Literary Terms and Definitions

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

1. PROSE FICTION FORMS

·         Novel:  A book length fictional prose narrative

·         Novellas: Written, fictional, prose narratives, longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel.

·         Short- stories:  A brief narrative in prose.

2. ELEMENTS OF PROSE FICTION

·         Narrative Techniques:  The methods involved in telling a story.

·         Point of View:  The relationship of the narrator, or storyteller, to the story.

·         Characterization: The methods of a writer used to reveal the personality of a character.

·         Setting: The time and place in which events of a story, novel or play occur.

·         Theme: The central message of a story, poem, novel or play that readers can apply to life.

·         Plot:   The sequence of events in a narrative work.

·         Style:  The author’s choice and arrangement of words and sentences in a literary work.

3.  LITERARY DEVICES

·         Imagery:  The “word pictures” that writers create to help evoke an emotional response.

·         Symbol: An object, person, place or experience that means more than what it actually is.

·         Irony:  A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what eventually happens.

·         Satire: Writing that exposes and ridicules the subordinates or stupidity of people or societies.

·         Allusion:  A reference in a work of literature to a character, place, or situation from history or from another work of literature, music or art.

4. STRUCTURAL DEVICES

·         Stream of Consciousness: A literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur.

·         Interior Monologue: A passage of writing presenting a character’s inner thoughts and emotions in a direct, sometimes disjointed or fragmentary manner.

·         Flashback:  An accountant of an event that happened before a story began.

·         Foreshadowing:  The use of clues by the author to prepare readers for events that will happen later in the story.

·         Time Frame:  A period during which something takes place or is projected to occur.

·         Motif: A significant word, description, idea or image that is repeated throughout a literary work.

·         Juxtaposition: The act of positioning close together or side by side.

5. TYPES OF FICTION

·         Commercial Fiction

·         Literary Fiction

·         Mainstream Fiction

Genre fiction:

·         Mystery

·         Romance

·         Women’s Fiction

·         Science Fiction/ Fantasy

6.  LITERARY CONTEXT

·         Political: Of or pertaining to government, a government, or the conduct of government.

·         Historical:  Of or concerned with history as a science.

·         Religious:   Pertaining to or concerned with religion.

·         Ethnic: Designating or of a population sub-group, having a common cultural heritage as distinguished by custom characteristics, language, common history etc.

·         Moral:  A practical lesson about right and wrong conduct.

·         Intellectual:  The ability to reason or understand or to perceive relationships.

·         Cultural: The training and refinement of intellect, interest, skills and art in a particular place.

·         Social: Of or relating to human society and its modes of organization.