Literary Terms

A character who is fully developed, and has many different character traits.

• round
• flat
• static
• dynamic

Tags

CCSS.L.6.6

CCSS.RI.3.4

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

A character who is stereotypical, one-dimensional, and possesses few traits.

• dynamic
• flat
• round
• static

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.K.3

A character that does not change.

• round
• static
• flat
• dynamic

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.W.5.2D

CCSS.W.6.2D

A character who changes as a result of the story's events.

• flat
• round
• dynamic
• static

Tags

CCSS.L.2.4E

CCSS.L.3.4D

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

The technique used by the author to develop a character.  This is accomplished by what the character says or does, what others say about the character, and/or the author's word choice in descriptive passages.

• antagonist
• personification
• characterization
• protagonist

Tags

CCSS.L.6.6

CCSS.L.7.6

CCSS.RI.3.4

CCSS.W.4.2D

CCSS.W.7.2D

Clues the writer uses within the story to give the reader a hint of what is to come.

• suspense
• foreshadowing
• flashback
• symbol

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.5

An object, person, or event that functions as itself, but also represents/stands for something more than itself.

• simile
• metaphor
• allusion
• symbol

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

The main character that undergoes some type of change within a story and grows as a result of the experience.

• protagonist
• indirect character
• antagonist
• direct character

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

A major character who opposes the main character but does not undergo a change.

• indirect character
• antagonist
• protagonist
• direct character

Tags

CCSS.L.7.6

CCSS.RI.4.4

CCSS.RI.5.4

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

A character struggles against an outside force that may include another character, nature, technology, progress, society, or the supernatural.

• catastrophe
• internal conflict
• inciting incident
• external conflict

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.3

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3