LMT 100: Preparatory English ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

LITERARY TERMS

antagonist
THEME
the opponent/nemesis of the
protagonist. PLOT CHARACTERS
catharsis ELEMENTS OF
NARRATIVE TEXTS
the purging emotions which the
readers feel when they read a
story. Often pity and fear which SETTINGS STYLE & TECHNIQUES
they can relate to.
climax CHARACTERS
the turning point of a story.
Highest dramatic tension of the - Characters are fictional figures made up by the author.
story when the protagonist tries
to solve the conflict introduced in - Authors describe these characters with attributes and personalities of real
the rising action. human so the reader would be excited to ‘know’ them.
exposition
- Characters in a narrative text would face complications like real people.
the opening of a story which Sometimes, the reader can relate to the conflict faced by the characters.
reveals the setting (both place &
time) and introduces the - The reader would sympathize and empathize when they read about these
characters. characters: they ‘feel’ for them (characters). Refer to catharsis.
falling action - Authors would highlight characters’ thoughts and feelings to give them
the final suspense of a story. The motives for their actions. Sometimes, authors leave it to the reader to judge and
outcome of the climax would be describe the character thus, readers have to note:
revealed here.
 each character’s action (actions describe personality)
protagonist
 what a character says about/to other characters
the main character of the story
who the readers are most - Characters serve to carry the theme of a story. Sometimes, an author uses a
concerned with (the hero). Does character to show his stand (view) on a particular issue. Therefore, a character’s
not necessarily be a pure good voice might be the voice of the author.
character.
resolution/denouement PLOT
the actual ending of a story. It
tells the reader how resolution of
- Plot is the series of events which characters go throughout a story.
the conflict affects the characters.
Sometimes readers would be - A narrative text would have a structure like the following pyramid.
surprised by an unexpected
ending here (a twist) CLIMAX
rising action
The point in the plot where the
conflict/complication is revealed. RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION
Characters are described to have
a crisis here at this point. The
conflict requires an action by the
central character. Often the
reader would be able to guess the
EXPOSITION/INTRODUCTION RESOLUTION/DENOUEMEN
theme which is reflected through
the conflict/issues. T

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Prepared by: Ms Rabiah
LMT 100: Preparatory English ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

THEME
LITERARY TERMS

allegory - Theme is the central idea of a narrative text, which an author would
express through:
a narrative that serves as an
extended metaphor.  the central conflict:
allusion a conflict is often a common human challenge, therefore
makes a good theme
a reference used in a literary
work which is borrowed from  the action of the characters:
other literary work. An allusion
 why does a character act as he does?
could be a person’s name,
characters or things.
 what are his motivations?
 does the author speak through one of the characters?
connotation

meaning of a word which is not - Examples of common themes:

related to its literal meaning.
There is an association that  The conflict between appearance and reality.
comes along with it.  The search for personal identity.
 The endeavours of an individual who strikes out alone to face the
denotation world.
 The conflict between social classes.
the literal/dictionary meaning of
 The challenges faced by women in a patriarchal society.
a word.

diction STYLE & TECHNIQUES

choice of words.
- An author often has his own way of telling a story. He writes in certain
figurative language ways, sometimes very distinguished from other writers.
non-literal language. Meaning
- Deliberately or not, an author makes many choices while writing. The
has to be figured out and cannot
readers would be able to see the difference for 2 authors can tell a story
be taken literally. Examples :
metaphor, irony, personification differently.

irony
Point of View
non-literal uses of language in first person
which the speaker says one thing
3rd person limited
but means another.
omniscient Diction
metaphor Grammatical
excessive use of adj.?
Features
an implicit comparison making a STYLE & complex nouns, adj?
close association between 2 sentence length TECHNIQUES
jargons related to
things which are essentially sentence structure
specific field?
different but have something in punctuation
common.
slang?

personification Figurative Language

-allusion, allegory, metaphor, metonymy,
figurative language which uses a personification, symbolism, simile, irony
term usually associated with
human beings to talk about a
non-human object.

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Prepared by: Ms Rabiah
LMT 100: Preparatory English ELEMENTS OF NARRATIVE TEXTS

Point-of-View
LITERARY TERMS
- An author chooses the point-of-view deliberately because it determines the
narrator limitation and freedom that the author has in presenting the plot to readers.
the one who tells a story. The
“voice” or the speaker who is Third person omniscient/
First person Third person limited
narrating the story to the ALL-KNOWING narrator
reader. (The perspective The sentence would read: The sentence would read: The sentence would read:
which the author chooses to “I listen...My...” (example) “He/She.....” (example) “He/She/They...” (example)
tell the story.) Usually the narrator is The narrator could be The narrator could be one
one of the characters one of the characters. of the character but most of
point-of-view
(usually one of the main the time he is someone
the way a story is conveyed to characters) outside the story who
knows everything.
the reader. The “vantage
The narrator who is the The narrator might only The narrator portrays
point” or perspective from
main character only follow the main character thoughts and actions of all
which the text is passed from
narrates the story with his of the story. Thus, there characters: no limitation.
the author to the reader knowledge only. Thus, he are some matters which
might be bias as he makes escape the narrator’s
dynamic character
comments on other view: limited
minor character whose characters.
personality changes Every description, every Every description, every The narrator provides direct
throughout the story. The thought, action is only the thought, action is only assessment of all
one that happens in front the one that happens in characters, their actions,
change might be physical or
of him. front of him. and environment.
spiritual change.

flat character
SETTING
minor character who helps to
move the plot but there is not
- Setting refers to not only location but time period, physical site and general
much to talk about.
environment of the story.
round character
- The location which the story is set is called setting of place.
minor character whose roles
can be seen clearly. Example: a - The readers have to pay attention to the physical place of the story through
character who is portrayed as the description made by the author as this can help them to figure out the
a mother, sister, wife and
theme of the story.
daughter. The author offers a
3-dimensional view of the - Time setting (whether it is set in ancient time, previous decade/century) can
character in life.
help the reader to determine the characterization (how the characters
stereotyped character behave), the conflict, issues or theme which the author wishes to discuss.
minor character who often has
way of thinking/belief
different from the main
character’s. Sometime
stereotyped character can be
very superficial.

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Prepared by: Ms Rabiah