LITERARY TERMS
Showing a character's traits through their actions and dialogue rather than telling us directly.
What is Indirect Characterization?
Kambili's father Eugene represents this thematic tension — outwardly devout but privately abusive.
What is Religious Hypocrisy?
The epic opens mid-action, with Odysseus already stranded on Calypso's island. This technique is called this.
What is In Media Res?
In 'The Cask of Amontillado,' Montresor tells Fortunato he 'will not die of a cough' — knowing he has a much worse fate planned. This is an example of what type of irony?
What is Verbal Irony?
Odysseus's son, who grows from a passive boy into a young man seeking news of his father and defending his household against the suitors.
Who is Telemachus?
The attitude a writer takes toward the subject or audience — distinguished from mood, which is felt by the reader.
What is Tone?
The purple hibiscus in Aunty Ifeoma's garden symbolizes this for Kambili.
What is Freedom (or independence/hope)?
Homer's extended comparison — “As when an octopus dragged from its den” — is this type of figurative language.
What is an Epic Simile?
In 'The Cask of Amontillado,' we know Montresor is luring Fortunato to his death, but Fortunato cheerfully follows — creating this type of irony.
What is Dramatic Irony?
Kambili's Aunty, a university lecturer and single mother whose joyful, freethinking household in Nsukka awakens Kambili's sense of self.
Who is Aunty Ifeoma?
An appeal to the audience's emotions used in persuasive writing — often through vivid stories or emotional language.
What is Pathos?
Kambili undergoes significant internal change throughout the novel, making her this type of character.
What is a Dynamic Character?
The Greek concept of hospitality and guest-friendship that both gods and mortals are expected to honor.
What is Xenia?
Fortunato is dressed in this costume during the carnival in 'The Cask of Amontillado,' making his fate darkly ironic.
What is a jester (or fool/motley)?
The calculating narrator of 'The Cask of Amontillado' who lures his rival into the catacombs under the pretense of wine tasting.
Who is Montresor?
A persuasive appeal based on the credibility, authority, or trustworthiness of the speaker or writer.
What is Ethos?
Papa's strict silence and Aunty Ifeoma's loud, laughter-filled home are placed in contrast using this literary device.
What is Juxtaposition?
Odysseus' excessive pride and arrogance — shouting his name to the Cyclops — is an example of this character flaw.
What is Hubris?
In 'Charles,' Laurie's mother reports on the misbehaving 'Charles' all year — never suspecting that Charles is actually her own son. This dramatic twist makes her this type of narrator.
What is an Unreliable Narrator?
The goddess-nymph on the island of Ogygia who keeps Odysseus captive for seven years, offering him immortality in exchange for staying with her.
Who is Calypso?
A persuasive appeal that uses facts, evidence, statistics, and logical reasoning to convince an audience.
What is Logos?
Kambili references the Nigerian political upheaval of the 1990s throughout the novel. This technique of referencing real historical events to deepen meaning is called this.
What is an Allusion?
Phrases like 'grey-eyed Athena' and 'rosy-fingered Dawn' are examples of this epic device used as repeated descriptive tags.
What are Homeric Epithets?
At the end of 'Charles,' the mother finally meets Laurie's teacher expecting to hear about the troublemaker Charles — only to learn that Charles doesn't exist. The outcome is the opposite of what she expected, making this an example of what type of irony?
What is Situational Irony?
Kambili's paternal grandfather — a traditional Igbo elder whom Eugene forbids the family from greeting because he is not Catholic.
Who is Papa-Nnukwu?