Applied Communications Spring 2024 Final (open notes)

Literary Devices

• Figurative language is a powerful tool used to create vivid imagery through words.
• Allegory: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, often moral or political.
• Allusion: a reference to a person, place, event, or work of art that is outside the text itself.
• Flashback: a scene that takes the reader back in time from the present moment in the narration.
• Foreshadowing: a hint or clue that suggests events that will occur later in the story.
• Irony: a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.
• Juxtaposition: the placement of two or more elements side by side to create a comparison or contrast.
• Paradox: a statement or situation that seems contradictory or absurd, but may actually be true or have some truth to it.

Point of View (POV)

• The perspective from which a story is told.
• First-person POV: the narrator is a character within the story.
• Second-person POV: the narrator addresses the reader directly.
• Third-person POV: an external narrator tells the story.

Satire

• The use of humor to mock or ridicule a person, idea, or institution.
• Often used to expose or criticize a particular concept or issue.
• Can be used to entertain, inform, or even call to action.

Symbolism

• The use of objects, colors, or other elements to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
• Adds layers of meaning to a work, allowing readers to interpret it at different levels.

Characters

• Major characters: vital to the development and resolution of the plot.
• Minor characters: less central, but serve to complement the major characters.
• Protagonist: the central character(s) in the story.
• Antagonist: the character(s) who stands in opposition to the protagonist.
• Dynamic characters: change over time.
• Static characters: do not change over time.
• Round characters: complex personalities with multiple traits.
• Flat characters: one-dimensional personalities with a single trait.
• Stock characters: stereotypical characters.

Setting

• The physical location and time period in which the story takes place.
• Can create the background, mood, and context for the story.
• Can influence character actions and development.

Plot

• Typically consists of five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
• Exposition: introduction of characters, setting, and inciting incidents.
• Rising action: events leading up to the main action.
• Climax: the most exciting or intense part of the story.
• Falling action: events following the climax.
• Resolution: the conclusion of the story, tying up loose ends.

Narrative Perspective

• First-person narrator: a character within the story.
• Second-person narrator: addresses the reader directly.
• Third-person omniscient narrator: all-knowing, revealing thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.
• Third-person objective narrator: describes characters' actions and dialogue, but not their thoughts or feelings.
• Third-person limited narrator: reveals the thoughts and feelings of a single character.

Theme

• The author's central message about a topic or subject.
• Should be expressed in a full sentence, providing a general statement about life, human nature, or the human experience.
• Not to be confused with a single word or topic.