| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| character actions | The things a character does or chooses not to do, which reveal their motives, values, and personality. |
| character comparison | When a character or narrator is compared to something or someone else, revealing attitudes toward that character and insights about their nature. |
| character description | The specific details and information provided about a character's appearance, personality, background, and traits. |
| character inactions | The things a character fails to do or deliberately avoids doing, which can reveal their motives and values. |
| character motives | The reasons, desires, or intentions that drive a character's decisions and actions. |
| character perspective | A character's point of view, beliefs, values, and way of understanding the world as revealed through their thoughts, words, and actions. |
| climax | The turning point or moment of greatest tension in a narrative where the central conflict reaches its peak. |
| dynamic character | A character who develops and changes significantly over the course of a narrative, often making choices that affect the story's climax and resolution. |
| external changes | Visible, observable changes to a character such as changes in health, wealth, or physical appearance. |
| internal changes | Psychological or emotional changes within a character that are not immediately visible. |
| narrator perspective | The point of view and vantage point from which a narrator tells a story, which shapes how characters and events are presented to the reader. |
| reader's interpretation | The meaning and understanding a reader constructs about a character or text based on textual evidence and analysis. |
| resolution | The part of a narrative where conflicts are settled and loose ends are tied up after the climax. |
| static character | A character who remains largely unchanged or unaffected by the events of the narrative. |
| textual details | Specific words, phrases, descriptions, dialogue, and actions within a text that provide evidence about characters, their perspectives, and motivations. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| conflict | A struggle or opposition between characters, forces, or ideas that drives the narrative forward. |
| external conflict | Tension between a character and outside forces that obstruct the character in some way. |
| internal conflict | Tension between competing values within a character; also known as psychological conflict. |
| internal conflicts | Psychological or emotional struggles within a character's mind, such as conflicting desires, beliefs, or values. |
| primary conflict | The main conflict in a text that can be heightened by the presence of additional intersecting conflicts. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| character development | The process by which a character's personality, beliefs, or motivations change or are revealed through events in the narrative. |
| conflict | A struggle or opposition between characters, forces, or ideas that drives the narrative forward. |
| encounter | A meeting or interaction between characters in a narrative that can introduce and develop the plot. |
| episode | A distinct event or incident within a narrative that contributes to the development of the plot. |
| narrative | A story or account of events presented in a text, including how those events are ordered and connected. |
| plot | The sequence of events in a narrative that are connected through cause-and-effect relationships, with each event building on the others. |
| scene | A specific moment or sequence in a narrative where action takes place and can introduce and develop the plot. |
| setting | The time, place, and social context in which a narrative takes place, which can function to establish conflict, reveal character, or drive plot development. |
| textual details | Specific words, phrases, descriptions, dialogue, and actions within a text that provide evidence about characters, their perspectives, and motivations. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| claim | A statement about a text that requires defense with evidence from the text. |
| commentary | Explanatory writing that clarifies the relationship between textual evidence, reasoning, and thesis in a literary argument. |
| composition | The arrangement and organization of elements in writing, including structure, style, and technique used to communicate ideas effectively. |
| conventions | Established standards and rules for writing that are widely accepted and expected in formal communication. |
| defensible claim | An argument or interpretation that can be supported and justified through evidence and logical reasoning. |
| evidence | Specific details, quotes, examples, or references from a text used to support and develop a line of reasoning in a literary argument. |
| grammar | The system of rules governing the structure of sentences and the use of words in a language. |
| interpretation | An explanation or understanding of the meaning or significance of a literary text or its elements. |
| line of reasoning | The logical sequence of claims that work together to defend and support the overarching thesis statement. |
| literary analysis | The process of closely reading a text to identify details and make supported arguments about aspects of the text. |
| mechanics | The technical aspects of writing including punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and formatting that follow established conventions. |
| textual evidence | Specific details and quotes from a text that support and defend a claim in literary analysis. |
| thesis | The overarching central claim or argument that an essay defends and develops throughout. |
| thesis statement | A statement that expresses an interpretation of a literary text and makes a defensible claim that can be supported through textual evidence and reasoning. |