Literary Elements and Devices

Antagonist – character in opposition to the main character

Character – person (sometimes animal) in a story

Conflict – struggle between two opposing forces

Mood – how the story makes the reader feel

Tone – how the author feels about their topic

Plot – the progression of the story (expositon, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion)

Protagonist – main character of the story

Setting – time and place of story

Theme – message of the story in a complete sentence and must be universal and able to go with another story and be true to the world.

Allegory – symbolism using a concrete item to give greater meaning

Allusion – refers to a place, event or literary work to make a connection

Archetype – a concept, person or object used over and over

Deus ex machina – implausible concept or character brought in to solve the conflict

Hyperbole – gross exaggeration

Imagery – words used to create strong mental images

Metaphor – comparison of two unlike things without using like or as

Motif – repetition of a theme throughout the story

Point of view – who is telling the story

Simile - comparison of two unlike things using like or as

Symbolism – layers of meaning using an object or action that means more than literal