ABC BOOK

A IS FOR ANTAGONIST 😈

• An antagonist is the person or thing that cause conflict in a work of fiction.
• An example is General Zaroff from "The Most Dangerous Game".
• Connection: A type of character and characters are one of the 5 elements of fiction

B IS FOR BELLIGERENT

• Adjective
• means warlike, combative
• synonyms include truculent and assertive
• antonyms include peaceful and placid
• Ex: The belligerent teenager was very argumentative with her parents

C IS FOR CONFLICT

• struggle between a character and opposing force
• Connection: It is one of the 5 elements of a story
• It advances the plot, reveals characters, and teaches a moral lesson
• Examples include Character vs. Character, Character vs. Self, etc.
• Rainsford vs. the ocean is an example of Character vs. Nature

D IS FOR DIALOGUE

• a conversation among characters in a literary work
• Ex: "Hi", said Sally. "Hello, how are you," asked Mary.
• it is used to reveal character traits through indirect characterization
• develops the conflict and advances plot
• adds color, realism, and tone

E IS FOR EXPOSITORY ESSAY

• a short piece of nonfiction
• Presents information, discusses ideas, or explains a process
• Ex: The characterization essay we wrote at the beginning of the year
• Connection: Type of nonfiction that contains all of the elements of nonfiction
• Can use cause and effect, compare and contrast, or other ways to develop ideas

F IS FOR FORESHADOWING

• gives readers hints about what will happen later in the story
• The emphasis on Della's poverty and her hair show what she may do for Jim.
• Connection: it is a literary device that can help readers make predictions
• it also creates a mood of suspense

G IS FOR GENRE

• a category or type of literature
• Examples: Poetry, Drama, Prose
• Connection: Identifying the genre allows readers to undertand the work better
• it also determines the format of the work and the elements it contains

H IS FOR HELPING VERBS

• also called auxilary verbs
• "help" the main verb
• Examples: should, will, can, must, have, etc.
• Connection: part of verb phrases and verbs are one of the parts of speech

I IS FOR IRONY 😱

• contradiction between appearance and reality
• difference between what is expected and what actually happens
• Example: you expect Della and Jim to enjoy and use their gifts
• But instead, they both can't use their gifts b/c they gave up something for the other
• Connection: It's a literary device that can help convey the story's theme

J IS FOR JIM

• One of the main characters in "The Gift of the Magi"
• Della's husband who was thin, serious, and 22 years old
• He was poor and bought Della combs she wanted
• He gave up his prized possession, his watch
• Connection: He was a symbol of the Magi

K IS FOR KING

• The three kings or Magi referred to in "The Gift of the Magi"
• Wise men from the Bible
• Connection: JIm and Della's actions were symbols of the Magi

L IS FOR LITERATURE

• it is divided into genres
• uses literary devices like symbols and allusions
• Example: "The Gift of the Magi", "New Directions", etc.
• Connection: Literature includes all the works we have read this year
• Each type of literature has many different and specific elements

M IS FOR MOTIF

• reoccurring idea or symbol within a literary work
• Example: the number 3 is the motif of "The Gift of the Magi"
• Symbolizes 3 wise men
• Connection: It's a literary device that can help reveal the main idea or theme

N IS FOR NOUN

• a person, place, thing, or idea
• Example: dog, Jim, love, Main Street
• Connection: One of the parts of speech
• There are many different types of nouns
• Abstract, concrete, proper, common, collective

O IS FOR OR

• the word or is a coordinating conjuction
• it joins words or groups of words
• Example: Do you want chocolate or vanilla?

P IS FOR PLOT

• series of realted events that make up a story
• Has 5 stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
• Example: any story (i.e. "The Most Dangerous Game")
• Connection: Plot is one of the 5 elements of fiction/ a short story

Q IS FOR QUEEN OF SHEBA

• a rich, religious figure from the Bible
• mentioned in "The Gift of the Magi"
• would've been jealous of Della's hair
• Connection: allusion to the Bible

R IS FOR RESOLUTION

• the end of the story
• the last part of the plot
• how the conflict is solved
• Example: Rainsford kills Zaroff
• Connection: conflict drives the plot and the resolution solves the conflict

S IS FOR SYMBOL

• something that represents itself and something else
• not the same as a motif
• Example: Della's hair and Jim's watch were symbols of love and sacrifice
• Also, Jim and Della were symbols of the Magi
• Connection: Reveals the theme of the story

T IS FOR THEME

• a central message or insight into life revealed in a literary work
• could be stated directly or implied
• Example: a theme of "The Gift of the Magi" is that love is the greatest gift of all
• Connection: theme reveals the author's purpose and teaches a moral
• Theme is one of the 5 elements of fiction/ a short story

U IS FOR UNIVERSAL THEME

• a message about life that can be understood by most cultures
• many folktales contain these
• Examples: danger of greed, importance of courage, effects of honesty
• Connection: it is a type of theme and theme is one of the 5 elements of fiction
• Help reveal author's purpose and teach a timeless moral

V IS FOR VERB

• word that expresses an action or state of being
• 3 types: action, linking, auxilary (helping)
• Examples: swims, sang, eat, is, are, am
• Connection: one of the parts of speech

W IS FOR WATCH

• Jim's watch was his prized possession
• He gave it up/ sacrificed it for Della
• Connection: it is a symbol of love and sacrifice

Y IS FOR YET

• the word yet is a coordinating conjunction
• it joins words or groups of words
• Example: I like grapes, yet I despise raisins.

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide