Literary Terms- Week of Feb. 6-11

Quizzes on these terms will be Feb.10 or Feb.13.

Use your list of Literary Terms passed out in class last semester to gather definitions and examples of the following twelve terms. I have links to those terms not included in the list. 

1. Syntax- the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is sentence structure and how it influences the way the reader receives a piece of writing.
2. Diction- the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect. 
3. Denotation- a direct and specific meaning of a word, often referred to as the "dictionary" definition of the word.
4. Connotation- what is suggested by a word, apart from what it explicitly describes, often referred to as the "implied" meaning of a word. Think of the difference in connotation between "skinny," "skeletal," and "trim." 
5. Direct Characterization- consists of the author telling the audience what a character is like. A narrator may give this information, or a character in the story may do it. 
6. Indirect Characterization- consists of the author showing the audience what kind of person a character is through the character’s thoughts, words, and deeds. This requires the audience to make inferences about why a character would say or do those things. 
7. Foil- a character whose contrasting personality draws attention to, enhances, or contrasts that of the main character. 
8. Stock Character- character who appears in a number of stories or plays, such as a cruel stepmother or the femme fatale. 
9. Static Character- a character who remains unchanged across a narrative
10. Dynamic Character- a character who changes (for better or worse) across a narrative, largely learning from the conflicts found in the story.
11. Flat Character- a simple, one-dimensional character about whom we know little or nothing about.
12. Round Character- a complex character who has multiple sides to his/her personality, making him/her more realistic in some way.