1. Tunes for Bears to Dance To 2. The Giver 3. Tom Sawyer 4. Multi-Cultural Text Set 5. December Stillness 6. The Pigman	LITERATURE ROCKS!	Storyboard Characterization Reader's Theater Power Point Presentation Research Pop Up Book Movie Vocabulary Cartoon Bk Biography Role Playing

AN ALPHABET OF LITERARY ELEMENTS

PLOT-the story or sequence of events in a novel or movie

A. EXPOSITION- the part of a literary or dramatic work in which the basic facts of setting and character are made known

B. INITIATING INCIDENT- an especially important event begins, the event that sets

the plot in motion and leads to the climax

C. RISING ACTION- a series of conflicts, events, or struggles that build the plot and lead to the climax

D. CLIMAX (TURNING POINT) - an especially important event, the most important or exciting point in a story, the most intense event

E. FALLING ACTION-in a work of fiction or drama, the events that follow the climax and lead to the denouement (pronounced day-new-ma) or conclusion

F. RESOLUTION-the part of the story in which the main conflict is resolved, the solution to the problem

G. CONCLUSION (DENOUEMENT) - the part of the narrative or story that ties up all loose ends, points to the future

H. FORESHADOWING- to indicate or suggest something, usually something unpleasant, that is going to happen in the story

I. CONFLICT- opposition between characters or forces in a literary work that shapes or motivates the action of the plot.  The five types of conflict are:

1. MAN VS MAN

2. MAN VS SOCIETY

3. MAN VS SELF

4. MAN VS NATURE

5. MAN VS FATE

6. MAN VS SUPERNATURAL

J. PROTAGONIST- the most important character in a novel, play, story, or other literary work.  Usually the hero, this character carries the action forward in the novel

K. ANTAGONIST- a major character in a book, play, or movie whose values or behavior are in conflict with those of the protagonist or hero

L. CHARACTERIZATION-the method an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their personalities and motivations.  Characters are revealed through:

1. HIS OR HER SPEECH

2. HIS OR HER ACTIONS

3. HIS OR HER THOUGHTS

4. HIS OR HER CIRCUMSTANCES

M. POINT OF VIEW-the position or angle from which the story is told. Five points of view are:

1. 1^ST PERSON-story is told by one of the characters

2. 2^ND PERSON-directly talks to the reader

3. 3^RD PERSON OMNISCIENT-story is told by someone outside of the story who is able to see into the mind and thoughts of every character

4. 3^RD PERSON LIMITED OMNISCIENT-story is told by someone outside of the story who is able to see into the mind and thoughts of a few characters

5. 3^RD PERSON OBJECTIVE-story is told by someone outside the story without bias or prejudice

N. IRONY-using a word or phrase to mean the opposite of its literal meaning. The three kinds of irony are:

1. DRAMATIC IRONY-the reader sees the characters’ mistakes but the character himself does not see them

2. IRONY OF THE SITUATION-there is a great difference between the purpose of a particular action and the results

3. VERBAL IRONY-the author says one thing but means another

O. DIALOGUE-conversation between characters in a story.  Dialogue is used to:

1. CONVEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARACTER THROUGH SPEECH AND RELATIONSHIP

2. REFLECT LOCATION OF SETTING THROUGH DIALECT

3. IDENTIFY CHARACTERS AND TONE

4. BRING INFORMATION TO “LIFE”

P. SETTING-the time and place a story takes place

Q. THEME-the main idea or moral lesson the author wishes to convey with the story. To determine theme pay attention to how the main character changes externally and internally.

R. MOOD-the feeling aroused in the reader by the written selection

S. TONE-the attitude with which the author writes the selection

T. SYMBOL-a person, place, thing or event that is used to represent something else in the story

U. STEREOTYPE- an oversimplified standardized image of a person or group, it does not change.  A character is stereotyped if he or she has no individuality and fits into a mold or particular type

V. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE- all language that involves figures of speech or symbolism and does not literally represent real things

W. METAPHOR- to describe somebody or something in a way that is not meant literally but by means of a vivid comparison, e.g. saying that somebody is a snake.  Metaphors do NOT use the words like or as.

X. SIMILE- a figure of speech that draws a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word "like" or "as," e.g. "as white as a sheet."

Y. PERSONIFICATION- to give human qualities to objects or abstract notions

Z. HYPERBOLE- deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect, e.g. "I could eat a million of these."