Key Terms
This literary technique involves an author explicitly telling the audience about a character's personality, often using descriptive adjectives
What is direct characterization?
This is the underlying message or central idea explored in a literary work, and in The Witches, the idea that appearances can be deceiving, and that hidden evil can lurk beneath a seemingly normal surface, is a prominent example
What is a theme?
This is the underlying message or central idea explored in a literary work, and in The Night Circus, the exploration of how love and creativity can exist outside of predetermined boundaries or rigid structures is a prominent example
What is a theme?
In the final chapters of The Witches, the bond between the boy and his grandmother is strengthened, and they embark on a new mission to rid the world of ________
What are witches?
The strategic and calculated nature of the competition between Celia and Marco can be interpreted through this symbolic comparison
What is game as metaphor? AND/OR What is chess as metaphor?
This literary technique allows authors to reveal a character's personality by "showing" rather than "telling," relying on actions, speech, and interactions
What is indirect characterization?
The Grand High Witch's control over her coven and her desire to eliminate all children exemplifies this theme
What is power? AND/OR Control?
The characters' willingness to give up something important for the circus or for each other explores this theme
What is sacrifice?
What is style?
Morgenstern's use of written correspondence to reveal character thoughts and advance the plot is an example of this narrative technique
What is letter writing?
This is a secondary storyline that runs alongside (or against) the main narrative, adding complexity or depth to the overall plot
What is a counterplot?
The witches' ability to manipulate others through lies and illusions highlights this theme
What is deception? AND/OR Disguise
The characters' struggle to navigate the predetermined path set for them versus their own desires relates to this theme
Destiny OR Fate vs. Free Will OR Choice
The structure of "The Witches" allows for this, as each chapter often focuses on a distinct event or encounter
What are chapters as self-contained stories?
The _________ Questionnaire reveals to us a person (or character's) values and worldview
What/Who is Proust?
This figure of speech compares two unlike things by stating that one is the other without using "like" or "as"
What is metaphor?
Roald Dahl's vivid descriptions and the boy's ability to envision solutions highlights this theme
What is imagination?
The forbidden romance between Celia and Marco, hindered by their circumstances, exemplifies this theme
What is Star-Crossed Love?
The portrayal of the Grand High Witch and the all-female coven as monstrous and deceptive raises questions about this societal issue
What is gender?
These are the five components of literary analysis
What are Summary/Context, Topic, Evidence, Commentary/Analysis, AND Significance?
This storytelling method disrupts the traditional chronological order of events, often using techniques like flashbacks, flash-forwards, or fragmented timelines
What is a non-linear narrative?
The boy's transformation and struggle to define himself in a new form relates to this theme
What is identity?
The cyclical nature of the circus, and the lack of linear time, challenges the reader's perception of ________ .
What is reality?
In academic discussions, the ending of The Witches, where the boy and his grandmother embark on a global witch-hunting mission, is sometimes interpreted as an allegory for this historical phenomenon, raising questions about vigilantism and the justification of violence
What is colonialism? OR What is imperialism?
In critical discussions of The Night Circus, scholars often analyze how Erin Morgenstern uses detailed descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and textures to create this experience for the reader, drawing them fully into the fantastical world of the circus
What is sensory immersion? OR What is sensory experience?