AP Notes 56 57 Flashcards
AMBIGUITY
Ambiguity or fallacy of ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more
than one meaning. Skilled writers use ambiguity with purpose and intent. HOWEVER…most
students who are just learning about language use it without thought and it detracts from their
writing. Here is a good example of purposeful use to “tag” a teenager speaking…what is
ambiguous in this sentence? Examples follow…
“I ran all the way to the main gate, and then I waited a second till I got my breath. I have no wind, if you
want to know the truth. I’m quite a heavy smoker, for one thing—that is, I used to be. They made me
cut it out. Another thing, I grew six and a half inches last year. That’s also how I practically got T.B. and
came out here for all these g- -dam checkups and stuff. I’m pretty healthy though.”
[Character-Holden Caufield, Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger]
Here are a few of those faux pas made by writers who did not “know” what they were doing.
A good life depends on a liver – Liver may be an organ or simply a living person.
Foreigners are hunting dogs – It is unclear whether dogs were being hunted or foreigners are being
spoken of as dogs.
Each of us saw her duck – It is not clear whether the word “duck” refers to an action of ducking or a
duck that is a bird.
The passerby helps dog bite victim – Is the passerby helping a dog bite someone? Or is he helping a
person bitten by a dog? It’s not clear.
ARCHETYPE
An archetype, also known as universal symbol, may be a character, a theme, a symbol or even a setting. Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work.
