Mrs. LewisAdvanced Honors English I

discusses or identifies WHERE and WHEN a story takes place

The setting also explains the historical significance of a specific place or time.

the series of events in a story The plot is divided into five sections:

◦ Exposition◦ Rising Action◦ Climax◦ Falling Action◦ Resolution◦ Dénouement

The exposition is the part of the play that introduces the protagonist and the setting.

The exposition is usually the beginning of the plot; however, in more complex stories, the exposition could be intertwined with the rising action.

usually follows the exposition introduces the antagonist and the conflict or

problem provides more details of the exposition In the rising action, there is an increase in

suspense as the reader begins to wonder what will happen to the protagonist’s and antagonist’s relationship.

The climax is the particular moment of the plot where the protagonist comes face-to-face with the conflict.

This is also the moment when the protagonist and antagonist “battle”.

The climax is often recognized as the highest part of the plot.

The falling action generally follows the climax.

This occurs when the protagonist recognizes the lessons learned and is positively or negatively affected by the conflict.

The resolution allows the reader to understand how the protagonist’s world is impacted after the climax.

For example, in a fairy tale, “and they lived happily ever after” is the resolution.

A resolution often sets the story up for a sequel. This occurs when a resolution and/or plot is left open.

Dénouement is French for “the unraveling”.

This includes everything AFTER the climax (both the falling action and the resolution.)

resolution

exposition

climax

risi

ng

action

falling

action

denouement

an interruption in the plot to give a hint or intuition of what is going to happen later in the story

an interruption in the plot to discuss an event that has already occurred in the story

Theme is one or more universal ideas that transcend place and time.

For example, a theme in Romeo and Juliet is love and hate. This theme was true when the play was written. It is a theme today and will be a theme in 200 years.

Suspense is an increase in tension as a story progresses.

For example, in a scary movie, there is suspense because the audience is wondering if the woman will be killed after she opens the door.

Characterization The characters include the people, animals,

and sometimes things that are in the story. For example, in the story The Giving Tree,

the tree is a character. Characters can be identified as major,

minor, round, flat, dynamic, static, and/or foil.

A character can also be a protagonist or antagonist.

The protagonist is a main character that is TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH A GOAL.

The protagonist is the character that has a conflict and comes face-to-face with the antagonist during the climax.

The antagonist, sometimes known as the villain, attempts to keep the protagonist from accomplishing his/her goal.

HINT: In more complex stories, the antagonist may not be a human being.

HINT: In even more complex stories, the antagonist may be the same person as the protagonist.

A round character is a character who the reader knows a lot about. The reader knows this character’s background, thoughts, and desires.

A flat character is a character who the reader does not know a lot about. A flat character is generally used to help move the plot or provide background information about a round character.

A dynamic character is a character who evolves or changes through the course of the story. This change can be physical, mental, social, or emotional.

A static character is a character who does not change during the course of the story. This character stays the same throughout the story. A static character is also used to assist in the movement of the plot.

Major Character/Minor Character

If the character is important to the plot progression, he/she/it is major.

If very few details are given about a character, he/she/it is minor.

Round characters are usually major. Flat characters are usually minor.

Foil Character

Foil characters are direct opposites. For example, in the television sitcom Fresh

Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith and Carlton Banks are direct opposites of one another.

In the television show Golden Girls, Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose are all foils to one another.

Point of view discusses the perspective from which a story is being told.

There are four point of views:◦ First person◦ Second person◦ Third person (omniscient)◦ Third person (limited)

First Person Point-of-View

"I" or "we" serves as the narrator of a piece of fiction.

The narrator may be a minor character, observing the action or the main protagonist.

Can allow a reader to feel very close to a specific character's point of view

Limits the reader to that one perspective; the reader can only know what this character knows

Second Person Point-of-View The narrator tells the story to another

character using “you”. Second person point of view is common

with self-help books and personal letters.

Third Person Omniscient P.O.V. An “all-knowing” external narrator is telling

the story. The narrator knows the innermost thoughts

and feelings of all characters. A writer may bring to life an entire world of

characters.

Third Person Limited P.O.V. A “limited-knowing” external character is

telling the story. a method of storytelling in which the

narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character, while other characters are presented only externally

Nominative Case(used as

subject of a sentence)

Objective Case

(used in the predicate part of a sentence)

Possessive Case(shows

ownership)

First Person I, we me, us my, mineour, ours

Second Person you, you you, you your, yoursyour, yours

Third Person he, she, itthey

him, her, itthem

his, her, hers, its

their, theirs

A conflict represents ANYTHING that attempts to keep the protagonist from accomplishing their goal.

Conflicts can fall into one of six categories:◦ Man verses man/animal◦ Man verses self◦ Man verses nature◦ Man verses supernatural/fate◦ Man verses society ◦ Man verses technology/machine

Man vs. man/animal-conflict involves two humans or a human and an animal

Man vs. self-the protagonist is keeping himself/herself from accomplishing their goal

Man vs. nature-the protagonist is being kept from their goal because of nature

Man vs. supernatural (fate)-the protagonist is being kept from their goal because of an unexplainable/uncontrollable phenomena (for example…death)

Man vs. society-the protagonist is against (or may want to change) existing conditions or social traditions; may also want to change or be a part of a social group but can’t (rules out of one’s control)

Man vs. technology (machine)-the conflict exist because of a technological item…anything with a wire or wireless capabilities.

Irony, also known as a “twist”, occurs when there is a discrepancy between what is said or done, and what is expected.

There are three types of irony:◦ Verbal irony◦ Situational irony◦ Dramatic irony

Verbal irony occurs when the character says something different from what the reader or audience member is expecting.

Situational irony occurs when the character does something that the reader or audience member is not expecting.

Dramatic irony occurs when a character says or does something in the story of which the reader is aware, but the characters involved are not

A symbol is an item that represents a larger more significant meaning.

For example: ◦ represents love◦ ♫ represents music◦ represents balance and harmony◦ represents winter◦ represents danger

The tone is the attitude from which THE AUTHOR takes when writing a story or poem. A tone can be happy, serious, comical, sad, etc.

The mood is the feeling THE READER gets from reading a story or poem.