Vocab A-G Flashcards

AP LITERATURE

Absurd, Theater of the

plays that stress illogical aspects of experience to show the pointlessness of life

act

A major division of a play

action

Everything that happens in a story

allegory

A story with a hidden meaning

alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

ambiguity

multiple meanings

anagnorisis

recognition or discovery in a tragedy

analysis

an examination

anecdote

a short amusing story about a real incident

antagonist

A force in conflict with the main character

antecedent action

events in a play that happened before the present action

apostrophe

address to an absent or imaginary person

archetype

something that occurs frequently in literature

aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

atmosphere

the emotional tone in a work

canon

The official list of inspired books of the Bible

catastrophe

the concluding action in a tragedy

catharsis

emotional release

character

person involved in the story

characterization

the presentation of a character

cliche

an overused expression

climax

the turning point of the story

comedy

A humorous work of drama

comparison and contrast

compare - similarities, contrast - differences

complication

an undesired problem that is the result of some other event

conflict

A struggle between opposing forces

consistency building

reevaluating the details that one has just read to make them consistent with the new information

convention

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude (evil stepmother)

crisis

high point in conflict that leads to turning point

criticism

analysis or evaluation of a litearary work

cultural materialism

criticism that sets literature in a social context

deconstruction

language is ambiguous so texts reveal more than the author is aware of

denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

denouement

resolution or outcome of a plot

deus ex machina

artificial way of resolving the plot

dialogue

Conversation between characters

diction

word choice

didactic

pertaining to teaching; having a moral purpose

discovery

recognition in a tragedy

drama

a play; conflict or tension

dramatic irony

contrast between what is intended and what is accomplished

dramatic monologue

a poem spoken by a character and addressed to one or more characters.

effaced narrator

a narrator who reports what happens in a story

epic

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

epigram

a witty poem or saying

epigraph

a quotation at the beginning of a work about the theme

epiphany

when an action reveals a character with particular clarity

episode

a scene that has unity by itself but is part of a larger action

epistle

a letter, in prose or verse

essay

a work that purports to be true and that treats its subject tentatively

euphony

pleasant sound

explication

unfolding the meaning of a text

fable

short tale that teaches a lesson

farce

a comedy filled with absurd happenings

feminist crticism

analyzing depiction of women in literature

fiction

a narrative that reports incidents that did not occur

figurative language

words intended to be understood in a way other that literal

flashback

interruption that presents an earlier episode

flat character

one dimensional character

fly-on-the-wall narrator

same as an effaced narrator

foil

character that helps set off a major character

foreshadowing

hints of what is to come

formalist criticism

analysis that assumes a work of art is an object with a stable meaning

gap

a reader's perception that something is unstated in the text

gender criticism

criticism of differences between men and women in literature

genre

kind or type

gesture

physical movement in a play