American Lit Midyear

address unknown themes

- Reality of the devastation of the Holocaust

- gradual radicalisation of nazism

- rise of nazi Germany

ethan frome narrative structure

- third-person limited

- focusses on Ethan's thoughts

- first person narrative prologue

allusion

indirect reference, brief reference to a person, event or place

ex. let both sides unite to heed in all corners of he earth the command of Isaiah...

anaphora

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phases

ex. every child must be taught these principles. every citizen must uphold them. Every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, americans

antithesis

a device in which contrasting ideas are expressed in a grammatically balanced statement

ex. "I call not upon a few, but upon all"

apophasis

a device wherein the speaker or writer bring ups a subject by either denying it, or denying that it should be brought up, the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it

ex. we won't even talk about his criminal record...

apostrophe

a figure of speech in which the writer addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or a thing

ex. "make me, o lord, thy spinning wheel complete"

assumed agreement

a speaker presumes agreement on the part of the audience members, thereby removing the option to contest his/her opinion

ex. I know I can depend on you

extended metaphor

a protracted metaphor or conceit which makes a series of parallel comparisons

ex. edward taylor's use of he spinning wheel in "huswifery"

flattering diction

using excessive, untrue, or insincere praise in an attempt to ingratiate oneself with the audience, and therefore make then more likely to accept your opinion

ex. what a perceptive and intelligent group we have here today!

hyperbole

an extravagant exaggeration of fact, used whether for serious or comic effect

ex. he is older than the hills

hypophora

a figure of speech in which a writer raises a question, and then immediately provides an answer to that question

ex. why is better to love than to be loved? It is surer.

metonymy

one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated

ex. detroit is still hard at work on an SUV that runs on alternative fuel

oxymoron

a in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect, paradoxical juxtaposition of words that seem to contradict each other

ex. but this peaceful revolution...

parallel structure/parallelism

similar grammatical forms to express ideas of equal importance

ex. running is fun, jumping is better; skipping is best

personification

attribution of lifelike quality to inanimate object or idea

ex. ...with history the final judge of our deeds

rhetorical question

a question posed for effect rather than for the purpose of getting an answer

ex. will you join in that historic effort?

synecdoche

a figure of speech that uses a part to represent a whole

ex. in your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course

rationalism

1750-1790

- writing during the american revolution

- political/persuasive writers on rebellion

- deism: belief that god makes it possible for people to discover the laws of the universe through reason

- formal tone/diction, focus on natural laws and humans rights, spread ideas, uses rhetoric, key role in creation of the U.S.

- Patrick Henry, Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley

realism

1855-1900

- conflict between north and south that ended in the civil war changed american society and literature

- readers lost taste for romanticism after whitening tragedies of civil war first hand

- writers imagined life not as it could be, but as it actually war

- honest, unsentimental, complex characters in ordinary settings, true-to-life dialogue

- federick douglass

naturalism

1870-1910

- extension of realism

- shaped by scientific idea and historical shifts

- portrays humanity as driven by instinct and circumstance, not free will

- often grim, pessimistic stories of working class facing hard realities

- edith wharton (ethan frome)

modernism

1910-1940

- world war 1 created a "lost generation" that was disillusioned with traditional heroism and patriotism

- industrialization (mass production and new technologies - electricity, automobiles, growing cities)

- rise of new ideas: women's suffrage, the jazz ages, economic boom after ww1 and before the great depression

- f. scott fitzgerald (the great gatsby)

harlem renaissance

1918-1930

- born from the great migration: mass movement of millions of african americans from rural south to the northeast/midwest

- explosion of black artistic literary movements, black intellectual expression centered in harlem new york, redefined black identity, influenced mainstream american culture by challenging racial stereotypes

- langton hughes ("let america be american again"), zora neale hurston ("how it feels to be colored me"), eve l. ewing ("talkbacl: ewing, what I mean when I say I;m sharpening my oyster knife")

nick carraway

- narrator

- yale

- works in NYC bonds

- neighbor with gatsby

- cousin to daisy

jay gatsby

- wealthy young man living in west egg

- briefly went to oxford

- in love with daisy

daisy buchanan

- nick's cousin

- tom's wife

- in love with gatsby

- kills myrtle

tom buchanan

- daisy's husband

- yale

- racists and sexists

- affair with myrtle

jordan baker

- daisy's friend

- romantically involved with nick

- competitive golfer

- dishonest

wilsons

- george: husband to myrtle, auto shop owner

- myrtle: tom's mistress, killed by daisy

great gatsby motifs

- geography: east egg (old wealth), west egg (new wealth), new york city

- weather: gatsby + daisy reunion in rain (love wakes up in the sun), climax of story during hottest day of the summer

- color: gold (associated with daisy, tom, and jordan), yellow (fake gold associated with gatsby), green (green light - greed/envy)

great gatsby symbols

- green light: symbolizing unattainable dreams

- valley of ashes: moral decay

- eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburger: silent judgement of era's corruption

- automobile: modern progress and ingenuity, danger and destruction

great gatsby themes

- The American Dream: promise of wealth and prosperity

- critiques if the American Dream is attainable: Gatsby is the wealthiest yet suffers the most

great gatsby narrative structure

- first-person

- non-linear: framed by narrator, Nick Carraway, who provides readers with the story from his narrative memory

great gatsby historical context

- "roaring twenties" (jass age)

- post WWI economic boom

irene "rene: redfield

- wealthy

- light skinned black woman

- protagonst

- wife of brian

- mother of two sons

clare kendry

- like skinned black woman

- passes as white

- married to john bellew

- irene's foil

brian redfield

- black

- doctor

- irene's husband

- wants to move to brazil

john "jack" bellew

- clare's racists husband

- white

- wealthy

passing motifs

- masks: Irene and Clare are described wearing masks in public moments

- foils: Irene vs. Clare and Brian vs. Bellew

- jokes: Irene talks about uncomfortable topics openly

passing symbols

- the drayton hotel: where Clare discovers Irene - represents the world fo white privilege, Irene seeks asylum there, knows that the drayton is a separate world from chaos of the streets

- the teacup: Irene dropping the tea cup at the party represents Clare's fall to her death

- the cigarette: Irene dropping the cigarette from the window at the Freeland's party symbolizing Clare falling out of the window to her death

- Freeland's apartment: represents a contrast between the drayton hotel and the streets below (refers back to the beginning of the book)

passing themes

- conflict between self-interest and loyalty

- risks and reward of racial passing

- heightened awareness of marginalized people

passing narrative structure

- third-person limited

- centers on characters concealing aspects of their identity to navigate society boundaries, creating tension through ambiguity, conflict between presented image and one's true self

passing historical context

- rooted in the Harlem Renaissance

- explores racial identity, societal pressure

- psychological impacts of "passing" as white in a segregated 1920s America

max

- jewish person living in the united states

martin

- christian person who moved to germany

address unknown symbols

- Physical letters and addresses: symbols of communication and betrayal

- gradual radicalization of Martin under Nazi influence

- impact of fascism and paranoia

- friendship and family bonds

- code and hidden meanings

- "address unknown" stamp: the final image is the stamp of an address unknown showing the true end of Max and Martin's friendship

address unknown narrative structure

- Series of letters written between both Max (CA, United States) and Martin (Germany)

address unknown historical context

- 1932: Holocaust

ethan frome

- protagonist

- farmer whose family lived and died on farm in massachusetts

- appreciation of nature

- husband to zeena

- in love with mattie

zeena frome

- ethan's very sick wife, unattractive, once ethan's mother's aid before she died, hypochondriac

mattie silver

- zeena's cousin

- take care of the frome's house

- attractive

- young

- ethan's rebellion against zeena

narrator of ethan frome

- enginerr

- plays not part in the story

- stranger to starkfield massachusetts

ethan frome motifs

- Illness and Disability: caring for the sick defines Ethan's life, cares for his mother and then Zeena, then he has to care for Mattie when she becomes paralyzed

- Snow and Cold: characteris always complaining about the cold, climactic seens (suicide) is sledding

ethan frome symbols

- Mattie's red scarf and ribbon: when Mattie and Ethan are along together, Wharton says Mattue wears a red hat, she wears a red scarf at the dance, contrasts the wite landscape of starkfield

The Cat and the Pickle Dish: The Cat breaks Zeena's pickledish and then sits in her chair when Mattie and Ethan are having dinner (constant reminder of Zeena), Mattie uses Zeena's favorite dish and then it breaks (symbolizes end of Frome marriage)

- Sledding Crash: Ethan's decision to lose control while sledding symbolizes how no matter if the crash happened or not, Ethan would not be happy

ethan frome themes

- Society and morality as obstacles to the fulfillment of desire: the plot is about Ethan falling in lov with someone who is not his wife, and the way Zeena is portrayed makes his actions more justifiable

- Winter is unforgiving: Ethan is described as being stuck in Starkfield "too many winters"

ethan frome historical context

- later 1800s early 1900s in rural New England

- progressive era: technological change in cities, yet isolation in rural areas like Starkfield

writers of the revolution

- purpose of rationalism was political

- it was persuasive and has life/death purpose to win over the heart and minds of american colonists/rest of the world

- belief that rebellion was necessary

- used rhetorical devices

virginia convention speech by patrick henry purpose

- persuade the delegates to abandon peaceful reconciliation with Britain and immediately form a militia

- war was inevitable and freedom was worth any sacrifice "Give me liberty or give me death!"

- letter to john adams by abigail adams purpose

- urging John Adams to "remember the ladies" and include women's rights in the new code of laws for America

- warned that men's "Unlimited power" could lead to a women run "rebellion"

letter to reverend samson occum by philis wheatley

highlight the stark hypocrisy of American colonists demanding liberty from Britain while supporting slavery

- argued for the natural rights for Black people

- urged Christian ministers to align their actions with their professed faith in freedom

patrick henry speech historical context

- Second Virginian Convention in 1775

- before the American Revolution

abigail adams letter historical context

- 1776, "remember the ladies" when creating new laws for America amidst the revolutionary passion

phillis wheatley letter historical context

during escalation of the American Revolution

- "universal love of freedom"

- hypocrisy of American fighting for freedom from Britain while enslaving Black people in America

frederick douglass

- author and narrator

- escaped slave

captain anthony

- douglass's first master who is suspected of being his father

- very abusive

hugh auld

- thomas auld's brother

- douglass's occasional master

- lives in baltimore with his wife sophia

sophia auld

- hugh auld's wife

- never "owned" a slave before

- used to be very kind

- owning a slave corrupted her

edward covey

- the slave "breaker" that douglass was sent to for one year

aunt hester

- douglass's aunt

- very beautiful

- captain anthony is very interested in her

frederick douglass motifs

- victimization of female slaves: women often appear not as full characters, Douglass includes vivid images of their abused bodies

- the treatment of slaves as property: slaves are human beings, yet they are treated as property and are seen on the same level as animals

- freedom in the city: slaves are treated much better in cities compared to rural areas

frederick douglass themes

- ignorance as a tool of slavery: slaveowners do everything to keep their slaves in the dark, because the more they know the more they will want to rebel

- knowledge as the path to freedom: similar to the theme above, Douglass once wishes that he did not learn to read so he would not know what abolition was or just how unjust slavery is

- damaging effect of slavery on slaveholders: owning slaves makes people meaner and way less sympathetic

- slaveholding as a distortion of Christianity

frederick douglass narrative structure

- first-person narrative

frederick douglass historical context

- 1800s slavery in America, height of abolition movement and Civil War

ethos

- credibility

logos

- appeal to logic

pathos

- appeal to emotion

paradox

- seemingly contradictory statement that reveals deeper truth

- "the only constant in life is change"

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