Vocabulary for Literature

 

The time order of events in a story

Key words: First, Next, Then, Finally

  Read “

Medical School

” on the next page. Then put the

7

sentences in

time order

. What really happened

first

?

  

When a character remembers something from the past

, it is called a flashback. It is like

a memory

.

A flashback can be as short as a few sentences in a story, or a whole story can be a flashback.

 Toy Story Example

 Shrek Example

 "You're getting it. Good girl!" Anya cheered as she ran beside her little sister. Anya smiled, remembering when her dad had taught her to ride a bike. She could still see him running beside her, even when he didn't need to anymore! He'd always been so protective. But now, he was gone and she alone had to take care of the family. "I still need you, Dad," she whispered.

  Flashbacks can

give you information about a character to help you figure out his/her reasons for doing things

. Our example would help you understand why Anya might turn down a chance to go to a college far away from home, even though that was her dream.

  Foreshadowing

gives readers clues about what might happen later in a story

.

Being able to recognize a foreshadowing moment in a story

can help you make good predictions

.

  Even as a little kid, no one had to tell you that when Mrs. Rabbit told Peter, "Don't go into Mr. MacGregor's garden," he'd go – and get into trouble! The author's words

foreshadowed

danger.

 Lion King Example

  How many examples of foreshadowing can you find? Jaws Example

 I looked at the speedometer. Paul was driving even faster. "Please slow down," I said. "We're coming to a really bad curve in the road!" But he didn't slow down and the snow was drifting higher and higher. I could hardly see the road!

   Foreshadowing

"sets up" future events so you're prepared for them and they make sense

. You might not know why the author mentions something until later in the story. In our example, the author mentions snowdrifts—maybe the car will hit a snowdrift that stops the vehicle from going over a cliff!

FLASHBACK FORESHADOWING

1. Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was exactly a year ago today that she stood in this very same spot, trying to do the very same thing. “How could I be doing this?” Sarah thought to herself. She took a deep breath and recalled that embarrassing and humiliating time. She had sung on stage a million times, but, for some reason, that night was different. As she gazed out in the into the crowd, she saw them. They never came, yet there they were. Sarah’s breath had quickened and her heart began to beat a mile a minute. “I can’t do this,” she mumbled as she fled the stage.

And now, exactly a year later, Sarah stood, ready to head out on stage. She hoped she was ready.

2. Robinson Crusoe (paraphrased excerpt) Daniel Defoe Being the third son of the family, and not bred to any trade, my head began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts. My father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent share of learning, as far as house education a country free school generally go, and designed me for the law, but I would be satisfied with nothing but going out to sea. My inclination to this led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands, of my father, and against all the entreaties and persuasions of my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be something fatal in that propension of nature tending directly to the life of misery which was to befall me.

The author uses the reaction of Robinson Crusoe’s family and friends to give the reader hints of what may happen in the story.

 3. The dark storm clouds rolled across the lake and Rebecca couldn’t help but shiver. The ominous feeling the black clouds gave her made her pull her wool coat closely around her. She started walking faster and faster, hoping that whatever was coming would pass quickly and wouldn’t hurt too badly.

 Sometimes writers use Flashbacks and foreshadowing to build suspense.  Suspense: a growing tension or excitement as you read a story or a watch a movie.

 What are good indicators (aka clues) of suspense?

 A prediction is a reasonable guess about what will happen over the course of a story.  What do I already know about the setting and plot?

 On the basis of their words and actions, what might characters do in the future? What events might result?