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== Structure == ===Formal structure=== Formal structure refers to the '''forms''' of a text. In the first place, a text is either a [[novel]], a [[drama]], a [[poem]], or some other "form" of literature. However, this term can also refer to the length of lines, [[stanza]]s, or [[canto]]s in poems, as well as sentences, paragraphs, or chapters in prose. Furthermore, such visible structures as dialogue versus narration are also considered part of formal structure. ===Storyline and plot=== The storyline is the chronological account of events that follow each other in the narrative. The plot includes the storyline, and is more; it includes how elements in the story interact to create complexity, intrigue, and surprise. The plot is often created by having separate threads of storyline interact at critical times and in unpredictable ways, creating unexpected twists and turns in the overall storyline. ===Plot structure=== Plot structure refers to the configuration of a plot in terms of its exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution/denouement. For example, [[Charles Dickens|Dickens']] novel ''[[Great Expectations]]'' is noted for having only a single page of exposition before the rising action begins, while ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' by [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] has an unusually lengthy falling action. The plot can also be structured by the use of devices such as flashbacks, framing, and epistolary elements. ====Flashback==== A [[flashback (narrative)|flashback]] (which is one of the most easily recognized utilization of plot structure) is a scene in writing which occurs outside of the current timeline, before the events that are occurring in the story. It is used to explain plot elements, give background and context to a scene, or explain characteristics of characters or events. For instance, one chapter may be at present in a character's life, and then the next chapter might be the character's life years ago. The second chapter gives meaning to the first, as it explains other events the character experienced and thus puts present events in context. In [[Khaled Hosseini]]'s ''The Kite Runner'', the first short chapter occurs in the narrative's real-time; most of the remainder of the book is a flashback. ====Frame story==== When there is a lengthy flashback comprising more than half of the text, a [[frame story]] is the portion outside the flashback. For example, [[Mary Shelley]]'s ''Frankenstein'' uses the adventures of a sea captain as a frame story for the famous tale of the scientist and his creation. Occasionally, an author will have an unfinished frame, such as in [[Henry James]]'s "The Turn of the Screw". The lack of a finishing frame in this story has the effect of leaving the reader disoriented, adding to the disturbing mood of the story. ===Foreshadowing=== {{main article|Foreshadowing}} This is when the author drops clues about what is to come in a story, which builds tension and the reader's suspense throughout the book. :'''Example:''' The boy kissed his mother and warmly embraced her, oblivious to the fact that this was the last time he would ever see her. ===Allusion=== {{Main|Allusion}} [[Allusion]] is a reference to something from history or literature.<ref>{{harvp|Arp|Johnson|2009|p=772}}</ref>
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