English 1
Text – Any written or printed work, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama.
Fiction – A literary work based on imaginative storytelling rather than factual events.
Non-fiction – A literary work based on real people, events, and facts.
Western canon – A body of literature, philosophy, and art traditionally considered foundational to Western culture.
Freytag’s Pyramid – A model for dramatic structure that includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
The hero’s journey – A narrative pattern identified by Joseph Campbell that describes a hero’s adventure, transformation, and return.
Chronological structure – A narrative format in which events are presented in the order they occur in time.
Non-linear structure – A storytelling approach that does not follow a straight chronological sequence, often using flashbacks or multiple timelines.
In medias res – A Latin phrase meaning "in the middle of things," referring to a story that begins in the midst of action.
Frame narrative – A story within a story, where an outer narrative introduces and concludes the main story.
Bookend narrative – A variation of a frame narrative where the opening and closing sections mirror each other.
Omniscient narrator – A narrator who has knowledge of all characters, events, and thoughts in a story.
Unreliable narrator – A narrator whose credibility is compromised due to bias, deception, or limited knowledge.
Stream of consciousness – A literary technique that presents a character’s continuous flow of thoughts and feelings.
Convention – A traditional or widely accepted way of doing something in literature or art.
Theme – The central idea, message, or insight conveyed in a literary work.
Motif – A recurring element, symbol, or idea in a literary work that contributes to its theme.
Universal symbol – A symbol with a meaning that is widely recognized across different cultures and contexts.
Conventional symbol – A symbol that holds meaning within a particular literary tradition or culture.
Pathetic fallacy – The attribution of human emotions to nature or inanimate objects, often to reflect a character’s mood.
Classical period – A historical literary period influenced by Ancient Greek and Roman thought, art, and philosophy.
Greco-Roman mythology – The body of myths from Ancient Greece and Rome, featuring gods, heroes, and legendary creatures.
Biblical period – The era in which the texts of the Bible were written, influencing literature and culture.
Medieval period – A literary era (5th–15th century) characterized by chivalric romances, religious texts, and epic poetry.
Renaissance – A cultural and intellectual movement (14th–17th century) that revived interest in classical art, literature, and humanism.
Enlightenment – An 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority.
Slave narratives – Firsthand accounts of enslaved people’s experiences, often used to expose the brutality of slavery.
Romantic period – A literary movement (late 18th–19th century) emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism.
Victorian period – A literary era (1837–1901) marked by social realism, moral concerns, and industrialization themes.
Modernist period – A literary movement (late 19th–20th century) characterized by experimentation, fragmentation, and a break from tradition.
Novel – A long fictional narrative with complex characters and plot.
Novella – A short novel or long short story, typically between 20,000 and 50,000 words.
Realism – A literary movement focused on depicting life accurately, without idealization.
Romance – A literary genre centered on love, adventure, and heroic deeds.
Epistolary novel – A novel written in the form of letters, diary entries, or other personal documents.
Historical fiction – A genre that sets fictional stories within real historical events or periods.
Children’s fiction – Literature specifically written for young readers, often featuring moral lessons and imaginative storytelling.
Bildungsroman – A novel that follows a character’s growth and development, often from youth to adulthood.
First-wave Gothic fiction – The earliest Gothic literature (late 18th century), featuring haunted castles, supernatural elements, and dark themes.
Second-wave Gothic fiction – A later development of Gothic literature (19th century), incorporating psychological horror and social criticism.
Third-wave Gothic fiction – Modern Gothic literature that reinterprets traditional Gothic themes in contemporary settings.
Fantasy – A genre featuring magical elements, mythical creatures, and imagined worlds.