English II - Pre-International Baccalaureate

Mr. Bradley • Room # 4-104

Course Information Sheet

International Baccalaureate Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a

better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of

international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that

other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Course Objectives Increase students’ literary analytical abilities

Enhance perception of motifs, language, figurative language, and other literary techniques

Improve students’ writing, speaking, and listening skills

Improve students’ vocabulary and analogy skills

Reinforce study skills

Fulfill the prescriptive program as set forth by the International Baccalaureate (IB) office

Prepare students for nationwide, state, and IB testing

Course Outline Students analyze features such as plot, character, setting, theme, point of view, figurative language and author’s purpose and

style when reading the following works:

Semester I

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

o Scribner, ISBN-13: 9780743273565

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Simon Armitage

o Norton, ISBN-13: 9780393334159)

Film Techniques and Analysis

o Selected film clips, selections will be provided.

Semester II Poetry and Sonnets

o Selections will be provided to the students.

Macbeth, William Shakespeare

o Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster ISBN-13: 9780743477109

1984, George Orwell

o Penguin, ISBN-13: 9780451524935

Supplemental

Mythology, Edith Hamilton

o Warner Books, ISBN-13: 9780446607254

Writing Assignments

All written work, including rough drafts, must be double spaced and written in blue or black ink on wide-ruled, loose-leaf

paper. Final drafts of essays and journals MUST be typed on and printed from a word processor and double-spaced. Writing

assignments will be graded to reflect the quality of the paper as a whole. Emphasis is placed on four areas: content - the

originality of critical thought and insight into the literary work(s); style - diction, tone, voice, and variety of sentence

structure; structure - the organizational pattern of the paper; and mechanics - spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Dialectical Journals: Journals will contain personal responses to specific passages and questions related to the novels being

read in class. These assignments help generate class discussion and serve as a springboard for essay writing. Therefore, it is

imperative that they are completed thoroughly and with as much thought as possible. The grading of journals is based on

completion, organization, and utilization of critical thinking and individual response. Specific instructions about these

journals will follow.

Required Material These materials must be with you in class on the days we meet.

assigned literature book

1 inch binder with pockets and 5 - 10 dividers

composition notebook

loose-leaf notebook paper

pens with blue or black ink (work done in other colors will not be accepted)

highlighters and/or colored pencils (for marking texts and commentaries)

a red pen (for feedback and evaluation purposes)

a small stapler with staples (recommended)

small index cards and post-it notes

#2 pencils

a computer disk or portable USB drive for backing up and transporting typed assignments

o Note: I highly recommend that my students sign up for a free cloud-based storage service such as iCloud, Google

Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox. These are highly useful and accessible and help to guard against accidental data losses

due to computer failures and the like.

Grades The following assessments are used to generate grades:

formal critical essays and commentaries; other forms of writing of varying lengths

oral presentation, projects and discussions

dialectical and reader response journals

reading quizzes and vocabulary tests

group work

outside reading and research

Please note the county grading scale: 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, 0-59 = F. Students are strongly encouraged to

keep track of their own grades.

If there is ever a grade discrepancy concerning a test, an appointment must be scheduled to discuss the matter within the two week

period after the test is returned. Appointments may be made during the teacher prescription or coaching periods or after school. The

same is true for extra-help sessions. If there is no discrepancy, but a student wants to review a test as a means of improvement, the

student may come at any time since teacher help is not necessary. Students receiving a D or an F on any test are strongly encouraged

to review their test.

Report cards will be distributed at the end of every nine-week grading period. Grades are also posted in Focus.

*A Note About Plagiarism and Cheating

To plagiarize is to present another person’s words or ideas as if they were your own. Cheating is the giving or receiving of

test information before or during test administration. This includes A day students telling B day students test information.

Both of these are serious offenses that will not be tolerated. Any violation of the class honor code will result in a zero on the

assignment with no possibility of a makeup. Students may use reference material, but credit must be given to the referenced

author. See your instructor if there are any questions regarding the documenting of sources. Note: Papers will randomly be

submitted to a search engine that checks for plagiarism.

Late Work Assignments must be completed prior to the class for which it is due for full credit. Each day (day, NOT session) that an

assignment is late, one letter grade is deducted. After two late days, a zero is given. This policy is strictly enforced. Late work

should be placed in to the Late Work Folder for your period with no disruption to the class in progress.

Tardies and Absences

Students’ on-time arrival and consistent attendance are vital to academic success. These steps are taken in the event of

tardies: 1st offense = warning, 2nd offense = loss of break privileges between periods, 3rd offense = 40 minute detention, 4th

offense = office referral. Please be aware that if a student is in attendance at anytime during a class period, he or she is

responsible for the work due or testing done during that period. If you know you will be late to class, have a written note

from the person who detained you (even if they tell you that you don’t need one).

The IB and county absence policy is followed concerning absences. Five full absences may result in the failure of this course.

Please note, if you return to class on the day an assignment is due, and that assignment was prior knowledge, you must turn in

the work on that day. Likewise, if you return on a test day that was previously announced, you will be required to take the

test. If there are extenuating circumstances, please see the instructor as soon as possible to discuss alternatives.

Make-up Work

If a student is absent or suspended, the arrangement for make-up work is the student’s responsibility. Make-up work may be

scheduled at the teacher’s convenience during or after school. Students will normally have the number of days absent to

make-up work except in extenuating circumstances.

Teacher Absences As an instructor, I will be absent from class on some occasions. In the event that a substitute is teaching my class, all of the

rules still apply, and instruction is not interrupted. We have very capable substitutes, and I expect them to be treated with the

utmost respect.

Passes to Leave Class Students should attempt to take care of all of their personal business in between classes, at lunch, during coaching, or outside

of school hours. If a student has a medical problem and needs to leave the room frequently, please provide a doctor’s note;

allowances will be made.

Classroom Information

English II in the IB program is a challenging course. Accept the challenge, and the rewards will be innumerable.

I am here to help you develop as a student. If you have any questions regarding any writing, reading, or literary concepts,

please don’t hesitate to ask for assistance.

It is imperative that you keep track of your grade at all times. Should you wish to discuss your grade, please schedule an

appointment with me before or after school or during my prescription period.

Classroom Rules

-Follow all rules in the Students Code of Conduct. -Respect others and yourself.

-Be IN your seat WHEN the bell rings. -Bring materials to class every day.

-Work to your full potential.

Positive Consequences: Negative Consequences: -positive comments on report card -verbal warning on 1st offense

-respect from teacher and peers -phone call home on 2nd offense

-phone call of praise to parents -office referral on 3rd offense.

-decreased study time outside of class

Final Note

Academic success can more easily be achieved through the cooperative efforts of teacher, student, and parent. As such, I

encourage open communication. One of the surest ways to reach me personally is through email: bradleysc@pcsb.org. If

necessary, please feel free to request a conference through the guidance office at 669-1131, extension 1173.

I look forward to working with you and anticipate an illuminating year!

Dialectical Journals – Literary Analysis and Personal Interpretation Dialectic is defined as “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” This is a Socratic method for the obtainment of meaning from an unfamiliar and challenging work. For our purposes, a dialectical journal is a handwritten conversation the student will have with him or herself about our literature, a dialogue that centers on reflective, insightful questioning. The student should find an average of one quote for every two or three pages. Shorter works (essays, short stories) should produce one quote for every two to three pages, while longer works (novels, plays) may have one quote from every eight to ten. This is an average amount – some clumps of text are more adaptable for dialectical responses than others. Use your own individual judgment and discretion for this matter. Specific quote selection is up to the student. It may be a resonant image, an important motif, notable character development, something that galvanizes your attention. You need to question, observe, connect to their own experiences as well as other works you have studied. As a sample, consider this quote from Toni Morrison’s Beloved and the following sample of a possible dialectical response:

“…more alive, more pulsating than the baby blood that soaked her fingers like oil.” Oil stains in a seemingly indelible way, and such a stain is not necessarily apparent to others. When oil gets on your skin, you can feel it, even if you can’t see it. It’s tacky, somewhat unsettling, difficult to wash away. The oil seems to take up all of your attention until you can get rid of it somehow. This line strikes me not just as visual imagery (for her hands were indeed stained with blood on that terrible day), but tactile as well. The blood is a stain on the very skin of her conscience. Also consider that oil is often a salve (especially baby oil, perhaps implied in the context of this image), and this statement takes on the paradoxical cast of perversion and reversal.

Note that a certain degree of informality is permitted in this assignment, perhaps even necessary. However, your diction should be elevated and academic: IB-worthy, in essence. You need to think of the dialectical journal as an ongoing blog, a living document that evolves along with your understanding of the work.

Your responses should be handwritten legibly in a composition notebook, which you will bring to class every day. These will be checked on a random basis.

The Great Gatsby Journal Assignments

Chapters 1-3

1. (all groups) Find three quotes for each of the following (including page numbers) and explain the effects of each:

a.) personification b.) simile c.) metaphor d.) imagery e.) foreshadowing

2. (Group 1) Colormark the passage on pages 11-12, from “He had changed…” to “ballooned slowly to the floor.” Color

key this passage and write a paragraph which proves an assertion that goes beyond the observable.

3. (Group 2) Describe the novel’s setting and address the following question in your response: What major event occurred

before the story’s opening, and how did this event shape the characters and their perspectives?

4. (Group 3) Discuss Nick’s reactions to the people within his new social circles. What conflict is at the root of these

reactions?

5. (Group 4) Eleanor Roosevelt once said that “great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds

discuss people.” How does this quote apply to the Buchanans and their ilk?

6. (Group 5-6) Illusion plays a large role in the lives of Gatsby’s characters. Discuss this theme and how it applies to two

characters thus far.

Chapters 4-5

1. (Group 1) Analyze the character of Meyer Wolfsheim. Thematically, which element is most greatly

expressed through his character?

2. (Group 2) What does Fitzgerald say thematically about the effect of wealth through its impact upon his

characters? Cite at least two examples in your response.

3. (Group 3) Describe the novel’s setting and address the following question in your response: What major

event occurred before the story’s opening, and how did this event shape the characters and their perspectives?

4. (Group 4) Discuss Nick’s reactions to the people within his new social circles. What conflict is at the root of

these reactions?

5. (Group 5) Eleanor Roosevelt once said that “great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and

small minds discuss people.” How does this quote apply to the Buchanans and their ilk?

6. (Group 6) Illusion plays a large role in the lives of Gatsby’s characters. Discuss this theme and how it applies

to two characters thus far.

The Great Gatsby

Vocabulary List

Chp 1 supercilious

conscientious

incredulous

wan

intimation

divan

banter

peremptory

Chp. 2 contiguous

apathetic

languid

strident

Chp. 3 innuendo

impetuous

vacuous

corpulent

din

provincial

Chp. 4 prodigious

modish

elicit

somnambulatory

denizen

fluctuate

spectroscopic

Chp. 5 rout

recurrent

serf

obstinate

nebulous

Chp. 6 laudable

insidious

debauch

antecedent

perturb

dilatory

Chp. 7 portentous

irreverent

vicarious

rancor

Chp. 8 humidor

settee

divot

garrulous

laden

Chp. 9 pasquinade

surmise

superfluous

elocution

orgiastic

Keying the Text – Reading with Purpose

Active reading is just that: active. We don’t simply read our works, we dissect them in order to comprehend and

analyze them. In order to fully accomplish this task, one should look for the following items in the work’s

passages, words, or phrases in order to note, tag, and/or highlight them:

Character Development

o Underline words, actions, or descriptions that develop characterization for each character. You

may wish to use each character’s initials in the margins in order to keep organized.

Structure and Plot Development

o Underline words and phrases relating to time. Be alert to time changes, especially flashbacks,

and underline or code these.

o Underline initial conflicts. Watch for important developments in these conflicts: code or

underline these.

Thematic Development

o Underline or code statements that seem to be developing a major idea or theme in the novel.

Literary Elements

o Mark examples of interesting diction, figurative language, irony, motifs, symbols, and syntax.

Use a question mark to note things you didn’t understand. Bring these up in class discussion or use the ideas

below to help address these items.

When You Get Stuck…

Make a connection between the text and your life, your view of the world.

Make a prediction about the work: what will happen to a character, how a situation will evolve, how a

theme will expand, etc.

Stop and think about what you have already read.

Ask yourself a question about the work and try to answer it.

Reflect in writing on what you’ve read.

Visualize the situation, characters, setting, etc.

Retell what you’ve read.

When in doubt, reread.

Notice patterns in text structures.

Adjust your reading rate. Speed up or slow down as necessary.

If possible, change your reading environment. Find a secluded, quiet spot where you can focus on your

text.

Colormark, highlight, write in the margins, take notes in a reading journal, tag, underline, and tag again.

Illuminate your reading by adding your notes to the book itself. Do whatever you need to in order to dissect the

literature and enhance your own understanding.

–

Colormarking is not an end result, but rather a tool used for the purpose of literary analysis and commentary.

Although it can be used on a large scale, our purposes will usually be focused on writing an insightful

commentary which studies either a passage from a longer work or a poem. The technique itself is very simple,

yet adaptable; no two students will colormark a passage in quite the same way.

:

1.) Read the passage once, all the way through.

2.) Read the passage again. This time, look for any literary devices the author employs in his or her

writing of the passage. These include figurative language, irony, and imagery (writing that uses

vivid description to produce mental representations relating to the five senses). Also seek out

recurring motifs or symbols. Highlight anything that strikes you as being of significance. Examine

every word and its implications carefully.

3.) Highlight each type device you find in the passage in a different color. If a device has different

applications, indicate this as well. Some words and phrases may well be highlighted several times.

Chances are these are items of significance – pay close attention to them and annotate their

significance. By the time you are done with this phase, your paper should be a spectroscopic

jumble of lines, colors, and notes.

4.) Now you need to start assembling a cohesive response to the passage. On your, create a key

explaining your colors’ significance and related ideas and concepts. For example, you might write:

RED = related to color motif or some such. Continue until all colors and devices are covered.

5.) Consider your analysis so far. Now is the time to begin constructing your formal response, and

this begins with the creation of a strong assertion. Your assertion should answer the following

question: Overall, what does this one particular passage do for the novel as a whole? (Hint:

common assertions indicate that the passage helps with theme, characterization, plot, mood, tone,

or something similar, and tell specifically how the passage does this.)

6.) Now write a commentary analyzing this passage. You have already done the hard work. The

assertion you created for #5 is your topic sentence, of course. The highlighted portions in the text

are quotes you blend in for support. Write it out, remembering to keep your blended quotes short

and verbally seamless. As you work, help one another out, especially if you are familiar with this

process.

Analyzing Poetry and Prose: The Three-Column Organizer

I. Getting acquainted:

A. Read the poem/passage more than once.

B. Keep a dictionary nearby and use it.

C. Read so as to hear the sounds of the words in your mind’s ear. Poetry, and oftentimes

prose, is written to the music of language. Its meanings are conveyed through sound.

D. Practice reading aloud:

1. Read naturally and with sensitivity

2. Read so as to savor the sound and provide a little extra time for contemplation.

3. Read so that any rhythm is felt but not exaggerated.

4. For poetry, let the punctuation govern pace, not the line breaks. That is, speak

the sentences, not the lines.

II. Preliminary analysis:

A. Identify the meter. (for poetry)

B. Describe the form and pattern of the poem. (for poetry)

C. What kind of poem is it? (for poetry)

D. Who is the speaker? What kind of person is it?

E. To whom is the speaker speaking? What kind of person is addressed?

F. What is the occasion? What is the setting in time and place?

G. Consider the writer’s background and the historical period.

H. Summarize the events.

I. Paraphrase the poem or passage.

J. What is the central conflict? What progression develops it?

K. What is the central purpose of the poem or passage?

L. How can I best articulate any theme in a sentence?

M. How does this poem or passage deepen your knowledge or awareness?

III. Three-Column Notes

A. In a word-processing file, create three columns. You may even create a grid.

1. First Column. In the first column put each line of the poem or passage on a

separate line or box in a column down the left side of a sheet of paper.

a) Remember that, for a poem, each line gets its own space, not each

sentence or even each stanza--each separate line. For a passage you

may separate by sentence.

2. Second Column. In the second column, restate the meaning or importance of the

corresponding line or sentence in your own words.

a) Make frequent use of the dictionary, even if you feel pretty sure you know

what the word means. Writers love layering meaning--here is where you

can write down the multiple possible meanings.

b) Because you're "unpacking" the meaning of the lines, entries in this

column will frequently be longer than entries in the first. Therefore, the first

column will fill with white space.

3. Third Column. Using your notes regarding literary terms, identify literary devices

that appear in the corresponding line.

a) For instance, for "Turning and turning in the widening gyre," you might

identify "repetition," "visual imagery," "spiral motif," and "dactylic meter."

b) In this column, state what the effect of the device is. For instance, you

might say, "The line follows two dactylic feet with an iambic and an

anapestic foot, throwing emphasis upon 'gyre,' and in effect, shifting the

rhythm in the opposite direction, as if circling." Then you would discuss the

significance of circling, especially as you analyzed the effect of repetition,

visual imagery, and the spiral.

IV. Close-reading analysis:

A. How does the title relate to the poem? (for poetry)

B. What is the tone and how is it achieved?

C. What is the mood and how is it achieved?

D. Which word choices are particularly effective and why?

E. What kinds of imagery are used and why?

F. Which literary devices are most effective and why?

G. Identify allusions and discuss their function.

H. Identify symbols and discuss their function.

I. Identify repetition and discuss its function.

J. Identify the meter discuss how it functions.

K. How does the poem or passage imply something not stated?

L. Revise your original statement of theme to accommodate your insights.

Passage for Commentary

About half way between West Egg and New York the motor road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for

a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashes--a

fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the

forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move

dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible

track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden

spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight. But above the

gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of

Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic--their irises are one yard high.

They look out of no face, but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent

nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and

then sank down himself into eternal blindness, or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by

many paintless days, under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.

The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river, and, when the drawbridge is up to let barges

through, the passengers on waiting trains can stare at the dismal scene for as long as half an hour. There is

always a halt there of at least a minute, and it was because of this that I first met Tom Buchanan's mistress.

HOW TO WRITE AN OUTLINE

An outline breaks down the parts of your thesis in a clear, hierarchical manner. Most students find that writing

an outline before beginning the paper is helpful in organizing one's thoughts. If your outline is solid, your paper

should almost (but not quite) write itself.

The basic format for an outline uses an alternating series of numbers and letters, indented accordingly, to

indicate levels of importance. Here is an example of an outline on a literary compare and contrast paper:

OUTLINE NOTES

I. Thesis: Passion and conflict lie at the heart of both Romeo

and Juliet and Great Expectations, common thematic elements

which are depicted through differing narrative tones.

II. Youthful passion

A. Assertion

1. The fiery passion of youth motivates both sets of

protagonists and causes them to make poor

decisions.

B. Quotes

1. “I am what you have…tenderness upon

her!”(Dickens, 324)

2. “For was I not wavering…thing is always done?”

(Dickens, 129)

3. “What satisfaction canst thou have…wilt

perform the rite.”. (Shakespeare, 893)

III. Paternal Conflict

A. Assertion

1. The aforementioned effect of youthful passion,

along with other elements such as loss of innocence

and character conflicts, may complicate matters

between parent and child.

B. Quotes

1. Youthful passion

a. “Now, by Saint Peter’s…have done

with thee.” (Shakespeare 918-19)

2. Loss of innocence

a. “She made use…never take warning?”

(Dickens 320-21)

b. “O, I am fortune’s fool!” (Shakespeare 907)

IV. Narrative Tone

A. Assertion

1. The narrative tone of both novels contrasts;

while Shakespeare’s tragedy is justly filled

with great tension, blood, and conflict,

Dickens interjects moments of levity into his

tale of innocence lost.

B. Quotes

1. Romeo and Juliet – tension and conflict

a. “Doth she not give us…out on her,

hilding!” (Shakespeare 919)

b. “Wilt thou provoke me…there rust, and

let me die.” (Shakespeare 935-6)

2. Great Expectations – levity and humor

a. “I often…connubial missile”(Dickens 12)

b. “Halloa! Here’s a… Let’s get married.”

(Dickens 482-3)

V. Conclusion

The thesis is stated in the first section, which is the

introduction. The thesis should be a statement which

encompasses all three mini-assertions under its umbrella.

Your thesis should focus on how and why, and not be

dependent upon specific plot points.

The body follows the introduction, and breaks down the

points the writer wishes to make.

Note that the three subdivisions are comprised of mini-

assertions, which comprise the three sections of the body.

Quotes and support points are further divided along the way.

Do not assume that only one paragraph should be written for

each category. Some concepts will require more than one

paragraph to flesh out fully.

You may choose to add more detail to your outline, which is

your prerogative in accordance with your writing style.

This, however, is the bare minimum of what is needed.

Your conclusion should restate your thesis and wrap up

your essay, and never introduce new material.

Literary Glossary

Allegory narrative or description which has a second meaning beneath the surface one

Allusion a reference to something in previous history or literature

Antihero a protagonist lacking in one or more of the qualities of a traditional hero: they lack character

Character persons involved in a story; the moral qualities and traits of a character

Dynamic Character - a character who undergoes a change or achieves growth

Flat Character - Can be summed up in one or two traits

Foil Character - a minor character whose situations or actions parallel those of a

major character; through contrast, reader achieves a fuller understanding of main

character

Round Character - character is complex and many sided

Static Character - same at the beginning as at the end

Stock Character - a stereotyped character, one who is familiar as a type in other

works

Climax the turning point or high.point in a story; character makes a decision or comes to an understanding which

changes the rest of the course of the work

Comedy has a happy ending; emphasizes human limitations rather than greatness

Conflict a clash within a story; may be against another person, nature, society, or fate (external conflicts) or a

struggle within the character himself (internal conflict)

Connotation what a word suggests beyond its literal meaning; overtones of meaning

Denotation the dictionary meaning of a word

Diction word choice

Epiphany a moment of insight or understanding by which a characters attitudes or life are altered greatly

Fantasy a kind of fiction that pictures creatures or events beyond the boundaries of known reality

Figurative Language language that employs figures of speech; cannot be taken literally

Figure of Speech A way of saying something other than the ordinary way; an imaginative comparison

Hero protagonist of a story, usually possessing qualities of bravery, skill, idealism, or sense of purpose

Hyperbole overstatement for the purpose of emphasis

Imagery representation through language of sense experience

In medias res story begins in the middle of things with little exposition

Irony a situation or use of language involving some kind of incongruity or discrepancy

Verbal Irony - a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

Dramatic Irony - an incongruity between what a character perceives and what the

author intends the reader to perceive

Situational Irony - a situation in which there is an incongruity between appearance

and reality, between expectation and fulfillment, or between the actual situation

and what would seem appropriate

Metaphor implicit comparison of two unlike things; can be named or implied

Mood the emotional atmosphere of a work, relating to the reader’s experience rather than the author’s attitude

Motivation incentives or goals which cause a character to act the way he does

Paradox statement or situation which contains an apparently contradictory element; on further examination, often

yields some truth

Plot artistic arrangement of events in a story

Exposition - the opening portion of a story that sets the scene, introduces the

characters, tells what happened before the story began, and provides other

necessary background information to enable the reader to follow and understand

the story

Complication - introduces a conflict

Suspense - anxiety or tension which heightens the reader’s attention to the story

Protagonist - the principal character or hero of the story

Antagonist - character or force opposed to the protagonist

Foreshadowing - indications or hints of things to come

Crisis - a moment of high tension There may be several of these leading to the climax

Climax - the moment of greatest tension, when the rising action reverses and becomes

falling action

Denouement - follows the climax and resolves or concludes the action; conclusion of

falling action

Naturalism fiction of grim realism, in which the writer observes human characters like a scientist observing ants,

seeing them as the products and victims of environment and heredity

Point of View-The perspective from which a story is told

Omniscient Point of View - author writes in third person and is all-knowing; knows

what characters are thinking and planning and why

Objective Point of View - Presents the actions and thoughts of the characters but

does not judge them or insert opinions

Limited Omniscient - author writes from third person point of view, but limits himself to

Complete understanding of only one character

First Person Point of View - story is told by a character within the story; may be

either major or minor character

Observer - stands a little to the side, watching a story unfold that mainly involves

someone else

Innocent or Naive Narrator - story told from the point of view of a narrator who

does not fully understand the implications of the story; narrator could be a child

or an adult with the intellect of a child

Unreliable Narrator - Narrator who the reader perceives is deceptive, self-deceptive,

deluded, or deranged

Prose opposite of poetry; non-metrical

Rites of Passage a story of initiation into maturity or experience; also called story of initiation or loss of

innocence

Sarcasm bitter or cutting speech intended to injure

Satire literature which pokes fun at human folly with the intention of changing things or preventing future ills

Sentimentality a defect in writing when a writer seems to feel tremendous emotion and implies that the reader,

too, should feel it, but does not provide reader with enough reason to share such feelings

Setting time and place in a story

Style individual characteristics of a piece of writing; surprises in meaning, sentence structure, and sound

Suspense quality in a work which makes a reader want to continue to find out what happens; builds tension

Symbol something that means more than what it is; object, person, situation, or action that represents something

else in addition to its literal meaning

Tone emotional coloring of a work; the writer's or speaker's attitude toward his subject

Understatement deliberately represents something as less than it is for the purposes of ironic contrast