Literature Glossary
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Objective Correlative
Definition:
In a story, an objective correlative is set of items, words, or situations that, when combined, take on a new meaning.
Let's say you made a treacherous drive home in a blizzard to see your grandparents for the holidays one year. Going forward, the combination of driving, snowfall, nighttime, and Christmas tunes on the stereo always fill you with anxiety.
Taken alone, those three things—snow, night, and Christmas—don't stress you out. You love snowmen and stars and eggnog. But put them together and boom! Dread city. That's an objective correlative: when a specific combination of items gives you all the feels.
If you know anything about T.S. Eliot, you won't be surprised to hear that he's the one who came up with the term.