Elements of Literature

setting

the time and place in which the events of a piece of literature take place

character

a person or animal who takes part in the action of a piece of literature

plot

a series of related events that make up a story

fiction

a story or account that is made up rather than true

suspense

the uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what will happen next in a story

conflict

a struggle or clash between opposing characters or forces

climax

the story's most emotional or suspenseful moment and the point where the conflict is decided one way or another

theme

the main idea of a story or the discovery about life that we take away from a story

dialogue

a conversation between two characters

point of view

the vantage point from which a story is told

tone

authors/narrators attitude towards the character or situation.

rising action

the challenges that happen in the story to move the plot forward towards the climax, also called complications

resolution

the last part of a story where the loose ends of the story are tied up and the story comes to a close, sometimes called the falling action

protagonist

The main character or hero in a narrative.