Narrative Structure/Literary Elements Study Cards

help the reader relate to and connect with the story.

the leading character who is often a hero. (Usually the good guy)

causes all the trouble for the protagonist. (Usually the bad guy)

A struggle between opposing forces

a conflict that takes place inside of someone's mind.

A struggle between a character and an outside force

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

when the author shows the reader the personality of a character. This can be shown in the following ways: by what the character says, thinks, effect on others, how they act, and what they look like

Author directly describes character

The AUTHOR'S or NARRATOR'S attitude towards the audience, the story, or characters.

How the reader feels about the text while reading.

Sequence of events in a story

Contains all of the plot elements in chronological order

the plot is interrupted to go back in time to a memory

A part of the plot that jumps ahead in time and returns to the present

when the story starts from the mid-point rather than the beginning. The story usually opens with a dramatic action.

The time and place of a story

the perspective from which a story is told

a character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself. You will see pronouns like, I, me, and my

the narrator is not a character in the story. You will see pronouns like, she, he, they them, him, her, etc.

Central idea of a work of literature