The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street Academic Vocabulary

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allegory

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using symbolic fictional characters and actions to express truths or generalizations about human existence

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characterization

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in fiction or drama, the artistic representation of a character; the techniques an author uses to reveal a character’s traits

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climax

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the most intense, exciting, or dramatic point in the story when the protagonist confronts the central conflict

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conflict

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the opposition of characters or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction; the problem the story is built around

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context

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the situation or conditions in which something occurs which are necessary to understand an idea

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dramatic irony

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when the audience/reader knows something that the characters do not know

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exposition

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the first part of a fictional story that introduces the characters, setting, and background information necessary for understanding the story

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falling action

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the plot events that occur immediately after the climax, leading to the resolution

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Figurative language

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words or phrases used in a non-literal way to create a specific meaning or effect, such as: metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, and idioms

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foreshadowing

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a literary device that gives hints or clues about future events in the story