Literary Elements and Literary Devices

Literary Elements are the components that make up a story mainly a narrative fiction.  An author includes them but a reader uses them to evaluate literature.

Antagonist- the character who stands in opposition to the hero or the protagonist

Character- any person, figure,  object or animal in a story. Each character serves a purpose for function

Conflict- the element of a struggle between a character and himself, another character, or the setting; a struggle between forces; conflict can be external or internal.

                External – a struggle with outside forces; it impedes character’s progress
                Internal- opposing emotions or desires, mental agony

Mood- the feeling the author conveys through words and description; developed through the setting, theme, and diction

Tone- attitude of a writer toward a subject or audience; shown through words or viewport of a writer on a subject

Plot- sequence of events in a story; the structure of a novel depends on the organization of events
                exposition or introduction
                rising action
                climax
                falling action
                resolution

Protagonist- the central character in literature, sometime called the hero

Setting- environment or surroundings in which a story takes place; when, where, and under what circumstances

Theme- the main idea or underlying message or meaning of a literary work; can be stated directly or indirectly

Literary devices are the structures of literary work. Readers use devices also to evaluate the story

Allegory- figure of speech in which abstract ideas are given human properties or concrete persona; used to teach a lesson

Allusion- refers to a subject matter by way of a passing reference; reader must be able to make a connection to life or previous literary element; it can be a reference to a person,  place, thing, or idea of historical, political, cultural, or literary significance; it is mentioned in passing

Archetype- typical character; has a universal pattern of human nature; it serves as a prototype

Deus ex machine- a character or concept comes in to solve a problem out of the blue; tends to be out of sorts; a signal that the story is ill structured or has a poor plot; these are random

Hyperbole- words that exaggerate or overemphasize in order to make a point

Imagery- use words or language to represent objects, action, and ideas to appeal to the reader’s senses; used to create mental images for the reader

Metaphor-comparison between 2 things that are unrelated but share a characteristic; not direct or implied; most used literary element

Motif- idea, subject, concept that is constantly present throughout entire story; contributes toward the theme

Point of view- manner in which the story is narrated and who is telling the story; explains how the reader will see or hear events; can be
                1^st person- uses I
                2^nd person- uses you but the narrator is present
                3^rd person –uses, he, s he, it the narrator is an observer

Simile- comparison between 2 unrelated things, people, beings, places, or concepts; uses like or as; it is a direct comparison

Symbolism- use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities; things are given symbolic meaning that are different from there literal meaning

My Reflections/How this will affect how I read and evaluate literature

These are much more in depth than the elements studied in elementary.  As we get older, life gets more complex. Literature that reflects our life should also become more complex. As students get more mature, their brains develop and they can begin to think on higher levels of cognition. The stories they read should reach those higher levels not only to hold their interest but also to have a sense of commonality with their live.

As a librarian, I will see if there is an obvious protagonist. Students need someone to root for or identify with. I will judge a book to see if the protagonists look like students in my school. They should not all be one color or one sex.   The themes, symbolism, etc  should be more complex. They should include objects and images and themes that are present in a modern young adult world.