Flashcard di Glossario e Concetti Chiave: Letteratura Americana, Moda e Teoria Letteraria

Flashcard di concetti e vocaboli chiave basati sugli appunti di letteratura americana, storia della moda, teorie del racconto breve e analisi dei testi.

Trickle down (teoria della moda)

Sociological theory developed by Simmel and Veblen stating that fashion innovations originate in upper social classes and diffuse downward through the social hierarchy via imitation.

Conspicuous Consumption (Consumo Vistoso)

Concept introduced by Thorstein Veblen in 'The Theory of the Leisure Class' (1899) defining the purchase of visible luxury goods as a means to display wealth, prestige, and social status.

Conspicuous Leisure (Ozietà Vistosa)

Public display of high social status achieved by visibly demonstrating that one can afford to abstain from manual or productive labor.

La Grande Rinuncia Maschile (Great Masculine Renunciation)

Phenomenon theorized by J.C. Flügel describing the historical shift where men abandoned colorful, decorative clothing for dark, sober suits, projecting ornamental dress onto women.

Langue e Parole applicate alla Moda

Application of De Saussure's linguistic concepts by Roland Barthes: 'costume' represents the rigid social system of rules (langue), while individual dress represents 'parole'.

Vestignomonie

Theory associated with Honoré de Balzac and adopted by Henry James suggesting that clothing and outward appearance directly manifest an individual's consciousness and inner identity.

Single Effect (Unico Effetto)

Theoretical principle formulated by Edgar Allan Poe stating that a short story must be structured so every single element contributes to creating a unique, intense emotional or psychological reaction in the reader.

Dénouement

French term for the final part of a narrative, following the climax, where plot strands are untangled and conflicts resolved.

Epifania (nel racconto breve)

Moment of sudden spiritual or psychological revelation experienced by a character, central to modern short story structure as analyzed by Joyce and O'Connor.

Preclosure points

Concept theorized by Susan Lohafer referring to moments within a short story where the narrative could potentially end while offering a sense of imminent closure.

Verosimiglianza (Verisimilitude)

Core characteristic of literary Realism emphasizing the faithful, detailed, and truthful representation of everyday reality.

Naturalismo letterario

Late 19th-century literary movement applying a scientific, deterministic approach to narrative, asserting that human beings are shaped by environment, heredity, and social forces.

Brute within

Naturalist literary concept analyzing the instinctive, violent, and animalistic side hidden inside human beings beneath the facade of civilization.

The Matter of Hannibal

Collection of Mark Twain's youthful experiences in Hannibal, Missouri, which served as the primary source of inspiration for masterpieces like 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'.

Regionalismo (Local Color)

Genre of narrative focused on the specific human traits, local dialects, folklore, and unique landscapes of a particular geographical region of the United States.

Gothic Triangle

Narrative pattern of early Gothic literature based on an innocent, virtuous figure trapped in an oppressive environment and threatened by an authority figure or ancestral guilt.

Uncanny (Das Unheimliche)

Freudian concept describing a type of dread linked to something long familiar that resurfaces in an unsettling manner after being repressed.

Romance vs Novel (Confronto)

Comparison of two narrative forms: Romance features medieval origins, idealized characters, and unrealistic quests; Novel emerges in the 19th century focused on middle-class protagonists and faithful social reality.

Realismo Americano vs Realismo Britannico

Contrast in Realism: British Realism centers on individuals integrated into social class structures, whereas American Realism emphasizes personal journeys, frontier experiences, and post-Civil War disillusionment.

Persona (psicologia junghiana)

Social mask worn by an individual to interact with the external world and adapt to societal expectations and conventions.

L'Ombra (Shadow)

Jungian archetype representing the rejected, dark, and unaccepted part of the psyche containing impulses denied by conscious awareness.

Individuazione

Psychological process theorized by Carl Jung aiming for the balanced integration of all psyche components (Persona, Anima/Animus, Shadow) into a unified Self.

Flappers

1920s Jazz Age women who embodied female rebellion against traditional norms by wearing short dresses, bobbing their hair, and adopting audacious behaviors.

Passing (Racial Passing)

Social phenomenon where light-skinned African Americans chose to present themselves as white to escape racial discrimination and gain social rights and privileges.

Lost Generation (Generazione Perduta)

Term attributed to Gertrude Stein describing the post-WWI generation of American writers marked by trauma, disillusionment, and nomadism.

Southern Agrarians

Group of Southern U.S. writers who defended the rural, aristocratic tradition of the South against Northern industrialization in their 1930 manifesto 'I'll Take My Stand'.

Project Mayhem (in Fight Club)

Subversive paramilitary organization founded by Tyler Durden with the anarchic goal of destroying the financial structures of consumer society.

Tyler's Kiss

Chemical burn caused by lye used as a mark of belonging and a painful initiation rite for members of Project Mayhem.

Habitus (Pierre Bourdieu)

Set of internalized dispositions, tastes, and behaviors developed by an individual based on their combination of economic, cultural, and social capital.

Corsetto (valore simbolico nel XIX secolo)

19th-century female garment serving as both a visual symbol of moral discipline and virtue, and a material instrument of constraint and body control.