Chapter 7: Literary Elements

 Quick Reference of Literary Elements:

• Antagonist- character opposite the protagonist in a story; usually is the cause for conflict
• Character- a person, figure, inanimate object, or animal in a story
• Conflict- resistance that the protagonist finds in achieving dreams or aims; the struggle between antagonist and protagonist
• Mood- emotional response the writer wishes to evoke in readers
• Tone- reflects the writer's attitude toward the subject matter or audience of a literary work
• Plot- sequence of events and happenings that make up a story; the beginning, middle, and end; main outcome and order of the story; also refers to the conflict with one another, the conflict with surroundings, and the conflict with self
• Protagonist- central character or leading figure; sometimes seen as the "hero"
• Setting- time, place, and mood of the story; sometimes descriptive 
• Theme- the base that acts as a foundation for the entire literary piece; message stated or suggested by an author; must be global in that it can apply to the real world outside the text; can be stated in a complete sentence, and can be demonstrated from the text; a literary work can have more than one theme

Quick Reference of Literary Devices:

• Allegory- uses metaphoric examples to suggest a hidden meaning; fables are an example
• Allusion- a brief reference to a person, place, thing, or event from another literary work that can add a great deal of meaning and significance into a simple word or phrase
• Archetype- a character that is created based on qualities/traits that are easily recognized to readers, such as the hero, the outlaw, the caregiver, etc. 
• Deus ex Machina- introducing a seemingly unreasonable concept or  character in order to resolve conflict and obtain an interesting outcome; its use is discouraged
• Hyperbole- a deliberate exaggeration in a literary work
• Imagery- using figurative language to "paint a picture" in the readers' minds
• Metaphor- a comparison between two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as"
• Motif- and object or idea that repeats itself throughout a literary work
• Point of View- the perspective from which a story is told
• Simile- the comparison of things using the words "like" or "as"
• Symbolism- using symbols, or something that stands for something else