intro to fin study guide

plot

 the main storyline of a novel or short story

Ex: the plot of Frankenstein is that a man named Victor creates a monster, but abandons him immediately after. The novel goes on to discuss the journey the creature takes as well as the constant feud between the creature and Victor which ultimately leads to Victor’s downfall.

Protagonist

Leading/main character whose story we follow.

Ex: Victor Frankenstein

Antagonist

A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone(usually the protagonist).

Ex: Manly pointer

Setting

where the story takes place

Ex: The setting of The Yellow Wallpaper is an old colonial home, specifically the nursery.

Point of view

how the story is written based on whose perspective the reader is following

Ex: Frankenstein is told from a first person point of view. Aside from the letters, the story is told from the perspective of Victor.

narrator/narratee

 the one who is telling the story. The narrator can be a character in the story, but can also be an outside person who is not a character in the story and is just telling it.

Ex: The narrator in The Fifth Child is not a character in the book. They are an outside person telling the story.

Unreliable narrator

a narrator who cannot be trusted to give true information

Ex: Jane in the Yellow Wallpaper would be an unreliable narrator because she was not mentally well and was imagining things

Allegory

A story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (moral or political, etc.).

Ex: the banana fish symbolizes greed

Gothic fiction

Writing that is characterized by fear, horror, death, gloom, and sometimes romanticism. The name refers to the European middle age. First established with the publication of “the castle of Otranto” in 1764.

Ex. Frankenstein

Grotesque

A character that invokes empathy and disgust. Odd/unnatural/distored/ugly where you can’t look away.

Ex. Frankenstein’s monster

Flat character

 a character that is not well developed

Ex: Muriel, John, Mrs. Sheridan

Foil character

 someone who contrasts with another character (usually to a main character) to highlight their qualities.

Ex: Ben vs Amy, Jane Vs. Jennie, Junkie Vs. Narrator

Round character

a well developed character

Ex: Harriet, the monster, Sonny

Static vs dynamic

 static characters don’t change throughout the story, while dynamic characters do

Ex: Static - Seymour, Jane, Muriel, Mrs. Sheridan/Dynamic - Harriet, Victor, the monster

Anti-hero

It’s their story and they are the protagonist but they don’t have the typical hero cliques. 

Ex. Joy/Hugla or Grandmother

Symbol

 something in the story that has a physical or literal meaning, but also represents other meanings or ideas.

Ex. The bananafish in A Perfect Day for Bananafish, the room in The Yellow Wallpaper

Theme

 Central idea or topic within a story. This topic should be commented upon in some way by the story.

Ex. Addiction in Sonny’s Blues, Mental health/PTSD in A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Romanticism

has heart & emotion, shows more of a personal perspective rather than one of nobility and heroism, took place during the 19th century

Ex: Frankenstein because it was written in 1818, during the time of romanticism.

Neoclassicism

 focus on the ideal human form rather than on less than perfect shapes of real people. It tried to imitate the Romans and Greeks. (neo- new classicism- classical). Focus on clear and unchanged standards of inherent nature.

Ex. Frankenstein

“Christ haunted”

A general understanding of humanity in the South

Ex. Flannery O’Connor’s works (writing with religious undertones)

Deus ex machina

A literary device where something larger than life comes in to save the plot or tie everything together, a divine intervention. “God from the Machine”

Ex. The Goophered Grapevine, the narrator comes back to tie the rest of the story together. 

In medias res

 Into the middle of a narrative . When the story is already in the middle of the action. The story opens in the midst of the plot.

Ex. How to tell a true war story

Naturalism

 a genre of literature similar to realism which is usually bleak and cynical. It asks: “Do we have control over our own lives?” 1880s-1930s

Ex: The Garden Party

Realism

 a genre of literature in which the author depicts banal and everyday activities. There is no speculative fiction or supernatural elements. It was a reaction against romanticism.

Ex. Sonny’s Blues, A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Epiphany

 a sudden realization or understanding of something fundamentally important to life.

Ex: The narrator in Sonny’s Blues has an epiphany about his relationship with Sonny. Also Flannery O’Connor’s darker anti-epiphanies like the grandmother realizing the Misfit if her own son.

How to Tell a True War Story:

Tim O’Brien, 1990, First person pov

• Tim O’Brien: narrator

• Rat Kiley: Lemon’s best friend; protagonist

• Curt Lemon’s sister: antagonist, did not write back to Rat Kiley

• Curt Lemon: killed by the grenade

• Colonel: antagonist, he did not believe his soldiers

• A short story by Tim O'Brien that explores the complexities of truth and storytelling in the context of the Vietnam War. It challenges traditional notions of war narratives and emphasizes the subjective nature of truth.

  
  

A Good Man in Hard to Find:

 Flannery O’Connor, 1953, Third person limited pov

• June star: daughter

• Grandmother: Protagonist. She is a Round and Dynamic character.

• Baileys wife

• Bailey

• Red Sammy’s wife

• Red Sammy

• The misfit: Antagonist

• Flannery O'Connor's short story about a family road trip gone wrong. The Misfit, a criminal, encounters the family and kills them all. The story explores themes of sin, grace, and the capacity for evil in humanity. It is known for its dark humor and religious undertones.

  
  

Sonny's Blues:

James Baldwin, 1957, First person pov

• Narrator: protagonist/antagonist

• Sonny: narrator’s brother (maybe also protagonist)

• Junkie: foil to Sonny

• Isabel: narrator’s wife

• Gracie: narrator’s daughter

• Creole: leader of Sonny’s band

• Story about estranged brothers, Sonny and narrator. Sonny is a jazz musician battling addiction, while narrator is a teacher. Music connects them, heals wounds, and brings understanding. Themes: family, addiction, redemption, and the power of art. Written by James Baldwin.

  
  

The Yellow Wallpaper:

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892, First person pov

• John: Antagonist (dr and husband)

• Narrator/Jane: protagonist. Round and dynamic.

• Jennie: foil and flat character

• Mary: nursemaid

• baby

• A chilling short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It follows a woman's descent into madness as she becomes obsessed with the pattern of the yellow wallpaper in her room. The story explores themes of gender oppression and the damaging effects of societal expectations on women's mental health.

  
  

A Perfect Day for Bananafish:

 J. D. Salinger, 1948, Third person objective pov

• Muriel: wife of seymore/antagonist

• Seymour: protagonist

• Sybil

• Muriel’s mother

• A short story by J.D. Salinger about a troubled war veteran named Seymour Glass who connects with a young girl named Sybil on a Florida beach. The story explores themes of innocence, alienation, and the impact of war on individuals.

  
  

The Fifth Child by doris lessing

 Doris Lessing, 1988, Third person omniscient pov with a focus around Harriet

• Harriet: protagonist

• Ben: antagonist, Amy: foil to Ben

• other children (Luke, Helen, Jane, Paul)

•  Dorothy: Harriet’s mother

• Sarah: Harriet’s sister/ mother to Amy

• Will: Sarah’s husband

• David: Harriet’s husband

• Jessica and James: David’s father and stepmother

• Molly and Fredrick: David’s mother and stepfather

• Angela: Harriet’s sister

• Deborah: David’s sister

• The Fifth Child Author: Doris Lessing Genre: Fiction Summary: A couple's perfect life is disrupted when they have a fifth child who is violent and uncontrollable, challenging their beliefs about family and society. Key Themes: Family, Society, Normality, Otherness Publication Year: 1988

  
  

Frankenstein:

Novel by Mary Shelley, published in 1818. Story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a monster from dead body parts. Monster seeks revenge on its creator and causes havoc. Explores themes of ambition, responsibility, and the consequences of playing god. Considered a classic of Gothic literature.

Victor Frankenstein: Protagonist

• The Monster: Antagonist

• Henry Clerval: Foil character to Victor 

• Elizabeth: Victor’s love interest

• Justine: Executed for the murder of Victor’s little brother, William

• The Cottagers (Felix, Agatha, De Lacey, Safie)

• Robert Walton: Captain of the ship that picks up Victor

The Goophered Grapevine:

Charles W. Chestnutt, 1887, First person pov

• John: Annies husband

• Annie: Johns wife

• Uncle Julius: protagonist

• African American folklore story by Charles W. Chesnutt, published in 1887. It tells the tale of a goopher, or curse, placed on a grapevine by a slave named Julius. The goophered vine is said to cause illness in anyone who eats its grapes, until a white northerner, John, buys the vineyard and breaks the curse. The story explores themes of race, power, and the legacy of slavery in the American South.

  
  

Good Country People:

Flannery O’Connor, 1955, Third person omniscient pov

• Hulga (Joy): Protagonist 

• Manly Pointer: Antagonist

• Mrs. Hopewell: Hulga’s mother

• Carramae and Glynese: Foil characters to Hulga

• A short story by Flannery O'Connor exploring themes of identity, deception, and faith. It follows the encounter between a cynical, educated woman with a prosthetic leg and a seemingly simple, Bible salesman. The story delves into the complexities of human nature and challenges societal expectations.