Unit 1
Define allusion.
a short reference to a well-known person, event, or object
Define auspicious.
indicating favorable conditions or suggesting the likelihood of good fortune
Define harangue.
to make a long oration or speak at length
Define bequeath.
to bestow or leave by will; hand down or pass on
Define denizen.
dweller or inhabitant
Implicit/Explicit Meanings
Implicit: Not directly stated, but inferred
Explicit: Directly stated
Archetypes
familiar, commonly used character types and situations in stories.
Ambiguity
Having unclear or uncertain meaning, or having multiple interpretations. When a text is ambiguous or contains ambiguous parts, it does not have a single specific meaning; rather, it can have many possible implied meanings and interpretations.
The Role of Word Choice
An author’s choice of words can provide clues that help readers make determinations about perspective. When you are examining an author’s word choices, also consider these other factors that can illuminate perspective:
the author’s level of formality and adoption of specific or general terms
the tone generated from the word choices
Comparing Artistic Interpretations
Artistic representations of the same story present different variations of the same work—in prose and in poetry, for example. Writers can be inspired by painting, song, or dance and write a story or poem based on that work. Changes in detail or perspective often lead to a new interpretation of the original work’s message.
Interrupting the story to mention an event from the past
Flashback
Using Perspective
Perspective – an author’s or character’s attitudes, values, or opinions that influence the representation of a topic
Editing and Proofreading
look more closely at your writing for issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Irony
Irony is a literary device in which words are used in a way that implies the opposite of their literal meaning. Irony can also exist in a situation that is the reverse of what might be expected. Essentially, irony contains a contradiction, either between literal and implied meaning or between the expected and the actual situation.
Pacing
Pacing is the rhythm of the story—how slowly or quickly the actions and events develop and unfold. Authors make deliberate and thoughtful choices about controlling the pace of their narratives.
Comparing literary representations
Comparing different versions of a piece of literature to find similarities and differences and compare the impact it has on readers
Identifying and Analyzing Central Ideas and Themes
A central idea is an overarching message or truth that is specific to a story. Central ideas are closely linked to themes, and at times it is hard to separate the two. Nevertheless, keep in mind that central ideas are specific to one text, while themes can be applied to other texts.
Analyzing Character Perspective
All characters in a story have the potential to think, feel, act, react, and disagree, but not all do. The author gives only certain characters that power of perspective, and including the perspectives of these characters enhances meaning.
Making Inferences
When making an inference, or an educated guess, readers usually gather explicitly stated evidence and other clues to arrive at deeper implied meanings and intent.
Analyzing Effects of Word Choice and Humor on Tone
Authors use humor to convey their tone and perspective (more often than not in an indirect manner). Through perspective, authors provide readers with a character’s interpretation of a story’s events, other characters, and social setting.
Conveying specific details about a character to reveal the character’s personality.
Characterization
Using Figurative Language
Figurative language explains or clarifies one item in terms of another on a nonliteral level. Because figurative language functions on a nonliteral level, it empowers the text to be more than what appears literally on the page.
Using Appropriate Style and Formatting
Before you submit your fictional narrative, check with your instructor about whether your class is using specific formatting guidelines for your fictional narrative. Otherwise, you can use these general formatting guidelines from the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Using Figurative Language
Many forms of figurative language appear in literary texts. Poetry also abounds with connotative and figurative words that add a much deeper layer of meaning than what appears on the poems’ surface.
Creating a tone
Authors create a particular tone by: employing specific word choices, using literary devices, and including explicit details that emphasize certain parts of their texts