LA Literary Terms Vocab

Setting

time, place, mood/tone of a story

character

people or animals about whom a story is written and who carry out the action of the story.

Protagonist

the character who has a problem to solve. This is who the reader roots for in the story.

Antagonist

the character who keeps the protagonist from solving the problem.

Conflict

the struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist. Another word for 'problem.'

Theme

the lesson that the protagonist and reader learn from the story.

Plot

the sequence of events in the story.

Importance of title

the title's relevancy to the story or theme.

Exposition

Sets up the story for the reader. Provides information about setting and characters.

rising action

the plot builds and increases/develops the conflict.

Climax

turning point of the story. The climax reaches its peak.

falling action

events that lead towards solving the problem.

Resolution

the conclusion of the story, reveals the solution to the problem.

chronological order

in order from beginning, middle, to end.