2024-2025 Freshman English Exam Study Guide

Mrs Anain Regular English class review knowt.

Linear

those in which events are presented to the audience in the same order they occurred.

Non- Linear

is a storytelling technique where events are presented out of chronological order, disrupting the traditional linear narrative structure.

Circular

a narrative structure where the story concludes in a way that evokes or echoes the beginning, creating a sense of completion or cyclicality

Fractured

storytelling techniques that break traditional linear structure, presenting events out of chronological order or using fragmented perspectives.

Framed

a literary device where a main story is wrapped or "framed" by another, shorter story

Round character type

A character that is complex and multi-dimensional, often exhibiting a range of emotions and traits, making them realistic and relatable.

Flat Character type

A character that is simplistic, one-dimensional, and often embodies a single trait or characteristic, lacking depth and complexity.

Static character type

A character that does not undergo significant change or development throughout the story, maintaining the same traits and behaviors from beginning to end.

Dynamic character type

A character that experiences significant change or development throughout the story, often due to internal or external conflicts.

Foil character

A character that contrasts with another character, typically the protagonist, to highlight particular qualities of that character. (Complete opposite)

Protagonist

The main character in a story, often faced with challenges and undergoing development over the course of the narrative.

Antagonist

A character or force that opposes the protagonist, creating conflict in the story and often serving as the main source of tension.

Internal conflict

A psychological struggle within a character, where they face moral dilemmas or emotional challenges that influence their actions and decisions.

External conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, or nature, that creates tension and drives the plot.

Symbol/Motif

A recurring element that has symbolic meaning in a story, enhancing themes and contributing to the narrative's deeper significance.

Freytags Pyramid: Exposition

The beginning of a story where characters, setting, and the primary conflict are introduced, setting the stage for the narrative.

Freytags Pyramid: Inciting incident

The event that ignites the central conflict in a story, propelling the characters into the main action.

Freytags Pyramid: Rising action

The series of events that develop the conflict, build tension, and lead up to the climax of the story.

Freytags Pyramid: Climax

The turning point of a story, where the main conflict reaches its highest intensity and the outcome becomes clear.

Freytags Pyramid:Falling action

The events that follow the climax, where conflicts begin to resolve and lead towards the story's conclusion.

Denouement

The final resolution of the story, where any remaining conflicts are resolved and the narrative concludes.

Irony

A literary device where the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning, often creating a contrast between expectations and reality.

Dramatic Irony

A situation in a narrative where the audience knows more about the events than the characters do, leading to tension or humor.

Characterization: Direct

A method of characterization where the author explicitly describes the traits of a character, providing clear details about their personality, motivations, and behavior.

Characterization: Indirect

The process by which a writer reveals a character's personality through their actions, thoughts, dialogue, and interactions with other characters, rather than through explicit statements.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing, reflecting the author's style and tone.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Theme

The central message, lesson, or underlying idea conveyed in a literary work.

5 Act structure

A framework for organizing a play or narrative into five distinct sections, typically including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of consecutive clauses, sentences, or paragraphs to create emphasis, rhythm, and emotional

In Medias Res

into the middle of a narrative; without preamble.

Invocation of Muse

a formal address or appeal made to a muse or other divine entity, typically at the beginning of a poem or epic, for inspiration and guidance in composing the work

Stock Epithets

a descriptive word or phrase used repeatedly throughout a literary work to characterize a person, place, or thing

Epic Similie

a lengthy and elaborate comparison, typically found in epic poetry, that draws parallels between a grand or heroic action and a familiar or relatable natural phenomenon, animal, or everyday activity

Epic Hero

a main character in a long narrative poem, often ancient mythology, who undertakes a grand quest or journey, embodying their culture's values and ideals

Hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence.

Dolos

it refers to trickery, deception, and guile, often personified as a spirit.

Xenia

hospitality

Kleos

glory, renown, or fame

Nostos

the act of homecoming, particularly after a long journey or war

Chorus

refer to a repeated musical or poetic section, such as the refrain of a song

Prologue

a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work. Background information

Monologue

a long speech by one actor in a play or movie, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast program.

Soliquy

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Similie

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Personification

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Rhyme Scheme

the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse.

End Rhyme

when the last syllables within a verse rhyme

Rhyming couplet

when the last syllables within a verse rhyme

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Meter/iamic pentameter

a specific rhythm or meter in poetry consisting of five iambs per line

Tragic hero

a type of character in a tragedy, and is usually the protagonist

Tragic Flaw

a character trait or fault that contributes to a protagonist's downfall in a tragedy

The Odyssey

Written by Homer

odysseus

As the son of Laërtes and Anticlea, husband of Penelope, and father of Telemachus, Acusilaus, and Telegonus,^[3] Odysseus is renowned for his intellectual brilliance, guile, and versatility (polytropos), and he is thus known by the epithet Odysseus the Cunning (Ancient Greek: μῆτις, romanized: mêtis, lit. 'cunning intelligence

Penelope

Penelope is married to the main character, the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius of Sparta and Periboea (or Polycaste). She only has one son with Odysseus, Telemachus, who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War. She waits twenty years for Odysseus' return, during which time she devises various cunning strategies to delay marrying any of the 108 suitors

Telemachus

When Telemachus reached manhood, he visited Pylos and Sparta in search of his wandering father. On his return to Ithaca, he found that Odysseus had reached home before him. Then father and son slew the suitors who had gathered around Penelope. According to later tradition, Telemachus married Circe after Odysseus's death.

Laertes

Laertes was the son of Arcesius^[4] and Chalcomedusa; and the father of Odysseus.

Eurucleia

(Maid) Eurycleia was the only person to recognize Odysseus without him first revealing himself (as he did to Telemachus) after he returned home from the Trojan War. After he entered his own house as a guest of Penelope disguised as a beggar, Eurycleia bathed him and recognized him by a scar just above his knee, which he got from a boar while boar hunting with his grandfather Autolycus.^[1] Odysseus stopped her from telling Penelope or anyone else (except Telemachus, who already knew) in the house of his true identity.

Antinoos

One of two prominent suitors of Penelope begging for her hand in marriage,^[1] the other being Eurymachus, Antinous was presented as a violent, mean-spirited, and over-confident character who wilfully defiles Odysseus' home while the hero is lost at sea.^[2] In an attempt to kill Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, Antinous sends out a small band of suitors in the strait between Ithaca and rugged Same where there is a rocky isle called Asteris, to intercept the young prince on his journey back to Ithaca from the hall of Menelaus.^[3] The plan, however, fails, as Telemachus avoids the trap with help from the goddess Athena.

Circe

Circe is initially described as a beautiful goddess living in a palace isolated in the midst of a dense wood on her island of Aeaea. Around her home prowl strangely docile lions and wolves. She lures any who land on the island to her home with her lovely singing while weaving on an enormous loom, but later drugs them so that they change shape.^[31] One of her Homeric epithets is polypharmakos, "knowing many drugs or charms".^[32]

Calyspo

In Homer's Odyssey, Calypso tries to keep the fabled Greek hero Odysseus on her island to make him her immortal husband, while he also gets to enjoy her sensual pleasures forever. According to Homer, Calypso kept Odysseus prisoner by force at Ogygia for seven years.^[15] Calypso enchants Odysseus with her singing as she moves to and fro, weaving on her loom with a golden shuttle.

Polyphemus

(Cyclopes) In Homer's epic, Odysseus lands on the island of the Cyclopes during his journey home from the Trojan War and, together with some of his men, enters a cave filled with provisions. When the giant Polyphemus returns home with his flocks, he blocks the entrance with a great stone and, scorning the usual custom of hospitality, eats two of the men. Next morning, the giant kills and eats two more and leaves the cave to graze his sheep.

Athena

Athena is the divine benefactor of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his family. She advocates for Odysseus before the council of the Gods on Mount Olympus, and she provides Odysseus and his son with sage advice, most often in the form of the aged man, Mentor, as the two confront life's battles.

Scylla

In Homer's Odyssey XII, Odysseus is advised by Circe to sail closer to Scylla, for Charybdis could drown his whole ship: "Hug Scylla's crag—sail on past her—top speed! Better by far to lose six men and keep your ship than lose your entire crew."^[21] She also tells Odysseus to ask Scylla's mother, the river nymph Crataeis, to prevent Scylla from pouncing more than once. Odysseus successfully navigates the strait, but when he and his crew are momentarily distracted by Charybdis, Scylla snatches six sailors off the deck and devours them alive.

Charybdis

Odysseus faced both Charybdis and Scylla while rowing through a narrow channel. He ordered his men to avoid Charybdis, thus forcing them to pass near Scylla, which resulted in the deaths of six of his men. Later, stranded on a raft, Odysseus was swept back through the strait and passed near Charybdis. His raft was sucked into her maw, but he survived by clinging to a fig tree growing on a rock over her lair. On the next outflow of water, when his raft was expelled, Odysseus recovered it and paddled away safely.^[8]

Poseidon

In Homer's Odyssey, Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, is depicted as a powerful and vengeful figure, primarily known for his relentless opposition to Odysseus's journey home. His primary motivation is to punish Odysseus for blinding his son, the cyclops Polyphemus. 

Zeus

In The Odyssey, Zeus, the king of the gods, primarily acts as a mediator and overseer, intervening in the narrative when he deems it necessary. He plays a significant role in the story, both directly and indirectly, influencing events and ensuring Odysseus's eventual return to Ithaca

Ithaca

In Homer's Odyssey, Ithaca is Odysseus's home, a small, rugged island in the Ionian Sea. It symbolizes his long-awaited return, his love for family and home, and the end of his journey. Odysseus's goal is to reclaim his kingdom and his life with Penelope and their son Telemachus

Ogygia

In Homer's Odyssey, Ogygia is the mythical island where the nymph Calypso lives and where she detains Odysseus for seven years. Calypso, a daughter of Atlas, holds Odysseus captive after he is shipwrecked and washed ashore on the island. She offers him immortality and eternal youth if he will stay with her, but Odysseus yearns to return to his home in Ithaca. 

Romeo & Juliet

Written by William Shakespear

Verona

Verona is the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The play is set in the Italian city of Verona, where two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, fall in love despite their families' feud

Mantua

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Mantua is the location to which Romeo is banished after killing Tybalt. Romeo seeks refuge in Mantua, and it's from there that he initially learns of Juliet's supposed death, leading him to return to Verona and eventually commit suicide

Romeo

Romeo Montague is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest named Friar Laurence

Benvolio

Benvolio Montague is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet. He is Lord Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. Benvolio serves as an unsuccessful peacemaker in the play, attempting to prevent violence between the Capulet and Montague families

Mercutio

Mercutio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the play with the ability to mingle around those of both houses

Tybalt

Tybalt is a fictional character and the principal antagonist in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is the son of Lady Capulet's brother, Juliet's short-tempered first cousin, and Romeo's rival

Juilet

Juliet Capulet is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist Romeo, a member of the House of Montague, with which the Capulets have a blood feud

Nurse

Nurse is a servant, a former wet nurse, and a confidante to Juliet. She's a secondary mother figure, having raised Juliet since infancy, and is deeply attached to her. The Nurse is also one of the few people to know about Juliet and Romeo's secret love. 

Friar Lawrence

Friar Laurence plays a central role as Romeo and Juliet's confidant and spiritual advisor. He marries them in secret, hoping to reconcile the warring families. He also concocts a plan involving a sleeping potion to temporarily fake Juliet's death and reunite her with Romeo, a plan that ultimately leads to tragedy. 

Capulet

is the main antagonist in the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. He is the greedy and abusive father of Juliet, the husband of Lady Capulet and the uncle of Tybalt.

Lady Capulet

Lady Capulet is Capulet's wife. Lady Capulet is quite a timid, unknowing and selfish character, as she appears to be frightened of her husband and does not love her daughter like a mother should. In the play, she forgets Juliet's age and they have a formal relationship, illustrating the distance between them both.

Montague

Lord Montague is the father of Romeo, and the husband of Lady Montague. He has an on-going feud with Lord Capulet, the head of another rich and important household. This rivalry has led to many fights in the city, and Lord Montague is concerned that Romeo will get involved.

Lady Montague

Montague's wife, the matriarch of the house of Montague, and the mother of Romeo. She appears twice within the play: in act one, scene one she first restrains Montague from entering the quarrel himself, and later speaks with Benvolio about the same quarrel. She dies from missing Romeo too much.

Prince Escalus

Prince Escalus is a character in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. He is the Prince of Verona. He holds authority over the Montague and Capulet families who are feuding. He is related to both Mercutio, Romeo's friend, and Count Paris.

Count Paris

Count Paris or County Paris is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. He is a suitor of Juliet. He is handsome, wealthy, and a kinsman to Prince Escalus. His name comes from the Prince of Troy, Paris, in Homer's Illiad.

The Purple Hibiscus

Written by Chimamanda Nogzi Adiche

Kambili

Kambili is an excellent student, and she tries to do everything she can to make her parents, and especially her Papa, proud of her. Kambili's quests to please others often leave her tongue-tied and nervous, and she lives in fear of retribution for her small acts of rebellion against her unyielding restrictions.

Jaja

Jaja (born Chukwuka) is a central character who undergoes significant transformation, particularly through his connection with the novel's title symbol, the purple hibiscus. The purple hibiscus, grown in Aunty Ifeoma's garden, represents freedom and individuality, contrasting with the strict and oppressive family environment under Papa's rule. Jaja's discovery of gardening and his love for the purple hibiscus symbolize his own awakening and journey towards independence

Aunty Ifeoma

Papa’s sister and mother of Amaka, Obiora, and Chima. Ifeoma is a university professor and widow living in Nsukka, Nigeria. Although Ifeoma doesn’t have much money, she approaches life with a positive attitude and takes good care of her children. She is smart and strong-willed, and she isn’t afraid to stand up to her various oppressors. Though she follows the Catholic faith, she is far less fanatical than her brother. Her infectious, throaty laughter is a trait she shares with her children. 

Papa Eugene

Though Papa is revered by the Christian community as a devout congregant and a benevolent provider, his religious fanaticism has turned him into a tyrannical persecutor within his home. Papa’s conversion to Christianity by European missionaries at a young age has shaped his entire life and has set up the cycle of physical abuse that he now views as necessary in order to walk a righteous path.  Papa’s beliefs in serving God and living a life of perfection in His honor dictate his iron-fisted rule over his family, and his oversized expectations set them up for constant failure. In the tears he sheds following his violent retributions for their perceived wrongdoings, he reveals that he himself feels punished for his own failures to keep his family holy. Because of his generosity to the Church, this physical abuse of his family goes unchecked by community members who might have the power to intervene and help correct his fiendish behavior. Papa’s role as publisher of the Standard also solidifies his untouchable status, as his newspaper is the only source of true information about government corruption and lies. Though Papa touts Christian values and rejects tyranny within the post-coup government, his manic devotion to God prevents him from understanding or stopping his cruel treatment of his family.

Mama Beatrice

The mother of Kambili and Jaja. Mama is kind and loving toward her children, though she is quiet and tolerates domestic violence from Papa to keep her family together. Beatrice is known as a gracious host, and she is generous with her family and members of the religious community.

Father Amandi

A friend of Aunty Ifeoma’s family and a clergyman at their church. Father Amadi is loyal to the Catholic religion, although he has good humor when he is challenged on religious issues. He is dedicated to the development of Nsukka’s underprivileged youth, and he has a deep affection for Kambili that others often interpret as romantic interest.

Papa Nnukwu

Papa and Ifeoma’s father, and Kambili and Jaja’s grandfather. Papa-Nnukwu is an excellent storyteller. He is estranged from his son because he refuses to convert to Christianity and instead follows the pantheistic religion of his ancestors. Papa-Nnukwu is close to Ifeoma’s family and finds joy in the simple offerings of life.

Amaka

Ifeoma’s oldest child and Kambili and Jaja’s cousin. Amaka is a fifteen-year-old girl living in Nsukka with her family. Amaka is thin with quizzical eyes and is a fast walker and talker. She is outspoken and she challenges Kambili to find her own voice. Amaka is critical of wealth and religion, and she denounces the idea of European superiority. Because of the freedoms her mother and life in Nsukka provide, Amaka is allowed to wear lipstick and pants, and she listens to culturally conscious indigenous music.

Obiora

Ifeoma’s middle child and Kambili and Jaja’s cousin. Obiora is a fourteen-year-old boy living in Nsukka with his family. Obiora tries to be a leader for his family in the absence of his deceased father, and he challenges Father Amadi on notions of Christianity. He has light skin, honey-colored eyes, thick glasses, and an endearing crooked smile. Obiora represents what Jaja’s life could have been like if he had been raised in Nsukka.

The Sniper

Written by Liam O’Flerty