The House on Mango Street - Vocabulary + Literary Terms

Vignette

A brief scene or description that focuses on one moment

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating that one thing is the other

Simile

A figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things using the words “like” or “as”

Personification

A figure of speech giving human traits to non-human things like objects, animals, or ideas

Imagery

The use of vivid or figurative language to create mental pictures

Diction

A writer or speaker’s choice of words or the emphasis on pronunciation of words

Colloquial Language

Informal speech styles used in everyday settings

Syntax

How words are ordered

Repetition

Doing, saying, or writing something in the same way again and again

Topic

General subject

Theme

The deeper message or lesson that the author communicates about the topic

Allusion

A brief reference to something else or another work of art that is expected for the audience to recognize

Alliteration

Repeating the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words in a sentence

Symbol

An object, person, situation, or color that represents an abstract idea beyond the literal meaning

Elements of Voice

A distinct style, personality, and viewpoint through which a story is told or written

Characterization

The personality, physical traits, motives, and psychology of a character

Unreliable Narrator

The narrator of a story whose credibility is compromised, biased, and makes it so the audience can’t fully trust their version of events