Literary+devices

Literary Devices – //The Alchemist, Bless Me, Ultima, etc.//

1. Allegory – a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation. The story has two levels of meaning. 2. Allusion – Reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts. 3. Archetypes: List as many as you can find and explain them. Prototype, model, an image, descriptive detail, plot pattern, or character type that occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore and is, therefore, believed to provoke profound emotions because it touches the unconscious memory and thus calls into play illogical but strong responses.

Examples – character archetypes – hero, outcast, scapegoat, orphan, shrew, mother of father figure, villain, damsel in distress, sage, rebel, temptress

Examples – situational – journey, quest, coming of age, cycle of life, re-birth, cleansing, loss of innocence, the task, good vs. evil,

There are also symbolic archetypes. [] 4. Characterization – Direct and indirect – -speech / dialogue - appearances -thoughts/ feelings -behavior/ actions – what the character does -how other characters view the others, how they interact Characters – flat – one dimensional, readers know only one trait or characteristic about that character; not main characters. Round – fully developed character that readers can imagine as a real person, complex, main characters – protagonist, antagonist, foil, etc.
 * Direct – the author tells the reader what the character is like
 * Indirect – The author uses other means of letting the reader get to know the characters:

5. Conflict – what are the types? Internal – takes place inside one person, in their mind, between their mind and their heart, etc. External – character vs. another character, vs. society, vs. a force, vs. something in nature.

6. Connotation – All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests. Opposite of denotation – which is the literal, dictionary, meaning. 7. Didactic - Writing that aims primarily to teach, such as sacred texts. Can include aphorisms, maxims, anecdotes, fables, parables and folk tales. 8. Figurative language - Word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another is not meant to be understood on a literal level. Metaphors and similes are figures of speech. 9. Foil – Character who serves as a contrast to another character. 10. Foreshadowing- the use of clues to hint at events that will occur later in a plot 11. Imagery - Language that //__appeals to the senses__//. Most images are visual- that is, they create pictures in the reader’s mind by appealing to the sense of sight. 12. Magic realism - The blending of realistic elements with magical elements. “ A literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction. “ MerriamWebster.com 13. Metaphor (4 types) A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, in which one thing becomes another thing without the use of the like, as than, or resembles.

14. Motif - Definition: http://literary-devices.com/content/motif The literary device ‘motif’ is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. Using a motif refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work. Motifs are very noticeable and play a significant role in defining the nature of the story, the course of events and the very fabric of the literary piece. Example: In many famed fairytales, the motif of a ‘handsome prince’ falling in love with a ‘damsel in distress’ and the two being bothered by a wicked step mother, evil witch or beast and finally conquering all to live ‘happily ever after’ is a common motif. Another common motif is the simple, pretty peasant girl or girl from a modest background in fairytales discovering that she is actually a royal or noble by the end of the tale. 15. Myth - Traditional story that is rooted in a particular culture, is basically religious, and usually serves to explain a belief, a ritual, or a mysterious, natural phenomenon.
 * Implied metaphor – author suggests something without saying it
 * Extended metaphor – one that is developed over several lines of writing, like in poetry
 * Dead metaphor – a metaphor that has been used so often the reader no longer recognizes it as figure of speech. Heart of storm, eye of the matter, arm of the chair,
 * Mixed metaphor – inconsistent mixture of two or more metaphors. A common problem in bad writing.

16. Plot – series of related events that comprise a story or drama - basic situation, conflict, complications, climax, resolution 17. Point of view - Point of View: Vantage point from which a writer tells a story. In broad terms there are three possible points of view: omniscient, first person, and third person limited. First person uses I, third person uses he, she, they. Omniscient – all-knowing. 18. Protagonist/antagonist – protagonist = main character, antagonist = the character (or force) that blocks the protagonist. Not to be confused with foil 19. Setting – time and place of a story 20. Simile - Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as //like, as, resembles//, or //than// 21. Symbolism – A person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and something beyond itself as well. Colors, numbers, etc.