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saunter
(v.): To walk about in an idle or leisurely manner; to stroll.
countenance
(n.): The face as an expression of mood, emotion, or character; a facial expression that offers approval or moral support.
repel
(v.): To drive away, repulse; to cause aversion or disgust.
Tone
A way of communicating information (in writing, images, or sound) that conveys the writers attitude toward the subject. Authors convey tone through a combination of word-choice, imagery, perspective, style, and subject matter. By adopting a specific tone, authors can help readers accurately interpret meaning in a text.
Allusion
When a text references, incorporates, or responds to an earlier piece (including literature, art, music, film, event, etc). T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1922) offers an extensive example of allusion in literature. According to Baldick, “The technique of allusion is an economical means of calling upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share” (7).
supercilious
(adj.): Patronizingly haughty; exhibiting an attitude of arrogant superiority.
discreetly
(adv.): Unobtrusively; done without drawing undue attention to oneself.
console
(v.): To give comfort to someone, esp. after that person has suffered a disappointment.
Irony
Typically refers to saying one thing and meaning the opposite, or the opposite of what is expected happening, often to shock audiences and emphasize the importance of the truth, create tension, or comedy.
Hyperbole
exaggerated language, description, or speech that is not meant to be taken literally, but is used for emphasis. For instance, “I’ve been waiting here for ages” or “This bag weighs a ton.”
contiguous
(adj.): Next to something in geographical space; adjacent.
shiftlessness
(n.): Laziness or passivity; an unwillingness to work; a lack of ambition or drive.
Characterization
The ways individual characters are represented by the narrator or author of a text. This includes descriptions of the characters’ physical appearances, personalities, actions, interactions, and dialogue.
Protagonist
The primary character in a text, often positioned as “good” or the character with whom readers are expected to identify. Protagonists usually oppose an antagonist.
Metaphor
a figure of speech that refers to one thing by another in order to identify similarities between the two (and therefore define each in relation to one another).
vicinity
(n.): The area around or near a particular place.
strident
(adj.): Unpleasantly loud or harsh.
Imagery
A term used to describe an author’s use of vivid descriptions “that evoke the senses by literal or figurative reference to perceptible or ‘concrete’ objects, scenes, actions, or states”
Diction
Word choice, or the specific language an author, narrator, or speaker uses to describe events and interact with other characters.
Simile
a figure of speech that compares two people, objects, elements, or concepts using “like” or “as.”
indeterminate
(adj.): Not able to be determined or stated in a precise way; vague.
incredulously
(adj.): Done in a manner that conveys a reluctance to believe; skeptically.
Symbol(ism)
An object or element incorporated into a narrative to represent another concept or concern. Broadly, representing one thing with another. Symbols typically recur throughout a narrative and offer critical, though often overlooked, information about events, characters, and the author’s primary concerns in telling the story.
Climax
The height of conflict and intrigue in a narrative. This is when events in the narrative and characters’ destinies are most unclear; the climax often appears as a decision the protagonist must make or a challenge he or she must overcome in order for the narrative to obtain resolution.
Exposition
Usually located at the beginning of a text, this is a detailed discussion introducing characters, setting, background information, etc. readers might need to know in order to understand the text that follows. This section is particularly rich for analysis because it contains a lot of important information in a relatively small space.