Literary Terms and Short Stories

A collection of vocabulary flashcards defining key literary and philosophical terms alongside noted short stories, their authors, and publication dates.

Epigraph

A short quote or passage at the beginning of a literary work that introduces an important theme or idea.

Ideology

A set of beliefs and ideas that influences how a person or group views the world.

Epistemology

The study of knowledge and how people determine what is true or knowable.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of multiple sentences, clauses, or lines.

Entfremdung

A German word meaning alienation, or a feeling of being separated from yourself, other people, or society.

Apropos

Something that is relevant or connected to what is currently being discussed.

Oppression

The unfair or cruel treatment of a person or group through the use of power or control.

Culpable

Responsible for something wrong or deserving blame for an action.

Parable

A short story that teaches a moral or meaningful lesson.

Allegory

A story in which characters and events represent deeper ideas, such as moral, political, or philosophical concepts.

Anomos

A state of being without laws or social rules, or of going against accepted norms.

Rhetoric

The use of language and persuasive techniques to influence or convince an audience.

Didactic

Designed or intended to teach, instruct, or convey a moral lesson.

Liminal

Occupying a position at the threshold of statuses.

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

A story written by Ursula Le Guin in 1973.

The Lottery

A story written by Shirley Jackson in 1948.

The Masque of the Red Death

A story written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1842.

The Veldt

A story written by Ray Bradbury in 1950.

A Rose for Emily

A story written by William Faulkner in 1931.