Literary Terms : Know the definitions of these terms for the …mrfinn.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/5/2/17521707/english_10... · 2013-05-14 · Plot a. Conflict: i . character vs ... conflict

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English 10 Final Test Study Guide

Literary Terms : Know the definitions of these terms for the final. Be sure to have an original example for

each term ready as well (it would be a good idea to write it down ahead of time).

1. Point of View

a. First person

i. 1st Person Unreliable

b. Third person

i. objective (surveillance camera)

ii. omniscient (all-knowing)

iii. limited omniscient (in 1 head)

2. Character

a. Protagonist

b. Antagonist

c. Indirect Characterization:

i. That Character’s Actions

ii. Reaction of Others

iii. Appearance

iv. Dialogue

v. Attitude & Thoughts

d. Static vs. Dynamic

e. Round vs. Flat

3. Plot

a. Conflict:

i. character vs. character

ii. character vs. self

iii. character vs. society

iv. character vs. nature

b. Plot Line: (exposition /conflict/ rising action / climax / resolution or denouement)

c. Foreshadowing

d. Flashback

e. Subplot

4. Setting

a. Mood/Atmosphere

b. Tone

5. Theme

a. Symbols

b. Archetype

6. Figurative Language

a. Simile/Metaphor

b. Personification

c. Hyperbole

d. Paradox

e. Allusion

f. Cliché

7. Irony

a. Verbal

b. Situational

c. Dramatic

d. Cosmic

e. Satire

f. Parody

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Reading Strategies: Be ready to recite and explain these strategies AND be ready to APPLY these strategies to

poems and short stories.

1. Rereading: a. 80% of middle school students think it is against the rules to reread a passage for a test.

b. This is a simple, but necessary step in understanding difficult passages.

2. Summarizing & Identifying Key Lines:

a. Put a text into simple terms. Use short phrases, 1-2 words, to summarize.

b. Find lines that seem important.

c. Trust your innate ability.

3. Highlighting/Underlining & Writing in the Margins:

a. You must interact with a text by writing on it.

b. You are creating a dialogue with the text; you are not a passive receiver of the text.

4. Making Connections:

a. Reading is interpreting.

b. You must make connections to your self, other texts, and the world in order to make sense of a text.

5. Knowing the Lay of the Land: a. The S.T.R.P. method works because that is how writers almost always write stories.

b. S.T.R.P.

i. Surprising

ii. Too Much Attention

iii. Repetition

iv. Position

6. Focusing on Problems:

a. Focusing on Evidence that doesn’t fit what you think the selection means.

b. When we don’t fear being wrong, a better answer usually emerges.

7. Asking Questions:

a. Empirical Questions: 1 right answer (Fact- no argument. Example: “What color was her hair?”)

b. Inference Questions: Several possible answers that cannot be found directly in the text. (Example: “Why

did the author make her hair red instead of brown?”)

c. Implicative Questions: What is the implication or meaning of the text? Why the text matters. (The “so

what” or theme. Example: “What is this text saying about women?”)

8. Hypothesizing: a. Guessing and trusting our Interpretive Hunches.

b. Formulate a question and then explore it.

9. Collecting Evidence:

a. Find specific quotes and examples that support your hypothesis.

b. And finding evidence that denies your hypothesis.

10. General Strategies: a. Predicting, Clarifying, Connecting, Evaluating, Inferring, Questioning, Visualizing, Summarizing

b. Look for things that might be symbolic or are key details

Reading Strategies Practice: The Wish ~Ross Parsons

The evening glow behind the fog faded as the two walked the almost-deserted beach. “I’ll never understand women.” “Do you really

want to?” “Yes, I do. I truly do.” “Oh, all right.” She whispered into his ear; understanding crystallized in his eyes like broken glass.

He ran screaming into the night.

A. Symbols/Key Details & Why they are symbolic/Important:

1. Symbol:____________________________Why:_________________________________

2. Key Detail:__________________________Why:________________________________

B. General Topic:________________________________________________________________

C. Possible Theme(s):______________________________________________________________

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Formal Composition 1: Know what each section is called (be able to label them) and be ready to apply this

knowledge by writing multiple essays.

How to Write a Basic Essay (5-Paragraph Theme): I. Introduction:

A. Attention Grabber:

B. Link (Title and Author Name): C. Thesis:

II. Body:

A. Claim 1: B. Evidence 1:

C. Explanation 1:

D. Claim 2: E. Evidence 2:

F. Explanation 2:

G. Claim 3

H. Evidence 3: I. Explanation 3:

III. Conclusion:

A. Final Summary: B. Closing Statement:

Title (Write a title that catches the reader’s interest & hints at your point)

Introduction: (Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em)

Attention Grabber (Lead): The purpose of the attention grabber is to grab the reader’s attention. You will have the

reader’s full attention when you first begin your paper, so you must start with something that makes the reader want to keep

reading. Some good ideas for an attention grabber include: a personal story, a quote, a metaphor, a statistic, hypothetical

situations, rhetorical questions (questions you do not want an answer to), an anecdote (very short story that is often funny), painting a picture (describe in detail), listing interesting facts, making a comparison, a statement of purpose, etc. Link (and/or

Background Material): After you have the reader’s attention, you must transition into the topic of your paper. This is a good place for the title and the author’s name. If your topic is confusing you also might need to tell your audience a brief history or

define terms. Thesis (Point): A thesis is one sentence (or more) that tells the reader the main point of your paper. It tells the

reader everything you will cover (and the exact order in which you will cover it).

Body: (Tell ‘em- and Prove It!)

Paragraph 1: 1. Claim (main/topic sentence): Each paragraph starts with a main/topic sentence (claim). This

sentence is like a mini-thesis that is just for that paragraph. The topic sentence should tell the reader everything that is going to

be covered in that paragraph. The main/topic sentence should relate directly to your thesis (I should be able to look at your

thesis and see where your main/topic sentence came from). 2. Evidence: Your main/topic sentence made a claim and now you

must “prove” it. One way to prove your main/topic sentence is through short quotes. Take the text directly from the story,

movie, etc. Another way to prove your main/topic sentence is to summarize by very briefly retelling part of the story. Be sure

to make your point the focus and not the story (this is not a book report!) 3. Analysis of Evidence (Explanation): Explain in

your own words how this quote proves your main/topic sentence (and therefore your thesis).

Paragraphs 2,3,…:Repeat the pattern shown in Paragraph 1 for as many paragraphs as it takes to fully “prove” your

thesis statement. The order of the paragraphs should follow the order set out in the thesis statement (feel free to change the

thesis statement at any time).

Conclusion: (Tell ‘em what you told ‘em)

Final Summary: Summarizes the whole paper. Either makes a statement that restates the main message/thesis &/or

highlights the main points you have made and how they relate to the main message/thesis. Closing Statement (Clincher):

Tells the reader “the end” without actually saying “the end.” Gives the reader something to think about or do. Answers the

question “so what?” Good closing statements include: personal stories, quotes, statistics, anecdotes, metaphors, comparisons,

an answer to your rhetorical question, etc.

Essay Practice:

Directions: Go back through an old essay (or from textbook) and UNDERLINE and LABEL each part of a 5-Paragraph

Thesis Paper that is listed below:

1. Introduction Paragraph 2. Attention Material 3. Thesis 4. Body

5. Point Sentence/Claim 6. Evidence Sentences 7. Explanation Sentences

8. Conclusion Paragraph 9. Final Summary 10. Closing Statement

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Formal Composition 2: Understand the basic format for proving anything in writing: claim, evidence, and explanation. Be ready to apply this logical reasoning in your essays.

Logical Persuasion: Claim, Evidence, Explanation

Explanation: These essays are persuasive. They are NOT a book report. You are trying to convince your reader that YOUR

OPINION of the meaning of the story is correct. In order to persuade your audience you must use some logical reasoning. In order to

persuade using logic you need to:

2. Make a Claim or opinion statement

3. Provide Evidence that supports your claim (this will usually be a paraphrase or a short quote).

4. Explain exactly how your evidence supports your claim.

Definitions:

1. Claim: Your opinion. The position you take on the issue (For example, what you think the theme is).

a. A good claim is debatable. (Can you argue the other side? If not, your claim stinks).

b. A good claim is engaging. (Take an interesting view or give a new idea. Don’t be boring.)

c. A good claim is specific. (“People should eat better” = “People should eat organic foods that are low in fat”).

2. Evidence: The data you cite to support your claims. (Most likely short quotes & paraphrases).

a. Short Quotes: 10 % or less, word for word, 4 lines or less preferred

b. Paraphrases: In own words, Shorter

c. Summaries: In own words, SIGNIFICANTLY Shorter (Just Main Ideas)

d. Expert Opinion: (Literary Criticism from professionals)

e. Facts & Statistics: Must directly relate (less likely to use in literary papers)

f. Personal Anecdotes (personal stories): Use like salt.

3. Explanation: Your interpretation of your evidence. Explaining how your evidence proves that your claim is true.

a. A good explanation will be reasonable (not make illogical interpretive leaps).

b. A good explanation is clearly supported by the evidence.

c. A good explanation may consider and respond to possible counter-arguments.

Examples of the Claim-Evidence-Explanation format:

Example 1 from an essay concerning “Powder”:

Claim: The weather in the short story “Powder” symbolized the changing relationship between the narrator and his father.

Evidence: At first the narrator is angry at his father and they are in a blizzard and by the end of the story the narrator has

made his peace with his father and then there are only a “few, sparse flakes”.

Explanation: Weather is almost always symbolic and it is clear here that the author wanted us to interpret the weather as a

reflection of the emotions the narrator was feeling.

Example 2 from an essay concerning “They’re Made of Meat”:

Claim: The aliens in “They’re Made of Meat” represent how we humans treat people that are different.

Evidence: They aliens say, "It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?"

Explanation: In the same way that we humans often exclude people because of their skin color, the aliens refuse to talk to

humans because we are made of meat instead of metal or energy like them.

Claim-Evidence-Explanation Practice: 1. Claim: My parents should let me stay out as late as I want.

Evidence: I have never been arrested or in trouble in any way, I have straight A’s in school, and I always do my chores.

Explanation:

2. Claim: Of Mice and Men shows us how the American dream is impossible for the vast majority of people.

Evidence: At the end of the novel George ends up alone with no hope of ever buying the farm he dreamed of with Lennie.

Explanation:

3. Claim: George W. Bush should be applauded for his policies on AIDS in Africa.

Evidence: According to the NY Times, President Bush gave 5.6 billion in aid to Africa, 4 times more than any other President in history.

Explanation:

Now, go back and attack the explanation you have just formulated. How might the data be interpreted differently?

1. Counter-explanation:



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Formal Composition 3: Know that there are different types of literary essays and be ready to use the one that

is most applicable to the question. Understand what is expected in an essay and write to meet those

expectations. Use all 4 steps in the writing process INCLUDING pre-writing & revising. Writing Process:

1. Prewriting: Preparation before you begin to write that includes: brainstorming, researching, & outlining.

2. Writing: Developing a thesis and providing evidence and explanations in a logical/clear format.

3. Revising: Looking for BIG problems:

a. Checking IDEAS- ideas are interesting, meaningful, and original

b. Checking UNITY- all ideas tie into thesis.

c. Checking CLARITY- everything makes perfect sense

d. Checking FLOW- all ideas clearly and naturally move from one to the next

4. Editing: Looking for smaller problems: checking spelling, grammar, usage, and formatting.

Types of Literary Analysis Essays

1. Theme Analysis- Deciding on the author’s overarching theme and proving it with evidence from the text.

Example: In the story "A&P," by John Updike, the main character Sammy makes the leap from an adolescent, knowing little more about life than what he

has learned working at the local grocery store, into a man prepared for the rough road that lies ahead. As the story begins, Sammy is nineteen and has no

real grasp for the fact that he is about to be living on his own working to support himself. Throughout the course of the story, he changes with a definite step

into, first, a young man realizing that he must get out of the hole he is in and further into a man, who has a grasp on reality looking forward to starting his

own family.

2. Character Analysis- A discussion of one or more characters in the novel looking specifically at how the author creates a

dynamic (changing) character through indirect characterization.

Example: Sammy, in A&P by John Updike, plays a cashier at A&P grocery store. Sammy lives in a small country town in New England. He must be a

college or high school student because he still lives with his parents. Sammy is quite intelligent and creative in the way he describes three girls that are

dressed in bathing suits. Sammy is at work when they catch his eye. He is mesmerized by them and creatively names all of them by the way they walk and

their movements in the store. Sammy's character seems to observe people judgmentally but he would never speak aloud to them about it to the people he was

sizing-up in his mind. Sammy could have been not such a popular guy in high school.

3. Analytical Essay- Looking at how the author put together the story to create meaning. Focusing on things like plot, setting,

tone/voice, figurative language, point of view, character, and dialogue.

Example: The setting and the point of view of a story are both very important tools used to convey an author's meaning. This can be demonstrated by the

fact that if one or both of these characteristics are changed, the story's content and meaning can be altered beyond recognition. In particular, neither the

setting nor the point of view in John Updike's "A&P" could be changed without losing the meaning of the story or without having the same effect on the

reader.

4. Compare and Contrast Essay- Taking a story and revealing its meaning by noting similarities and differences with another

story, an historical event, a different discipline (like physics ), or something in popular culture.

Example: In the three stories To Build a Fire, The Use of Force, and A and P there are some different conflicts. A conflict is struggle between two or more

objects. In these stories the three different conflicts are man versus nature, man versus man, and man versus self. The three stories that contain these conflicts

are To Build a Fire by Jack London, The Use of Force by Williams Carlos Williams, and A and P by John Updike. The first story to talk about is To Build a

Fire, then The Use of Force, and lastly A and P. The story To Build a Fire by London has one of the most unpredictable conflicts in it. The conflict in this

story is man versus nature. The two forces in the story are the man and the freezing cold. In the story a man is trying to get to his destination and the cold

weather is stopping him from making it their. To beat the cold the man tries to forget about being cold, chew tobacco and start a fire to stay warm. The cold

does defend it by freezing the to...

Grading of Literary Analysis

I. Complexity of Thought

a. Demonstrate Critical Thinking Skills

b. Understand complexities involved

c. Goes beyond generalities to provide a precise, clear, and interesting point of view.

II. Substantiality of Development

a. Clearly articulated point of view

b. Examples, evidence, & reasoning fully explained

c. Well-organized, logical, smooth

d. Each sentence & paragraph builds on the one before

III. Facility with Language

a. Rhetorical strategy chosen is purposefully employed

b. Diction is precise and efficient

c. Sentences vary in length and type

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Formal Composition 4: Understand what a thesis statement is and be able to identify and use them in your

essays.

Writing a Thesis Statement for a Literary Analysis

A thesis statement in an essay is a sentence that explicitly identifies the purpose of the paper, which

is to persuade the audience that your opinion is correct.

A thesis statement is:

Your focus/Your unifying idea about the story.

An opinion, rather than a fact (can/would someone disagree?)

Narrow and Specific

Original and engaging

The thesis statement continuum: You thesis should fall between opinion and controversial. You

want the thesis to be something you can actually prove. If it is a fact, it is already proven. If it is

outrageous, then it is not provable.

Fact--------------Opinion---------------Controversial-------------Outrageous

Here are some examples of thesis statements for your literary analysis:

1. Theme/Symbolism: The symbolism used in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery, “ “The Interlopers” by Saki, and “The Masque of the

Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe allows the theme to be expressed more clearly in each story.

2. Theme/Irony: The ironic situations examined in stories such as “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “The Open Window” by Saki,

and “The Interlopers” by Saki accentuate the overall theme in each story.

3. Characters From incredible description in “Salvador Late and Early” by Sandra Cisneros to playful dialogue in Saki’s “The Open

Window,” authors have a unique way of developing characters in these stories.

4. Theme There were many themes expressed in the stories we read, but one idea seemed to be prevalent throughout, “you can’t tempt

fate.” This idea was particularly explored in “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe and “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W.

Jacobs.

Hints for Writing a Thesis:

1. Develop your thesis statement by collecting key details using your reading strategies (STRP, etc). A thesis statement comes

out of this prewriting material.

2. Use your thesis statement as you outline, draft, and revise. In every stage of your writing, your thesis statement is a good

checkpoint. You can test ideas and details against your main idea. You can then cut the ones that don’t support, illustrate or

explain the main point.

3. Don’t be afraid to rewrite your thesis statement. Your statement is not carved in stone. Just make sure it actually identifies

what you have written about.

Thesis Practice:

1. Write a compare/contrast thesis for “Othello” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

2. Write an analytical essay thesis for “12 Angry Men.”

3. Write a character analysis thesis for “Serenity.”

4. Write a theme analysis thesis using Marxist Criticism for “Black Boy.”

5. Write a theme analysis thesis using Feminist Criticism for “Of Mice and Men”

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Active Viewing: Understand that visual media (film, TV, etc), are just another type of text to be interpreted.

Know some of the basic ideas and terminology below that helps us to interpret visual media. Be ready to break

a visual media into visual, audio, and text components.

Peeling Back the Layers of Film

Overview: Interpreting film is different from interpreting short stories or novels. Novels have

more or less one person who constructs the meaning with one medium: the writer uses words.

Films have multiple people who work together to add on multiple mediums: writers, directors,

cinematographers, and editors use words, actors, shots, and sounds (to name a few) to get

across their meaning/theme. Therefore, in order to interpret film, we have to learn to not only

analyze the narrative, but we must also be aware of and analyze how these new layers work to

reinforce the narrative.

1. The Core Layer: Narrative

a. Explanation: This is the first and most important layer. If the Earth lost its core, the world would end;

likewise, if a movie is lacking a good narrative, nothing else really matters. REMEMBER: All other layers are

there to enhance the narrative.

b. Constructed by: The Writer/Writers

c. What to Look For:

i. Internal Conflict: How does the Protagonist change/not change by the end of the film?

ii. Symbolism: STRP: Look for things that are Surprising, given Too much attention, Repeated, or in

Position: beginning, end, climax (focus on dialogue)

iii. Indirect Characterization: What do the characters’ actions, words, appearance, attitude/inner thoughts,

and the reactions of others say about them?

iv. Allusions: What connections can you make to your self, other films/texts, or the world?

v. Theme: How were my feelings manipulated and why? What values/ideology are they selling? How

do they want me to view life, people, or the world?

2. The 2nd

Layer: Mise-en-scene

a. Explanation: This is everything put into the scene to create the world of the script. (What is in the scene)

b. Constructed by: The Director


i. Lighting: High? Low? Neutral? Shadows?

ii. Actors/Acting: Type cast? Verbal/Non-Verbal shadings? Spacing?

iii. Costuming: Symbolic of character?

iv. Décor (Scenery, Sets, Props): Create mood? Reflect character emotions?

3. The 3rd

Layer: Cinematography

a. Explanation: This is how the stuff in the scene is captured on film.

b. Constructed by: The Camera Man/Cinematographer


i. Framing/Shot Types: Where in the box? How close? How far away? POV?

ii. Camera Angles: Looking up? Looking down? Eye level? Off kilter?

iii. Camera Movement: Zoom? Track? Pan? Shaky?

4. The Crust: Editing

a. Explanation: The separate shots captured on film are joined together into a single finished filmstrip.

b. Constructed by: The Editor


i. Cuts: Simple/Dramatic? What is it connecting and why?

ii. Sound: Reinforce mood? Creates reality?

iii. Visual Effects: CGI? How does it enhance the story?

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Active Viewing Practice: Watch any commercial & break it down with this chart:

Evidence Claim Explanation

Narrative

Mise-en-

Scene

Cinema-

tography

Editing

Independent Reading: Create a book report analyzing the plot, the protagonist, and the theme. 1. Follow the guidelines for an essay:

a. Introduction: Attention Grabber & Thesis

b. Body: Claim-Evidence-Explanation Paragraphs

c. Conclusion: Final Summary & Closing Statement

2. Give a brief plot summary/overview:

a. Highlight important events, focus on the theme, & keep it brief

b. Be able to provide an event that corresponds with each step of the plot line

3. Analyze the Protagonist:

a. Explain how the author uses indirect characterization to reveal the protagonist's personality/qualities.

b. Explain the protagonist's external conflict and their internal conflict.

c. Discuss the climax of the story (the moment where the protagonist has the ability to change).

4. Analyze the Theme:

a. What idea or view of the world is the author trying to sell to you?

b. What are some symbols, motifs, key details that lead you to this overall theme?

c. Use our theme strategy: General Topic + Key Lines and Symbolism = Theme

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Communication: Know and be able to apply some concepts of communication. 1. Communication Theory:

a. Meaning is socially created and agreed upon through language/communication. Time, Love, Truth, the

Strike Zone, etc. are all ideas that we negotiate through communication.

b. Communication is a process of creating and sharing meaning. If we understand this process, we can fix our

communication problems. Communication Process:

i. Senders & Receivers: people involved in communication

ii. Context: Physical, Social, Historical, Psychological, Cultural factors that alter meaning.

iii. Messages: Verbal & Non-Verbal symbols that are encoded and decoded.

iv. Channel: A sensory route used to transmit messages (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin)

v. Noise: External or internal stimulus that interferes with this process.

vi. Feedback: a receiver’s response to a message.

2. Non-Verbal Communication:

a. Only 7 percent of what is communicated is the actual words; we are a symphony of meaning and how we

say it is much more meaningful than what we actually say. Nonverbals Occur in clusters: You can repeat

something with words, but touch, tone, facial expressions, movement, positioning- that’s a lot of repetition

b. People especially good at reading other’s nonverbal messages are labeled “intuitive,” while those who send

more nonverbals are called “expressive.”

c. Frequently given more credence and are more trusted than verbal communication. (Presidential Elections)

d. Happiness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Surprise, and Sadness: are all expressed in the same way by everyone on

earth. Same facial muscles. When & How Much one expresses these emotions is culturally defined.

3. Verbal Communication:

a. Filters that can Distort what we hear: Education, Religion, Morals, Family, Experience, Age, Emotions,

Biases, Physical Condition, Attitude

b. Listening vs. Hearing: Hearing takes conscious effort

i. Studies show that we remember only about 25% of what we hear. We forget, ignore, distort, or

misunderstand the great majority of incoming messages.

ii. We speak at a rate of 120 to 180 words per minute, but we hear and process much quicker---six

times as fast.

Public Speaking: Know and be able to apply some of the verbal and non-verbal elements of public speaking. 1. Verbal Elements of Delivery: (Vocalics)

a. Pitch /Intonation

i. Rising Pitch (note or key): Usually found at the end of an interrogative sentence

(question). Suggests uncertainty, insecurity, or an incomplete thought.

ii. Falling Pitch (not or key): Usually found at the end of declarative sentences.

Indicates complete thought. Indicates certainty, finality.

b. Circumflex Inflection (Up-Down-Up or Down-Up-Down): Going from high pitch to a

low pitch to a high pitch. Going from a low pitch to a high pitch to a low pitch. Indicates doubt, uncertainty, or

suspicion.

c. Duration: Prolonged vowels or consonants. Clipped vowels or consonants.

d. Rate: Really Slow, Really Fast, Average Speed, Fast\

e. Pauses: Short, Long, Dramatic

f. Volume: Loud, Soft, Medium Loud, Medium Soft

g. Articulation/ Pronunciation: Enunciating the first/final consonant of a word. Open mouth widely to properly

say a word. (Pronunciation) Make the proper distinction between words that are similar (lightning and lighting,

weather-whether, formally-formerly)

2. Non-verbal Elements of Delivery: Kinesics, Proxemics, Haptics, Olfactics

a. Gestures (Kinesics): Arm Movements, Hand Movements

b. Facial Expressions (Kinesics): Reinforce Mood, Reinforce Statements. Smiles/frowns- and everything in-between.

Eye contact (closing eyes, looking away, looking right at someone, etc.). Eye brow movement.

c. Body Movement/Tension (Proxemics): Walking (With purpose.) Moving head, Torso, & Legs.

d. Touching (Haptics): Touch communication

e. Smelling (Olfactics): Smell communication

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Literary Theory: Understand that we can interpret texts through various lenses (different types of literary

criticism) and be ready to apply these ways of looking to short passages.

1. New Criticism:

a. Focuses on things like the background of the author.

b. Asks: Were there symbols? What might they mean? How do they relate to the theme?

2. Marxist Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on which characters have money and which do not.

b. Asks: How does this story functions within social, political, & economic realities of the setting?

3. Feminist Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on how women are portrayed.

b. Considers the relationships between men and women at the time that the story was written.

4. Archetypal Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on symbols, characters, and situations that reoccur over time.

b. Asks: Are there any archetypal characters, situations, or symbols? How doe these things reflect the deepest

experiences and meanings of the human race?

5. Reader Response Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on allusions or connections to other works of literature.

b. Asks: Is there anything in the story that was confusing? What might it mean?

6. Psychological Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on the mental life of the characters, the author, and the reader.

b. Asks: What are the characters’ motives? Desires? Conflicts? What does this tell us about how people behave

in general? How is this story a manifestation of the subconscious?

7. Historical Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on the social and cultural environment that surrounds a story.

b. Asks: What period or movement does the story come from? What does it share with them & why? How does

the culture of the time affect the story?

8. Biographical Criticism: Includes New Criticism Questions

a. Focuses on the author’s life, beliefs, and intended audience.

b. Asks: How does the author’s life and beliefs influence his work?

Literary Theory Practice:

1. A reader looking at a story through Feminist Criticism “sunglasses” would most likely focus on:

A. Which characters have the money and which characters do not.

B. The background of the author.

C. How women are portrayed.

D. Allusions or connections to other works of literature.

2. A reader looking at a story through New Criticism “sunglasses” would most likely focus on:





3. A reader looking at a story through Marxist “sunglasses” would most likely focus on:





4. A reader looking at a story through Reader Response “sunglasses” would most likely focus on:





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Logic & Persuasion: Understand the basic elements of persuasion: logos, pathos, and ethos. Recognize

common flaws in logic. Logically analyze an argument and note its strengths and weaknesses.

1. RHETORIC: Arguing without anger. The point of rhetoric is to reach CONSENSUS.

2. CONSENSUS: Consensus is more than agreement or compromise, it is a shared faith in a choice- the decision or

action you want. As Horace said, “Concordia discors,” which means, “Harmony in discord.”

3. LOGOS: Argument by logic.

a. Deduction: Applying a general principle to a particular matter.

b. Induction: Argument by example. It starts with the specific and moves to the general. Fact, Comparison,

Story: The three kinds of examples to use in inductive logic.

c. Commonplace: Any cliché, belief, or value that can serve as your audience’s boiled-down public opinion.

It’s the starting point of your argument.

d. Future Tense: It is fine to argue the past or present, but deliberative argument depends on eventually

discussing the future. What are we going to do.

e. Concession: Using your opponent’s own argument to your advantage. Practical Example: When

someone expresses doubt about your idea answer with “Okay, let’s tweak it.” Then focus the argument

on revising your idea as if the group has already accepted it. You conceded your opponent’s doubt, but

still win the day.

f. Logical Fallacies: It’s important to detect them, just as you should spot any kind of persuasive tactic

used against you. Another reason to understand fallacious logic: you may want to use it yourself.

i. Bad Proof: The argument’s commonplace or principle is unacceptable, or the evidence is bad.

1. False Comparison: Two things are similar, so they must be the same.

2. All Natural Fallacy (Fallacy of Association): Natural ingredients are good for you, so

anything called “natural” is healthful.

3. Appeal to Popularity: Other kids get to do it, so why don’t I?

4. Hasty Generalization: Uses too few examples and interprets them too broadly.

5. Misinterpreting the Evidence: Takes the exception and claims it proves the rule.

6. Unit Fallacy: Does weird math, often confusing the part for the whole.

7. Fallacy of Ignorance: Claims that if something has not been proven, it must be false.

ii. Bad Conclusion: We’re given too many choices, or not enough, or the conclusion is irrelevant

to the argument.

1. Many Questions: Squashes two or more issues into a single one.

2. False Dilemma: Offers the audience two choices when more actually exist.

3. Fallacy of Antecedent: Assumes that this moment is identical to past, similar moments.

4. Red Herring: Introduces an irrelevant issue to distract or confuse the audience.

5. Straw Man: Sets up a different issue that’s easier to argue.

iii. Disconnect Between Proof and Conclusion: The proof stands up all right, but it fails to lead to

the conclusion.

1. Tautology: A logical redundancy; the proof and the conclusion are the same thing.

2. Reductio ad absurdum: Takes the opponent’s choice and reduces it to absurdity.

3. Slippery Slope: Predicts a series of dire events stemming from one choice.

4. Post hoc ergo propter hoc (The Chanticleer Fallacy): Assumes that if one thing follows

another, the first thing caused the second one.

g. Rhetorical Fouls: Mistakes or intentional offenses that stop an argument dead or make it fail to reach

consensus.

i. Switching Tenses Away From the Future: It’s fine to use the past or present, but deliberative

argument depends on eventually discussing the future.

ii. Inflexible Insistence on the Rules: Using the voice of God, sticking to your guns, refusing to hear

the other side.

iii. Humiliation: An argument that sets out only to debase someone, not to make a choice.

iv. Innuendo: A form of irony used to debase someone. It often plants an idea in the audience’s

head by denying it.

v. Threatening: Rhetoricians call this argumentum ad baculum- argument by the stick. It denies the

audience a choice.

vi. Nasty Language or Signs & Utter Stupidity.

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4. PATHOS: Argument by emotion (seduction).

a. Manipulation & seduction is better than fighting. The best rhetoric disguises itself.

b. Emotion trumps Logic. Emotion makes people more receptive to logic & gets people to act.

c. Sympathy: Registering concern for your audience’s emotions. (Over sympathizing: Exaggerated

sympathy can make your audience feel ashamed of an emotion you want to change.)

d. Belief: Aristotle said this is the key to emotion.

i. Experience: Refer to the audience’s own experience, or plant one in their heads; this is the past

tense of belief. Storytelling: A way to give the audience a virtual experience.

ii. Expectation: Make an audience expect something good or bad, and the appropriate emotion will

follow.

e. Unannounced Emotion: Avoid tipping off your audience in advance of a mood. They’ll resist it.

f. Passive Voice: If you want to direct an audience’s anger away from someone, imply that the action

happened on its own. The chair got broken, not Pablo broke the chair.

g. Backfire: You can calm an individual’s emotion in advance by overplaying it yourself. This works

especially well when you screw up and want to prevent the wrath of an authority.

h. Persuasive Emotions: Anger/Belittlement, Patriotism, Emulation, Humor, Fear

i. Figures of Speech: Cliché twisting, Word Swap, Weighing Both Sides, Editing Out Loud, Volume

Control, Word Invention, Litotes, etc.

5. ETHOS: Argument by character.

Example PATHOS Activity:

1. “JUST DO IT” “THINK DIFFERENT” “EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE”

2. To what specific emotions do the above ad slogans, sales pitches, and maxims appeal: Lust, Love, Envy, Fear, Anger, Guilt,

etc? What emotions does this ad make you feel or intend to make you feel?

3. What cultural values or ideals does this visual evoke or suggest: The good life? Love and harmony? Sex appeal? Youth?

Adventure? Economic Power and Dominance? Freedom? Other?

4. Connect the emotional appeals to the target audience. What gender, age group, & economic class is this ad trying to sell to?

(Example: Fairly wealthy girls between 12-18 years of age). Does/will the ad work with the targeted audience? Why/Why

not?

Example LOGOS Activity:

Directions: Your task is to discuss the logical soundness of the author's case by critically examining the line of reasoning and the use

of evidence. I do not want your opinion on this subject. I do not want you to discuss if the statements are true or accurate. You are

being asked whether conclusions and inferences are validly drawn from the statements.

Your dissection of the argument should:

1. Reveal underlying assumptions: Show us the beliefs, often unstated or unexamined, that someone must hold in order to

maintain this particular position; something that is taken for granted but that must be true in order for the conclusion to be

true (that may not be supported with proof).

2. Provide alternate explanations: Give some possible competing versions of what might have caused the events in question;

an alternative explanation undercuts or qualifies the original explanation because it too can account for the observed facts.

3. Give counter examples: Show us an example, real or hypothetical, that refutes or disproves a statement in the argument.

4. Consider the structure of the argument: Think about the way in which the evidence is linked together so that it leads to

their conclusion. Consider the implicit (implied) steps in the author’s thinking process and decide if the steps they made

make sense. (Look for transition words like “however, thus, therefore, evidently, hence, in conclusion”).

Basic Steps to Take when Analyzing an Argument:

1. Carefully read the argument—you might want to read it over more than once

2. Identify as many of its claims, conclusions, and underlying assumptions as possible

3. Think of as many alternative explanations and counterexamples as you can

4. Think of what additional evidence might weaken or lend support to the claims

5. Ask yourself what changes in the argument would make the reasoning more sound

Sample Argument Topic:

Hospital statistics regarding people who go to the emergency room after roller skating accidents indicate the need for more protective

equipment. Within this group of people, 75 percent of those who had accidents in streets or parking lots were not wearing any

protective clothing (helmets, knee pads, etc.) or any light-reflecting material (clip-on lights, glow-in-the-dark wrist pads, etc.).

Clearly, these statistics indicate that by investing in high-quality protective gear and reflective equipment, roller skaters will greatly

reduce their risk of being severely injured in an accident.

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The kinds of questions you should be asking:

What percentage of all roller skaters goes to the emergency room after roller skating accidents?

Are the people who go to the emergency room after roller skating accidents representative of roller skaters in general?

Are there people who are injured in roller skating accidents who do not go to the emergency room?

Were the roller skaters who went to the emergency room severely injured?

Were the 25 percent of roller skaters who were wearing protective gear injured just as severely as the 75 percent who were

not wearing the gear?

Are streets and parking lots inherently more dangerous for roller skating than other places?

Would mid-quality gear and equipment be just as effective as high-quality gear and equipment in reducing the risk of severe

injury while roller skating?

Are there factors other than gear and equipment—e.g., weather conditions, visibility, skill of the skaters—that might be more

closely correlated with the risk of roller skating injuries?

Major Literary Works: Know some basic information about the major works of literature that we studied in

class: Black Boy, Of Mice & Men, 12 Angry Men, The Once & Future King, Serenity, Othello.

1. Black Boy

a. Existentialism: You are completely free to decide who you are. Free will. Personal responsibility. Irrational world.

b. Autobiography: Life story written by that person.

c. Theme: Consider the following questions:

i. What does Richard Wright think about racism? How is his understanding of racism similar or different from

today’s racism?

ii. How does Richard Wright demonstrate existentialist ideals through his book Black Boy? 1. Society is unnatural and

rules are difficult. 2. Humans are not good people, but mankind is best when we struggle against our nature to be

bad. 3. Mankind is best challenging itself to improve, yet knowing perfection is not possible. 4. Religions present

rules, yet believers know they cannot live by all of those rules. 5. There are no universal guidelines; truth &

meaning are defined by the individual.

iii. How is Richard educated? What are his views on education, family, society? In what different ways is Richard

educated & by whom?

iv. Violence: How is Richard abused both physically and psychologically? Which is worse? How does violence

hinder Richard? How does violence help Richard? Why is there so much violence in this novel? What does this

violence say about racism, human nature, success?

2. Of Mice and Men

a. Plot: Be able to provide an event that corresponds with each step of the plot line: (exposition /conflict/ rising action /

climax / resolution or denouement)

b. Indirect Characterization of George, Lennie, Curly, Curly’s wife, Candy & Crooks:

c. Theme: Consider the following concepts & what Steinbeck infers in this book:

i. The American Dream

ii. The predatory nature of humanity

iii. Loneliness & Friendship

iv. Women

v. Individualism

3. 12 Angry Men



b. Theme: (Consider the following questions and the themes they suggest):

i. 'It is the old man (juror nine) who is the real hero of the film, not Henry Fonda (juror eight.)' Do you agree or

disagree? Why? What might this say about the theme?

ii. What does this film say about the importance of doubt in our lives?

iii. The theme of this play/movie has to do with 1 vs. Many, the advocate vs. the system. Yes?

iv. Theme deals with the clash between ignorance & open-mindedness?

v. How do jurors’ own person experiences affect their vote? How much do they talk about the facts of the case

logically and how much do they talk about their own personal baggage? Is this realistic? Which is more powerful:

reasoned, logical arguments or personal, emotional pleas?

14

4. The Legend of Arthur:

a. Summary: Be able to explain the basic story and the motivations of the main characters.

b. Epic Terminology:

i. Epic

ii. Epic Hero

iii. Legend

iv. Tragic Flaw (Hubris)

v. Chivalry

5. Serenity

a. Theme: Freedom vs. Control, Self-Interest vs. Morality, Faith & Change

b. Mythological Theory:

i. Archetypes

1. Archetypal Characters: Hero, Outcast, Maiden, Mother, Temptress, Wise Old Man, Trickster, etc.

2. Archetypal Symbols: light/dark, water/desert, spring/winter, day/night, birth/death/re-birth, etc.

3. Archetypal Situations: Renewal of life, Initiation, Fall, Redemptive Sacrifice, The Quest/Hero's Journey

ii. Mono Myth (Hero's Journey)

6. Othello



b. Drama Terminology:

i. Monologue

ii. Soliloquy

iii. Aside

iv. Allusion

v. Iambic Pentameter

vi. Sonnet

vii. Foil

c. Paraphrase: (translate into your own words) a short passage.

d. Theme: Consider answers to the following messages Shakespeare is selling in these plays:

i. “Othello”- Jealousy

ii. “MSND”- true and false love, dreaming, reality and illusion

Research: Know research strategies including annotation, proper citation, and outlining. 1. Annotation: Always interact with your texts. Write in margins questions, comments, and reactions.

2. Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing:

a. Quoting: Word for word. Keep it SHORT (4+ indent). Easiest method (hard to plagiarize). 10% or less

should be quotes. Not just quoting a quote (anything you take out of a source is your “quote”).

b. Paraphrasing: It is ALL in your own words. Not just substituting one word for another. Creating new

phrases and sentence structures.

c. Summarizing: A summary is very short. Much shorter than a paraphrase. It is just the main ideas in your

own words. Otherwise a summary is just like a paraphrase.

3. In-text Citation: According to science writer Eugene Linden, some psychologists have adopted the attitude that “the idea

of the language capacity of apes is so preposterous that it should not be investigated” (11).

4. Outlining: Refer to page 3 of this packet.

Vocabulary & Grammar: Understand prefixes, suffixes, and root words and how they helped to form the words from

the “Princeton Review Vocab Minute.” Know the 8 parts of speech & some common grammar errors. 1. Prefixes: Affix before a word. (Examples: Circum-, A-, Hetero-, Mal-, etc)

2. Suffixes: Affix after a word. (Examples: -ic, -ism, -logy, etc)

3. Root Words: Base word without affixes. (Examples: dorm, loc/loq, pan, etc)

4. Eight Parts of Speech: (Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Conjunction, Preposition, Interjection)

5. Common Grammatical Errors:

a. There, Their, They’re/ To, Two, & Two/ Through, Threw, Thru/ etc.

b. Passive vs. Active Voice, Sentence Length, Sentence Variety

c. Who vs. Whom, Sit vs. Set, Lay vs. Lie, Effect vs. Affect, A vs. An, Ie. Vs. E.g.

d. Commas, Semicolons, Hyphens, Dashes vs. Colons

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Literary Terms : Know the definitions of these terms for the …mrfinn.weebly.com/uploads/1/7/5/2/17521707/english_10... · 2013-05-14 · Plot a. Conflict: i . character vs ... conflict