Introduction to Contemporary Literature and Literary Terms

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions of literature, contemporary authors, specific literary works, and various literary terms and genres from the lecture notes.

Literature (Etymology)

Derived from the Latin word "litteratura", which translates to "writing formed with letters".

Literature (Definition)

Refers to any collection of written, oral, or visual work recognized for their artistic merit, style, and imagination.

Contemporary Literature

Written works produced from 1940 up to the present era, showing readers how literature evolves through time.

Contemporary Literary Themes

Generally reveal aspects of World War II, focusing on psychological, social, cultural, political, religious, and economic issues.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

A reality-based story with strong characters written by Zora Hurston.

Character-driven Literature

A style where characters are given greater emphasis than the actual plot, as seen in Taylor Jenkins Reid's "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" (2017).

Margaret Atwood

A Canadian novelist and poet known for "The Handmaid's Tale" and "The Blind Assassin".

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A Nigerian novelist known for "Americanah" and "Half of a Yellow Sun".

Khaled Hosseini

An Afghan-American novelist known for "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns".

Haruki Murakami

A Japanese writer known for "Kafka on the Shore" and "Norwegian Wood".

Bob Ong

A Filipino author known for "ABNKKBSNPLAko" and "Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas".

Lualhati Bautista

A Filipino writer known for "Dekada '70" and "Bata, Bata, Pa'no Ka Ginawa?".

Eros Atalia

A Filipino author and professor known for "Tatlong Gabi, Tatlong Araw" and "Ang Ikatlong Anti-Kristo".

Patricia Evangelista

A Filipina journalist who wrote "Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country".

Imagery

The use of vivid, sensory language in writing to create mental images and evoke emotions; categorized as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.

Visual Imagery

Sensory language relating to sight, such as: "The crimson sun sank slowly behind the hills, painting the sky with streaks of fire."

Auditory Imagery

Sensory language relating to sound, such as: "The whisper of leaves danced with the distant hum of bees."

Kinesthetic Imagery

Sensory language relating to movement or physical touch, such as: "Her trembling hands reached out, faltering as though the air itself resisted her touch."

Literary Fiction

Fiction where the focus is on the character and the theme explores the human condition, often ending with an emotional realization rather than a neat resolution.

Genre Fiction

Fiction that relies on external challenges and specific categories like justice or mystery, usually ending with the resolution of the primary conflict.

Character

A person, animal, or being in a narrative who drives the story forward through actions and dialogue.

Protagonist

The main character driving the story.

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant inner change over time.

Static Character

A character who remains largely the same throughout the story.

Characterization

The method by which an author builds the people in a story, emphasizing dynamic characters and marginalized perspectives in contemporary works.

Setting

The time and place of the story, which in contemporary literature often includes localized places like Cainta or Metro Manila.

Plot

The sequence of interconnected events that make up a narrative in literature, film, or theater.

Exposition

The beginning of the story where basic information is introduced.

Rising Action

A series of obstacles, complications, and conflicts that builds tension and suspense.

Climax

The turning point and most intense part of the story.

Falling Action

The aftermath of the climax where tension decreases and the story begins to slow down.

Resolution

The conclusion of the story where the main conflict is resolved and characters adapt to their new reality.

First-Person POV

The narrator is a character within the story (typically the protagonist) using pronouns like I, me, we, and us.

Second-Person POV

The author casts the reader as a character in the story using pronouns like you and your.

Third-Person POV

The narrator is outside the story and observing the characters.

Third-Person Omniscient

An "all-knowing" narrator who knows the thoughts, feelings, and motives of all characters, as seen in "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy.

Third-Person Limited

The narrator sticks closely to one character, revealing only what that specific character observes or feels, as seen in J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter".

Third-Person Objective

An unbiased observer who reports only observable dialogue and actions without internal thoughts, as seen in Ernest Hemingway’s "Hills Like White Elephants".

Symbolism

The use of objects, colors, or locations to represent larger, abstract ideas.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, including situational irony (unexpected outcome) and dramatic irony (reader knows more than the character).

Allusion

A brief, indirect reference to a famous person, place, or cultural event.

Flashback & Foreshadowing

Narrative techniques where the story jumps to the past for context or provides clues pointing to future events.

Magical Realism

A genre where magical elements blend perfectly into a realistic environment, exemplified by Nick Joaquin’s "The Summer Solstice".

Chick Literature

A genre reflecting womanhood typically featuring a female protagonist, such as Jane Austen's "Emma".

Flash Fiction

Fictional literature of extreme brevity, such as Joyce C. Oates’ "Widow's First Year".

Science Fiction

A genre dealing with imaginative content often set in a futuristic environment, such as H.G. Wells’ "The Time Machine".

Theme

The central message, underlying meaning, or universal truth that an author explores in a story.

Genre

Categories used to classify literature based on shared themes or style, broadly divided into Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Drama.

Intertextuality

The shaping of a text's meaning by its relationship to other texts.

Stream of Consciousness

A narrative technique that mimics the continuous, non-linear flow of a person's thoughts and memories using free association.

Graphic Novels

Full-length stories told through sequential art and text panels, such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Maus" by Art Spiegelman.

Digi-fiction

Also called "triple media literature"; it combines a physical book, video elements, and internet websites to tell a single story.

Hyperpoetry

Also known as cyberpoetry; a digital literature form relying on hyperlinks and multimedia to create interactive experiences.

Prose

Ordinary language following standard grammatical structures and natural speech, organized into sentences and paragraphs.

Poetry

A literary art form using aesthetic, rhythmic, and figurative language to evoke deep emotional or imaginative responses.