Narrative & Storytelling
Glossary: Narrative & Storytelling TermMeaning NarrativeThe structured telling of events or experiences, real or imagined, with emphasis on conveying meaning rather than simply sequence. StoryA sequence of events arranged to convey meaning, causality, or transformation. PlotThe deliberate arrangement of events that define the causal chain of events in a narrative. ExpositionThe portion of a narrative...
Ethics, Truth & Human Inquiry
Glossary: Ethics, Truth & Human Inquiry TermMeaning Truth (Literary)Insight into human reality rather than factual accuracy. MimesisThe representation of reality in art. CatharsisEmotional purification through narrative experience. Moral ComplexityResistance to simple judgments of right and wrong. Existential ThemeInquiry into meaning, freedom, and responsibility. DidacticismIntent to instruct or teach. Wisdom LiteratureWorks concerned with enduring human questions.
Cognitive & Impact-Oriented Terms
Glossary: Cognitive & Impact-Oriented Terms TermMeaning Cognitive LoadThe mental effort required to process a text. Conceptual DensityThe concentration of ideas per unit of text. Idea VectorThe direction in which a work pushes the reader’s thinking. Mental ModelA framework the reader forms to understand reality. Intellectual AftertasteWhat lingers in thought after reading. Signal vs NoiseThe ratio...
Reading, Thought, Interpretation & Criticism
Glossary: Reading, Thought, Interpretation & Criticism TermMeaning Close ReadingCareful attention to language, structure, and meaning. CanonWorks widely regarded as foundational or exemplary. InterpretationThe act of deriving meaning from a text. Critical LensA framework for analyzing literature. Critical ReadingEvaluating assumptions, arguments, and implications. ContextHistorical, cultural, or biographical background. Intentional FallacyError of equating meaning with authorial intent....
Time, Structure & Technique
Glossary: Time, Structure & Technique TermMeaning ChronologyThe sequence of events in time. Nonlinear NarrativeA structure that disrupts chronological order. FlashbackA return to earlier events. ForeshadowingHints of future developments. Stream of ConsciousnessRepresentation of a character’s mental flow. Frame NarrativeA story within a story. PacingThe speed at which a narrative unfolds. EllipsisOmission of events to compress time.
Literary Movements & Traditions
Glossary: Literary Movements & Traditions TermMeaning ClassicA work recognized for enduring value. CanonA body of works considered authoritative or essential. RomanticismEmphasis on emotion, nature, and individual experience. RealismFocus on ordinary life and plausible events. ModernismExperimentation with form and skepticism toward tradition. PostmodernismPlayful, self-aware, and skeptical of grand narratives. Existential LiteratureFocus on meaning, freedom, and absurdity....
Structure & Form
Glossary: Structure & Form TermMeaning FormThe overall shape or structure of a work. GenreA category defined by conventions and expectations. FictionLiterature based on imagined events. NonfictionLiterature based on factual occurrences. EssayA short prose work exploring an idea. NovelA long-form fictional narrative. NovellaA narrative longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Short StoryA...
Theme, Ideas, Meaning & Interpretation
Glossary: Theme, Ideas, Meaning & Interpretation TermMeaning ThemeThe central idea or underlying meaning a work explores. ThesisThe primary argument, underlying claim, or proposition a text advances, explicitly or implicitly. SubtextMeaning that lies beneath the surface narrative. AllegoryA narrative where characters and events represent abstract ideas or symbolize broader concepts. ParableA short allegorical story conveying a...
Language, Style, Technique & Rhetoric
Glossary: Language, Style, Technique & Rhetoric TermMeaning StyleAn author’s distinctive use of language and form. DictionAn author’s choice of words and phrasing. SyntaxThe coherent arrangement of words and sentences. ToneThe author’s attitude toward the subject or audience. VoiceThe distinctive personality or sensibility of the writing conveyed through the text. RegisterThe level of formality or informality...
Character & Perspective
Glossary: Character & Perspective TermMeaning CharacterA participating agent like a person, entity, or force within a narrative through whom action, thought, or values are expressed. ProtagonistThe primary character whose journey forms the narrative core and anchors the story. AntagonistThe force opposing the protagonist, not necessarily a villain. FoilA character whose traits contrast with another to...