American Lit

final exam

Sharecropping

A system of agriculture where a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities.

Confessional Poetry

A style of poetry that reveals personal truths and emotional experiences of the poet.

La Llorona

A folktale of a woman who mourns her children and roams near rivers; symbolizes loss and cultural memory.

First-person plural point of view

Narrative perspective that includes 'we' and 'us', allowing for collective experiences.

Realism

A literary movement that seeks to portray everyday life and society accurately without embellishment.

Naturalism

An extension of realism that emphasizes the role of environment and heredity in shaping characters.

Modernism

A literary movement characterized by a break with traditional forms and an exploration of new styles and ideas.

Marxist Literary Theory

A critical approach that interprets literature based on socio-economic contexts and class struggles.

Psychoanalytic Literary Theory

Analyzes literature through the lens of psychological theories, especially those of Freud.

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age story that follows a protagonist's development and personal growth.

Satire

A literary technique that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to criticize and expose societal flaws.

Dramatic Irony

A situation where the audience knows more about the circumstances than the characters.

Situational Irony

When there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in a story.

Third-person limited omniscient point of view

A narrative perspective where the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character.

Dialect

A particular form of language that is specific to a region or social group.

Symbol

An object, character, figure, or color used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, event, or piece of literature that adds meaning to the text.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters and events symbolize broader concepts and moral lessons.