Unit 7 · Short Fiction III

Epiphany ● (core concept) — A sudden flash of realization that lets a character understand something in a wholly new way — often tied to the narrative's central conflict. It can move the character to act on the realization and change the plot; change can also unfold gradually.

Pacing ● (core concept) — How a narrative handles time — how fast or slowly it moves. It is shaped by the arrangement of details, how often events occur, which narrative structures are used, the syntax, the tempo of events, and shifts in tense and chronology; the order and timing of revelations can stir readers' emotions.

Multiple narrators ● (core concept) — A text told by more than one narrator or speaker. Different narrators may supply details the others cannot, and their accounts of the same events may contradict one another.

Symbolic setting ● (core concept) — A place or time in a text that takes on abstract meaning — coming to stand for an emotion, an ideology, or a belief. Some settings have gathered associations so widely shared they feel nearly universal.

Motif ● (core concept) — A recurring, unified pattern of objects or images that underscores an important idea across much or all of a text.