Our Town Lit Terminology & Vocabulary
Terms
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- Realism
- "slice of life" fiction that portrays ordinary characters and everyday events
- Dialect
- the regional variety of language spoken by a local social or ethnic group or profession
- Drama
- literary genre written for performance before an audience. Ex. Plays, monologues, dramatic poems
- Aside
- a theatrical convention that is a privately spoken remark directed by an actor to the audience, often in an undertone. Note: An aside is always the truth for the character speaking.
- Dramatic Irony
- the situation that exists in a play when the audience knows more than a character on stage knows, used to build tension.
- Irony Situational
- the disparity between what is expected or deserves to happen and what actually happens; Verbal: contradiction between what is said and what is actually meant
- Flashback
- literary technique that allows interruption in the chronological order of events in order to return to a scene at an earlier point in a narrative; a conversation or an event that has happened before the story action
- Foreshadowing
- literary technique that suggests hints or clues about future events, often negative
- Metaphor
- figurative language that directly compares 2 different items that are alike in a fundamental way
- Simile
- a type of metaphor that is an indirect comparison using "like" or "as" to draw the parallel
- proscenium
- part of stage in front of curtain
- trellis
- lattice; woven, wooden support for flowers and vines
- highboy
- tall chest of drawers supported by legs
- legacy
- money or property left to someone in a will; item handed down from one generation to the next
- savant
- a learned person
- anthropology
- the study of mankind and his cultures
- remorse
- sorry feeling; guilt over wrongdoing
- belligerent
- hostile; agressive; warlike
- languid
- sluggish; slow; weak; without spirit
- heliotrope
- plant with small, fragrant, reddish-purple flowers, with a vanilla scent
- farce
- exaggerated, broad humor based on highly unlikely, comic situations
- alacrity
- eager willingness; lively action
- lugubriousness
- overly tearful; extreme state of mourning
- genealogist
- one who studies family descendants & histor to chart a family tree
- weaned
- to withdraw gradually from a habit or an object of affection, as a baby is weaned from mother's milk
- diligence
- steady, careful, and energetic work
- prolific
- extremely productive, creating an abundance of works
- subtlety
- the quality of being difficult to detect or analyze, characterized by being slyly or skillfully done
- pince-nez [pans'-na]
- old-fashioned eyeglasses/lenses clipped to the nose with a spring
- vestiges
- a last visible trace or sign of something that exists or appears no more; remains; leftovers
- permeated
- penetrated through and through; entirely saturated or soaked through
- cosmic
- universal; vast in size
- careening
- moving fast and out of control; veering from side to side
- brachiocephalic [or brachycephalic]
- short-headed, with breadth of head at least 4/5th of its length
- cynicism
- the tendency to question the sincerity and goodness of people; the belief that all people are selfish; sarcasm
- oration
- a formal, ceremonial speech
- barren
- infertile; sterile; unproductive
- torrent
- a rapid or violent flow -- for example, of rushing water or gusty wind
- sacrament
- one of the 7 rites of the Christian church considered as a means to grace
- tableau
- a "frozen" scene; an interval during a dramatic scene in which actors hold a striking pose without speaking or moving; a still "picture" on stage
- crestfallen
- dejected; down-hearted; in low spirits
- panoramic
- wide view of all sides; having an unlimited view in all directions
- contriving
- managing cleverly or inventively to force the result one wants
- impetus
- an incentive to act; a motivating force
- transitory
- temporary; not long-lasting; "here today, gone tomorrow"
- sentiment
- genuine feeling
- sentimentality
- a false or exaggerated feeling; overly emotional in a fake way
- catcall
- a shrill, mocking cry; a whistle or hoot of derision
- epitaph
- an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the deceased, summarizing the past life and identity briefly
- bereaved
- the mourners; those grieving for the loss of a loved one [adj. - bereft]