Literary Elements

Front

What is the term for the uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what is going to happen next in a story?

Back

Suspense

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Front

What is the most intense, exciting, or important point of a story called?

Back

Climax

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.7

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.6.9

Front

What is the literary device that uses hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot?

Back

Foreshadowing

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.5

Front

What do we call the main character of a story?

Back

Protagonist

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Front

What term describes the time and place in which a story occurs?

Back

Setting

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Front

What is the term for a character or force that opposes the protagonist in a story?

Back

Antagonist

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

Front

What is the term for the sequence of events in a story, often structured in a specific order?

Back

Plot

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

Front

What is the term for the underlying message or main idea of a literary work?

Back

Theme

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

Front

What is the term for the perspective from which a story is told?

Back

Point of View

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Front

What do we call a recurring symbol, theme, or motif in a literary work?

Back

Archetype

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2