AP English Language and Composition Semester II Final Exam Review Flashcards

Flashcards for AP English Language and Composition Semester II Final Exam Review, covering rhetorical devices, literary terms, and key concepts from A Streetcar Named Desire, Maus I, and Night.

What is a simile?

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'She was as quiet as a mouse.'

What is a metaphor?

A comparison without using 'like' or 'as'. Example: 'Baby, you're a firework.'

What is personification?

A type of metaphor in which non-human objects or ideas are given human qualities. Example: 'The wind whispered her name.'

What is hyperbole?

An obvious, intended exaggeration. Example: 'His snores were louder than a freight train.'

What is an idiom?

A commonly used expression not to be taken literally. Example: 'He kicked the bucket.'

What is euphemism?

A mild or pleasant term used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one. Example: 'Sanitation engineer' instead of 'garbage man.'

What is allusion?

A brief reference to a famous person or event often from literature, history, Greek mythology, or the Bible. Can help to simplify complex ideas. Example: 'He was a real Romeo with the ladies.'

What is repetition in writing?

A repeated word or phrase, used for emphasis.

What is Anaphora?

Repetition at the beginning of a line. Example: 'We demand truth. We demand Justice. We demand equality.'

What is Epistrophe?

Repetition at the end of a line. Example: 'See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.'

What is Onomatopoeia?

A word that imitates its natural sound. Example: 'Snap! Crackle! Pop!'

What is Alliteration?

The repetition of the first consonant sound, occurring close together in a series. Example: 'But a better butter makes a better batter.'

What is Assonance?

The repetition of a vowel sound in words in close proximity. Example: 'Thin mint.'

What is Consonance?

The repetition of a consonant sound in words in close proximity, can be at the beginning. middle or end of words. Example: 'She chuckled, and gave a fickle kick to the ball.'

What is Mood?

The overall feeling or atmosphere a piece of writing evokes in the reader, mood is usually described in expressions of feelings and emotions-fear, surprise, anger, etc.

What is Tone?

The emotional quality of the words that an author has chosen; the author's attitude and point of view toward a subject; tone reflects the feelings of the writer and can affect the emotional response of the reader to the specific piece of literature.

Define Hasidic Judaism

A strict Jewish sect focused on mysticism, intense prayer, joyous worship, and strict observance of rituals. Significance: Represents traditional Jewish life and faith that many victims, including Elie Wiesel’s family, came from before the Holocaust.

What is Cabbala (Kabbalah)?

A mystical Jewish tradition offering hidden insights into God’s nature and the universe. Example: The Zohar is the central text of Kabbalah, believed to reveal the mystical secrets of the Torah.

What is the Zohar?

The key written work of Kabbalah, traditionally part of the Oral Torah, rich in symbolism and esoteric meaning.

What is Talmud?

A voluminous record of rabbinic discussions interpreting the Torah and Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. Relevance: Shows the depth of Jewish intellectual and spiritual tradition destroyed by the Holocaust.

What are Phylacteries (Tefillin)?

Small leather boxes with parchment containing verses from the Torah, worn during weekday prayers by Jewish men on the arm and head as a reminder of God’s commandments.

What is Kaddish?

A solemn Jewish prayer for the dead, often recited by mourners. In Night: Its absence or silence reflects spiritual desolation and loss.

What is Genocide?

Deliberate and systematic extermination of an entire group (national, ethnic, racial, or religious). Historical note: The Holocaust is the most infamous example, involving the murder of six million Jews.

What was the Gestapo?

Nazi secret police responsible for terrorizing and suppressing resistance, capturing Jews and political enemies.

What was the purpose of Ghettos during the Holocaust?

Urban areas where Jews were forcibly confined, often overcrowded, unsanitary, and under constant Nazi control. Example: Elie Wiesel’s hometown Sighet was placed under ghettoization before deportation.

What does Boche mean?

Pejorative term for German soldiers used by Allied troops and victims.

What was the SS (Schutzstaffel)?

Elite Nazi paramilitary group led by Heinrich Himmler responsible for running concentration and extermination camps, and enforcing racial policies.

What were Kapos?

Prisoners given supervisory roles over other inmates, often cruel and brutal to maintain order under Nazi control. Example: Kapos are sometimes seen as collaborators or victims themselves caught in moral dilemmas.

What was the Sonder-Kommando?

Prisoners forced to work in death camps, removing bodies from gas chambers and burning corpses, often under threat of death.

What was a Pipel?

A young male assistant favored by Kapos, sometimes given special privileges but living in constant danger.

What was the Red Army?

The Soviet army that liberated many camps including Auschwitz and brought an end to Nazi terror in Eastern Europe.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is a Perpetrator?

The individual or group committing injustice or crimes. In Night, Nazis and collaborators are perpetrators.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is a Collaborator?

Someone who assists perpetrators, sometimes out of survival or ideology. Can include non-Nazi locals aiding the Nazis.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is a Bystander?

Witnesses who observe injustice but take no action, contributing passively to the continuation of evil.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is a Resister?

Individuals or groups who actively oppose or refuse to accept injustice, often at great personal risk.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is an Upstander?

People who recognize injustice and intervene to stop it or help victims. Example: Some non-Jewish civilians who hid or saved Jews during the Holocaust.

In the context of the Holocaust, what is a Rescuer?

A person who attempts to save or protect victims from violence or death.

What are 'Choiceless Choices' in the context of the Holocaust?

A term coined by scholar Lawrence Langer to describe the impossible moral dilemmas Holocaust victims faced under extreme duress, where all options were horrific and no true moral choice was possible. Example: Choosing which family member to save or which work detail to accept.

What is a Pogrom?

Organized massacre or violent attack on Jews, often with tacit government support, predating the Holocaust but setting a precedent for violence.

What is Antisemitism?

Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. Central cause of the Holocaust.

What is Propaganda?

Biased or misleading information used to promote Nazi ideology and dehumanize Jews and other victims.

What was the Nazi Party (NSDAP)?

The political party led by Adolf Hitler responsible for the Holocaust. Rose to power in Germany in 1933.

What was the Final Solution?

Nazi plan to systematically annihilate all Jews in Europe, implemented mainly from 1941 onward.

What was Auschwitz-Birkenau?

The largest extermination camp, combining a labor camp and death camp, site of massive genocide.

What is the meaning of 'Arbeit Macht Frei'?

Meaning “Work makes you free,” a cynical slogan at concentration camp gates.

When was Auschwitz liberated?

January 27, 1945, by the Red Army, exposing the horrors to the world.

What is the literary device Anaphora, as seen in the 'Never Shall I Forget' passage from Night?

Repetition of “Never shall I forget” creates a rhythmic, haunting emphasis on memory and trauma.

What is the literary device Hyperbole, as seen in the 'Never Shall I Forget' passage from Night?

“Seven times sealed” exaggerates the permanent darkness in Elie’s soul.

What is the literary device Polysyndeton, as seen in the 'Never Shall I Forget' passage from Night?

Repeated “and” slows reading, emphasizing the piling grief.

What is Verbal irony?

“Work sets you free” on camp gates — cruelly false.

What is Dramatic irony?

Elie and other victims unaware of Nazis’ full extermination plans.

What is Situational irony?

The camps, supposedly places of order or detention, become sites of mass death.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Mice

Represents Jews. The Nazis regarded the Jews as vermin that spread disease and needed to be trapped and exterminated. Effect: Mice seem powerless and thus are easy victims.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Cats

Represents Germans/Nazis. Cats terrorize mice; they often play with their prey before killing it. They can be sly. Cats seem like superior creatures that cannot be fully tamed or controlled.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Pigs

Represents Poles. The Polish diet includes a lot of pork or sausage. Pigs are gluttons and tend to be fat. The Poles in the graphic narratives seem selfish and lazy at times.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Dogs

Represents Americans. Dogs chase cats and eventually drive them away; Americans and their allies liberated the Nazi concentration camps. Dogs are loyal and faithful. As 'man's best friend,' they are ultimate heroes.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Gypsy Moths

Represents Roma or Gypsies. The gypsy moth in the last chapter gazes into a crystal ball to tell Anja what happened to Richieu. Gypsies are often stereotyped as fortune-tellers.

Animal Symbolism in Maus: Frogs

Represents French. French cuisine includes frogs' legs, leading to this old ethnic slur against the French. Art refers to centuries of anti-Semitism in France.

In Maus I, name a literary term used.

Framing Device/Inner Story. Metafiction. Animal Symbolism

What is the significance of the treasures/safety deposit box in Maus?

Vladek’s hidden valuables symbolize hope, survival instincts, and memory preservation.

What is the significance of Anja's diaries in Maus?

Represent personal history and loss; their destruction signals erasure of memory.

What is the significance of the animal symbolism in Maus?

The choice of different animals for each nationality/ethnicity encodes prejudice and power dynamics visually and thematically.

Identify a theme reflected by Jewish businesses confiscated by Germans in Maus.

Vladek loses his family’s business; property taken by Germans, marking economic oppression.

What does Vladek's carpentry work reveal about him in Maus?

He chooses carpentry over the black market after a friend is publicly hanged — shows fear and caution.

What do the bankers and guards as cats symbolize in Maus?

Symbolizing Nazis’ control over financial institutions.

What does Artie calling Vladek a murderer refer to in Maus?

Refer to Vladek burning Anja’s diaries, which Artie sees as erasing his mother’s memory — a deep betrayal.

How does Tennessee Williams' personal struggle with alcoholism connect to A Streetcar Named Desire?

Williams's substance abuse is mirrored in the characters of his plays, like Stanley’s violent behavior fueled by alcohol. This personal battle gives the play an authentic sense of self-destruction and vulnerability.

How does Tennessee Williams's experience as a gay man in a stigmatized society impact A Streetcar Named Desire?

His own experience of being an outsider adds layers to Blanche’s character, who is also marginalized and struggling to fit into a harsh world.

How do Family Dynamics and Mental Health play a role in A Streetcar Named Desire?

His sister Rose’s mental illness and institutionalization deeply affected him, reflected in Blanche’s fragile mental state and eventual breakdown. The complicated family relationships in the play mirror his own experiences with trauma and instability.

How is Expressionism used in A Streetcar Named Desire?

Expressionism in drama uses sensory effects—light, sound, music, setting—to externalize inner psychological states, rather than relying only on dialogue.

What does Polka music(Varsouviana) represent in A Streetcar Named Desire?

It represents Blanche’s guilt, trauma, and mental unraveling. The recurring motif interrupts scenes and triggers emotional collapse.

What does Mexican Vendor’s cry, “Flores para los Muertos” represent in A Streetcar Named Desire?

“Flowers for the dead” symbolizes death, mourning, and the inevitable end of Blanche’s illusions and life chapter.

What does the Blue Piano represent in A Streetcar Named Desire?

Represents the spirit of New Orleans — raw, passionate, and chaotic. It contrasts with Blanche’s refined, delicate world, symbolizing the clash of old vs. new, gentility vs. vitality.

What does Blanche’s song in Scene 7: “But it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me.” represent in A Streetcar Named Desire?

The song highlights Blanche’s dependence on fantasy and lies to cope with harsh realities. Her “make-believe” world is her survival mechanism.

What is the definition of Anachronism and how does it relate to A Streetcar Named Desire?,

Anachronism means something chronologically out of place. Williams uses this to show how Blanche doesn’t fit into the modern, gritty world.

What is Dramatic irony and how does it relate to A Streetcar Named Desire?

Stanley overhears Blanche call him “subhuman” and “animalistic” to Stella. The audience knows Stanley will retaliate, but Stella does not.

What is Situational irony and how does it relate to A Streetcar Named Desire?

While Blanche bathes (attempting cleansing), Stanley tells Stella about Blanche’s disgrace in Laurel Blanche attempts physical and symbolic cleansing, but instead her past sins are exposed, tainting her again.

What is Verbal irony and how does it relate to A Streetcar Named Desire?

Belle Reve means “Beautiful Dream” the family estate represents lost grandeur and a shattered past.

What does the Archetype: The Mentor represent in The Alchemist?

King Melchizedek, The Alchemist: Guides Santiago, provides wisdom and magical tools.

Give one example of the element Mentor-Pupil in The Alchemist.

Santiago & The Alchemist : The Alchemist teaches Santiago how to transform himself and the world.

Who would be considered The Platonic Ideal, in The Alchemist?

Fatima: Represents spiritual love and inspiration, not just physical attraction.

Name one of the 4 Pillars/Obstacles to Achieving One’s Personal Legend, in The Alchemist.

Fear and Doubt; Material Distractions. Societal Expectations. Misunderstanding Omens. Physical Challenges.

What could the Pear Tree symbolize in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Symbolizes Janie’s idealized view of nature, love, and harmony. Represents her longing for true love and connection.

What could be said about the Hurricane in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Symbolizes the uncontrollable forces of nature and fate, representing chaos and destruction beyond human control.

Janie's hair in Their Eyes Were Watching God is symbolic of…?

Her independence and strength. Joe Starks forcing her to tie it up symbolizes control and suppression.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the Porch / Porch Sitters may symbolize…?

The community, gossip, and societal judgment. The porch is a public stage where Janie’s life is observed.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the Mule may be representative of…?

Oppression and burden. Reflects Janie’s struggle and the limited roles society offers to Black women.

What kind of rhetorical device application can be found in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Folklore and Dialect. Imagery. Use of Southern Black vernacular dialogue brings authenticity and cultural richness.

What does Janie grow into at the point Return in Their Eyes Were Watching God?

Janie grows from a silent, controlled woman to an independent, self-aware individual who defines her own happiness.