Literary Devices
What is an allusion?
An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work.
Name at least 3 characters from The Awakening.
Answers may vary but can include: Edna, Adele, Reisz (piano player), Robert, Leonce, Arobin
Describe the witches in Macbeth.
Weird Sisters, old women, beards, don't look like inhabitants of the earth, chapped, skinny lips, withered/wild attire
What is the name of the house that a ghost haunts in Beloved? Explain the meaning behind the name of the place.
124 Bluestone Road: 124 is missing "3" (the third child was killed)
What saves Ashoke from dying on a train? Be specific.
Define personification and give one example from literature.
Personification is attributing human qualities to non-human entities.
Describe the significance of the sea in "The Awakening."
The sea represents freedom and escape for Edna, symbolizing her desire for independence.
Describe the significance of blood as a symbol in "Macbeth."
Blood symbolizes guilt and the consequences of ambition, particularly in Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth's characters
What is an infanticide? What is the reason Sethe commits an infanticide?
infanticide: killing of an infant
Sethe kills her daughter Beloved and attempts to kill Denver to save them from going into slavery
Describe Gogol's relationship with his name and its impact on his identity.
Gogol's name represents his struggle with cultural identity and the desire to fit in, leading to a sense of disconnection. (He goes back and forth whether he likes the name or not)
Explain the difference between a simile and a metaphor
A simile uses "like" or "as" for comparison (e.g., "as brave as a lion"), while a metaphor directly states one thing is another (e.g., "Time is a thief").
How does Edna Pontellier's character evolve throughout the novel?
Edna transitions from a submissive wife to an independent woman who seeks her own identity.
What role does guilt play in Macbeth's descent into madness? Explain 2 moments where Macbeth's guilt manifests in the play.
Guilt manifests through hallucinations and paranoia, illustrating the psychological consequences of his actions. (Cannot sleep any more, dinner party)
How does memory function as a theme in "Beloved"?
Memory/rememory is central to the narrative, illustrating how the past influences the present and shapes identity.
Who is Maxine? How does she act as a foil in the novel?
Maxine is Gogol's first real girl-friend. She is a White girl who is completely opposite of Gogol in her relationship with her family, confidence, and wealth.
What is anaphora?
Name a theme in The Awakening.
The novel explores the struggle for female autonomy in a patriarchal society, highlighting Edna's quest for self-fulfillment.
Describe a theme in Macbeth.
Answers may vary, but should discuss ambition, fate, power, and/or greed
Explain a theme in Beloved.
Answers may vary but should discuss love, trauma, generational trauma, and/or memory
Name and explain a theme in The Namesake.
Answers may vary but should include topics related to culture, identity, belonging, and/or immigration
Answers may vary, but can include: Birds/water (The Awakening); Blood/daggers (Macbeth); Graves/Houses/Milk (Beloved); Names/Trains/Books (The Namesake)
Name the speaker, intended audience, and explain the significance of the quote: I would give up the unessential; I would give up my money, I would give up my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me
Speaker: Edna
Audience: Adele
Significance: Argument over motherhood
Name the speaker, intended audience, and explain the significance of the quote: She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
Speaker: Macbeth
Audience: Seyton/army
Significance: Lady Macbeth committed suicide and Macbeth realizes the prophecy is coming true and that he is going to die
Name the speaker, intended audience, and explain the significance of the quote: You got two feet Sethe, not four.
Speaker: Paul D
Audience: Sethe
Significance: Paul D learns about the infanticide and is disgusted and calls her an animal.
Name the intended audience, the subject (who they are talking about), and explain the significance of the quote: And then the young woman tells her that the patient...has expired. Expired. A word used for library cards, for magazine subscriptions.
Intended audience: Ashima
Subject: Ashoke
Significance: Ashoke died in the middle of the novel which sends all the characters into a spiral. The use of the word "expire" is also incredibly dehumanizing.