Elements of Literature

Definitions of Literary Terms

  1. AUTHOR: Person(s) who wrote or compiled material for a book.

  2. CAUSE AND EFFECT: The cause is the particular action or words that cause other events to occur, the effect is the result or changes.

  3. CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: Physical descriptions of what a person looks like, age, hair color, body type, sex, height weight, clothing.

  4.  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Non-physical kind of qualities, attitudes. The ways the character changes, how he/she grows in/loses love or wisdom

  5. CHRONICAL ORDER: Series of events in ordered sequence from 

  6. beginning to end.

  7. CLIMAX: The most exciting point in the story, when the conflict is

  8. Resolved.

  9. DILAOGUE: The conversation that the characters use, verbal discussion.

  10. EPISODE: A small series of incidents, perhaps a chapter.

  11. FACTUAL: The real events that happen in the story.

  12. FICTION:  A book created by the imagination of the writer.

  13. HERO/HEROINE: The protagonist, often the good person whom the characters admire.

  14. HISTORICAL FICTION: An imagined account of people in a particular time in history.

  15. INCIDENT: A small event, action, discussion that contributes to the story.

  16. KEY EVENTS: The main three to five happenings which are the skeleton of the story.

  17. PROTAGONIST:  The main character who is the “good” person, often a hero/heroine, even if imperfect or full of human flaws, helps create understanding or peace.

  18. ANTOGONIST: The main character, animal, or force that creates the conflict or evil.

  19. NON-FICTION: A book created from real, factual accounts or events.

  20. PLOT: The action in the story between the characters, series of events to the climax.

  21. POINT OF VIEW: The point of view from which the book is written, either the person speaking, the author, or an invisible third person.

  22. PUBLICATION DATE: The year a book is published.

  23. SETTING: Description of the area in which the story takes place.

  24. AUTHOR’S STYLE: The type of writing the author uses to create a mood.

  25. THEME: The message the reader gets from a story or novel.  It is the moral, main idea, the heart and substance of the story.

  26. VILLIAN: The antagonist, the evil person, animal or force.

  27. TITLE: Word(s) which capture the reader’s attention.