World Literature Final Exam Review

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Audience

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the person or persons intended to read or listen to a piece of writing. Every writer has an audience in mind when he or she is writing. The intended audience of a work influences a writer’s choice of form, style, and tone and the details included

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Characterization

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techniques writers use to develop characters. A writer may:
-describe a character’s physical appearance
-present the character’s actions, words, thoughts, or feelings
-present other characters’ reactions to the character
-make direct comments about the character

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Cultural Conflict

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the struggle that arises between groups of people because of their opposing values, beliefs, or customs.

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Dialect

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the form of a language spoken in a particular place by a distinct group of people. Dialects vary in pronunciation, vocabulary, colloquial expressions, and grammatical constructions. Writers use dialect to establish setting, to provide local color, and to develop characters.

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Foil Character

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a character that reflect (like shiny foil) the attributes of another character. The foil is portrayed opposite of another character in a particular way.

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Footnotes

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a note of text placed at the bottom of a page in a book or document. The note comments on and may cite a reference for part of the main body of the text.

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General Setting

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refers to the time and place in which a story is told. Time refers to the year and also the historical period. This refers to the overall work of literature.

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Hook

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the attention grabbing first sentence(s) of an essay. It hooks the reader and makes him or her want to read more.

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Imagery

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word and phrases that re-create a vivid sensory experience for the reader. Images are visual, but may also include small, hearing, taste, and touch.

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Irony

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the humorous and scornful use of words to express the opposite of what one really means; what is said or written is not what is really meant. There are three types of irony:
*Verbal – the contrast between what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are examples of verbal irony.
*Dramatic – the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what the readers know to be true.
*Situational – the contrast between what happens and what was expected.

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Metaphor

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a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike, but have something in common. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not contain the words like or as.

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Mood

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the feeling, or atmosphere, that a writer creates for the reader. The writer’s use of connotation, imagery, and figurative language, as well as sound and rhythm, help to develop it

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Parenthetical Citations

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in-text citations within a research paper that are used to document any external sources used within the paper (unless the material is considered general knowledge). The citations direct readers to the Works Cited page.

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Plot

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the sequence of actions and events in a narrative. Usually the events of a plot progress because of a conflict, or struggle between opposing forces.

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Exposition

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the groundwork for the plot. It provides the reader with essential background information. Characters are introduced, the setting is described, and the major conflict is identified. Although the exposition generally appears at the opening of a work, it may also occur later in the narrative.

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Rising Action

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the complications usually arise in the plot, causing difficulties for the main characters and making the conflict more difficult to resolve. As the characters struggle to find solutions to the conflict, suspense builds.

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Climax

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the turning point of the action in the plot, the moment when interest and intensity reach their peak. The climax of a work usually involves an important event, decision, or discovery that affects the final outcome.

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Falling Action

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the events that occur after the climax in the plot.

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Resolution

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all of the conflicts or mysteries are solved in the plot.

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Point of View

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the perspective from which an author tells a story. There are three different types:
*First Person – the narrator is a participant in the action and is often the protagonist. The reader only sees what the protagonist sees.
*Second Person – indicates the writer is the speaker or narrator.
*Third Person – usually a nameless narrator who can be identified as the author.
*Third Person Omniscient – a godlike narrator; he or she can enter the characters’ minds and know everything that is going on – past, present and future.

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Style

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the particular way in which a piece of literature is written. Style is not what is said, instead it is how it is said.

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Symbolism

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used by authors to show a bigger picture. A symbol is a person, place, object, or activity that represents something beyond itself. Certain symbols are commonly used in literature, such as a journey to represent life or night to represent death. Other symbols, however, acquire their meanings within the contexts of the works in which they occur.

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Text Connections

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connecting what you have read to other materials. There are three types:
*Text-to-Self – personal connections that you make between a piece of literature and your own experiences or life.
*Text-to-Text – when you read a piece of literature and it reminds you of other things you have read.
*Text-to-Word – connections that are large. These connections go far beyond personal experiences. Can include connections to television, movies, news, magazines, and newspapers.

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Theme

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the main idea (ideas) an author develops throughout a literary work. Themes are central ideas or “truths” a work of literature expresses about a human condition.

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Theme Statement

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express the theme of a work of literature and relate it to the outside/real world.

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Thesis

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a one sentence assertion of what your essay or report will be about. It is very specific.

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Tone

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an expression of a writer’s attitude toward a subject. It reflects the writer’s feelings and should not shape the reader’s emotions.

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Unity

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when all of the sentences in a paragraph support and develop one stated or implied idea. It is also when all of the paragraphs in an essay support and develop the thesis.

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Visualization

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occurs when the reader forms a mental image or picture of what he or she read. It appeals to the five senses.

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Works Cited

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an alphabetized list of all of the sources used by a writer in a research paper.