Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee

Literary Elements

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 1 - 5

Sequence of Events

The order in which things happen in a story is called the sequence of events. Recognizing what happens first, next,

and last in a story will help you understand what you read.

Cause and Effect

A cause is what makes something happen. The thing that happens is the effect. It’s important to look for

cause-and-effect relationships as you read so that you can better understand a story and the characters in it.

Characterization

A character is a person in a story. Sometimes characters are described directly by the author or through the word of the other characters. Other times, the reader must think carefully about a

character’s words, actions, feelings, and thoughts to find out what the character is really like.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 6 - 9

Mood and Tone

The mood of a story is the feeling that the story gives the reader. The Tone of a story is the author’s attitude toward

the characters and events in the story.

Main Idea and Details

The main idea of a paragraph or chapter, tells what the whole section is about. Sometimes the main idea is directly stated.

Other times, readers must figure out the main idea. Details tell more about the main idea.

Author’s Inference

Authors do not always explain every detail in a story. Readers must often figure out some things on their own. When you use

information in a story and use your own experience to understand something that is not directly stated, you are making an inference.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 10 - 13

Dialogue

Dialogue is what characters in a story say each other. You can learn a lot about characters from the words that they

use with each other.

Symbolism

Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something

other than itself.

Judgments

Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 14 - 17

Author’s Purpose

Authors write for many reasons. The reason an author writes is called the author´s purpose. 3 of the mains reasons are:

To inform readers by using descriptions, information, or directions.To entertain readers with enjoyable reading material.To persuade readers to believe or act in a certain way.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Multiple Meaning Words are words that have several meanings depending upon how they are used in a sentence.

We use context clues to help us figure out which meaningis correct.

Prediction

When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully about clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and

experience.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 18 - 21

Context Clues

You can often figure out the meaning of a new word by thinking about the words and ideas around it.

This is called using context clues.

Flashback

A flashback is literary device in which a story returns to an event that happened in the past. Authors use flashbacks to

add interest to their story plots.

Figurative Language

Figurative language may compare two unlike things, give human qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning for effect.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 22 - 24

Compare and Contrast

When you compare two things, you tell how they are alike. When you contrast two things, you tell how they are

different.

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which clues from a story hint about events that might take place in the future. Authors use foreshadowing to add interest in

their story plots.

Generalization

When you make a generalization, you draw a conclusion about all or most of the elements of a group.

A valid generalization is one that is based on many consistent examples or facts. A faulty generalization is

one for which there are many exceptions.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 25 - 28

Fact and Opinion

A fact is a statement that can be proved to be true or untrue. An opinion is a statement that tells what a

person thinks or believes. An opinion cannot be proved.

Irony

Irony occurs in a story when something happens that is the opposite of what is expected. Ironic situations

often have humorous results.

Point of View

The person telling the story is called the narrator. The point of view of a story depends on who is narrating it. In the first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story who uses words such as I, me, and my. The character tells the story as if it were happening to him or

her. In the third-person point of view, the narrator is someone outside of the story. The narrator uses words such as he, she, and they, and

often knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 29 - 32

Figurative Language

Figurative language may compare two unlike things, give human qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning

for effect. Writers use figurative language to help create vivid pictures in their reader´s minds.

Context Clues

You can often figure out the meaning of a new word by thinking about the words and ideas around it. This is

called using context clues.

Sound Devices

Poets and authors use sound devices to add interest to their words. Four common sound devices are;

Alliteration – two or more words with the same beginning sound.Rhyme – words or lines that end with the same sound.

Repetition – using sounds or words over and over again.Onomatopoeia – words that imitate the sound they stand for.

Prediction

When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully about clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and experience.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 33 - 35

Draw Conclusions

When you draw a conclusion. You arrive at a decision based on clues in a story and your own knowledge and experience.

Mood and Tone

The mood of a story is the feeling that the story gives the reader. The tone of a story is the author´s attitude toward the characters and events

in the story.

Dialogue

Dialogue is what characters in a story say to each other. You can learn a lot about characters from the dialogue they exchange with one another.

Setting

The setting of a story is the time and place in which the story takes place. The setting of a story often affects the way a character feels.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 36 - 38

Cause and Effect

A cause is what makes something happen. The thing that happens is the effect. It´s important to look for cause-and-effect relationships as you

read so that you can better understand a story and the characters in it.

Compare and Contrast

When you compare two things, you tell how they are alike. When you contrast two things, you tell how they are different.

Judgments

Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 39 - 40

Figurative Language

Figurative language may compare two unlike things, give human qualities to things, or exaggerate meaning for effect. Writers use

figurative language to help create vivid pictures in their reader´s minds.

Author’s Inference

Authors do not always explain every detail in a story. Readers must often figure out some things on their own. When you use information in a

story and use your own experience to understand something that is not directly stated, you are making an inference.

Prediction

When you make a prediction, you guess what is going to happen in a story. In order to make a good prediction, you must think carefully about clues from the story as well as use your own knowledge and experience.

Judgments

Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 41 - 42

Draw Conclusions

When you draw a conclusion. You arrive at a decision based on clues in a story and your own knowledge and experience.

Word Referents

Authors like to avoid repetitions to make their writing more interesting. To do this, they often use pronouns that stand for other words. These

are called word referents.

Point of View

The person telling the story is called the narrator. The point of view of a story depends on who is narrating it. In the first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story who uses words such as I, me, and my. The character tells the story as if it were happening to him or

her. In the third-person point of view, the narrator is someone outside of the story. The narrator uses words such as he, she, and they, and

often knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story.

Maniac Magee

Literary ElementsChapters 43 - 46

Cause and Effect

A cause is what makes something happen. The thing that happens is the effect. It’s important to look for

cause-and-effect relationships as you read so that you can better understand a story and the characters in it.

Context Clues

You can often figure out the meaning of a new word by thinking about the words and ideas around it. This is called using context clues

Judgment

Judgments are personal opinions supported by facts.

Theme

The theme of a story is the most important message that the story gives a reader. Sometimes the theme is stated directly in a story. Other times, a reader must figure it out the theme by

thinking about what happens to the characters and why it happens.