English 1H semester 1 final vocab + lit terms

plot

what happens in a story

exposition

back story

inciting incident

the event/point at the beginning that changes the life of the main character

rising action/suspense

series of events leading up to the climax

climax

conflict or tension at the highest point

resolution

unfolding/solution of a story

setting

time, location and environment where the story takes place

foreshadowing

indication/hints of something to come later in the story

characterization

describing distinctive characteristics or essential features

indirect characterization

using thought process, behavior, dialogue, etc. to talk about the character
ex. inferences

direct characterization

uses the other characters to tell the reader about the subject
ex. "she was smart"

static characters

doesn't develop or grow

dynamic characters

undergoes change in the story due to encounters with conflict

round characters

complex personality, depth

flat characters

no emotional depth, doesn't change much

diction

choices made by a writer to convey an idea, point of view, or effectively tell a story
ex. denotation and connotation

tone

the writer's attitude toward the subject or audience, how the writer feels

mood

emotional response that the writer conveys in a story

point of view

angle/perspective that the story is told from

first person narration

told by the character, uses I and we

third person limited

closely assigned to one character

third person omniscient

aware and knows everything about every character

conflict

struggles in a story

external conflict

conflict between the main character and an opposing force

internal conflict

struggle between a character and their own beliefs/desires

protagonist

central character, usually the hero in the story

antagonist

opposite to protagonist, usually the villain in the story

theme

central, deeper meaning of a written work

symbolism

use of symbols in literary work

symbol

a sign that stands or suggests something else

imagery

figurative language to create a sensory experience, the reader can imagine being there

irony

contradictory statements that show reality is different than what is seems

verbal irony

unanticipated response
ex. telling a quiet group "don't speak at once"

situational irony

unexpected outcome
ex. fire station burning down

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something that the character doesn't irony of words (mostly in plays, movies, theaters, poetry, etc)
ex. "its so beautiful, I could just die"

unreliable narrator

a narrator who's credibility the reader has reason to doubt

acrophobia

fear of heights

antipathy

a hatred or dislike

appease

to calm, to satisfy by making concessions or giving into demands

autocrat

a ruler who has absolute or unlimited power, a despot

any arrogant, dominating person

autonomy

the condition of being self-governing, independence

autopsy

the examination of a corpse to determine the cause of death

avuncular

like an uncle

congenital

existing at birth but not hereditary

enamored

in love with, charmed by

essence

the basic element, the identifying characteristic

a substance in concentrated form obtained from a plant or drug

a perfume

euthanasia

the act of painlessly killing a summering person or animal, mercy killing

feminism

the belief that women should possess the same political and economical rights as men

fraternize

to be friendly with

to socialize with an enemy population

genocide

the planned annihilation of a racial, political, or cultural group

genre

a type, class, or category, especially of fine art or literature

gynecology

the branch of medicine dealing with disorders and treatment of the reproductive system in women

homicide

the killing of one person by another, a person who kills another

humanism

a philosophy in which interests and values of human beings are of primary importance

hydrophobia

fear of water

rabies

implacable

impossible to calm or appease

indigenous

occurring in or characterizing in an area, nature

inborn

inimical

harmful

hostile, unfriendly

innate

possessed at birth, inborn

matriculate

to register as a student at a college or university

matrix

the surroundings within which something begins or develops

misanthrope

a person who hates all people

misogyny

hatred of women

monogamy

marriage to a single mate

moribund

about to die or end

mortify

to shame

naive

childlike, unsophisticated

gullible

nascent

emerging, coming into existence

nonentity

a person or thing of no importance

odious

hateful, distasteful

pacify

to calm, to make quiet

to end war or violence

patrimony

a family inheritance

pedagogue

a teacher

pedant

a person who pays excessive attention to learning rules rather than to understanding

a scholarly show-off

philanthropy

goodwill to fellow human beings

a charitable gift, act, or organization

progenitor

a direct ancestor, an originator of a line of descendent

puerile

childish, immature

uxorious

dominated by one's wife

virile

having certain characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity, especially physical strength, vitality, and assertiveness

xenophobia

fear or hatred of what is strange or foreign, or foreigners

anthropos

human being, man

homi-, homin-

human being

femina

woman

autos

self

ego

I

amicus

friend

odium

hate

philos

friend

phileo, philein

to love

phobos

fear, flight

pax, pacis

peace

pathos

suffering

miso, misein

to hate

dys

diseased, difficult, faulty, bad

cupio, cupere…

to desire

placeo, placere…

to please

placo, placare…

to soothe

genos, geneos...

race

gigno, gignere...

to beget

mater, matris

mother