Eng Midterm

What is literacy?

Literacy is the ability to use available symbol systems [..] for the purposes of making and communicating knowledge

What is a literacy community?

• groups of people who not only share the same language but share the same slang, the same symbols, and the same points of reference

• people can belong to a number of different literacy communities, and we switch between these communities effortlessly

What is the analysis process?

• the true purpose of literacy s to understand, analyze, and influence the world around you

1. Observe: What do you notice?

2. Identify patterns: What aspects are repeated? What connections can you make?

3. Draw a conclusion: What conclusion or judgement can you make?

What is context?

• background knowledge and context might influence how you observe, identify patterns, and draw conclusions about a subject.

• Prior to making observations during the analysis process, try to keep in mind (or find out) the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, & WHERE of your subject

What is the plot?

• How an author structures a story through a series of events related to a central conflict or struggle.

  • plot introduces the conflict, develops it and eventually resolves it

Who wrote “The Monkey’s Paw”?

W.W. Jacobs

What is tone?

• attitude

• we use the word tone to identify the attitude of the author towards his/her subject. (start with positive and negative, then refine it…)

• Ask yourself what kinds of things the author has the character do and say? Are they good or bad? What happens to the character in the end? Are there nouns and descriptive words (adjectives) the author uses positive or negative in connotation?

• an author’s attitude towards his or her own subject

• an author expresses tone based on his/her word choice or diction

What is mood?

• atmosphere

• the emotion created in the reader by part or all of the story

What is characterization?

• the literacy device that is used step by step in literature to explain the details about a character in a story

• in order to determine a central idea, or theme of a work, we examine the characters since they are the focus of the action in a text

• authors give their readers pieces of puzzles to solve their characters’ identity

What are the two different types of characterization?

• direct characterization

  • when a writer explicitly comments or describes a character (i.e. tall, short, mean, nice)

• indirect characterization

  • when an author develops the character through things the character says, does, what others say about him or her. the reader infers/draws conclusions…

What are the methods of characterization?

• there are four ways an author lets the reader know what a character in a piece of literature is like

1. speech and behavior

2. inner thoughts and feelings

3. physical traits and characteristics

4. other’s opinions and reaction

What are physical traits and characteristics?

the writer describes how the character looks, dresses, and appears

What is speech and behavior?

the character is revealed through his or her own speech and actions

What is inner thoughts and feelings?

the character is revealed through private thoughts

What are other’s opinions and reactions?

the writer reveals what other characters in the story say or think about the character

Who wrote “The Necklace”?

Guy de Maupassant

What were the main literary devices we focused on in “The Monkey’s Paw”?

• climax

• characterization

• foreshadowing

What was the main literary device we focused on in “The Necklace”?

• irony

  • situational irony

How do you analyze themes?

by analyzing the patterns you see

What are the four pattern types?

• curiosities

  • things you find puzzling, intriguing, or ambiguous

  • this is where you try to think metaphorically

• repetitions

  • repeated images, words, phrases, settings, structures, rhymes, and so on

• opposites

  • contrasts like light/dark, good/evil, or characters or settings that seem to be in opposition

• links

  • connections or references in the text to something else outside the text, often called allusions - references o people, places, or things the writer expects the reader to know

  • allusion - a reference to something

What are the parts of an intro paragraph?

• opener

  • “hook” to entice the reader to continue

• summary

  • summarize the body of work

• thesis

  • “topic sentence” in the introductory sentence

• organizer

  • “sets the stage”

  • establishes your main points

What are some ways to start off your essay?

• strong statement

• quote

• interesting fact/entertainment

What is tag?

• the summary starts with TAG

  • T - title

  • A - author

  • G - genre

How detailed should the summary in an introductory paragraph be?

summary should be detailed enough, but not too detailed

Where is the thesis located in an introductory paragraph?

the thesis is located towards the end of the introductory paragraph

Where is the organizer located in the introductory paragraph?

the organizer is the end of your introduction paragraph

Who is the author of “The Most Dangerous Game”?

Richard Connell

What is foreshadowing?

to hook our curiosity, writers drop clues that foreshadow or hint at what will happen layer in the story

What foreshadows danger for Rainsford?

“…sometimes I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are in danger.”

What foreshadows hunting and later development?

“hunters” vs. “huntees”; animals don’t feel fear according to Rainsford

What foreshadows the truth about Zaroff’s nature?

his smile and appearance

What is the indirect characterization of General Zaroff?

• sophisticated

  • “cultivated voice”

  • clear and well spoken

• speaks formally

  • well-educated

• He turns out to be the opposite of sophisticated

Who’s the real dangerous game?

humans are the most dangerous game

What is irony?

• when words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words

• may also be a situation that may end up in quite a different way than originally anticipated

• in simple words, it is a difference between the appearance and the reality

What are the three types of irony?

1. verbal irony

2. situational irony

3. dramatic irony

What is verbal irony?

verbal irony is the use of words to mean something different from what a person actually says

What is situational irony?

situational irony occurs when the characters and the audience are fully unaware of the implications of the situation

What is dramatic irony?

the characters are oblivious of the situation but the audience is fully aware

What is Edgar Allan Poe’s nickname?

Master of Terror

What type of genres was Edgar Allan Poe known for?

• mystery

• horror

What was Edgar Allan Poe known as?

Father of the American Short Story

What is Edgar Allan Poe considered the inventor of (what type of stories)?

detective fiction (“whodunnits”)

What did Edgar Allan Poe like to write about?

dark and unusual themes

What were the four ways of Poe’s design for fiction?

• Brevity (one sitting rule)

• The single effect theory

• Compression (no wasted words)

• Logical truth and finality

What is brevity?

• one sitting rule

• a short story must be short enough to be read in one sitting

  • this was in order to prevent interruptions that might break the reader’s focus and destroy the totality of impression

What is the single effect theory?

• the entire story must be designed to achieve one specific emotional effect (e.g. terror, sadness, suspense)

• the very first sentence should immediately begin working to create this intended feeling

What is compression?

• no wasted words

• every single word in the story must contribute to the “pre-established design” of the work

• there is no room for unnecessary characters, descriptions, or side plots

• everything must be compressed to serve the main goal

What is logical truth and finality?

• a great tale should reveal some logical truth or profound insight with “the fullest satisfaction”

• it should end with the last sentence, leaving the reader with a clear and strong sense of finality

Who wrote “A Cask of the Amontillado”?

Edgar Allan Poe

What was the main literary device of “A Cask of the Amontillado”?

unreliable narrator

What is an unreliable narrator?

credibility cannot be trusted

What are the settings of A Cask of the Amontillado?

• chateau

  • luxury, servents, crypt

  • it is a reflective of Montresor because they seem nice on top, but are horrible underneath

• carnival

  • party-like atmosphere

What are examples of irony in A Cask of the Amontillado?

• verbal

  • “to your long life”

• dramatic

  • montresor wants revenge

  • fortunado headed for trouble

  • montresor is mentally unstable

What is the point of view in A Cask of the Amontillado?

• since poe’s story is told in the 1st person POV, the narrator is montresor

• montresor is an unreliable narrator

  • he killed fortunato

  • he can’t make good decisions (psychotic)

  • he paused after he heard the jungles

What are some examples of symbolism in A Cask of the Amontillado?

• wine/cask - casket/death

• catacombs

• trowel - tool to build walls

• mason/order of masons - fortunato was part of the masons

  • mason represents montresor

  • order of masons represents fortunato

Who wrote The Sniper?

Liam O’ Flaherty

Where is The Sniper set?

• dublin, ireland

• 1920s

• during a bitter civil war

• a rooftop

• a night in june

• darkness

• fleecy clouds

• bright moon

• sound of machine guns firing

What are the themes in The Sniper?

• war creates a harsh reality that affects individuals and society as a whole

• identity is often challenges in the face of conflict and violence

• dehumanization leads to moral dilemmas and choices that deeply impact lives

What is conflict and what are the types of it?

• conflict is when forces oppose each other

• types of conflict include:

  • man vs. man

  • man vs. society

  • man vs. nature

  • man vs. self

Who wrote There Will Come Soft Rains?

Ray Bradbury

When did There Will Come Soft Rains take place?

the atomic age - nuclear weapons became big during WWll

What does There Will Come Soft Rains reflect about the time period?

this story reflects the feat at that time that rival nations might unleash their deadly technology on the world and destroy humanity entirely

What genre is HOTCOBAS?

historical fiction

What is historical fiction?

• historical fact and imagination

• a literary genre in which the plot takes place in the past and attention is paid to the manners, social conditions, and other details of the period depicted

• characters are fictitious

• this genre allows its readers to better understand how individuals might have responded to their environments within the specific time period

What is realistic fiction?

• empathize with characters

• reflects life as it could be today

• realistic or contemporary fiction creates imaginary characters and situations that depict our world and society

• it focuses on themes of growing up and confronting personal and social problems

• this genre portrays characters coming to understand themselves and others

What is a bildungsroman/coming of age novel?

• a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character

• it is a story that relates an adolescent’s movement toward adulthood and the corresponding awakening to a new understanding of himself or herself and the world around him or her

What is the typical structure of a bildungsroman?

• the typical bildungsroman has a four stage structure that acts as a “journey” for the protagonist:

  • 1. the call

  • 2. the apprenticeship

  • maturity

  • acceptance

What is the call?

• the cal in a bildungsroman novel spurs a character on her journey towards spiritual or psychological growth

• a character is often unhappy with something in her current life, and it pushes her to search for answers to her unhappiness elsewhere in the world

What is apprenticeship?

• the growth process that a character goes through in order to reach majority and moral change

• this stage is called the apprenticeship because the character must undertake an education away from her origin in order to learn and to master her place in society

What is maturity?

• maturity is not easily won; it is a long and arduous process with many mistakes, tests, and internal obstacle that a character must face in order to finally gain maturity

• she walks away with a newfound sense of herself and she knows she is a different person now

What is accpetence?

• in this stage, a character typically will return to her place of origin, and she will use her newfound knowledge to help others

• in some cases, the character will not return home, but she will reach out and try to remedy a situation or a problem using the wisdom she’s gained on her journey

What is the purpose of a body paragraph?

allow a writer to expand on ideas and provide audiences with support for a chosen topic or argument (your thesis)

What must topic sentences contain?

the thesis and proof

What are the functions of topic sentences?

• it supports an essay’s thesis statement

• it unifies the content of a paragraph

• it advises the reader of the subject of the paragraph and how the paragraph will discuss it

• introduces the reader to the topic and states the main idea

Where is the topic sentence in a body paragraph?

the first sentence

What does jazz symbolize in HOTCOBAS?

• symbolizes rebellion

  • henry was rebelling against his father who didn’t like jazz music

• jazz music is a combination of different cultures

  • jazz shows unity and harmony through music

• jazz made henry feel included in a time he wasn’t

What are some traits about young Henry?

• adventurous

• empathetic to other people

  • Keiko (Japanese)

  • Sheldon (African American)

• rebellious

• he’s very smart, which is why he gets to go to Reiner Elementary

  • he’s on a work scholarship

What are some traits about Old Henry?

• tired (from taking care of his wife for so long)

• lonely (his wife is dead and his is at college)

• empathetic (accepts Samantha)

• he vows to not be like his father

What are some traits about Mr. Lee?

• never took Henry’s feelings into account

What does the button say?

I am Chinese

What does the button symbolize?

• prejudice

  • shows he’s not japanese

• protection

How to teachers make Henry feel?

teachers make Henry feel bullied

How does Henry’s home make him feel?

home makes him feel isolated since he can’t talk to his parents

What is some historical background of HOTCOBAS?

• takes place after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

• US decides to enter WWll and to mandate the internment of American citizens and residents deemed as threats to national security

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued executive order 9066 on February 19, 1942

  • it said military commanders can put anybody who they deem as a threat into an internment camp

Who signed executive order 9066?

Franklin D. Roosevelt

When was Executive Order 9066 signed?

february 19, 1942

What did executive order 9066 say?

military commanders can put anybody who they deem as a threat into an internment camp

What are the characteristics of a buldungsroman?

1. psychological loss of innocence of the protagonist

2. confrontation with the adult world

3. moral challenges

4. individual needs and desires vs. external pressures/expectations/norms

5. failure/disappointment/awake to limitations

6. acceptance of the complexities or “grayness” of the world

7. awareness of the self

What is the call in HOTCOBAS?

henry being alone

What is the apprenticeship?

henry is learning how the world works and how mean people can be

What is the maturity in HOTCOBAS?

• he has to disobey his parents in order to get what he wants

• he’s learning more and more

What is psychological loss?

• it is irredeemable loss that young people must endure and the daunting challenge that they must brave as they depart from childhood and face the great unknowns of growing up

• growing up requires giving up because necessary losses must occur if necessary gains are to be made

• now early adolescent apathy causes the seperation from childhood to begin as young people start caring less about what used to matter most

What are the character types?

1. flat

2. round

3. dynamic

4. static

5. stock

6. foil

7. confidante

What are round characters?

• characters that are described in depth, with many details, are well-rounded characters

• the main character in a story is almost always round

• if you are reading a story and you feel like you know a character extremely well, then most likely the character is round

What are flat characters?

• characters that are not described well

  • that you are not given much information about

Static or dynamic?

• the key word when dealing with the difference between static and dynamic characters if change

• the type of change, though, is specific. we are only concerned with internal changes

  • internal changes are changes which occur within the character

  • internal changes include a change in his/her personality, a change in his/her outlook on life, a change in his/her values, or it could be an overall change in the nature of character

  • do not focus on changes that happen to a character, but rather changes that happen WITHIN a character

What is a static character?

• static = not moving or changing

• in order for a character to be considered a static character, the character must remain basically the same throughout the entire story

• the character does not undergo any internal changes

• think of static characterization like plastic surgery. the character may change in looks, but unless his/her personality is affected, the character is static

• static = no change within the character

What is a dynamic character?

• a dynamic character is a character that undergoes an internal change sometime between the beginning and end of the story

• the change in the character is usually crucial to the story itself

• say a main character goes through a life-altering experience, such as a race car driver getting into an accident. if the driver’s personality changes, adn he is no longer willing to take on the risk of driving a race car, the character would be dynamic

• dynamic = the character changes internally

What is a stock character?

• a stock character is a special kind of flat character who is instantly recognizable to most readers

• they are ‘stock’ or ‘typecast’ or ‘stereotypical’ characters

  • the ruthless businessman

  • the shushing, old, white-haired librarian

  • the dumb jock

• they are not focused characters nor are they developed in the story (they fulfill background or filler rolls)

What is a foil character?

• a foil character is a special kind of character who is used to enhance another character through contrast

  • i.e. as opposites they highlight qualities of a central character

    • examples include:

      • the mean stepsisters contrast to cinderella’s character

      • jem’s mature wualities contrast and highlight some of dill’s more immature ideas

• they are not focused characters nor are they developed in the story

• they can help us learn more about another character or aspect of a story