The Crucible

• Dramatic Devices

• 2

  Dramatic Irony: Audience knows more than characters (e.g., John's confession vs. Elizabeth's knowledge).

•  

  Verbal Irony: Characters say the opposite of what they mean (e.g., Proctor's struggle with the 10th commandment).

• Situational Irony: Actions have unintended consequences (e.g., false confessions to save lives).

• Characterization

• Abigail Williams: Manipulative antagonist, seeks John Proctor, accuses others to save herself.

• Reverend Parris: Paranoid, power-hungry, disliked by many, focuses on materialistic aspects.

• Betty Parris: Fueled by fear, influenced by Tituba, collapses due to accusations.

• Tituba: Fears for her life, falsely confesses to witchcraft, setting a dangerous precedent.

• John Proctor: Tragic hero, honest, struggles with his past, sacrifices for his integrity.

• Elizabeth Proctor: Misjudged as bitter, loyal despite challenges, falsely accused of witchcraft.

• Mary Warren: Timid, manipulated by Abigail, involved in the witchcraft accusations.

• The Putnams: Greedy family, accuse others for personal gain and power.

• The Coreys: Giles Corey refuses to accuse his wife, Martha Corey is falsely accused.

• The Nurses: Well-respected elders, falsely accused due to jealousy and fear.

• Abigail’s Friends: Collaborators in Abigail's schemes for personal gain.

• The Judges: Main accusers, driven by personal motives and beliefs.

• Plot

• Allegory for the Red Scare in the 1950s, set during the Salem witch trials in the 1600s.

• Initiated by girls dancing in the woods, accusations escalate, leading to chaos and tragedy.

• Themes

• Fear/Hysteria: Fear of the unknown and accusations drives the town into chaos.

• Power: Influence and control over others lead to abuse and manipulation.

• Reputation: Characters prioritize reputation over truth and morality.

• Danger of Ideology: Blind adherence to beliefs causes destruction and injustice.

• Historical Background

• Set in late 1600s Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials hysteria.

• Accusations of witchcraft led to imprisonment and executions, reflecting societal fears.

• Lord of The Flies

• Point of View

• Third-person and distant POV provides insights into multiple characters' thoughts and emotions.

• Characterization, Symbols, and Themes

• Characters represent different aspects of society and human nature.

• Symbols like the conch shell and the beast reflect power dynamics and primal instincts.

• Themes include civilization vs. savagery, loss of innocence, and the inherent evil in humanity.

• Allegory and Historical Context

• Allegorical representation of societal breakdown and the darkness within humanity.

• Written post-World War II, reflecting the fragility of civilization and the potential for chaos.

• Characterization

• Main Characters

• Ralph: Symbolizes leadership, civilization, and democracy; embodies the ego of human personality.

• Jack: Represents violence, fascism, and dictatorship; embodies the id of human personality.

• Piggy: Epitomizes rationality, intelligence, and science; symbolizes the superego of human personality.

• Simon: Embodies emotional intelligence, purity, and human goodness; comparable to Jesus.

• Supporting Characters

• Samneric: Illustrate the conflict between morality and self-interest, loss of individuality, and conformity.

• Roger & Maurice: Symbolize evil, brutality, and innate violence; act as henchmen, torturing others.

• Percival & the littluns: Represent helplessness, voicelessness, and defenselessness.

• Symbols

• Conch: Symbol of democracy and fairness, granting the holder the right to speak.

• Fire: Represents hope when controlled, and uncontrolled passions when out of control.

• Parachutist: Symbolizes historical past and the inherent evil or beast within man.

• Piggy’s glasses: Signify survival and rescue, essential for fire creation.

• Themes in Lord of the Flies

• Survival

• Portrayed through the boys' struggle to survive on the island and amidst each other.

• Highlights the primal instinct for self-preservation and adaptation to harsh conditions.

• Loss of Innocence

• Evident in characters like Ralph, Jack, and Simon as they succumb to the island's savagery.

• Reflects the corrupting influence of power and the absence of societal norms.

• Democracy and Morality

• Explored through the establishment of the conch system and the boys' attempts at governance.

• Showcases the struggle between order and chaos, and the innate human capacity for good and evil.

• Darkness of Man's Heart

• Revealed as characters descend into madness and violence, exposing the primal nature within.

• Serves as a commentary on the fragility of civilization and the allure of savagery.

• Themes in Slaughterhouse-Five

• Free Will and Anti-War

• Illustrated through Billy Pilgrim's ability to transcend time, questioning fate and choice.

• Critiques the futility and devastation of war, advocating for peace and humanity.

• Survival and Metafiction

• Examined in the context of the Dresden firebombing scenes, highlighting resilience amidst chaos.

• Metafictional elements emphasize the blurred lines between reality and fiction, engaging readers in self-reflection.

• Black Humor and Symbolism

• Kurt Vonnegut's use of black humor serves as a coping mechanism post-tragedy, offering a satirical lens on war.

• Symbolism, like 'The Children’s Crusade,' metaphorically conveys the absurdity and tragedy of armed conflict.

  The Crucible

  Dramatic Devices

  • Dramatic Irony: When we know more than the characters, like secrets they don't know.

  • Verbal Irony: Characters say the opposite of what they mean.

  • Situational Irony: When actions have unexpected results.

  Characterization

  • Abigail Williams: Tricky and accuses others to save herself.

  • Reverend Parris: Paranoid and focused on material things.

  • John Proctor: Honest but struggles with his past.

  • Elizabeth Proctor: Loyal and falsely accused of witchcraft.

  • Mary Warren: Timid and manipulated by Abigail.

  Plot

  • Set during the Salem witch trials in the 1600s.

  • Shows how fear and power can lead to chaos and tragedy.

  Themes

  • Fear and hysteria drive chaos.

  • Power can lead to abuse.

  • Reputation is valued over truth.

  • Blindly following beliefs can cause harm.

  Historical Background

  • Reflects the fear and hysteria of the Salem witch trials in the late 1600s.

  Lord of The Flies

  Point of View

  • Third-person view shows different characters' thoughts.

  Characterization, Symbols, and Themes

  • Characters represent different parts of society.

  • Symbols like the conch shell represent power dynamics.

  • Themes include civilization vs. savagery and loss of innocence.

  Allegory and Historical Context

  • Represents societal breakdown and human darkness.

  • Written post-World War II, showing civilization's fragility.

  Main Characters

  • Ralph: Represents leadership and democracy.

  • Jack: Symbolizes violence and dictatorship.

  • Piggy: Stands for rationality and intelligence.

  • Simon: Embodies goodness and purity.

  Supporting Characters

  • Samneric: Show the conflict between morality and self-interest.

  • Roger & Maurice: Symbolize evil and brutality.

  • Percival & the littluns: Represent helplessness.

  Symbols

  • Conch: Symbolizes democracy and fairness.

  • Fire: Represents hope and passion.

  • Parachutist: Symbolizes evil within man.

  • Piggy’s glasses: Signify survival.

  Themes

  • Survival, loss of innocence, democracy, and the darkness within humanity are explored.

  Slaughterhouse-Five

  Themes

  • Survival

  • Portrayed through the boys' struggle to survive on the island and amidst each other.

  • Highlights the primal instinct for self-preservation and adaptation to harsh conditions.

  • Loss of Innocence

  • Evident in characters like Ralph, Jack, and Simon as they succumb to the island's savagery.

  • Reflects the corrupting influence of power and the absence of societal norms.

  • Democracy and Morality

  • Explored through the establishment of the conch system and the boys' attempts at governance.

  • Showcases the struggle between order and chaos, and the innate human capacity for good and evil.

  • Darkness of Man's Heart

  • Revealed as characters descend into madness and violence, exposing the primal nature within.

  • Serves as a commentary on the fragility of civilization and the allure of savagery.

  • Themes in Slaughterhouse-Five

  • Free Will and Anti-War

  • Illustrated through Billy Pilgrim's ability to transcend time, questioning fate and choice.

  • Critiques the futility and devastation of war, advocating for peace and humanity.

  • Survival and Metafiction

  • Examined in the context of the Dresden firebombing scenes, highlighting resilience amidst chaos.

  • Metafictional elements emphasize the blurred lines between reality and fiction, engaging readers in self-reflection.

  • Black Humor and Symbolism

  • Kurt Vonnegut's use of black humor serves as a coping mechanism post-tragedy, offering a satirical lens on war.

  • Symbolism, like 'The Children’s Crusade,' metaphorically conveys the absurdity and tragedy of armed conflict.

• Literary Movements

• Realism: Focuses on everyday life, devoid of embellishments, and emphasizes a straightforward narrative approach.

• Modernism: Explores existential questions, employs complex plots, and delves into multiple perspectives and aesthetics.

• Postmodernism: Challenges traditional Western philosophical assumptions, questioning established norms and beliefs.

• Literary Devices

• Simile: Compares two things using 'like' or 'as' to enhance vividness and imagery.

• Metaphor: Draws comparisons without using direct comparative words, enriching the narrative with deeper meanings.

•  

  Irony: Utilized in various forms to convey meanings contrary to the literal interpretation, adding complexity and depth to the text.

• Symbolism: Objects or elements represent abstract ideas or concepts, adding layers of meaning to the narrative.

  • Realism: people writing about everyday life, the day to day person, plot is basic, a central viewpoint, free of ornamentation– it is explained as it is, without decorative language. 

  • Modernism: people writing about life's questions, the quality of someone's thoughts and feelings, plot may be complex, multiple viewpoints, more focus on “aesthetics” and the language– more allusions and imagery. 

  • Postmodernism: a late 20th-century movement in philosophy and literary theory that generally questions the basic assumptions of Western philosophy in the modern period.

  • Meter: the rhythmic structure of lines and/or verses in a poem.

  • Rhyme scheme: the poets pattern of lines that rhyme with other lines in the stanza or whole poem. 

  • Simile: is a figure of speech that compares two things using like or as, brings more attention to things makes them more vivid.

  • Metaphor: a figure of speech that compares two things that uses a word that normally would go with that object. 

  • Authorial Intrusion: a device that occurs when a writer inserts themselves into his or hers writing, tells their judgement. Example would be SH5.

  • Alliteration: is the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of an adjacent or closely connected words. 

  • Assonance: used in poetry, is the repetition of a sound of a vowel in non-rhyming syllables near enough to each other for the echo to discernible. 

  • Irony: used as dramatic, situational, or verbal, is to express ones meaning by using language that usually signifies the opposite. 

  • Symbolism: a thing that is uses as a symbol to represent something. 

  • Personification: giving a human a non human characteristic, or giving an animal a human characteristic.

  • Exemplification: using examples to explain, convince, or amuse.

  • Negation: to contradict or deny, disproving.

  • Classification: arranging things into groups or classes by their characteristics.

  • Function: what things do, a sense of purpose

  • Villanelle: poem of “fixed form”, contains usually five three-line stanzas with a final four line stanza also with only two rhymes without.

  • Free Verse: Poetry with no rhyme

  • Onomatpoeia: Words that describe sounds, ex. pow, wham, ect.

  • Enjambement: sentences running over lines in a poem. 

  • Imagery: words in a book describing usually a setting in deep detail, so the reader can imagine themselves there.

  • Stanza: A section of four-five lines in a poem

  Allusion: Reference in literature to another piece of literature or quote.
  

  Realism is like taking a photo of everyday life without fancy filters. Modernism is like painting a picture of deep thoughts and feelings with lots of colors and patterns. Postmodernism is like asking lots of questions about what we believe. Meter is the beat in poems, and rhyme scheme is how the words rhyme in a poem. Simile compares things using 'like' or 'as,' making them vivid. Metaphor compares things without using 'like' or 'as.' Authorial Intrusion is when the writer jumps into the story. Alliteration repeats sounds at the start of words. Assonance repeats vowel sounds. Irony is saying the opposite of what you mean. Symbolism uses things to represent other ideas. Personification gives human traits to non-humans. Exemplification uses examples to explain. Negation is saying no. Classification groups things by traits. Function is what things do. Villanelle is a poem with a specific structure. Free Verse is poetry without rhymes. Onomatopoeia are words that sound like what they mean. Enjambment is when sentences flow over lines. Imagery paints detailed pictures with words. Stanza is a section in a poem. Allusion is a reference to other literature.