Literary Analysis and Fiction Flashcards

The overall message or central insight about life conveyed by a literary work is its:

Answer: Theme

Theme is the underlying message or universal truth the author conveys through the story.

A narrator who is unreliable or whose credibility is compromised is known as:

Answer: Unreliable narrator

An unreliable narrator presents a biased or distorted account that readers must view critically.

Which of the following best describes dramatic irony?

Answer: The audience knows something the character does not

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience has information that characters in the story lack.

In a short story, a secondary storyline that runs alongside the main plot is called a:

Answer: Subplot

A subplot is a secondary narrative thread that adds depth or contrast to the main story.

The physical and social environment in which a story takes place is its:

Answer: Setting

Setting encompasses the time, place, and social context of a story.

A story in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or moral qualities is called:

Answer: Allegory

An allegory uses characters and events symbolically to convey deeper moral or political meanings.