Stylistic devices

•Alliteration

In alliteration a consonant— usually the first one in a word— is repeated in succeeding words to produce a certain effect.

•Anachronism

Anachronism refers to a situation in which people say, do, or see something that is inconsistent with the time they live in.

•Characterization: Round and Flat Characters

Round characters are fully formed, complex people who may act unpredictably and who in the course of the story struggle and change, finally achieving a greater self-knowledge.

Flat characters, in contrast, are one-dimensional, predictable people who do not change or in any way increase their self- awareness by the end of the story.

•Colloquialism

Colloquial English is informal or conversational language. It echoes the natural, unforced speech rhythms and vocabulary of everyday speech. Colloquial language is frequently livened with slang.

•Dialogue

Dialogue is a written or spoken exchange of words between one or more characters. Stories vary widely in the amount and type of dialogue, or conversation, that is present.

•Flashback

The flashback is a narrative technique in which a narrator or character interrupts the present time and returns to the past.

•Humor

Humor takes many forms. It ranges from the exaggerated situations, snappy lines, sarcasm, and parody (comical imitation)

•Imagery

Imagery is used by writers to create vivid pictures that our senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste) respond to.

•Irony

Irony occurs when a person says one thing but really means something else. It also exists when a person does something that has the opposite effect from what he or she intended.

•Metaphor

A metaphor is an implied comparison in which one element is described in terms of another to create a connection.

•Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which animals or things are given human characteristics.

•Repetition

Repetition is a literary device that involves intentionally using a word or phrase for effect, two or more times in a speech or written work. Repetition can be a most effective way of creating atmosphere or of pointing to a theme in a story.

•Simile

A simile is an explicit comparison that contains the words like or as

•Symbol

A symbol may be a person, an object, or an action that represents something else because of its association with it.

•Epiphany

Epiphany is a literary device in which a character experiences an unexpected flash of understanding about the true nature of a person or situation, deeply altering his or her perception of that individual or event.

•Point of View

Point of view refers to the specific character or narrator through whose eyes all or part of the story unfolds.

•A fable

A fable is a short story, often with animals in it, that is told to illustrate a moral. The moral is the lesson to be drawn from the story and is usually stated clearly at the end.