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Literature Terms

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
round character
is depicted with such psychological depth and detail that he or she seems like a "real" person
motif
a conspicuous recurring element, such as a type of incident, a device, a reference, or verbal formula, which appears frequently in works of literature
dialect
the language of a particular district, class, or group of persons
byronic hero
a romanticized but wicked character
static character
a simplified character who does not change or alter his or her personality over the course of a narrative
syntax
the standard word order and sentence structure of a language, as opposed to diction the actual choice of words) or content (the meaning of individual words)
synecdoche
type of symbolism in which a part of a thing represents that thing itself
stock character
A character type that appears repeatedly in a particular literary genre, one which has certain conventional attributes or attitudes
flat character
a simplified character who does not change or alter his or her personality over the course of a narrative, or one without extensive personality and characterization
bathos
descent in literature in which a poet or writer striving too hard to be passionate or elevated--falls into trivial or stupid imagery, phrasing, or ideas
Antagonist
a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent; adversary
abstract
expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any specific object or instance
concrete
constituting an actual thing or instance; real
Hamartia
applied to an archer who misses the target a misperception, a lack of some important insight, or some blindness that ironically results from one's own strengths and abilities
archetype
An original model or pattern from which other later copies are made, especially a character, an action, or situation that seems to represent common patterns of human life
literal
is one intended only (or primarily) as a factual account of a real historical event rather than a metaphorical expression, an allegorical expression of a larger symbolic truth, or a hypothetical example
foil
A character that serves by contrast to highlight or emphasize opposing traits in another character
denotation
the minimal, strict definition of a word as found in a dictionary, disregarding any historical or emotional connotation
protagonist
the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work
stereotype
A character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that the character seems like an oversimplified representation of a type, gender, class, religious group, or occupation
pathos
a writer or speaker's attempt to inspire an emotional reaction in an audience usually a deep feeling of suffering, but sometimes joy, pride, anger, humor, patriotism, or any of a dozen other emotions
diction
the choice of a particular word as opposed to others
ambiguity
a vague or equivocal expression when precision would be more useful
metonymy
a figure of speech in which one thing is represented by another that is commonly and often associated with it
dynamic character
one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change
foreshadowing
suggesting, hinting, indicating, or showing what will occur later in a narrative
connotation
the extra tinge or taint of meaning each word carries beyond the minimal, strict definition found in a dictionary
figurative
a deviation from what speakers of a language understand as the ordinary or standard use of words in order to achieve some special meaning or effect
analogy
the modification of grammatical usage from the desire for uniformity
antihero
a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose
rhetorical
used for, belonging to, or concerned with mere style or effect
hero
: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities
hubris
It is a negative term implying both arrogant, excessive self-pride or self-confidence, and a lack of some important perception or insight due to pride in one's abilities

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