Question 1

Characterization

Accepted Answer

An author using details to reveal a character’s values, feelings, goals, etc.

(see direct vs. indirect characterization)

Question 2

Direct vs. Indirect characterization

Accepted Answer

Direct: The author directly tells us what the character is like

Indirect: The author reveals attributes about the character by describing their actions, thoughts, etc.

Question 3

Static vs. Dynamic character

Accepted Answer

Static: A character that does not change throughout a story

Dynamic: A character that changes in some important way throughout a story

(see flat vs. round character)

Question 4

Flat vs. Round character

Accepted Answer

Flat: A one-dimensional character with no complex motivations or personality

Round: A multidimensional with competing motivations and a realistic personality

(see static vs. dynamic character)

Question 5

Foil

Accepted Answer

A character that contrasts with another character to emphasize the other character’s traits

(Mrs. Linde is a foil for Nora in A Doll’s House)

Question 6

Antihero

Accepted Answer

A central character that lacks conventional “hero” qualities

(Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby is an antihero because of his egoism, obsessions, and delusions; see hamartia)

Question 7

Point of View

Accepted Answer

The angle or perspective used to tell a story

Question 8

Stream of consciousness

Accepted Answer

A method of narration that uses a character’s internal (often jumbled) thoughts to describe events

(Chapters 20-23 of Beloved, where Sethe, Denver, and Beloved reveal their internal thoughts and desires)

Question 9

Climax

Accepted Answer

The height of conflict and intrigue in a narrative

Question 10

Denouement

Accepted Answer

The final part of a narrative/play where the conflict is solved

Question 11

Epiphany

Accepted Answer

A moment where a character has a sudden insight/realization that changes their understanding of the world

(Nora realizing that her marriage with Torvald is an illusion in A Doll’s House)

Question 12

Soliloquy

Accepted Answer

A speech by a character addressed to themselves while they are alone on the stage

(Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy)

Question 13

Foreshadowing

Accepted Answer

A hint by the writer of future events; creates tension

(Gatsby disappearing into the “unquiet darkness” in Ch. 1 of The Great Gatsby foreshadows his death in Ch. 8)

Question 14

Flashback

Accepted Answer

A scene that is set in a time earlier than the main story

(Toni Morrison reveals many details in Beloved through flashbacks)

Question 15

Apostrophe

(literary device)

Accepted Answer

An exclamatory passage in a speech/poem addressed to a person (typically dead/absent) or a thing (typically personified)

(“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”—Juliet addresses an “absent” Romeo who is, in fact, nearby)

Question 16

Catharsis

Accepted Answer

The emotional release at the end of a tragedy

(Brutus experiences catharsis through suicide to rid himself of the guilt of killing Caesar)

Story Elements, AP Literature Flashcards