Literary Terms-

• Plot Mountain

  • Exposition

    • The beginning; introduction of characters, problem, and setting

  • Rising Action

    • A series of incidents/ actions that create suspense and complicate a conflict

    • Plot begins to advance, problem intensifies, character development

  • Climax

    • “Spoiler” moment; the peak of action

  • Falling Action

    • The action that happens after the climax has been reached; aftereffects of the problem

  • Resolution

    • Conflict is resolved; unanswered questions are answered; loose ends are tied.

• Types of Conflict

  • Internal Conflict

    • The conflict is within the character (character vs. self)

  • External Conflict

    • The conflict is another force against the character (character vs. character, character vs. nature, character vs. society)

• Flat + Round Characters

  • Flat Character

    • No change within the character

  • Round Character

    • The character changes through the story

• Characterization

  • Indirect Characterization

    • The author uses STEAL to tell you about a character rather than spelling out character traits.

      • “She thinks she’s better than everyone else! It’s incredibly annoying, and I can’t stand it!!” I cried.

      • Shauna threw her gorgeous black hair over her shoulder and walked through the halls with confidence, her green eyes piercing those who stared at her beauty.

  • Direct Characterization

    • The author directly states characteristics of the character

      • (uses is or another direct word.)

      • Ex. Shelly is annoyingly popular and thinks she’s better than everyone else.

      • Ex. Shauna is the most beautiful girl in school, with black hair, green eyes, and luscious, glowing skin.

• Characters

  • Protagonist

    • The main character; we follow this character around the story; the leading role

  • Antagonist

    • “Antagonizes” (opposes)  the main character; wants to make them fail/ suffer; they are the reason that the main character cannot succeed

• Point of View

  • 1st Person

    • The main character narrates the story from their point of view.

  • 2nd Person

    • The narrator is a character in the story, but not the main character

  • 3rd Person

    • The narrator is narrating from outside the story; knows the information

• Theme

  • The main lesson from a story; the takeaway point

• Setting

  • Where and when a story takes place

Complete Sentence Correction-

• Complete Sentence

  • It contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought/ idea

  • Independent clause

• Run-on

  • When two sentences run together without proper punctuation or connecting words

    • Fused Sentence

      • Two sentences are run together without punctuation

      • Absence of punctuation

    • Comma Splice

      • When a comma is used without a connecting word

      • Absence of connecting words

• Sentence Fragment

  • A piece of a complete thought that has been punctuated like a sentence

  • Is missing a key component of a sentence

What is an Archetype?

• An archetype is a universally recognizable pattern that reappears across literature and life. (we learned dystopian and hero)

Dystopian Archetype

• Definition- The recurring theme throughout literature that shows elements of a dystopia (elements listed below)

• Divided setting w/ borders

• Small authority with a characteristic deemed important; mistreats large, disadvantaged group (have and have nots)

• New society that has survived a breakdown of the past world

• The majority of the population is governed by strict rules that are violently policed to avoid a repeat disaster.

• A protagonist that contrasts with society.

  • Protagonist leads a rebellion

Hero Archetype

• Definition- A pattern that reoccurs through literature and life that is the typical sequence of events in a hero character’s life. The recurring theme of many books where the hero goes through some variations of the hero cycle.

• Hero’s Journey-

  • The recurring theme of many books where the hero goes through some variations of the hero cycle.

• Mentor

  • Mentor’s Role:

    • Teach the hero

      • The mentor has past knowledge/ experience to share

    • Equip the hero

      • Giving a gift

      • Ex. A lightsaber

    • Take the hero only so far

      • The mentor must let the hero face the unknown world on their own.

• Hero Cycle-

  • Call to Adventure

    • (see “entering the hero’s journey” below.)

  • Supernatural Aid

    • A gift or person that will aid the hero on the journey

  • Threshold Guardians

    • forces meant to stall or test the hero at a turning point (jumping-off point)

  • Threshold

    • The “jumping-off-point” for the journey; leaving the known world

• Mentor

  • Teaches and equips the hero

• Helper

  • Aids the hero with tasks

• Challenges and Temptations

  • Tests for the hero that distract from the purpose of the journey? They increase in difficulty leading up to the Abyss

• Abyss

  • Climax/ turning point

  • Belly of the whale

  • Death and Rebirth

  • Causes the Transformation of Consciousness

• Revelation/ Transformation of Consciousness

  • When the character realizes change that they need to make within themselves for a transformation of behavior/ actions

• Transformation

  • When the change happens- change in thinking, then change in actions

• Atonement

  • At one with new self (from the Abyss)

• Return/ Gift

  • The hero returns back to the known world

  • The hero returns home with a gift that they did not previously have.

• Heroic Deeds

  • Physical

    • Fighting a bad guy

    • Saving a life

  • Spiritual deed

    • Sharing a deeper experience/ story

    • Affecting change

• Entering the Hero’s Journey

  • Serendipitous

    • Accidentally Fortunate; accidentally stumbled into a journey

  • Directed

    • Told to go on the journey

  • Self-Motivated

    • The hero wants to do it