Literary Terms

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Theme

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A universal life lesson about life or human nature; the message of the story.

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Setting

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The environment or surrounding in which an event or story takes place.

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Characters

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The people or animals in a story or drama.

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Characterization

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Actions, dialogue, and narrative description that reveal a sense of a character's personality to the reader.

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Paradox

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A statement that seems to contradict itself but is, nevertheless, true.

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Plot

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The sequence of events that make up a story, including the conflict and resolution.

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Conflict

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The struggle between opposing forces in a story, which drives the plot.

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Mood

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The emotional atmosphere of a story, created by the author's word choice and setting.

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Foil

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A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities.

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Dialogue

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The spoken exchanges between characters in a literary work.