AP Eng Midterm

Analogy

comparison of two similar things because a third element they share; creating connection between two parallel concepts.

Metaphor

Comparison of unrelated things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture with a hidden meaning, using narrative to explain a concept.

Chiasmus

When concepts are repeated in reverse order.

Antithesis

Contrasting two concepts in a sentence.

Ex: United we stand, divided we fall

Alliteration

Repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of words.

Ambiguity

Being open to many interpretations; vague or unclear.

Aphorism

A concise, witty statement containing a general truth.

Allusion

A reference to something without mentioning it explicitly.

Anecdote

A short, interesting story about someone's life.

Asyndeton

A writing style where conjunctions are omitted in sentences.

Antagonist

The main enemy or rival in a story.

Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds in poetry.

Cliché

An overused phrase or idea lacking originality.

Epithet

Descriptive phrases that add depth to people.

Conceit

A stretched metaphor making a strained comparison between two things.

Connotation

An idea or feeling that a word invokes beyond its literal meaning.

Epigraph

A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggesting the theme.

Colloquialism

Everyday use of informal words or expressions.

Dialect

A way of speaking characteristic of a specific group; variant of a language.

Epanalepsis

Repetition of the same expression at the beginning and end of a sentence.

Ex: Jane, what are you doing, Jane?

Epistrophe

Repetition of words at the end of two or more sentences.

Exposition

Introduces characters, situations, and settings in a narrative; backstory

Anaphora

Repetition of a word at the beginning of sentences for coherence.

Polysyndeton

Using conjunctions with no commas to separate items in a series.

Anathema

Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.

Angst

A feeling of deep anxiety or dread about the human condition.

Rend

To tear something into two or more pieces.

Shallow

Having little depth.

Flashback

A scene in a story set earlier than the main timeline.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Personification

Giving human qualities to objects or animals.

Bildungsroman Novel

A novel that follows a character's psychological or moral growth; growth from early age to life

Frame Tale

A story within a story; ex: Heart of Darkness

Foreshadowing

Using hints to suggest what will happen later in the plot.

Interpreter of Maladies

By Jhumpa Lahiri

India in a cab traveling to the Sun Temple at Konarak.

Main Characters in Interpreter of Maladies

Mr. Kapasi, Mrs. Das, Mr. Das, and three kids.

Narrator : Mr. Kapasi

Protagonist : Mr Kapasi

Antagonist : ?

The Masque of the Red Death

By Edgar Allan Poe

Prince Prosperos castellated abbey in the country

Characters in The Masque of the Red Death

Main character : Prince Prospero

Narrator : Unknown but from a 3rd person POV 

Protagonist : Prince Prospero

Antagonist : Red Death 

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Brontë

England 1840s, Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor house, Ferndean

Characters of Jane Eyre

Main characters : Jane eyre, Rochester, St. John’s

Narrator : Jane Eyre, and Brontë 2nd POV

Protagonist : Jane Eyre

Antagonist : Reed family, Brocklehurst from Lowood, Grace pool, Blanche

Macbeth

By Shakespeare

Scotland and England during the 11th century

Characters of Macbeth

Main Characters : Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Macduff

Narrator: none, or everyone 

Protagonist : Macbeth 

Antagonist : 3 witches, Macbeth

Invisible Man

By Ralph Ellison

American South, Harlem, NYC during 1920s and 1930s

Characters in Invisible Man

Main Characters : The narrator, Ras the Exhorter, Brother Jack, Tod Clifton

Narrator : Unnamed young black man who refers to himself as invisible man 

Protagonist : Invisible man 

Antagonist : Dr. Bledsoe, Brother Jack, Ras the Exhorter, Societyyyy

Heart of Darkness

By Joseph Conrad

Late 1800s, primarily in Africa and Europe.

Characters in Heart of Darkness

Main characters : Charlie Marlow, Kurtz, The manager

Narators : Unnamed narrator and Marlow

Protagonist: Marlow 

Antagonist : Kurtz

The Hunger Artist

By Franz Kafka

Unspecified European City, Circus, most likely in the late 19th century

Characters in The Hunger Artist

Main character : The hunger artists 

Narrator : unnamed 3rd POV 

Protagonist : Hunger artist 

Antagonist : Impresario

The Sniper

By Liam O Flaherty

Dublin, Ireland during the Irish Civil War in early 1922.

Characters in the Sniper

Main characters : The Republican sniper, the enemy sniper

Narrator : 3rd person limited POV and the Republican Sniper

Protagonist : The republican sniper

Antagonist : The enemy sniper