AP English Literature & Composition · Unit 2 · Direct/indirect characterization, foils, archetypes, motivation
Characterization & Development: every key term you need
13 flashcard terms for AP English Literature & Composition Unit 2, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards — free, no account needed.
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Narrative Technique Methods author uses to tell story: POV, tense, style, structure, pacing. Together create effect/meaning.
Tense: Past Narration Most common in fiction; creates distance. Example: \"She walked down the street.\" Standard narrative.
Tense: Present Narration Immediate, urgent. Example: \"She walks down the street.\" Creates sense of NOW; reader follows moment-to-moment.
Tense: Mixed Tense Combine past + flashbacks/memories. Example: \"She remembered when...\" Reveals character's past affecting present.
Stream of Consciousness Imitates thought process: fragmented, associative, non-linear. Reader inside character's mind. Example: Joyce, Woolf.
Free Indirect Discourse Blends character thoughts with narration (no quotation marks). Example: \"She wondered if he loved her. Impossible.\" Ambiguous whose thought.
Framing Device Story within story. Outer narrative sets up inner tale. Creates layers, raises questions about reliability, perspective.
Foreshadowing Author hints at future events. Creates suspense; re-reading reveals clues reader missed. Example: dark weather before tragedy.
Flashback/Exposition Interrupts present to reveal past. Explains character motivation, backstory, context. Can be narrated or shown as scene.
Pacing Speed of narrative; varies by length of passages, sentence complexity, dialogue vs. description. Affects reader emotion/engagement.
Dialogue Characters speak; reveals personality, conflict, relationships. Realistic or stylized? Heavy or sparse? Affects tone/believability.
Repetition & Rhythm Repeated phrases/images reinforce themes. Sentence rhythm (short/long) affects mood: short = tension, long = flow.
Unit 2 Summary Narrative technique shapes how story told. POV, tense, pacing, dialogue work together to create meaning and reader experience.
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