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Understanding Plot, Characters, and Dialogue

This document provides definitions and explanations of key literary elements including plot, characters, and dialogue. It defines the typical six components of plot as exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It describes the different types of conflict as internal and external. It also defines the different types of characters as flat or round, static or dynamic. The document explains how authors directly or indirectly characterize characters through appearance, speech, actions, personality, and dialogue. It concludes by defining dialogue as conversation between two or more people that allows further development of plot and characters.

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4 views2 pages

Understanding Plot, Characters, and Dialogue

This document provides definitions and explanations of key literary elements including plot, characters, and dialogue. It defines the typical six components of plot as exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It describes the different types of conflict as internal and external. It also defines the different types of characters as flat or round, static or dynamic. The document explains how authors directly or indirectly characterize characters through appearance, speech, actions, personality, and dialogue. It concludes by defining dialogue as conversation between two or more people that allows further development of plot and characters.

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api-329184367
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Advanced English 9

Ms. Engelke
Name: _________________________ Hour: _____

Plot, Characters, and Dialogue


PLOT: the main events of a story; traditionally, a plot contains the following six components:
EXPOSITION: introduces setting, characters, and the basic premise of the story
CONFLICT: the problem or situation that arises between people, forces, or ideas
INTERNAL: a psychological struggle; a characters inner dilemma
Example: depression (happens within character)
EXTERNAL: struggle between a character and an outside force such as nature or
another character
Example: hurricane (happens outside/around character)
RISING ACTION: events that develop the main conflict; the plot thickens
CLIMAX: the highest point of interest or suspense; the peak of the story
FALLING ACTION: the events following the climax and leading up to the end
RESOLUTION: the conflict has been resolved and story comes to close
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CHARACTER: any person, animal, or living thing that takes an active part in the story
Five ways in which a reader learns about characters:
Appearance
Speech
Actions
Personality
Character to character dialogue
Four categories of characters:
FLAT: two-dimensional and fairly uncomplicated
ROUND: a major character who is more fully developed; presented with a
conflict
STATIC: undergoes little or no change
DYNAMIC: experiences an important change, especially within
CHARACTERIZATION: the way in which the author describes and presents the characters in a
given story
DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION: the author tells the reader about a character in a direct
manner; descriptions are explicit (stated clearly)
Example: Barb is mean.

INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION: the author allows the reader to draw his or her own
conclusions about a character based on the information provided; characterization is
implicit (not plainly stated--read between the lines)
Example: Barb punched Julie in the face for no good reason.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DIALOGUE: conversation between two or more people in a story; allows further development
of plot and characters

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