Literary Terms

the overall message, lesson or idea

• theme

• protagonist

• plot

• mood

the feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage (based on word choice, description, plot, tone, etc.)

• conflict

• mood

• plot

• characterization

the process by which an author estabishes the traits and personsalities or the characters (direct or indirect)

• characterization

• protagonist

• flashback

• mood

the main character with whom the readers sympathize

• protagonist

• antagonist

• foreshadowing

• conflict

the character or force in conflict with the protagonist

• antagonist

• setting

• characterization

• protagonist

the time, place, and circumstances that form the background of a story

• setting

• conflict

• theme

• mood

the problem, struggle, or mystery that must be overcome or sovled in a literary work (internal or external)

• conflict

• theme

• protagonist

• foreshadowing

clues or hints given about upcoming action in a story

• foreshadowing

• flashback

• theme

• mood

a return to an earlier point in the story to relate an incident from the past

• flashback

• foreshadowing

• characterization

• plot

the sequence of events that make up a story

• plot

• conflict

• mood

• theme