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the sequence of events that shape a broader narrative, with every event causing or affecting each other

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Power in Literature, Short Stories Part 4: Plot

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the background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story

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the section of a story that leads toward its climax

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the decisive moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the play is reversed to falling action

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the period after the dramatic confrontation of the climax

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the end of the story

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the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.

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Diction, in its original meaning, is a writer's or speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story

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the way in which linguistic elements such as words are put together to form constituents such as phrases or clauses

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The emotional suggestions of a word, that is not literal The direct definition of the word that you find in the dictionary

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(ENGLISH) What are Denotation and Connotation? | #iQuestionPH

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an individual way of speaking or writing especially when used to express an emotion

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Mood is created by means of setting, attitude, and descriptions.

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a scene that takes place before a story begins

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Flashback?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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a narrative device in which suggestions or warnings about events to come are dropped or planted.

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in rhetoric, component of literary style in both prose and poetry

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the vantage point from which a story is presented

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First person vs. Second person vs. Third person - Rebekah Bergman

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The telling of a story in the grammatical first person, i.e. from the perspective of an "I,"

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a little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as you

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the narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters

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Third person objective is a narrative point of view that uses the pronouns "he," "she," "they," "them," etc. The narrator does not, unlike the other third person perspectives, have any insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings.

This is the least common of the third person narrative perspectives due to the fact that it creates a very obvious separation between the characters' and the reader. Far more common are third person omniscient in which the narrator can see into every character's mind, and third person limited where they can see into one, or a few character's minds.

Third Person Objective Definition

The third-person objective point of view utilizes a narrator who can see and hear everything going on in a scene but has no insight into characters' feelings or thoughts.

This is the most common third-person narrator (after third-person omniscient and limited). Sometimes, this narrative perspective is described as "fly on the wall." Meaning, someone is outside the events of the story, narrating what's going on, much as a fly on the wall would observe what's going on in a room.

Examples of Third Person Objective

"Hills like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway

"Hills like White Elephants" is the best-known example of the third person objective point of view. Within this story, Hemingway uses "he," "she," and other third-person pronouns. But, his narrator has no insight into what the characters are thinking. They can only narrate what they would see and hear if they were present, watching the scene, with no knowledge of who the people were as well as no insight into what their words could mean. Here is a quote from the story:

The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid.

"What should we drink?" the girl asked. She had taken off her hat and put it on the table.

"It's pretty hot," the man said.

Hemingway has been praised for his skillful depiction of the relationship between the man and the woman. He only uses names like "the American" for the man and "Jig" for the woman. It's unclear if the latter is the young woman's name or just a nickname.

Most readers are able, despite the lack of details, to interpret the conversation the two are having as one about abortion. The man wants the woman to go through with the procedure but the woman is uncertain about it. Here is another quote that demonstrates third-person objective point of view:

And you think then we'll be all right and be happy."

"I know we will. You don't have to be afraid. I've known lots of people that have done it."

"So have I," said the girl. "And afterward they were all so happy."

"Well," the man said, "if you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple."

"And you really want to?

The woman is more concerned in these lines and those which follow, about the state of her relationship with the man. She wants everything to go back to normal and for the man to "love her."

Explore Ernest Hemingway's poetry and best books.

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson is another well-known story that uses third-person objective. Through her use of this narrative style, Jackson allows mystery to be maintained throughout the entire story. It takes a long time for the reader to find out what the townspeople are up to and what the lottery represents. Here is a quote from the story:

Me. I guess," a woman said, and Mr. Summers turned to look at her. "Wife draws for her husband. " Mr. Summers said. "Don't you have a grown boy to do it for you, Janey?" Although Mr. Summers and everyone else in the village knew the answer perfectly well, it was the business of the official of the lottery to ask such questions formally. Mr. Summers waited with an expression of polite interest while Mrs. Dunbar answered.

While the narrator describes the townspeople and their expressions, they do not go deeper than that. Mr. Summers has an "expression of polite interest" but is that how he really feels? This is something that the reader has to figure out for themselves. Later on in the story, this passage is used:

Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. "It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. Old Man Warner was saying, "Come on, come on, everyone. " Steve Adams was in the front of the crowd of villagers, with Mrs. Graves beside him.

"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.

Mrs. Hutchinson was selected via the lottery process and in these last two paragraphs, is being stoned to death. The narrator uses words like "screamed" to describe Mrs. Hutchinson's reaction but never goes into her mind to let readers know what's she's thinking, or what anyone else is thinking. This makes the characters in this story feel incredibly cold and distant. It also, as noted above, allows the reader to get to the last few lines of the story without knowing what the lottery entails.

Related Literary Terms

First Person Point of View: a literary style in which the narrator tells a story about him or herself.

Impressionism: stories dependent on a character's subjective point of view. These stories are based around that character's impressions of their experiences.

Persona: an invented perspective that a writer uses. The point of view might be entirely different than their own.

Point of View: what the speaker, narrator, or character can see from their perspective.

Second Person Point of View: a literary style in which the narrator tells a story about "you".

Third Person Point of View: a literary style in which the narrator tells a story about a variety of characters.

Other Resources

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Third person objective is a narrative point of view that uses the pronouns "he," "she," "they," "them," etc. The narrator does not, unlike the other third person perspectives, have any insight into the characters' thoughts and feelings.

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Focussing a third-person narration through the eyes of a single character.

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This is a common form of third-person narration in which the teller of the tale, who often appears to speak with the voice of the author himself

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A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things. Similes differ from other metaphors by highlighting the similarities between two things using comparison words such as "like", "as", "so", or "than"

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A metaphor is a literary device that figuratively compares and equates two things that are not alike.

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a poetic literary device in which non-living things are given human traits.

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a figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect

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the idea that things represent other things

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Symbolism?": A Literary Guide for English Teachers and Students

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a rhetorical term that describes words or phrases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is an Oxymoron?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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an appropriate expression used in the place of a phrase or words that may be found inappropriate or offensive.

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Allusion is a figure of speech, in which an object or circumstance from unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is an Allusion?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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the repetition of vowel sounds across a line of text or poetry.

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What is Assonance? || Literary Device Lectures

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purpose is to provide an audible pulse that gives a piece of writing a lulling, lyrical, and/or emotive effect.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Alliteration?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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an expression that was once innovative but has lost its novelty due to overuse.

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A cliché (pronounced 'klee-SHAY') is a saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative. The word "cliché" was originally French for the sound of a printing plate, which prints the same thing over and over. Using clichés is considered bad writing and speaking because they make it sound like you didn't put any thought into your words. Good writers and speakers try to use thoughtful and original language rather than clichés in their work. Synonyms for cliché include platitudes and banalities.

II. Examples of Cliché

Because clichés are, by definition, common and overused, they can be found frequently but you may not notice them because we take them for granted. Here are a few examples:

This image of a cloud starts with a common cliché:
Every cloud has a silver lining
Which means that even in a bad situation, you can usually find something good.

The rest of the cloud is made of other popular clichés:

"Diamond in the rough": something or somebody with a lot of potential.

"Going bananas!": going crazy.

"Easy as pie": very easy.

"Cold as ice": very cold or not friendly.

"Take a chill pill": to relax.

"Don't judge a book by its cover": don't judge something based on its appearance.

"Driving me crazy!": annoying somebody to the point of almost insanity.

"Kid in a candy store": feeling happy about the things that surround you.

"Light as a feather": very very light.

"Happily ever after": the ending of all fairy tale romances, this is a typical ending where everybody is happy for the rest of their lives.

"When pigs fly!": something that is very unlikely to happen.

To describe falling in love:
She fell head over heels.
Another common characteristic of clichés is that they tend to simplify and dramatize. Rather than admitting that a story may not always have happiness or explaining that serious love takes time to develop, these clichés make the writing seem shallow and therefore un-interesting.

Clichés are sometimes ideas, images, or characters, rather than phrases. Here are a few examples of cliché characters:

"The Damsel in Distress": a young attractive woman who is incompetent and in need of someone else to rescue her.

"The Superhero": the man who saves the Damsel in Distress, often incredibly strong and good looking!

"Brooding Bad Boy": the boy from 'the other side of the tracks,' who needs someone caring to lead him to a better life.

"The Good Girl": the girl who saves the Brooding Bad Boy with her kindness and good heart.

III. The Importance of Cliché

Clichés are important because they express ideas and thoughts that are widespread and common within a culture, hence the phrase "cliché but true." Yet in our culture, we tend to dislike clichés because we place a high value on creativity, originality, and cleverness, rather than on repetition and using other people's words. Not all cultures feel this way though; in China, it is considered good to use clichés because Chinese culture places a higher value on tradition and looks down on individuality. But even in our culture, clichés are still very common in popular books, poems, movies, television shows, speeches, and advertisements.

IV. Examples of Clichés in Literature

It is important to remember that every cliché was once original and became overused only because it was such a popular idea at first. So, many clichés come from classic works.

Many clichés have their origins in classics like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
This cliché is from Juliet's speech in which she claims that it does not matter that Romeo comes from her family's enemy house, the Montague. Like many Shakespeare quotes, this phrase was so creative when Shakespeare wrote it, that now other people have overused it-to mean that the names of things are not important compared to their qualities.
Forever and a day
This cliché is also derived from Shakespeare, as it first appeared in The Taming of the Shrew. Countless clichés were coined by Shakespeare, including:

All that glitters is not gold - (The Merchant of Venice)"

Jealousy is the green-eyed monster - (Othello)"

Melted into thin air - (The Tempest)

And many more. It is a compliment for a writer's work to become a cliché, but it is an insult to be accused of writing something cliché.

V. Examples of Cliché in Pop Culture

Although clichés should usually be avoided, they can be used for comedic effect or in works where originality and deep thought are not expected such as television shows, advertisements, and movies like romantic comedies and superhero blockbusters.

Conversely, the Old Spice commercials become funny by using the cliché of the perfect man, one often used in men's commercials:

Hello, ladies.
Look at your man.
Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me.
Sadly, he isn't me.
But if he stopped using lady scented body wash...
...and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he's me.
Look down. Back up. Where are you?
You're on a boat with the man your man could smell like.
What's in your hand? Back at me.
I have it.
It's an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love.
Look again. The tickets are now diamonds.
Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady.
I'm on a horse.

And clichés are still alive and well in popular movies ("alive and well" is a cliché!). Consider the movie The Last Song:

" It is a story of second chances, first loves, and the moments in life that lead us back home. "

This movie is complete with the brooding teenage daughter, the father figure looking for a second chance, and the rambunctious younger brother, who is there just to provide comic relief. These are all clichés.
This movie may be cliché, but many people still enjoy it. For this reason, cliché is a matter of taste; critics may not like clichés, but they can still be part of enjoyable entertainment.

VI. Related Terms

Cliché vs. Archetype

An archetype is an image or character which is used over and over in literature and art and may not seem cliché because it represents a universal truth about life or a universal aspect of human psychology. The line between an archetype and a cliché is thin: both archetypes and clichés are frequently found in compositions. Whereas clichés are considered overused and unwanted, archetypes are accepted and only cliché if they are represented in cliché images and words.

One such archetype is the hero-- Superman, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Jesus. This archetype is so common throughout history and all over the world that you would think it would be cliché, but it has such psychological appeal and depth, and makes for such good stories, that we don't care how cliché it is. Archetypes, unlike clichés, provide a frame for a character or story which is then shaped and presented in an original way by the storyteller.

VII. In Closing

Clichés are, by definition, prevalent phrases or ideas in literature, advertisements, and numerous other forms. They are common in romance novels, parodies, and television. Although critics advise against clichés, they remain popular.

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Clichés: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

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Clear Clichés examples and definition. This article will also show you the importance of Clichés and how to use it. A cliché is a saying or idea which has been so overused that it has lost the power of its original meaning.

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a widely used saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase's literal meaning.

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English Idioms | Top 23 American Idioms to Sound Like a Native with Examples

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A pun is a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings.

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What are puns? 🤔 | Puns in English | Learn with examples

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whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they (or we) expect them to say or do.

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Irony Explained — 3 Types of Irony Every Storyteller Should Know (Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic)

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a figure of speech

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the irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected

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a literary device by which the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

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a name for the methods a writer uses to reveal a character's values, feelings, goals, etc. to readers

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when an author describes a character in a straightforward manner, as if telling the reader directly

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a type of literary device that reveals details about a character without stating them explicitly.

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one that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end

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a character who undergoes some important change in the course of the story.

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two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work

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Flat Character - Examples and Definition of Flat Character

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Definition, Usage and a list of Flat Character Examples in literature. A flat character is a type of character in fiction that does not change too much.

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characters as described by the course of their development in a work of literature

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the study and uses of written, spoken and visual language.

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Focuses attention on the writer's or speaker's trustworthiness

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to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel.

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to appeal to the audiences' sense of reason or logic.

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A protagonist and antagonist are opposites – antonyms

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conflict means thwarted, endangered, or opposing desire