Literary Element

Definition

Chapter and Example from text

climax

Point of greatest intensity or suspense in a narrative which will somehow determine the outcome.

Prologue, The best day of Michael Mackenzie's life becomes the worst when the bullet he exuberantly fires into the air during his 17th birthday party comes down a mile away and kills a man

setting

The time and place of the action of a story.

Briarwood, New Jersey

tone/mood

 a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions

Chapter 10, When Darcey is breaking up with Michael.

point of view

the vantage point at which a story is told

Prologue, Third Person

theme

The main idea or basic meaning of a literary work

Prologue, explaining what is happening with the bullet and Michael

cause/effect

the operation or relation of a cause and its effect

Throughout the whole book, Michaels problems keep piling up for more effects.

flashback

Presents material that occurred prior to the opening scene of the work

Chapter 24, When Jenna and Jason are talking about the day Jenna’s dad died.

conflict

The struggle between two opposing forces or characters.

Chapter 25, Michael is having a conflict with himself, because he is about to tell Jenna in person what he did.

symbolism

Person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well

Michael was “choking” on his problem until he swallowed them and confessed.

irony

Contrast or discrepancy between what is stated and what is really meant.

Chapter 11, Michael is lying to the police and adding to his problems because he does not want to tell the truth

foreshadowing

Method of building suspense where the story teller plants clues and hints at what is to come later in the story.

The author uses the Ghost Tree to provide hints as to what will happen at the end of the novel.

allusion

a reference to a statement, person, place, or an event from literature, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, or science        

Throughout the story, The Ghost Tree.

simile

a comparison between two unlike things using a word such as like, as, then, or resembles

“...Like n old homing pigeon”

metaphor

an imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing

“...Visor blotting the sun.”

idiom

a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words

Prologue, “He will drive the neighbors crazy..”