CSCL 1401W Quiz 1

Focalization

The perspective or lens through which a story's events are presented to the reader. It determines what information, thoughts, and sensory details are made available within the narrative.

Internal focalization

A narrative perspective strictly anchored to a character inside the story. The reader experiences events, thoughts, and emotions solely through that specific character's point of view.

External focalization

A perspective limited to observing actions and appearances from the outside, much like a camera lens. It provides no direct access to any character's internal thoughts or feelings.

Zero focalization

An omniscient perspective that operates with complete narrative freedom. The narrator knows more than any individual character and can access all thoughts, events, and background details.

Free Indirect Discourse

A third-person narrative style that blends a character's internal voice and perspective directly into the narrator's voice without using quotation marks or explicit attribution tags. Ex: He sat down at his desk. What will be on the chemistry exam today?

Direct Discourse

A technique that reports exact spoken words or thoughts directly, enclosed in quotation marks and accompanied by dialogue tags. Ex: He sat down at his desk. “I wonder what will be on the chemistry exam today,” he thought.

Indirect Discourse

A method of reporting speech or thought through a narrator's reporting clause rather than quoting exact words. Ex: He sat down at his desk. He wondered what would be on the chemistry exam today.

Bildungsroman

A literary genre following a protagonist's moral, psychological, and intellectual growth from youth into adulthood. It typically focuses on the main character's process of self-discovery and integration into society.

Unreliable Narrator

A storyteller whose account of events cannot be fully trusted by the reader. Their credibility is compromised due to psychological instability, personal bias, delusion, or age and ignorance.

Close Reading

A method of literary analysis involving the precise, micro-level examination of a passage. It focuses closely on specific details such as syntax, diction, imagery, and word choice to reveal deeper meaning.

Syntax

The structural arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses to form sentences. It influences narrative pacing, tone, and emphasis through variations in sentence length and complexity.

Diction

An author's deliberate choice and phrasing of words to convey specific meanings, establish tone, or evoke emotion. It ranges from formal and scholarly to informal and colloquial.

Canon

An established collection of literary works recognized by scholars and institutions for their high cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance. These texts are frequently taught, studied, and preserved as foundational literature.

Prose

Written or spoken language that follows standard grammatical structures and natural speech rhythms, divided into sentences and paragraphs rather than poetic lines or meter.

Novel

An extended, complex fictional narrative written in prose that explores character development, plot, and human experience. Don Quixote is often cited as the first modern example of this literary form.

Death of the Author

A literary theory concept formulated by Roland Barthes stating that text interpretation should be independent of the creator's biography, background, or intended meaning. Meaning is instead generated by the reader during the act of reading.

Metafiction

A form of storytelling that self-consciously draws attention to its status as a literary construct. It often comments on its own fictionality or incorporates a story within a story.

Form

The structural organization and architecture of a literary work, distinct from its content. It includes narrative elements like rising action, climax, resolution, and chapter divisions.

Temporality

The portrayal, arrangement, and manipulation of time within a literary work. It encompasses narrative pacing, chronological order, flashbacks, and foreshortening.

Exegesis

A critical and systematic analysis used to unpack and interpret the deep meaning of a text. It relies on close textual analysis to draw out insights rather than imposing external interpretations.

Genre

A classification category for literature defined by shared structural conventions, thematic content, and stylistic elements. Common examples include fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction.

Gothic

A literary style that foregrounds fear, psychological dread, mystery, and intense emotion. It frequently features eerie settings such as ancient castles, isolated mansions, or severe thunderstorms.