Pink Sheet đź““ Flashcards
Type of narrator
- first person
third person limited
third person omniscient
Proximity
how close is the narrator to the action? Where in space does the text begin -i.e. with a scene of a town or inside a character’s thoughts
Bias
s the narrator subjective or objective? (Is the narrator’s attitude about the character or situation obvious from the descriptions? Is the narrator’s attitude hidden so that the reader may form her opinion?)
Diff btwn Subjective
opinions
A first person narrator, by definition, is almost always subjective or biased because the reader only gains a one-sided view of reality.
diff btwn objective
no opinion just facts
Structure
order of the story as it is told
chronological-
goes in order of events, time, sequence
retrospective
looks back at events in the past from the present
splintered
moves between two or more narrators or between past and present
Other questions to consider with point of view- does the narrator include the reader (i.e. uses “you” for the reader or says “oh, reader”? Does the narrator have a personality? Does the narrator ask questions to include the reader in the dialogue or provoke a reaction? How manipulative is the narrator? Does the narrator really know what is going on?
Characterization
how the narrator/speaker describes the characters
indirect characterization
when clue in the text tell about the characters
direct characterization
blunt comments about the characters
foils
two characters who contrast each other and because of their contrast, their differences are highlighted and thereby more is revealed about the main character- usually the same gender and age
dopplegangers
iterary twins: doppelganger can have several variations in meaning, it comes from the German for “double goer”; it is literally a double of someone else; oftentimes it can either be ghostly, an apparition, or an evil twin.
tone
the attitude of WHOEVER IS SPEAKING TOWARD what he/she is discussing. It shifts frequently in a passage/poem/text. In a piece of nonfiction, the tone reflects the author’s attitude because he/she is the narrator. All literary elements contribute to tone. Remember- when describing tone, you need to use an adjective to describe it.
ex. bitter, rude, gleeful
voice
how the speaker in a poem or the narrator of a short story or novel sounds OR (in a nonfiction piece) how the writer sounds. All literary elements contribute to voice; it usually does not shift in text.
ex. soft, southern, intelligent
mood
how the text makes the reader feel (i.e. scared, relaxed, happy)
imagery
uses FIVE senses
detail
adds description
symbol
object takes on a meaning separate from its original meaning; cannot be abstract
motif-
anything in a text that repeats; may become a symbol; may be abstract or concrete
Paradox
a statement that seems to contradict itself and yet be true
Example: Catherine felt alone in the crowded room. Example: Nobody goes to that restaurant because it is too crowded.
oxy
igure of speech that contradicts itself
Example: bittersweet, jumbo shrimp, “unsinkable Titanic”
juxtaposition
placing two elements side by side
Example- The two boys laughing while they ride their skateboards juxtaposes the girl crying on the porch across the street.
allegory
all of the little symbols, “add up to” a big symbol; usually has multiple meanings
archetype-
a symbol repeated across time and culture
allusion
a reference to something outside the text (i.e. mythological, Biblical, contemporary, literary, etc)
syntax
sentence structure (i.e. rhetorical questions, dialogue)
diction
word choice
connotation
he “shades” of meaning in a text; not necessarily the dictionary definition; emotional response to a word
denotation
he dictionary definition of a word
Example: home and house have the same denotation, but have a different connotation
assonance
repetition of a vowel sound without rhyme
Try reading the poem/sentence aloud to hear this device
“Such a sunny summer day” from “Firework” by Katy Perry
consonance
repetition of a consonant sound without rhyme
“That Cat went out at eight”
hyperbole-
exaggeration for effect
