AP Lang. Vocab. 4 Flashcards
Bildungsroman
Story of the ‘growing up’ of a sensitive person who looks for answers to his or her questions through different experiences. Generally, such a novel starts with a loss or a tragedy that disturbs the main character emotionally.During the journey, the protagonist gains maturity gradually and with difficulty. Usually the plot depicts a conflict between the protagonist and the values and they are accepted by the society, ending the dissatisfaction.
Illusion
A false illustration, a deceptive impression, or a false belief literally speaking, an illusion is something that is false and not factual, intended to mislead the perception of readers and deceive their senses.
Foil
Character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with objective to highlight the traits of the other character. Generally being applied for a contrasting character, may also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things.
Intertextuality
Sophisticated literacy device used in writing. Textual reference within some text that reflects the text used as a reference. Instead of employing referential phrases from different literacy works, this draws upon the concept, rhetoric or ideology from other texts to be merged in the now text.
Litotes
Figure of speech which employs on understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, positive statement is expressed by negating it’s opposite expression.
Utopia
An illusionary place that projects the notion of a perfect society to the reader. Here, the perfect society refers to ideal conditions achieved within the material world as apposed to the expected idealism of afterlife in Christianity or other religions. A society where all social evils are cured.
Sonnet
Small or little song lyric. In poetry, a sonnet has 14 lines and is written in iambic pentameter.
Round Character
In a novel or play, complex personality. He/She has depths in his feelings and passions. A character with whom the audience can sympathize, associate, or relate to.
Situational Irony
Literacy device that you can easily identify in literacy works. Simply, it occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead. Thus, entirely different happens from what the audience is expecting.
Static Character
A character that does not undergo inner changes or undergoes a little change. Character does not develop inner understanding to know his environment.
Vernacular
is the speech variety used in everyday life by the general population in a geographical or social territory
Vernacular vs. Dialect
Use of ordinary language, dialect refers to specific region.
Understatement
figure of speech employed by writers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is.
Eulogy
Known as homily, literacy device that is a laudatory expression in a speech, or a written tribute to a person deceased recently. A commendation of high praise intended to give honor, generally to a dead family member.
Dialect
Language used by people in a specific area, class, district, or an group of people. Involves the spelling, sound, grammar, and pronunciation used by a particular group of people and it distinguishes them from other people around them.
Hubris
Extreme pride or arrogance showed by a character that ultimately brings about his downfall. In literature, portrayal of hubris-tic characters serves to achieve a moralistic end. Such characters are eventually punished thus giving a moral lesson to the audience and the readers so that they are motivated to improve their characters by removing the flows that can cause a tragedy in their lives.
Antihero
Literacy device used by writers for a prominent character in a play that has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. Protagonist is usually admired for his bravery, strength, charm while antihero is clumsy, unsolicited, and unskilled.
Bandwagon
Type of propaganda through which a writer persuades his readers, so that majority could agree with the argument of the writer. To follow what others are confirming or doing.
Bandwagon Function
Purpose of this technique to make the audience think and act in a way that majority flows. Tendency of following the beliefs and actions occur when audience sees others are also confirming. Good approach in persuasive writing that successfully works on human mind and psychology. Writers use this as pressure tactic if reader do not agree with them.
Propaganda
Finding in mass media advertising, politics, and literature very popular technique in academic commentary and is taken as a interchangeable form of communication. Used to persuade readers and mold their perceptions about a particular cause.
Propaganda Transfer
Appeals to a persons imagination of something we like or trust.
Propaganda-Glittering Generalities
Virtue words or glittering generality. These words are used to dupe us into accepting and approving of things without the evidence carefully.
Propaganda-testimonial
Represents another type of propaganda that fits into a particular category of its own. When someone in a respected position claims that an idea is good.
Propaganda-Plain Folk
Used by a speaker to convince an audience that an idea is good because they are the same ideas of the vast majority of people like themselves. Similar to bandwagon, but writer is convincing that they are ‘plain folk’ like them.
