LITERARY DEVICES & CONCEPTS
A detail in a story that hints at a future event creates this effect.
foreshadowing
In A Sound of Thunder, this strict rule is the story’s clearest early warning of future danger.
stay on the Path
The short chapter structure allows Cisneros to present isolated moments called these.
vignettes
Calypso’s island represents this danger for Odysseus.
confinement (or comfort)
A character who realizes the world is unsafe experiences this theme
loss of innocence
When the opposite of what the reader expects occurs, the story uses this.
(situational) irony
In The Gift of the Magi, the ironic twist occurs because Jim and Della each do this.
sell their prized possessions
“My mother’s hair… like little rosettes” is an example of this literary device.
imagery
The Sirens are symbolic of this ancient fear.
the dangerous power of female voices
A narrator who understands another’s fear demonstrates this quality
empathy
A short, descriptive moment focusing on feeling rather than plot is called this.
vignette
In The Most Dangerous Game, hearing gunshots before meeting Zaroff contributes most to this feeling.
suspense (or foreboding)
Esperanza’s narration is told in this point of view.
first-person point of view
Odysseus shouting his real name to Polyphemus reveals this flaw.
pride
A character trapped by unspoken social rules is experiencing this condition
confinement
When a narrator uses “I” and gives access to inner thoughts, the story is told in this point of view.
first-person point of view
Jill’s belief that “perfection equals control” drives this type of conflict in “Pancakes.”
internal conflict (or character vs. self)
The four skinny trees symbolize Esperanza’s desire to hold on to this inner quality.
strength, resilience, etc.
The suitors’ deaths are framed as this type of justice.
Divine punishment carried out through him
When a protagonist endures danger and continues onward, the story is exploring this theme
survival
The four skinny trees in The House on Mango Street function as this kind of literary device.
symbol (or imagery)
Zaroff’s civilized manners paired with his hobby create this tension between appearance and reality.
irony (or indirect characterization)
Many chapters read like snapshots drawn from this mental process rather than strict chronology.
memory
Explain how the opening invocation to the Muse establishes the poem’s structure and authority.
It signals oral tradition, divine guidance, and a story shaped by the teller but authorized by the Muse.
In many stories, the search for freedom begins only after a character recognizes this invisible limit shaping their life
internal confinement / unspoken constraints