English IV Final Flashcards
Point of View
The perspective from which the story is told includes “limited” and “omniscient” observations.
Conflict
The struggle between two or more opposing forces. It creates a feeling of suspense, tension, and intrigue.
Characterization
The process by which a character is developed. It includes the character’s physical description and the mental, emotional, and psychological state, including the character’s motivation.
Allusion
A reference made to mythology, the Bible, or other well-known pieces of literature, a famous or historical person or event, or something else, with which the author believes the reader is or should be familiar.
Metaphor
A direct comparison between two seemingly unlike objects for textual emphasis, clarity, or sensory illustration.
Irony
As a literary device it is a contrast or incongruity between expectations for a situation and what is reality. This can be a difference between the surface meaning of something that is said and the underlying meaning. It can also be a difference between what might be expected to happen and what actually occurs. The definition can further be divided into three main types; verbal, dramatic, and situational.
Theme
The central idea in a work in literature, offering a general statement about life or human nature. These ideas are not generally stated or completely obvious but must be inferred by the reader. The reader must look at the characters, plot, setting, mood, and even the title to interpret how they work together, to recognize and analyze the purpose behind the author’s motives of writing the piece of literature.
Paradox
A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well-founded or true.
Symbolism
The creative use of objects to represent or indicate a deeper meaning or to represent something larger than the literal meaning of something. This creative use facilitates the thematic understanding of the story.
Voice
The style in which the author writes: a combination of point of view, tone (attitude of the speaker), diction (word choice), and narrative structure, The search for identity or self is found in their speech, such as the ability to speak one’s own mind, make one’s own decisions, and decide one’s own future.
