of two unlike objects using the word 'like' or 'as'
Famous Examples: "My love is like a red, red rose" Robert Burns "I wonder lonely as a cloud" William Wordsworth "Stubbon as a mule" common phrase |
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...feeling of anxiety about what will happen next or soon ...related to and often comes from foreshadowing Examples: In The Bourne Identity trilogy, the protagonist has amnesia, which creates suspense. Horror and Thriller movies use suspense throughout. |
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...an object that represents something unseen Examples: The scarlet ibis (the bird) represents Doodle's dying soul in "The Scarlet Ibis" (the story). Aniken Skywalker's loss of legs and other body parts represents (is symbolic for) his lost humanity. A rose is often a symbol of love. |
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