Literary Devices (as told by The Kite Runner)
In reference to Hassan's literacy, Amir says "...but I had abandoned the text altogether, taken over the story, and made up my own. Hassan, of course, was oblivious to this. To him, words on the page were a scramble of codes, indecipherable, mysterious. Words were secret doorways and I held all the keys."
What is a "metaphor"?
Every trip is a _____, even for our character Laura from "The Garden Party" who makes one to see the body of a dead man.
What is a "quest"?
Shakespeare's "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" and Neruda's "My ugly love" both reveal to audiences that beauty is...(this cliche, but true phrase)
What is "in the eye of the beholder"?
Mrs. Kowalski worries for her safety when Bella asks where she lives. However, this person is the one she looks to to confirm that if she (Mrs. Kowalski) ever goes missing, this individual knows who the suspect is.
Who is "Parviz"?
Said at the beginning of the novel by this character, "For you, a thousand times over."
Who is "Hassan"?
While the novel is told _______ or "in the middle of the action," The Kite Runner is told primarily through Amir's flashbacks to his childhood.
What is "in medias res"?
Foster says that whenever people eat or drink it is this type of religious sacrament. Not sure if this works for the scene with muffins and cucumber sandwiches in The Importance of Being Earnest, but Algernon does find eating to be a sacred matter.
What is "communion"?
This tragic hero (or heroine) reveals to us that "the devastating cycle of betrayal and unrestrained revenge destroys everything in its path" as we witness some heinous crimes on the stage.
Who is "Medea"?
Your second AP Lit tip (leading up to the exam) was "Fishing for answers on multiple choice? Remember these tips," in which you were each given a bag
What are "goldfish"?
Said by this character in perhaps feigned madness, or maybe even rage bait, to Polonius: "You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal--except my life, except my life, except my life"
Who is "Hamlet"?
Amir beginning the novel with, "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975" is an example of
What is "foreshadowing"?
Literary allusions can be found in anything and everything from Shakespeare, to fairytales, mythology, to the Bible, etc. This title novel and symbol by the same name is an allusion to the Biblical Beelzebub.
What is "Lord of the Flies"?
Hemingway shows us through his famous ice berg theory the "difficulty of communication and the heavy emotional cost of forcing a life-altering decision" as the two main characters are at a crossroads in this short story.
What is "Hills Like White Elephants"?
What is The Importance of Being Earnest?
Perhaps this quote reveals one of the tensions within this novel concerning savagery and survival, "Because the rules are the only thing we got!"
What is Lord of the Flies?
The pomegranate tree, the kites, Hassan's harelip.
What is a "symbol"?
Perhaps Piggy as well as some of the characters in Invisible Man best fit this chapter entitled "He's _____ for a Reason, You Know."
What is "blind"?
"The struggle for individual identity and self-awareness in a society that refuses to acknowledge one's true humanity" is detailed in this social commentary.
What is "Invisible Man"?
December 27th, 2025.
What is "Mrs. Kowalski's wedding"?
"The Garden Party" asks this simple yet profound question at the end of the short story.
What is "Isn't life"?
Scenes in which scenes are side by side, like the mention of Assef laughing while being beaten followed by Amir being beaten by Assef and laughing, include this literary device
What is "juxtaposition"?
What is "spring" and "winter"?
Through Twyla and Roberta's shared childhood experiences of racial bias, Toni Morrison offers a critique of racial bias in this short story.
What is "Recitatif"?
Very on theme, after receiving many samples of your writing, Mrs. Kowalski asked you to bury these
What are "bad writing habits"?
"It isn't fair, it isn't right," Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her," is from this violent and unlucky short story.
What is "The Lottery"?