LITERARY ELEMENTS (TECHNIQUES USED IN LITERATURE)

SETTING: the physical place and time (time of day and time period) in which the story takes place.

MOOD: the feelings communicated by the setting.

CHARACTERS:  Protagonist (pro=in favor of, for): the hero/heroine-the central character who engages the reader’s interest; the character the readers are cheering for.  Antagonist (anti=against): the character that stands opposed to the protagonist and causes conflict in the story.  Static character (often a minor character): a character who does NOT change throughout the story.  Dynamic Character (often a major character): a character who undergoes some kind of change because of the events of the plot. THEME: the message/main idea/lesson the author wants the readers to understand

MAJOR EVENTS OF THE PLOT: Initial Incident (the first major event), Rising Action (the event leading to the Climax), the Climax (the turning point of the story), Falling Action (the event leading to the Resolution), and the Resolution (the solution to the conflict)

POINTS OF VIEW:  First Person: “I”—readers understand the story through this narrator’s lens  Third Person: “he/she”—most common—the narrator sounds like the author

FORESHADOWING: the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.

FLASHBACK: an action that interrupts to show an event that happened at an earlier time (which is necessary for better understanding).