Literature

aberrant

something that is not normal or different from what is expected.

aberrant example

Snow in the middle of summer would be aberrant weather.

abrogate

to officially end or cancel something, like a law, rule, or agreement.

abrogate ex

If a government decides to end a law, it abrogates that law.

acerbic

harsh or sharp — usually when talking about the way someone speaks or writes.

Acerbic example

"Her acerbic remarks made everyone uncomfortable."

admonition

a warning or gentle correction — usually when someone does something wrong, but not in a very harsh way

admonition example

The teacher gave a gentle admonition to the student for talking during class.

avarice

extreme greed for money or wealth.

avarice example

The king’s avarice led him to heavily tax his people and never help the poor.

colloquial

informal language used in everyday conversation, not formal writing or speech.

colloquial example

Saying “gonna” instead of “going to” is colloquial.

conciliatory

trying to make peace or fix a conflict by being kind, understanding, or willing to compromise.

conciliatory example

After the argument, she spoke in a conciliatory tone to help calm things down

Credence

Thinking something is true or believable.

credence example

She gave little credence to the rumors about her friend.
(She didn’t believe the rumors.)

Demagogue

A leader who gains support by stirring up emotions, often using fear or false promises.

Demagouge example

The demagogue won votes by blaming others and making loud promises he couldn’t keep.

Equivocate

To speak in a way that hides the truth or avoids a decision.

Equivocate example

When asked if he broke the vase, he equivocated, saying, "Things fall sometimes."
(He didn’t answer directly.)

Fallacious

Wrong or misleading.

fallacious example

Her argument was fallacious because it was based on incorrect facts.

Infinitesimal

Tiny — barely there.

Infitismal example

The difference in the two answers was infinitesimal, but it still mattered in science class.

Presentiment

A strong feeling or hunch, usually about something bad.

Presentiment example

She had a presentiment that something wasn’t right before entering the building.

Redolent

Smelling like or bringing back memories.

Redolent example

The kitchen was redolent of her grandmother’s baking.
(It smelled like her grandma’s food and brought back memories.)

Unconscionable

So bad or unfair that it’s hard to believe.

Unconscionable example

It was unconscionable to charge such high prices during a crisis.

Italics

Used for the titles of longer works such as novels, newspapers, magazines, plays, films, and long poems.

Quotation Marks

Used for the titles of shorter works such as short stories, poems, essays, and articles within a larger publication.

Fabiola

The protagonist, a Haitian teenager adjusting to life in Detroit.

Matant Jo

Fabiola's aunt.

Donna, Imani, and Bri

Fabiola's cousins

Uncle Q

Involved in illegal activities.

Bad Leg

A local figure suspected of being a snitch.

Chantal

A friend Fabiola makes at school.

Themes: Family, loyalty, identity, the American Dream, cultural differences, the challenges of urban life

Anne Bradstreet's "To My Dear and Loving Husband": Puritan literature, expression of love within marriage, and religious undertones.

Thomas Paine's "Common Sense": Revolutionary War era, arguments for independence from Britain.

Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle": Early American literature, folklore, changes in American society after the Revolution.

Stephen Crane's "An Episode of War": Realism and Naturalism, the impersonal nature of war, the insignificance of the individual.

Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour": Realism, the constraints on women in the late 19th century, the complexities of female identity and freedom.

Realism

A literary movement that aimed to represent life as it truly is, without idealization or supernatural elements. Often focused on the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Naturalism

An extension of Realism that emphasized the influence of environment and heredity on human character and fate. Often portrayed individuals as helpless victims of larger forces.

Harlem Renaissance

A flourishing of African American artistic and intellectual creativity in the 1920s and 1930s, centered in Harlem, New York City. Explored themes of Black identity, culture, and the struggle against racism.

Hardboiled Detective Fiction

A genre of crime fiction that features a cynical, tough, and often morally ambiguous private detective navigating a corrupt urban underworld.

Mark Twain's "The Lowest Animal"

Satire, social commentary on human behavior, comparison between humans and animals.

Raymond Chandler's "Red Wind":

Hardboiled detective fiction, Philip Marlowe as the archetypal detective, femme fatale (Lola Barsaly), atmosphere of cynicism and corruption.

Emily Dickinson's "Hope is the thing with feathers”

Metaphor (hope as a bird), personification, themes of resilience, and the enduring nature of hope.

Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat": Delia Jones

The protagonist, a hardworking washwoman who endures years of abuse from her husband.

Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat": Sykes Jones:

Delia's cruel and unfaithful husband, who mistreats her and schemes to take her property.

Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat" Plot

The story follows Delia's life and her struggle for independence and self-respect in the face of Sykes's brutality. Sykes brings a rattlesnake into their home, intending to scare Delia, but ultimately becomes a victim of his own cruelty.

Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat": Themes

The oppression of women, domestic abuse, perseverance, the desire for independence, divine justice.

Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat": Literaray devices

Symbolism (the snake), irony (Sykes's fate), imagery (descriptions of Delia's labor and the setting).