Elements of Literature

Genre: a category of literature.

Ex. Science Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Biography, Memoir, Romance

Fiction: literature that describes imaginary events and people (it can be realistic, it's just made up by the author)

Non-Fiction: writing that is based on facts, real people, and real events.

Science Fiction: a literary genre. A story that features futuristic events and technology that doesn’t exist yet.

Theme: The central idea of a piece of literature. It’s what the author wants readers to think about.

Theme is a universal message about life or human nature that isn’t directly stated. It must be inferred by the reader.

Protagonist– the main character of a story

The protagonist of Star Wars is Luke Skywalker.

The protagonist of The Lion King is Simba.

Antagonist– a character in a story that causes problems for the main character (protagonist)

The antagonist of Star Wars is Darth Vader

The antagonist of The Lion King is Scar

Setting– when and where a story takes place

Star Wars is set a long time ago in a galaxy far away.

The Lion King is set in the plains of Africa.

Personification is giving human characteristics to non-human things, like animals, ideas, and objects.

–The stars danced in the night sky.

-The strong wind punched my face when I walked out the door.

Plot– the sequence of events in a story

Conflict– the struggle or problem in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

External Conflict – when another character or other outside force causes problems for the main character. The outside force may be something from nature or society.

Internal Conflict – when a character’s struggles are coming from within. They usually struggle with identity, moral issues, or tough decisions

Exposition– the introduction of a story. It describes the characters, setting and gives important background information.

“All Summer in a Day” takes place on Venus, where it rains all the time and the sun only comes out every 7 years. The protagonist is Margot.

Rising Action– the events of a story set up the conflict and build up to the climax

William is the antagonist and the conflict is set up between him and Margot. He is a bully and he is mean to her. The other students are mean to her too. They are all at school and waiting for the sun to come out.

Climax– the most exciting and important part of a story

-the turning point of a story

William and the children lock Margot in the closet and the sun comes out right afterwards.

Falling Action– the events after the climax.

While Margot is in the closet, the children play outside and they enjoy the glorious sunshine. The sun eventually goes away and it begins to rain again.

Resolution– the part of a story that explains how everything turns out in the end

The children let Margot out of the closet.

Foreshadowing– a warning, hint, or clue that suggests what will happen later in a story

1^st Person Point of View – narration from the perspective of a character within the story. Uses the words “I” and “me”

William called me a liar and told me that I didn’t remember seeing the sun. He just kept on pushing and shoving me and the next thing I knew I was inside a dark closet. I was so scared. I know that I am quiet and shy, but that is not a good reason to treat me so badly. As I sat in the closet I wondered what the other kids were doing. Were they seated quietly at their desks?

3^rd Person Point of View – narration of a story from the perspective of an outside observer.

William called Margot a liar. He told her that she didn’t remember seeing the sun. He pushed her and shoved her. He opened up the closet door and threw her inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Margot was scared and began to cry. When the rain stopped and the sun came out, the children laughed and played in the sunshine. Margot sat alone in closet and cried.

Narrator– the person or voice that tells the story

Dialogue– the conversation between characters in a story

Mood – The overall emotional feeling that the reader gets from the story. The author creates the mood through their choice of words and descriptions.

Imagery– when an author describes something with so much detail that you can practically see it, taste it, smell it, hear it, or feel it.

It is language that engages the 5 senses.

Mood – The overall emotional feeling that the reader gets from the story. The author creates the mood through their choice of words, imagery, and setting

Simile – a comparison using “like” or “as”

The sun is like a flaming penny.

Metaphor – a direct comparison of two unlike things that help us get a better understanding of one of them.

My dad is a bear.

Love is a battlefield.

Alliteration – The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words

Symbol – something that represents something else

Onomatopoeia – sound words. Buzz. Oink. Pow. Kablam.

Characterization –