ENG 114 Final
1) Defining literary terms related to culture
2) Defining literary terms related to work
3) Writing a formal essay
1) Given 7 terms- pick 4
o Culture: a system of shared beliefs, customs, and values. Transmitted from one
generation to another through oral tradition.
o Assimilation: adoption of another culture to replace ones own (forced or
voluntary)
o Gender: defining roles or expectations based on societal norms about
masculinity, femininity and identity.
o Social class: categorizes people based on their socioeconomic status, income,
education, occupation, and social influence.
o Enculturation: the process of learning ones own culture.
o Acculturation: one maintains own culture but learns about others. (immigrants
experience acculturation)
o Ethnocentrism: belief that ones own culture is superior to other cultures
(responsible for residential schools)
2) Given 15- pick 6
Define term, describe how term applies to a particular work, identify writer
and title, subgenre (short story, novel, dystopian) and properly punctuate
title. ------- “short stories”/ Novels
o Personification: is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects. In
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” she describes the
wallpaper in the room as having human attributes. The personification in the story
helps the reader understand the protagonist’s descent into psychosis as the more
she sees the wallpaper as having human attributes, the more she loses touch with
reality.
o Allusion: An allusion is a reference to a person, place, event, or work of art that adds
deeper meaning to a story. In Miriam Toews novel A Complicated Kindness has
many allusions, in particular, Nomi often alludes to Elvis Presley, associating him
with her mother’s love for freedom and rebellion against their restrictive Mennonite
community. This allusion highlights the contrast between the joy and individuality of
the secular world and the oppressive conformity of Nomi’s environment.
o Setting: setting refers to the time and place in which a story unfolds, shaped by its
cultural and social context. In David Bezmozgis’ short story “Tapka”, the setting is in
the 1980s in Toronto’s Russian Immigrant community. The setting highlights thechallenges and cultural adjustments faced by immigrants as they navigate a new
environment while clinging to old traditions, shaping the characters interactions and
their attachment to Tapka, the dog.
o Point of view: refers to the perspective in which the story is told, shaping the readers
understanding of events and characters. In Steven Galloways novel The Cellist of
Sarajevo, the pov alternates between third-person limited perspectives, focusing on
the experiences of different characters, such as Arrow, Dragan, and Kenan. This
shifting of pov allows readers to explore the psychological and emotional toll of
living in a war-torn city, emphasizing the shared yet individual struggles of its
inhabitants.
o Theme: a theme is the central idea or message explored in a literary work. In
Waubgeshig Rice’s novel Moon of Crusted Snow, a prominent theme is the
resilience of indigenous communities in the face of societal collapse. This theme
highlights the importance of cultural tradition, community strength and connection
to the land as the characters navigate survival in an apocalyptic scenario.
o Plot: refers to the sequence of events that makeup a short story, including its
conflict, climax, and resolution. In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour”
the plot follows Louise Mallard as she learns of her husband’s presumed death,
experiences a sense of unexpected freedom, and then dies from shock when he
returns alive. The plots structure underscores the fleeting nature of Louise’s
liberation and critiques the oppressive constraints of marriage in her society.
3) Essay Question 8 listed – pick 1
-overarching ideas:
o Cultural identity: examining how individuals and communities define
themselves through shared beliefs, practices and traditions. (race, ethnicity,
gender, and socioeconomic class)
o Power and oppression: understanding hiw cultural influences systems of
power, privilege, and inequality. This might include discussions on colonism,
patriarchy, and social hieracheries and how they are represented in literature.
o Globalization: analysing the impacts of globalization on culture, such as
blending of cultural identities, loss of traditions, and spread of cultural
products.
o Tradition vs modernity: exploring tensions between preserving traditional
cultural values and adapting to modern or globalized influences often
reflected in literature that critique societal changes.o Gender: traditional gender roles may dictate that men are strong, assertive,
and career focused. While women are expected to be nurturing, domestic,
and emotionally supportive.
o Families: the roles of sons, daughters, parents, and elders can differ widely,
shaping character experiences in unique ways. Conflicts may arise when
characters are pressured to conform to family expectations.
Additional information
{literary terms, novels, and short stories}
Text: something you can focus your senses upon.
Context: what surrounds the text; affects how people process and understand what the
text is.
Subtext: the implied meaning.
4 key Genres in Literature
- Drama
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Non-Fiction
A short story is a subgenre of fiction
Setting has 4 elements:
- Historical time
- Place
- Occupations and daily manner of living of the characters
- General environment of the character
Point of view: who narrates or tells the story
a) First person (I)
b) Second person (we)
c) Third person (he or she)
Plot: the series of events that form the story of a novel, play, movie, etc.
Plot-driven: book focuses on the things the character deals with.Character-driven: the book centers on the characters, their internal world, their
relationships, and the ultimate transformation they experience by the end of the story.
Simple terms: {In a plot-driven story, a character is used to view the plot. In a character-
driven story, the plot is used to develop the character.}
Protagonist: the main character
Theme: central or key ideas that emerge from the story. {we respond emotionally}
Simile: comparison between two objects or using like or as.
Personification: giving human attributes to non-human elements.
Characterization: process in which an author reveals and develops a character’s
personality, traits and qualities.
Irony: contrasts between expectations and reality, often creating a surprising thought
effect.
Foreshadowing: hints in the story of what is to come.