Literature Terms

Protagonist

• A character or force in conflict with the main character

• Main character in a story

• The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later

• The giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Antagonist

• A character or force in conflict with the main character

• Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

• Central idea of a work of literature

• End of the story where loose ends are tied up

Theme

• Central idea of a work of literature

• Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

• Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

• End of the story where loose ends are tied up

Tone

• A comparison using "like" or "as"

• The giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

• Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

• The time and place of a story

Climax

• Sequence of events in a story

• A comparison without using "like" or "as"

• Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

• A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Resolution

• Placement of two things closely together in order to compare or contrast

• End of the story where loose ends are tied up

• Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

• A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.

Simile

• A comparison without using "like" or "as"

• The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later

• A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

• A comparison using "like" or "as"

Metaphor

• A comparison without using "like" or "as"

• A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent something else

• A struggle between opposing forces

• Main character in a story

Personification

• Anything that stands for or represents something else

• Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

• Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

• The giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

Symbol

• Sequence of events in a story

• End of the story where loose ends are tied up

• Anything that stands for or represents something else

• Most exciting moment of the story; turning point