English Terms

For the midterm - working/ general definitions based off my notes and the BIL

Catastrophe

A disaster

Characterization

The way an author develops a character (traits, features, etc.) directly or indirectly

Epiphany

A moment in which something significant suddenly becomes clear

Focalization

The specific perspective through which a story is told. Ex. internal focalization focuses on an character’s internal thoughts and feelings.

Free indirect discourse

A third-person style narration that is similar to first-person narration. A narrator telling us a character’s inner thoughts.

Freytag’s Pyramid

A plot structure for stories with 5 stages (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement)

Gothic

A prevalent style in the 12-14th centuries in architecture and literature. Usually dramatic, sinister, and grotesque with dark and exaggerated elements.

Implied/ actual reader

The theoretical reader who is in constant agreement with the text vs. the actual reader who brings their own experiences and interpretations

Narrative perspective

The point of view from which a story is narrated