The opponent or enemy of the main character, or protagonist.

Words spoken to the audience by a character in a drama that are not supposed to be heard by the other characters onstage. An aside is usually used to let the audience know what a character is thinking.

The means through which an author reveals a character’s personality.

The point in a play, novel, short story, or narrative poem at which the conflict reaches its greatest intensity and is then resolved.

A struggle between opposing forces.

The conversation between characters in a work of literature.

A character who undergoes a significant internal change over the course of a story. This may be a change in understanding, values, insight, etc.

uses words in some way other than for their literal meanings to make a comparison, add emphasis, or say something in a fresh and creative way.

A scene in a story that occurred before the present time in the story. Provides background information about events happening during the current narration. They may be presented as memories, dreams, or stories of the past told by characters.

Clues or hints about something that is going to happen later in the story. Helps to build suspense and to prepare the reader for what happens later.

Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement that is not meant to be taken literally. “I almost died of boredom.”

An expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words. For example, “it’s raining cats and dogs¨, means itś raining really hard

Language that portrays sensory experiences, or experiences of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

when something happens that is the reverse of what you expected; name or description of something implies the opposite of the truth (for example, calling a very tall person “Tiny”).

A main or important character; a character who plays a large role in a story. usually face some sort of obstacle, and they will be present throughout all, or almost all, of a story.

The comparison of two unlike things to illuminate a particular quality or aspect of one of those things. For example, “Karen was a ray of sunshine”

A character who does not play a large role in a story.

The feeling the reader gets from a work of literature, also can me described as the atmosphere.

The use of words whose sounds imitate the sounds of what they describe, such as hiss, murmur, growl, honk, buzz, woof,

Describing nonhuman animals, objects, or ideas as though they possess human qualities or emotions. For example: “The moon smiled down at her,”

The sequence of events in a story. Includes the opening event (what happens at the beginning/the main problem that the main character faces), the rising action (what happens to intensify the problem), the climax (when the problem reaches its most intense point and begins to be resolved), the falling action (what happens to solve the problem), and the resolution (how things end)

The perspective from which a story is told. In other words, who is telling the story—a character in the story or an outside narrator.

where the narrator is a character in the story who describes things from his or her own perspective and refers to himself or herself as “I”;

where the narrator is not a character in the story but the narrator can describe the experiences and thoughts of only one character in the story;

where the narrator is not one of the characters and is able to describe the experiences and thoughts of every character in the story.

The main or central character of a work of literature. Usually, the main character is involved in a conflict or struggle with the antagonist.

The environment in which a story takes place, including the time period, the location, and the physical characteristics of the surroundings.

When two unlike things are compared—using like or as—in order to illuminate a particular quality or aspect of one of those things. For example, “Randy’s voice is like melted chocolate” , Randy’s voice is compared to melted chocolate.

An object, setting, event, animal, or person that on one level is itself, but that has another meaning as well. For example, the American flag is really a piece of fabric with stars and stripes on it, but it also represents the United States and ideals like freedom, patriotism, and pride.

A story’s main message or moral

The author’s attitude toward the subject matter or toward the reader or audience.