Eng 201 Midterm Study Guide
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- tragedy
- A drama in which the hero (female or male) is usually a person of great significance in society, often a member of the royal family. The action of the drama shows the changing fortunes of the protagonist, who at the beginning of the play enjoys high status, but by the end has lost everything of value. This protagonist (tragic hero) usually meets her or his downfall because of an error in judgment, because of a character flaw (tragic flaw), or because of the effects of fate or circumstances beyond the control of the individual.
- plot
- The set up of the story has expostion, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement
- theme
- The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work. A theme provides a unifying point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other elements of a work are organized. It is important not to mistake the theme for the actual subject of the work; the theme refers to the abstract concept that is made concrete through the images, characterization, and action of the text. In nonfiction, however, the theme generally refers to the main topic of the discourse.
- flat character
- embodies one or two qualities, ideas, or traits that can be readily described in a brief summary. They are not psychologically complex characters and therefore are readily accessible to readers. Some flat characters are recognized as stock characters; they embody stereotypes such as the "dumb blonde" or the "mean stepfather." They become types rather than individuals
- double entendre
- a statement that has two meannings, one of which is suggestive or improper
- fiction
- False, not realistic, an imagined story, whether in prose, poetry or drama. The details of realistic fiction are consistent with the parameters of life as we know it and of the world in which we live (or of life in the place and time during which the work of fiction is set).
- dramatic irony
- discrepancy between what the character knows, and what the reader knows to be true, when the reader knows something that the character doesn't
- drama
- Composition in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance, that portrays characters through stories involving conflicts in which emotions are expressed through dialogue and action
- literary symbol
- ANYTHING that has more meaning in a work of literature (can be a name, setting, prop, symbol)
- pyramidal plot
- the pyramid style graph of plot- exposition, conflict, climax, falling action, and denouement
- verse
- A metric line of poetry, named according to the kind of number and feet composing it.
- polytheism
- belief in multiple gods
- epic
- a long narrative poem that is written in heightened language and tells stories of the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a society
- implied metaphor
- Implies or suggests the comparison between the two thing without stating it directly
- quest
- a main character seeking to find something or acheive a goal
- protagonist
- the main character, who must overcome obstacles and resolve the conflict
- static character
- Remains the same throughout the entire story, and knowledge of them does not grow.
- simile
- a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with 'like' or 'as')
- Carpe Diem
- "seize the day" is a literary theme that urges us to live in the present moment
- farce
- exaggerated somedy that pokes fun at human behavior
- Antagonist
- The character, force or collection of forces that opposes the protagonist and gives rise to the conflict of the story.
- conventional symbol
- a concrete object that stands for something else (ie. flag- "patriotism"; dove- "peace"; rainbow- "promise"
- tragic flaw
- an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall, such as greed, pride, or ambition. This flaw may be a result of bad character, bad judgment, an inherited weakness, or any other defect of character.
- epic hero
- the main character or protagonist in an epic that heroically larger than life, often the source and subject of a legend or a national hero
- flashback
- a transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story
- catharsis
- Meaning "purgation," catharsis describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy. In his Poetics , Aristotle discusses the importance of catharsis. The audience faces the misfortunes of the protagonist, which elicit pity and compassion. Simultaneously, the audience also confronts the failure of the protagonist, thus receiving a frightening reminder of human limitations and frailties. Ultimately, however, both these negative emotions are purged, because the tragic protagonist's suffering is an affirmation of human values rather than a despairing denial of them.
- dynamic character
- A character who changes in the course of a work of literature.
- dialogue
- a literary composition in the form of a conversation between two people
- climax
- A high point or turning point in a piece of literature, the point at which the rising action reverses and becomes the falling action or the denoument
- Buildungsroman
- the story of growth of a character. *Hero coming of age; *Hero maturing, gaining wisdom, humility
- symbol
- a person, object, action, or situation that, charged with meaning, suggests another thing (for example, a dark forest may suggest confusion or perhaps evil), though usually with less specificity and more ambiguity than an allegory. A symbol usually differs from a metaphor in that a symbol is expanded or repeated and works by accumulating associations.
- denouement
- 1. A. The final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot. B. The events following the climax of a drama or novel in which such a resolution or clarification takes place. 2. The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result. (dā'nū-mäN')
- chorus
- In Greek tragedies (especially those of Aeschylus and Sophocles), a group of people who serve mainly as commentators on the characters.
- internal conflict
- a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character
- In Medias Res
- "in the middle of"; a reader brought into a literary work at a point of action in which the reader has not been given any backgound information (exposition)
- situational irony
- occurs when the contrast between what appears to be and what actually is exists, or a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens exists; a twist or unexpected change in the plot
- novel
- a extended fictional work in prose
- setting
- The physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs. The major elements of setting are the time, the place, and the social environment that frames the characters. Setting can be used to evoke a mood or atmosphere that will prepare the reader for what is to come
- didactic literature
- writing whose purpose is to instruct or to teach. A didactic work is usually formal and focuses on moral or ethical concerns. May be fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.
- round character
- more complex than flat or stock characters, and often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. They are more fully developed, and therefore are harder to summarize
- first person narrative
- always speak in present tense when discussing a work of literature
- stanza
- an arrangement of a certain number of lines, usually four or more, sometimes having a fixed length, meter, or rhyme scheme, forming a division of a poem
- exposition
- A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances. Exposition explains what has gone on before, the relationships between characters, the development of a theme, and the introduction of a conflict.
- tragic hero
- A literary character who makes an error of judgement or has a fatal flaw combined with fate and external forces
- metaphor
- a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
- genre
- division or type of literature : Poetry, Prose, and Drama
- imagery
- Use in literature to create word pictures for the reader by using details or sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, or movement.
- monotheism
- A belief in the worship of only one god. Was followed by Abraham and his family. Most Mesopotamians believed in many gods.
- literary present tense
- always speak in present tense when discussing literature
- motif
- recurrent patterns in a work... images, words, objects, phrases or actions that tend to unify the work (ex. -patterns of day and night, summer and winter).
- paratragedy
- tragic style in a comedy (Aristophanes' Lysistrata- Episode where Women's Leader and Lysistrata speak a formal dialogue)