AP Lit Terms Lesson 1

Characterization: Narration will explicitly inform the audience of a character’s nature or other descriptions.

Characterization: A character’s nature will be revealed through thoughts, actions, interactions, dialogue, or other –subtle means.

"The skin of her hands gathered at the knuckles, creating pinched peaks of sun-spotted leather" is an example of what kind of characterization?

main characters (without whom the story may not exist)

• secondary

• primary

• tertiary

• round

background characters who help move conflict, characterize primary characters, and establish settings

• secondary

• primary

• tertiary

supporting characters who, while they may not be crucial to the plot, appear often in the work

• primary

• secondary

• tertiary

• static

characters often stand in direct comparison to the protagonist to emphasize their differences

The placement of two contrasting ideas or images near one another in order to provoke comparison

• imagery

• setting

• allusion

• juxtaposition

A reference to another work of literature, art, history, or current events.

• juxtaposition

• metaphor

• simile

• allusion

A work's underlying issues or ideas with regard to some aspect of life

• allusion

• simile

• metaphor

• theme