Literary Conventions; Content Flashcards
Define: allegory
characters or events act as symbols, often with a deeper (hidden) meaning
Define: allusion
reference to subject matter outside of the work of literature - it is up to reader to make connection
Define: antagonist
character or other force that presents obstacle to the protagonist (main character)
Define: bildungsroman
author bases the plot on the overall growth of the central character - protagonist begins with views, aims and dreams that are in contrast to the other character’s in the story and then fights his or her way through to achieve them
Define: conflict
resistance the protagonist faces - it propels the narrative
4 main conflict: man vs…
- nature
- self
- man
- society
- fate (NLMG)
Define: epiphany
sudden realization that leads to a new perspective
Define: foil
another character in a story who contrasts with the protagonist, usually to highlight one of their attributes
Define: intertextuality
relationship between texts - writers borrow from each other, which creates new layers of meaning to the texts (concrete)
Define: mood
emotional feeling a work produces in the reader
Define: nostalgia
pleasure remembering an event/place, and sadness because you cannot return
Define: setting
time and place of a story - helps initiate the main backdrop and mood of the story
Define: theme
central topic or idea explored in the work
Define: tone
expresses the writer’s attitude toward or feelings about the subject matter and audience.
Interior monologue:
Where the narrator depicts the thoughts pouring randomly from a character’s mind, so that the reader experiences these as if overhearing them, unfiltered by comments from the narrator or adjusted grammatically.
