HU 142 Midterm Vocabulary
Deus Ex Machina
"A god out of the machine" artificial, convenient, easy, and illogical solution of problems
Anaphora
"To carry again or repeat" repetition of same word or phrase throughout a work or section of a work
Denouement
"Untying/resolution" final stage of plot development, in which mysteries are explained, characters find their destinies, etc.
Omniscient Point of View
3rd-person narrative in which the speaker or narrator, with no apparent limitations, may describe intentions, actions, reactions, locations, and speeches of any or all of characters and may also describe their innermost thoughts
Symbol or Symbolism
A specific word, idea, or object that may stand for ideas, values, persons, or ways of life
Satire
An attack on human follies or vices, as measured positively against a normative religious, moral, or social standard
Genre
Category of literature, such as fiction or poetry
Protagonist
Central character and focus of interest in narrative or drama
Dynamic Character
Character who tries to assert control by recognition, adjustment, and change
Archetype
Character, action, or situation that is a prototype or pattern of human life generally; a situation that occurs over and over again in literature (i.e. Myths)
Flat Character
Character, usually minor, who is not individual, rather useful and structural, static and unchanging
Feminist Critical Approach
Critical approach designed to raise consciousness about importance and unique nature of women in literature
Gender Studies
Critical approach that brings attention to gender rather than sexual differences
Explication
Detailed analysis of work of literature often word by word and line by line; a close reading
Close Reading
Detailed study of a poem or passage, designed to explain characters, motivations, similarities and contrasts of sound, situations, ideas, style, organization, word selections, setting, etc.
Motif
Element, subject, idea, or concept that is constantly present or repeated throughout a work of literature
Historical Context
Historical time when a work was written, together with intellectual and cultural ideas of this period
Parody
Imitation of particular writer, artist or genre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect
Economic Determinist
Interpretive literary approach based on theories of Karl Marx, stressing that literature is to be judged from standard of economic and social inequality and oppression
Psychological/Psychoanalytical Critical Approach
Interpretive literary approach stressing how psychology may be used in explanation of both authors and literary works
Round Character
Literary character who is 3-D, rounded, authentic, memorable, original, and true to life. Undergoes change or development
Authorial Intrusion
Literary device wherein author penning work speaks directly to reader
Juxtaposition
Literary device wherein author places person, concept, place, idea or theme parallel to another. Purpose is to highlight contrast and compare them
Pastihe
Literary piece that imitates one or more other literary works
Epic
Long narrative poem elevating character, speech, and action
Irony
Major aspect of literature tone, a means of indirection, based on proposition that even the simplest events in human life may be seen in multiple ways
Theme
Major or central idea of a work
Connotation
Meanings that words suggest; overtones of words beyond their bare dictionary definitions or denotations
Comedy of the Absurd
Modern form of comedy dramatizing the apparent pointlessness, ambiguity, uncertainty, and absurdity of human existence
Conflict
Opposition between two characters, between large groups of people, or between protagonists and larger forces such as natural objects, ideas, modes of behavior, public opinion and the like
Antagonist
Person, idea, force, or general set of circumstances opposing protagonist
Open-Form Poetry
Poems that avoid traditional structural patterns, such as rhyme or meter, in favor of other methods of organization
Hubris
Pride and attitudes that lead to tragic figures to commit their mistakes or offenses
Pathos
Quality in a work of art that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy, and sorry
Image or Imagery
References that trigger the mind to fuse together memories of sights (visual), sounds (olfactory), sensations of touch (tactile), and perceptions of motion (kinetic or kinesthetic)
Stream of Consciousness
Refers to an uninterrupted and unhindered collection and occurrence of thoughts and ideas in the conscious mind
Melodrama
Sentimental dramatic form with an artificially happy ending
Unreliable Narrator
Speaker who through ignorance, self-interests, or lack of capacity may tell lies and distort details
Dramatic Irony
Special kind of situational irony in which a character perceives his/her plight in limited way whereas audience and one or more other characters understands entirely
Soliloquy
Speech made by character, alone on stage, directly to the audience, the convention being that the character is revealing his or her inner thoughts, etc.
Exposition
Stage of dramatic or narrative structure that introduces all things necessary for development of plot
Denotation
Standard, minimal meaning of a word, without implications or connotations
Coming-of-Age Story
Story of young person's first experiences with adulthood
Epiphany
Sudden realization of something important. Often at or near end of work of fiction. Particularly important in works of James Joyce
Metafiction
Term given to fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an artifact in order to pose questions about relationship between fiction and reality
Allusion
Unacknowledged references and quotations that authors make while assuming readers will recognize original sources and relate their meanings to the new context
Farce
Word derived from Latin farsus, meaning "stuffed." Outlandish physical comedy overflowing with silly characters, improbable happenings, wild clowning, extravagant language, and bawdy jokes