Literary Devices
Plot
Characters
The Others
Random!
100
My most vivid memories are of her hands: long, elegant fingers, with impeccable nails, a skein of fine, barely-seen veins, AND WRINKLED SKIN LIKE LIGHT PINE.
What is a simile?
100
The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight-hers and the one by the empty chair opposite.Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home from work.
What is an introduction?
100
“For God’s sake,” he said, hearing her, but not turning around. “Don't make supper for me I'm going out.”
What is an antagonist?
100
When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always, she heard the tires on the gravel outside, and the car door slamming, the footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock.
What is setting (time)?
100
My stepmother looked endlessly into the small cluttered room the ancient lady had occupied.
What is point-of-view (first person)?
200
At night, between wracking coughs and deadly silences, Grandmama had her back and chest rubbed with heated camphor oil and sipped a bluish decoction of an herb called Peacock’s Tail.
What is sensory details?
200
She stood up and placed her sewing on the table by the lamp.”Sit down,“ he said. Just for a minute, sit down.“It wasn‘t till then that she began to get frightened.”Go on,“ he said. —Sit down.
What is an inciting event?
200
“She wants us to finish it, she said so, we would be doing her a favour."
What is character motivation?
200
The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight-hers and the one by the empty chair opposite.
What is setting (location)?
200
I began to cry and quickly put my hand in my pocket for a handkerchief. Instead, caught between my fingers, was the small, round firmness of the jade peony. In my mind’s eye I saw Grandmama smile and heard, softly, the pink centre beat like a beautiful, cramped heart.
What is symbolism?
300
My stepmother looked endlessly into the small cluttered room the ancient lady had occupied. Nothing was touched; nothing changed.
What is symbolism?
300
This is going to be a bit of a shock to you, I‘m afraid,“ he said. —But I‘ve thought about it a good deal and I‘ve decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. I hope you won‘t blame me too much.“I‘ll get the supper,“ she managed to whisper, and this time he didn‘t stop her.She lifted it out, and looked at it. It was wrapped in paper, so she took off the paper and looked at it again.A leg of lamb.
What is rising action?
300
“I’ll get it!” she cried, jumping up. "Sit down,” he said.
What is conflict (person vs. person)?
300
He had now become absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down so that the light from the lamp beside him fell across the upper part of his face, leaving the chin and mouth in shadow. She noticed there was a little muscle moving near the corner of his left eye.
What is mood (suspenseful)?
300
One of them, “tall and pale as the whiteness of petals” fell in love with her, promising to return.
What is simile?
400
“A Lamb to Slaughter”
What is a metaphor?
400
At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.
What is climax?
400
“She knew he didn‘t want to speak much until the first drink was finished, and she, on her side, was content to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house.”
What are character traits?
400
Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come him from work.
What is point-of-view (third person)?
400
Her round face looked darker, and the gentleness of her eyes, the thin, arching eyebrows, seemed weary.
What is character traits?
500
Personally, I think it‘s right here on the premises. Probably right under our very noses. What you think, Jack? And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.
What is dramatic irony?
500
All right, she told herself. So I‘ve killed him.
What is falling action?
500
“There is plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer and you can have it right here and not move from the chair,” said Mary.
What is a protagonist?
500
"And I know it‘s kind of a bad time to be telling you, bet there simply wasn‘t any other way. Of course I‘ll give you money and see you‘re looked after. But there needn‘t really be any fuss. I hope not anyway. It wouldn‘t be very good for my job.“ Her first instinct was not to believe any of it, to reject it all.
What is theme (betrayal)?
500
“I – I am going to the hospital, Grandson.” Her hand reached out for mine. “You know, Little Son, whatever happens I will never leave you.”
What is theme (sorrow/sadness/love)?
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