Lit Terms #4

Interior Monologue: a piece of writing expressing a character's inner thoughts.

Inversion: the action of inverting something or the state of being inverted

Juxtaposition: the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

Lyric: a poem having musical form and quality; a short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings.

Magic(al) Realism: a genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday with the marvelous or magical. 

Metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

Extended: a metaphor that is extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it.

            -Controlling: a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work.

            -Mixed: a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies.

Metonymy: the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant

Mode of Discourse: argument (persuasion), narration, description, and exposition.

Modernism: a style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional forms.

Monologue: an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel, or narrative poem

Mood: the predominating atmosphere evoked by a literary piece.

Motif: a recurring feature (name, image, or phrase) in a piece of literature. 

Myth: a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world. 

Narrative: a story or description of events. 

Narrator: one who narrates, or tells, a story. 

Naturalism: extreme form of realism; a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail.

Novelette/Novella: short story; short prose narrative, often satirical. 

Omniscient Point of View: knowing all things, usually the third person. 

Onomatopoeia: the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

Oxymoron: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Pacing: consistent and continuous speed in walking, running, or moving

Parable:a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.

Paradox: a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas.

Literature Analysis #4

The Invisible Man:

1.Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

-This story is about an African American man and the challenges that made him who he is and brought him to where he is now. The story is in “the South” during the 1920s. The man was really good at writing and public speaking and was given the chance at a young age to give a speech that helps him win a scholarship for college. While at college he became in charge of driving Mr. Norton, a wealthy white trustee at the college, around. One day Mr. Norton happens to overhear word on Jim Trueblood, an uneducated African American man who impregnated his own daughter and retreats to the Golden day. Word of this incident spreads to the college president who then expels the narrator. The narrator then moves to Harlem where he gets a job, until he gets hurt on the job and looses consciousness. He, then, recovers and joins a group called the Brotherhood, headed by Brother Jack. Once again bad things happen to him when the brotherhood begins to question the narrator’s motives for being  a part of the organization. Afraid, he hides from the Brotherhood. When he returns home, there is a riot and he falls in a hole. The police try to kill him and surround the hole where he fell. This last accident causes the narrator to look back on things and it gives him the motivation to do what he whatever he wants and tell his life story. By telling his story the narrator finally finds the strength within himself to come out of the hole because he stayed true to himself.          

2.Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

-The main theme of the novel is to stay true to who you are. In the narrators case he was an African American man living in the south in the 1920’s. The conditions were bad and accepting the poor treatment towards blacks would have been easier for him but he never gave in. It was harder to speak out about the cruelty and make a change. It was a struggle he had to overcome in order to face himself and others.
-Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

-The narrator's tone sad but thoughtful, because of his constant reflection on the racism at the time and his many struggles.

- “What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do?” 

-“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination, indeed, everything and anything except me.”

CHARACTERIZATION 

3. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)

-The narrator uses direct characterization because throughout the whole story he is describing his thoughts and actions.

4. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

-The author did not change his town when he talked about other characters because the author is the main character and he is describing how he felt about things.
5. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

-The main character is dynamic because he faces problems with not conforming to racism. He is also a round character because he has so many qualities.
6. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

-After reading this novel I have come away feeling like a have met the man not just read a story. 

Lit Terms #3

Exposition:a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

Expressionism:movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling(s).

Fable:a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth.

Fallacy:a mistaken belief, esp. one based on unsound argument

Falling Action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax.

Farce: a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

Figurative Language: apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech.

Flashback:a narrative device that flashes back to prior events.

Foil:a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent.

Folk Tale: story passed on by word of mouth.

Foreshadowing: in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing, though not to give it away.

Free Verse:verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme.

Genre:a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content.

Gothic Tale:a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence.

Hyperbole:exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Imagery:figures of speech or vivid description, conveying images through any of the senses.

Implication:a meaning or understanding that is to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author.

Incongruity: the state of being incongruous or out of keeping

Inference:a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Irony:a contrast or incongruity between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected to happen and what actually happens, or what is thought to be happening and what is actually happening.

Lit Terms #2

Circumlocution: the use of many words where fewer would do, esp. in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive

Classicism: the following of ancient Greek or Roman principles and style in art and literature, generally associated with harmony, restraint, and adherence to recognized standards of form and craftsmanship, esp. from the Renaissance to the 18th century

Cliché: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

Climax: the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the pint of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved .

Colloquialism: a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

Comedy: originally a nondramatic literary piece of work that was marked by a happy ending; now a term to describe a ludicrous, farcical, or amusing event designed provide enjoyment or produce smiles and laughter.

Conflict: struggle or problem in a story causing tension.

Connotation: implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition.

Contrast: a rhetorical device by which one element (idea or object) is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity.

Denotation: plain dictionary definition .

Denouement: loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion.

Dialect: the language of a particular district, class or group of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others.

Dialectics: the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.

Dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Diction: the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words. 

Didactic:having to do with the transmission of information; education.

Dogmatic:inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Elegy:a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

Epic:a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation or race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time· (definition bordering on circumlocution). 

Epigram:a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.

Epitaph:a phrase or statement written in memory of a person who has died, esp. as an inscription on a tombstone.

Epithet:an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

Euphemism:the use of an indirect, mild or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt. 

Evocative (evocation):bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.

AP Prep Post 1: Siddartha

1. Choose a specific archetype and demonstrate its function in the novel. How does it contribute to theme or character development? Determine whether the archetype is being used traditionally or is being manipulated by Hesse. 

2. Choose a passage that uses stream of consciousness. Analyze how the technique contributes to characterization.

3. Choose one of the formal characteristics of Modernism and explain its use in Siddhartha.

4. Analyze Hesse’s use of figurative language in a specific passage.  How does its use develop theme, character, or setting?

5. Analyze a character other than Siddhartha and explain this character’s role in the novel; don’t forget to use terminology (flat, round, static, dynamic, etc.).

www.lz95.org/assets/1/17/Siddhartha_JQ.doc

-It's hard to really answer these questions without know the whole story. I read this book the summer before sophomore year so I can barely remember what this story was completely about. 

-What this tells me about the AP Exam is that I need to think more analytically when reading these stories. I need to do more than just read the words, I need to understand what they are truly implying.

Hacking My Education

1. What do you want to know by the end of this course that you don’t know already?

-Not to sound “Hallmark-y,” but I really want to learn more about myself. I want to learn about what things interest me and most importantly how to allow myself to learn. 

2. What skills do you want to be able to demonstrate on your blog?

-I want to be able to demonstrate my ability to perceive things from a different perspective that is unique to me, I want to show improvement as this course continues, and I want to show my ability to become an expert on things we learn in class.

3.What experiences do you want to get under your belt before you graduate?

-I want to experience having that light bulb moment when I completely understand something and I am able to converse with someone about that topic. 

What's In This For Me

My goal for this semester is to learn better time management. I find myself putting other things before school work and not putting enough time into the things that I need to get done. Last semester I tried hard and did what I was supposed to but I didn't take advantage of the opportunities to learn something new and I really want to do that this semester.

Lit Terms #1

allegory:a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

alliteration:the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

allusion:an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

ambiguity:uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language.

anachronism:a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.

analogy:a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

analysis:a method in which a work or idea is separated into its parts, and those parts given rigorous and detailed scrutiny

anaphora:a device or repetition in which a word or words are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences

anecdote: a very short story used to illustrate a point

antagonist:a person or force opposing the protagonist in a drama or narrative

antithesis:a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else

aphorism: a pithy observation that contains a general truth

apologia:a formal written defense of one's opinions or conduct

apostrophe:a figure of speech in which an absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something inanimate or nonhuman is addressed directly

argument:the process of convincing a reader by proving either the truth or the falsity of an idea or proposition; also, the thesis or proposition itself

assumption:the act of supposing, or taking for granted that a thing is true

audience:the intended listener or listeners

characterization:the means by which a writer reveals a character's personality

chiasmus:a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form