AC English 9 Semester 1 Final Exam Study Guide

This Study Set is for the 2024 Semester 1 Freshman Final Exam

Situational Irony

when the opposite of what you expect happens

Verbal Irony

when someone says the opposite of what they mean Ex. When there is a hurricane outside, the person would say “What lovely weather we are having“

Dramatic Irony

When the audience or the reader knows crucial information about a situation that the characters themselves are unaware of

Character Double

Two characters who contrast each other - the main reason the author does this is to highlight specific traits of a certain character by showing them the other’s opposing qualities

Character Foil

Two characters with significant similarities, often mirroring each other

Round Character

Character that has a lot of depth throughout the story - more engaging and relatable than a simple “flat“ character, it feels like a real person with a rich inner life

Flat character

character that is two dimensional, lacks depth and doesn’t change much throughout the story

Static character

a character who stays the same throughout the story, despite meaningful, thought-provoking events or moral lessons

Dynamic character

A character who changes significantly throughout the story, usually as a result of the conflicts they face

Literary Terms: Characterization

the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes showing the character’s appearance, displaying the character’s actions, revealing the character’s thoughts, letting the character speak, and getting the reactions of other characters to said character

Literary Terms: Conflict

the struggle found in fiction around which the plot and character development revolves. The conflict may be internal or external and is best seen in these forms: 1) Man v. Man: 2) Man v. Nature; 3) Man v. Self; 4) Man v. Society; or Man v. Tech

Literary Terms: Foreshadowing

It is a plot device that uses hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story

Literary Terms: Imagery

language that evokes one of all of the five senses - the writer may develop a recognizable pattern to develop the themes of characters of the story - Ex. heat imagery in the Vedlt

Literary Terms: Irony

What we believe will happen v. what actually happens

Three types: Verbal, Dramatic, and Situational

Literary Terms: Socratic Irony

involves intentional deception - drawing out info they already know

Literary Terms: Cosmic Irony

fate or destiny appears to play a cruel joke on human hopes. Example: Titanic is an unsinkable ship that sunk. - variation of irony of the situation

Literary Terms: Paradox

an apparent contradiction in terms; expression so surprisingly self-contradictory as to provoke us into seeking another sense/context in which it would be true. Ex: You have to be cruel to be kind.

Literary Terms: Oxymoron

A compressed paradox - two terms that are opposite/contrary.

Ex. bittersweet, living death

Literary Terms: Anticlimax

an abrupt change from growing intensity to triviality.

Effect is disappointed expectation or deflate suspense

Literary Terms: Personification

is giving human qualities to god, animals, or objects

Literary Terms: Apostrophe

Speaking to an inanimate object as if it can respond or address those absent or deceased (“O Captain, my Captain“),

or addressing abstract entities (“Death, be not proud“).

Literary Terms: Protagonist

Central character of a literary work -

To accomplish their objective, the protagonist is hindered by some opposing force (antagonist) either human, animal or natural

Literary Terms: Antagonist

A person or force which opposes the protagonist in a literary work.

Can be a character, society, a force of nature, or a conflicting impulse within the character himself

Literary Terms: Theme

A significant and recurring idea, concept, or argument in a work of literature. It is an element that unifies a work.

Literary Terms: Setting

Determines time and place

Literary Terms: Mood/Atmostphere

Dominant feeling that is created through the author’s use of language, physical setting and often foreshadows the climax in a narrative

Literary Terms: Tone

The way the author conveys their attitude

Literary Terms: Point of View

First-person POV - “I“

Second person POV - “You“

Third person POV - from the narrator’s pov

Literary Terms: Stream of Consciousness Point of View/Narration

A type of modern narration that employs various literary devices, especially interior monologue, in an attempt to duplicate the subjective and associative nature of human consciousness (how our minds actually work, skittering from thought to thought without censoring). To capture the “stream” of perceptions, memories, and thoughts writers compose ungrammatical sentences and shapeless paragraphs, leap from present to past, and disregard conventions of storytelling.

Literary Terms: Plot

the structure of the story - how events are organized

Ex: Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution

Literary Terms: Figurative Language

Saying some thing but meaning something else - examples are symbols and metaphors

Literary Terms: Symbol

meaning beyond a literal sense

Literary Terms: Motif

an element that recurs significantly throughout a narrative - can be an image, idea, theme, situation, action. Usually used to underscore a thematic point, but can operate on a structural level.

Literary Terms: Allusion

A brief, sometimes indirect reference in a text to a person, place, or thing, or prior text, be it fictional or actual.

The allusion must have taken place or existed PRIOR TO the text that houses that allusion. Example: Macbeth does not allude to Harry Potter, but the reverse could be true.

Literary Terms: Suspense

Anxiety in readers when they do not know what will happen next and they are eager to know

Literary Terms: Stock Character

A stereotypical character that occurs frequently in literature, like the “mad scientist”

Literary Terms: Archetype

A recurring symbol, character, landscape, or event found in myth and
literature across different cultures and eras.

A real one though must have a long history and an existence across
cultures and peoples, thus reflecting its importance to all people. Ex. the Hero’s Journey

Tone: Audacious

1) Very confident or daring attitude or behavior, perhaps recklessly so; 2) Original and bold (ideas, art, clothing, etc.) 3) Contemptuous of law, religion, or decorum (contempt is deep hate or disapproval). Noun form = audacity - due to ego

Tone: Bitter

Exhibiting strong animosity/dislike because of pain or grief

Tone: Caustic

Intense sarcasm or stinging/biting comments (caused induced emotional pain)

Tone: Contemplative

Very reflective on an issue or scene/situation

Tone: Detached

not caring, emotionally distant

Tone: Forthwright

Open and honest without any hesitation

Tone: Foreboding

With fearful apprehension (usually towards a thing, not a person)

Tone: Hostile

Unfriendly, antagonistic

Tone: Indignant

marked by anger, aroused by injustice

Tone: Ironic

Saying the opposite of what you think or feel in order to feel funny or deceptive

Tone: Irrevent

Not showing respect to something that is usually respected

Tone: Jovial

good-humored cheerfulness, convivial, (friendly place), jolly

Tone: Malevolent

Having the desire to harm another; arising from intense and vicious ill will, spite, or hatred; malicious

Tone: Objective

Having an unbiased view, able to set personal judgments and thoughts aside

Tone: Ominous

Suggestive of bad things to come (supernatural)

Tone: Sardonic

Scornfully and bitterly sarcastic; - Making fun of someone because you hate or disapprove of them

Tone: Satiric

Ridiculing someone in order to show their weaknesses, to make a point or teach

Tone: Sanguineous

Optimistic and cheerful

Tone: Taunting

Contemptuously or bitterly challenging or insulting to another person; insulting words to provoke a reaction of some kind (like a fight or argument of tears)

Tone: Unnerving

Causing someone to become nervous, afraid, upset or unable to think clearly

Tone: Whimsical

Odd, Strange, Fantastic or Fun

Tone: Apathetic

Indifferent due to a lack of energy or concern

Tone: Disdainful

Scornful, contemptuous, feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; showing arrogant superiority to someone you feel is unworthy on some level

Tone: Facetious

Cleverly amusing in tone, humorous, comedic; treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor, flippant

Tone: Funereal

Having the mournful, somber character of a funeral; sepulchral; gloomy & joyous occasion that
is reminiscent of a burial

Tone: Hyperbolic

With exaggeration, marked in its heavy overstatement; inflated beyond the truth or reasonableness

Tone: Insipid

Lacking interest, impact, or significance: inspires NO excitement, attention, curiosity, or interest. Lacking taste/flavor on a metaphorical level (bland, vapid = syn)

Tone: Insolent

Rude of impolite; showing disregard for people

Tone: Lamentable

Unfortunate, marked by regret; bad/sad/sorry/pitiable because something is undesirable or has negative qualities; deplorable (syn)

Tone: Lugubrious

Extreme mournfulness, full of sorrow or sadness that comes with heavy loss

Tone: Melancholic

Sorrowful; showing sorrow or unhappiness

Tone: Melodramatic

Emotional or dramatic in a way that is very extreme or exaggerated; characteristic of acting on the stage

Tone: Nostalgic

Pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing you could experience it again

Tone: Ostentatious

Displaying knowledge or wealth that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy

Tone: Pedantic

1) Showing off book learning/academic background/knowledge of trivia in a tiresome, boring manner

Tone: Pretentious

Having or showing the unpleasant quality of people who want to be regarded as more impressive, successful, or important than they really are

Tone: Remorseful

Regretful; penitent; contrite

Tone: Reverent

Treating a subject with honor and respect, similar to how we’d be in a religious environment.
Can be reverent toward non-religious things, too.

Tone: Sentimental

1) Weakly emotional: relies more on emotion than reason (like having a sentimental attachment);

2) Expressive tender emotions, such as nostalgia, love, and pity;

3) Can be overly and insincerely emotional

Tone: Wry

Slightly sarcastic in a humorous way; clever with a bit of irony; mocking

Thesis Ingredients

Identification info, literary devices, answer to the prompt, universal theme

Effective way to set up evidence/quotes

Contextual Segues

The purposes of the sub-claim in body paragraph’s topic sentence

To clearly state what the paragraph will focus on 

Author of the Veldt

Ray Bradbury

Narrator/Narration Type (POV) in the Veldt

Third person omniscient

Major Events in the Veldt

• Bought a HappyLife Home - actually turns out to be ironic

• Children get obsessed with the veldt 

• Parents begin to notice their detachment from their lives but do not do anything

• They consult the psychologist - Mr. McClean - and he warns about the dangers

• Then the children lure the parents into the nursery and lock the door

• Parents are attacked and killed by virtual lions 

Veldt: Lydia = dynamic or static

static

Veldt: George = dynamic or static

dynamic

Veldt: Peter & Wendy

static

Some important themes in the veldt

• Over-dependence on technology can lead to lost relationships and failure  

• The destructive power of uncontrolled desires

• Illusion of control - parents think they are controlling the tech but it is actually controlling their lives

• The importance of active participation in society and real life instead of tech

• The importance of the responsibility of parenting - otherwise your children may be detached from you and turn on you

Historical background influence upon the story ( The Veldt): Context of 1950s 

• Boom in the Tech Industry - people saw rapid development of television and tech became increasingly available ina not of homes, leading to concerns about the impact of entertainment on family life and children development

• Cold War + threat of nuclear war - increased anxieties about the destructive potential of advanced technology

• The rise of suburban living - thought that it would make people’s families detached from each other due to their reliance of technology

• Economic Boom fueling Consumer Mindset - people were encouraged to but the last gadgets and tech, which is reflected the Hadley family’s obsession with their highly advanced, automated house

AND HOW DOES THE VELDT REFLECT THE 1950S CONTEXT:

• HappyLife Home: This is a very highly advanced and perfect home to the hadley’s and this represents the lure of technology, thinking that tech can solve all problems, but ultimately becomes a symbol of the dangers of overreliance on automation and tech.

• The Nursery = reflection of the mind - highlights the potential of unchecked imagination and unchecked tech

• Parental Neglect - the parent's reliance on TECH, lead to the children’s unhealthy attachment to the nursery, allowing them to turn on their own parents

Symbols & Other Key Literary Devices: Review examples of each & note various meanings & effects

• Allusion - names “Peter and Wendy”- reference to Peter Pan - about childhood fantasy

• Heat Imagery - a symbol of children’s loss of innocence and growing animosity toward their parents

• Color Imagery - all foreshadows danger and highlights the psychological impact of the children in the vedlt

  • Yellow = caution and danger

    • Depicts the scorching hot African veldt - creates an oppressive atmosphere 

  • Red = blood & sense of violence

  • Green = little greenery and good things

• Irony - situational irony - explores the themes of authentic experiences versus artificial reality

  • The line b/w fake v. reality becomes indistinguishable

  • HappyLife home makes the family’s situation worse 

  • The children prefer artificial reality to real human connection

• Personification

  • Portraying the house like a living person

    • Takes the role of a loving parent - “motherly”

    • Lights following them

What tone vocab words would best fit the narrative voice, George, Lydia, Peter, Wendy, Dr. McClean? 

• Narrative Voice: Detached & Foreboding

• George Hadley: Remorseful & Melancholic (Lamentable, ostentatious, remorseful)

• Lydia: Unnerving & Sentimental (Lamentable,

  ostentatious, remorseful)

• Peter: Hostile and Malevolent (Irreverent, hostile, bitter)

• Wendy: Sardonic and Whimsical (Irreverent, hostile, bitter)

• Dr. McClean: Forthright & Objective (forthright)

Author of the Lottery

Shirley Jackson

Only dynamic character in the Lottery

Tessie Hutchinson

Themes in the Lottery

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery," the primary themes revolve around the dangers of blindly following tradition, the capacity for human cruelty when conforming to societal norms, and the unsettling coexistence of seemingly peaceful communities with the potential for extreme violence, all highlighting the darker aspects of human nature through the shocking ritual of the lottery where a community turns on one of their own without question. 

Key Themes:

• Blind Conformity to Tradition:
  The villagers participate in the lottery every year without understanding its origins or purpose, demonstrating how people can readily follow established customs even when they are destructive, driven by fear of social exclusion and the desire to fit in. 

• The Hidden Potential for Violence:
  The seemingly ordinary villagers are capable of extreme violence once the "winner" of the lottery is chosen, showcasing the unsettling reality that anyone can be capable of cruelty under the right circumstances. 

• The Power of the Group Mentality:
  The story highlights how individuals can easily lose their sense of personal morality when part of a group, as the villagers readily participate in the stoning of Tessie without questioning the action. 

• The Illusion of Safety and Order:
  The idyllic setting of the village contrasts sharply with the brutal act of the lottery, exposing the illusion of a peaceful community and the potential for chaos lurking beneath the surface. 

Further Developed Themes:

• The Role of Ritual and Symbolism:
  The lottery itself acts as a symbolic ritual, representing the arbitrary nature of violence and the way societies can justify harmful practices through tradition. 

• Gender Dynamics:
  Some interpretations suggest that the story subtly criticizes male dominance within the community, with Tessie's victimization highlighting the powerlessness of women in such structures. 

• The Erosion of Individuality:
  The villagers' unquestioning acceptance of the lottery demonstrates how individuals can lose their sense of personal agency when completely absorbed by societal expectations. 

Ironies: List examples & what kind of irony they are in the Lottery

the lottery itself, sunny and cheerful setting, Mr. Summers role, Tessie’s late arrival, and the villagers’ casual attitude

Tone Vocab words that would fit George Hadley

Remorseful & Melancholic (Lamentable, ostentatious, remorseful)

Tone vocab words that would fit the narrative voice in the veldt

Detached & Foreboding

Tone vocab words that would fit Lydia Hadley

Unnerving, sentimental (Lamentable, ostentatious, remorseful)

Tone vocab words that would fit Peter Hadley

Hostile and Malevolent (Irreverent, hostile, bitter)

Tone vocab words that would fit Wendy Hadley

Sardonic and Whimsical (Irreverent, hostile, bitter)