AM Lir Semester 2

Romanticism

19th-century western European artistic and literary movement; held that emotion and impression, not reason, were the keys to the mysteries of human experience and nature; sought to portray passions, not calm reflection.

Romantic Themes

Emotion, supernatural, escape from reality, or nature

Realism

A theory of international relations that focuses on the tendency of nations to operate from self-interest.

Modernism

A cultural movement embracing human empowerment and rejecting traditionalism as outdated. Rationality, industry, and technology were cornerstones of progress and human achievement.

Postmodernism

A general term used to refer to changes, developments and tendencies which have taken place in literature, art, music, architecture, philosophy, etc. in the post WWII era.

Point of view

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told.

First Person POV

a character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself

Second Person POV

The narrator is talking directly to another person.

Third Person POV

his type of point of view presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all remaining characters

Tone

The writer’s attitude towards his or her subject matter

Mood

A certain emotion that the literary work evokes on the audience

Metaphor

A comparison of two unlike things without using the word like or as.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds

ex: Walter walked wearing his watch.

Personification

an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration

ex: My head’s going to explode!

Audience

those for whom a piece of writing is intended

Formal Writing

writing that is grammatically correct, proper; used in most letters, books, essays, and textbooks

Metonymy

something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

ex: Suits —> Businessman or layers

Simile

A comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as"

Synecdoche

a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part

ex: “hired hands” for worker

Beacuse I could not stop death

Emily Dickinson

Format

The structure of your final written paper

Structure

Described in terms of stanza, form, and meter

Who are the Anishinaabe?

a group of culturally related Indigenous people

(Anishinaabe means “Original People” or “Good People”)

Where is the Anishinaabe located?

Primarily centred in the Great Lakes region (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ontario)

Where is the Firekeepers Daughter set?

Sault Ste. Marie and Sugar Island in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

What are the Scared Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers?

foundational ethical principles of Anishinaabe life. You should know each value and its associated animal totem:

Wisdom: Beaver

Love: Eagle

Respect: Buffalo

Bravery: Bear

Honesty: Raven

Humility: Wolf

Truth: Turtle

What does Nibwaakaawin mean?

Wisdom

What does Wisdom represent?

Beaver: To cherish knowledge and know your unique gifts

What does “Zaagi’idiwin” mean?

Love

What does love represent?

Eagle: To know peace and view the world with kindness

What does “Mnaadendimowin” mean?

Respect

What does respect mean?

Buffalo: To honor all creation and treat others with dignity

What does “Aakehewin” mean?

Bravery

What does bravery represent?

Bear: To face foes with integrity and do what is right despite fear

What does “Gwekwaadziwin” mean?

Honesty

What does honesty represent?

Raven: To be accountable, sincere, and speak the truth

What does “Dbaadendiziwin” mean?

Humility

What does humility represent?

Wolf: To recognize that you are equal to, not better than, others

What does “Debwewin” mean?

Truth

What does truth represent?

Turtle: To live and speak all of these teachings faithfully

Who is Daunis Fontaine?

The 18-year-old protagonist. She is biracial (unregistered Ojibwe and wealthy white Fontaine), a hockey player, and a talented scientist (chemistry). She becomes a confidential informant for the FBI.

Who is Jamie Johnson?

The "new hockey player" in town who is secretly an undercover FBI agent. He becomes Daunis's romantic interest and partner in the investigation.

Who is Ron?

Jamie’s partner/handler in the FBI investigation.

Who is Lily?

Daunis’s best friend whose murder triggers the core plot and exposes the meth epidemic in the community.

Who is Travis?

Lily’s ex-boyfriend, whose addiction leads to violence and tragedy.

Tribal Sovereignty

Tribal nations are sovereign entities with their own laws, courts, and police forces. The novel highlights the tension between tribal police and federal agencies (FBI).

Enrollment/Blood Quantum

Daunis struggles with identity because she is not officially enrolled in her tribe due to bureaucratic and paternal circumstances, highlighting the painful realities of modern identity politics for Indigenous youth.

The Epidemic

The book addresses the devastating impact of controlled substances (specifically methamphetamine) targeting vulnerable reservation communities.

Anishinaabe

Original/Good People

Daunis

Daughter

Semah

Tobacco

Used as a sacred offering for prayer, respect, and gratitude

Zhaaganaah

A white person

Someone who isn’t Native

Who is the Speaker?

The voice or persona talking in the poem (Note: Never assume the speaker is automatically the author).

What is a Stanza?

A group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem (the poetic "paragraph")

What is shift?

A dramatic turning point in a poem's tone, attitude, or focus (often marked by words like but, yet, or changes in punctuation)

Cold Read Strategy

• Read it through once just to get the literal meaning (What is physically happening?).

• Identify the Tone: Look at the diction (word choice). Are the words dark and heavy, or light and joyful?

• Track the Shifts: Circle punctuation changes, stanzas breaks, or transition words that change the mood.

• Determine Theme: Ask yourself: What universal truth about human nature is the poet trying to reveal?

What is the central focus of a cultural lens?

How race, ethnicity, tradition, and post-colonial identity shape the narrative and characters.

What is the central focus of a feminist lens?

How gender roles, patriarchy, and female empowerment/oppression are represented.

What is the central focus of a formalist lens?

The text itself. Focuses purely on literary devices, structure, style, and imagery without outside context.

What is the central focus of a socioeconomic lens?

Power dynamics, social class, wealth distribution, and economic exploitation.

What is a thesis statement?

A single, arguable sentence that states the main claim/point of an essay. It must not be a simple fact.

What is evidence?

Concrete facts, statistics, or direct quotes from a text used to support a claim.

What is plagiarism?

Presenting someone else’s work, ideas, or words as your own, whether intentional or accidental, by failing to cite them properly.

In MLA Format what is the font?

Standard, readable font (typically 12pt Times New Roman), double-spaced.

In MLA format what is the header?

Page number in the top right corner, preceded by your last name (e.g., Smith 1).

In MLA format what is the heading?

Top left corner of the first page only, double-spaced:

1. Student Name

2. Instructor Name

3. Course Name

4. Date (Day Month Year, e.g., 30 May 2026)

In MLA format what is a In-Text Citations?

Author's last name and page number in parentheses, with no comma, placed before the period.

“Daunis feels split between two words” (Boulley 42).

What thesis is weak and which one is strong?

1. Firekeeper's Daughter is a book about a girl named Daunis who helps the FBI. (Too factual; no argument.)

2. By combining her knowledge of traditional Ojibwe medicine with Western chemistry, Daunis claims her autonomy and successfully protects her community from external corruption. (Arguable, specific, and acts as a roadmap for the essay.)

2 is strong and 1 is weak

What are the writing process steps

1. Prewriting/Brainstorming: Outlining ideas, gathering evidence, and drafting a thesis.

2. Drafting: Writing the initial paragraphs without worrying too much about perfection.

3. Revision: Changing big-picture elements (strengthening arguments, moving paragraphs, improving flow and transitions).

4. Editing/Proofreading: Fixing small-picture mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, MLA formatting errors).