Academic Lanuage for Essays

Subvert – The author subverts traditional gender roles in the text.

Challenge – The argument challenges societal norms and expectations.

Diminish – The narrative structure diminishes the reliability of the protagonist’s account.

Critique – The author critiques the power dynamics within the society.

Weaken – The use of irony weakens the credibility of the ruling class.

Erode – The text erodes the reader’s trust in institutional authority.

Discredit – The portrayal of leadership discredits the notion of absolute power.

Question – The play questions the legitimacy of divine intervention.

Destabilize – The fragmented narrative destabilizes the reader’s perception of truth.

Undermine - The characters’ moral ambiguity undermines the certainty of their intentions and actions.9

Foreshadowing – hints or clues about future events

Symbolic resonance – when a symbol carries deep, layered meaning

Motif – a recurring theme, idea, or image

Allegory – a story or symbol that represents a broader concept

Juxtaposition – placing two contrasting elements side by side (e.g., beauty of the morning vs. brutality of the murder)

Irony – when the outcome contradicts expectations (e.g., the town knows about the murder but does nothing)

Omen – a sign or warning of a future event

Surrealism – a literary technique that blends reality with dream-like elements

Intertextuality – references to other texts or historical events within the novel

Narrative fragmentation – a non-linear or disjointed storytelling style

Subjectivity – influenced by personal feelings or opinions

Unreliable narration – a narrative style where the storyteller’s version of events is questionable

Discrepancy – a contradiction or inconsistency (e.g., differing accounts of the weather)

Revisionism – the act of altering or distorting the past

Posthumous judgment – evaluating someone after their death

Fragmentation – broken or incomplete recollection of events

Retrospective narration – storytelling that looks back on past events

Ambiguous morality – uncertainty about what is right or wrong

Distortion of reality – altering facts to fit a specific perspective

Collective amnesia – a society’s tendency to forget or ignore past wrongs

Inevitability – something that cannot be avoided (e.g., Santiago’s death)

Fatalism – the belief that fate is predetermined and unavoidable

Determinism – the idea that human actions are shaped by fate or social structures

Resignation – accepting one’s fate without resistance

Martyrdom – suffering or dying for a cause (e.g., Santiago as a martyr to honor culture)

Complicity – being passively or actively involved in wrongdoing

Culpability – responsibility for a crime or wrongdoing

Moral ambivalence – uncertainty or contradiction in moral judgment

Systemic violence – harm that is embedded in societal structures

Repression – the act of suppressing emotions, actions, or memories

Subjugation – the act of dominating or oppressing

Objectification – treating a person as an object rather than an individual

Androcentrism – a male-centered worldview

Misogyny – hatred or prejudice against women

Hegemony – dominance of one group over another (e.g., male hegemony)

Codified – reinforced by societal rules and expectations

Commodification – treating something (or someone) as a product for trade (e.g., Angela Vicario as a "damaged good")

Honor-based violence – harm committed to uphold family reputation

Patriarchal constraints – limitations placed on women due to societal expectations

Prescriptive gender roles – rigid expectations about how men and women should behave