Short Stories
Story Terms--Definitions
Active-reading Strategies--ways to keep yourself more involved in what you are reading in order to increase comprehension
• Question--asking yourself questions about what you are reading
• Visualize--picturing in your mind the people and places in the story
• Predict--trying to guess or predict what will happen next
• Connect--looking at how the people or events in the story are like those in your own life
• Respond--reacting to the events of the story
Plot--the series of events in a story
• Exposition--the part of the story that introduces the basic situation, the characters, the setting, etc. (background information)
• Climax--the high point of interest of suspense in the story
• Resolution--the “wrap up” of the conflict of the story (ties up all the loose ends)
Conflict--a struggle between opposing forces in a story (usually the basis of the action)
• Internal Conflict--a struggle inside a character (example: a character trying to conquer his/her own fear)
• External Conflict--a struggle with a force outside the character (example: the character versus a force of nature or one character versus another)
Characterization--the act of creating and developing a character (person) in the story
• Direct Characterization--the writer states outright or describes the character’s traits
• Indirect Characterization--the writer shows the character’s personality through his/her own actions, thoughts, feelings, words, etc. or through the observations of another character
• Character Traits--the different aspects of personality and physical appearance that make a particular personage unique
Point of View--the perspective from which the story is told
• First-person Narration--a story is told by a character who is actually involved in the story
• Third-person Narration--a story is told by someone watching it, but not actually involved in it
• Third-person Limited--the person telling the story is “human” in that s/he can only relate what s/he can see going on in the story
• Third-person Omniscient--the person telling the story can see everything that happens, as well as what the characters are thinking and feeling
Setting--the time and place in which the story takes place
Theme--a central idea, concern or purpose of a literary work--the point the author is making about life--the insight into life the author is trying to give the reader
Dilemma--a choice or situation that a character faces in which it seems difficult to reach a satisfactory solution (all options bring undesirable results)
Motivation--the reason(s) behind a character’s words or actions in a story
Verisimilitude--the author creates characters or situations that seem real or life-like
Symbol--something in a story that represents or stands for something else (especially an idea or concept)
Emotive Language--language used by the author that provokes feelings or emotions in the reader
Foreshadowing--words, actions or events that hint at or predict what will happen later in the story
Irony--an outcome in the story that is not what would have been expected (especially if it is the opposite of the expected)
Exaggeration--the author enlarges a character or situation beyond the bounds of reason or truth
Figurative Language--vivid description that creates a “picture” in the reader’s head
Dialect--usually found in dialogue, it is a manner of speaking that is particular to a certain region or group of people (the author usually uses it to create characters that seem more real)
• Question--asking yourself questions about what you are reading
• Visualize--picturing in your mind the people and places in the story
• Predict--trying to guess or predict what will happen next
• Connect--looking at how the people or events in the story are like those in your own life
• Respond--reacting to the events of the story
Plot--the series of events in a story
• Exposition--the part of the story that introduces the basic situation, the characters, the setting, etc. (background information)
• Climax--the high point of interest of suspense in the story
• Resolution--the “wrap up” of the conflict of the story (ties up all the loose ends)
Conflict--a struggle between opposing forces in a story (usually the basis of the action)
• Internal Conflict--a struggle inside a character (example: a character trying to conquer his/her own fear)
• External Conflict--a struggle with a force outside the character (example: the character versus a force of nature or one character versus another)
Characterization--the act of creating and developing a character (person) in the story
• Direct Characterization--the writer states outright or describes the character’s traits
• Indirect Characterization--the writer shows the character’s personality through his/her own actions, thoughts, feelings, words, etc. or through the observations of another character
• Character Traits--the different aspects of personality and physical appearance that make a particular personage unique
Point of View--the perspective from which the story is told
• First-person Narration--a story is told by a character who is actually involved in the story
• Third-person Narration--a story is told by someone watching it, but not actually involved in it
• Third-person Limited--the person telling the story is “human” in that s/he can only relate what s/he can see going on in the story
• Third-person Omniscient--the person telling the story can see everything that happens, as well as what the characters are thinking and feeling
Setting--the time and place in which the story takes place
Theme--a central idea, concern or purpose of a literary work--the point the author is making about life--the insight into life the author is trying to give the reader
Dilemma--a choice or situation that a character faces in which it seems difficult to reach a satisfactory solution (all options bring undesirable results)
Motivation--the reason(s) behind a character’s words or actions in a story
Verisimilitude--the author creates characters or situations that seem real or life-like
Symbol--something in a story that represents or stands for something else (especially an idea or concept)
Emotive Language--language used by the author that provokes feelings or emotions in the reader
Foreshadowing--words, actions or events that hint at or predict what will happen later in the story
Irony--an outcome in the story that is not what would have been expected (especially if it is the opposite of the expected)
Exaggeration--the author enlarges a character or situation beyond the bounds of reason or truth
Figurative Language--vivid description that creates a “picture” in the reader’s head
Dialect--usually found in dialogue, it is a manner of speaking that is particular to a certain region or group of people (the author usually uses it to create characters that seem more real)