Name that Text!
"Dust puffed about him, and in a thin, vicious crackling of sapless stems he lay choking and retching until the second car passed and died away. Then he rose and limped on until he reached the highroad and turned toward town"
Dry September - William Faulkner
The use of humor, exaggeration, ridicule, sarcasm, irony, and/or a number of other literary devices to expose and criticize foolishness, corruption, or general social problems with the intent to make social change.
Satire
A Philosophical Theory which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.
Existentialism
"the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques."
Rhetoric
This movement in the early 20th century outlawed all alcohol in the United States
Prohibition
he was always getting something wrong. Kleenex, he thought, Squibb’s, razor blades? No. Toothpaste, toothbrush, bicarbonate, carborundum, initiative and referendum? He gave it up. But she would remember it. “Where's the what’s-its-name?” she would ask. “Don’t tell me you forgot the what’s-its-name.” A newsboy went by shouting something about the Waterbury trial."
Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Thurber
Immense exaggeration; blowing something into ridiculous proportions to make it seem laughable, or absurd - usually with the intention to make some kind of comment/point about it.
Hyperbole
A philosophical perspective which holds that the efforts of humanity to find meaning or rational explanation in the universe ultimately fail because no such meaning inherently exists; though, humans relentlessly still pursue it.
Absurdism
A comparison using "like" or "as"
Simile
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically; usually this is done with force or at least the threat of force, and the indigenous people usually must submit unwillingly
Colonialism
"the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer;"
If by Whiskey Speech (Whiskey Speech) - Noah Soggy Sweat
An underlying and often distinct theme in a piece of writing or conversation; i.e. what the artist wants you to 'take away' from the work
Subtext
This famous ancient Greek philosopher divided the world into two parts: the physical world (world of illusions) that we immediately experience, and the world of forms, in which unchanging, timeless universal 'ideas' or forms of all objects exist which act as a 'blueprint' for the objects in real life. An objects quality is determined by its ability to closely follow these forms.
Plato
the repetition of an initial consonant sound in words that are in close proximity to each other.
Alliteration
In what state did Mr. Stansell attend (undergraduate) college?
Maryland! - St. Mary's College of Maryland
"You know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even when the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I told the press that, like, a gang-banger would get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics. Because it's all part of the plan. But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everybody loses their minds!"
Joker's Speech to Harvey Dent - The Dark Knight
This pamphlet argued that the solution to rampant poverty and corruption in Ireland was the selling and eating of infants.
A Modest Proposal by Jonathon Swift
In which country does 'The Stranger' take place?
Algeria
A very short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person, usually made to make a larger point.
Anecdote
A reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that exist outside (and beneath) of conscious awareness. Most of the contents of this are considered unacceptable or unpleasant, yet according to Freud they continue to influence almost all of our behavior.
The Unconscious
One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart."
The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus
Politicians are often two faced when it comes to controversial issues; they will 'ride the fence' and refuse to take a real side or stand, out of fear of losing votes and becoming unpopular
This writer gave the speech entitled "Existentialism is a Humanism" and famously said that "Existence Precedes Essence"
Jean-Paul Sartre
Logos
Why did George Wilson kill Jay Gatsby, and where did this murder take place?
George believed that Gatsby was the one who hit his wife with a car, killing her; the murder took place on Gatsby's pool deck