Elements of a Short Story (Teacher Copy) - schs

Literary Devices
Situational Irony
A situation or event OPPOSITE to what one would expect
Verbal Irony
A SHARP contrast between what a character says and what he/she really
means
Dramatic Irony
A SHARP contrast between what a character says/believes and what the
author really means
Satire
A device used to ridicule an idea, person, or thing, often to provoke change
or thought. Satire usually mocks human vices or folly, and primarily uses
wit or irony.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a device of hinting at events occurring later in the work.
Flashback
Flashback is a device of recalling events taking place outside of the timeframe
of the story.
Symbolism
Something suggesting something else; something standing for something
else. “Saddam Hussein is a symbol for all evil”
Allegory (Extended Metaphor)
When a metaphor is carried through an entire piece of writing. (A story in
which persons, places, and things stand for other meanings).
Allusion
A brief reference to some person, place, or thing in history, in other
literature, or in actuality.