Untitled Flashcards Set

Q: What does "denotation" mean?
A: The dictionary definition of a word.

Q: What does "connotation" mean?
A: The meanings associated with a word beyond its literal definition.

Q: What are the two ways to use language?
A: Literal (means exactly what is said) and figurative (uses non-standard language for special effects).

Q: What are the two kinds of meaning in a text?
A: Denotation and connotation.

Q: What does it mean that language is "playful"?
A: There is a gap between the signifier (word) and the signified (meaning), allowing for multiple interpretations and creative uses.

Reading a Poem

Q: What steps are involved in reading a poem?
A:

1. Look at the title.

2. Read one sentence at a time, marking sentences.

3. Open up multiple meanings and generate new questions.

4. Identify the speaker, audience, occasion, and purpose.

5. Note unclear words and shifts in time, POV, or ideas.

Q: What is the goal of reading a poem?
A: To explore multiple meanings and generate new questions, not to find a single correct meaning.

Native American Themes

Q: What does "Kill the Indian, Save the Man" represent?
A: Assimilation efforts aimed at erasing Native American identity.

Q: What are some meanings attached to Native Americans?
A: They often symbolize resilience, tradition, and identity, but can also be subject to stereotypes and historical erasure.

Q: What is assimilation?
A: The process of adapting or forcing individuals to conform to a dominant culture, often erasing original identities.

Q: What is fetal alcohol syndrome?
A: A condition in children caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to developmental and cognitive impairments.

Female Tropes

Q: What is the "damsel in distress" trope?
A: A female character who is victimized, often becoming an object of pity or desire.

Q: What is the "final girl" trope?
A: A tough, resilient female character who survives while others die, often desexualized compared to other female characters.

Q: What is the "monstrous female" trope?
A: A female portrayed as both a giver of life and a harbinger of death, such as the "monstrous mother."

Q: What is the "witch binary"?
A: The portrayal of witches as either hideous or glamorous, symbolizing power or danger.

Q: What is the "monster of adolescence"?
A: A metaphor for the fears and changes associated with puberty.

Q: What is the "monster of hunger and desire"?
A: A trope symbolizing uncontrolled cravings or passions.

Representation and Normality

Q: What is "policing" in terms of cultural norms?
A: Enforcing societal expectations by reacting to behaviors that deviate from "normal."

Q: What does "pathologize" mean?
A: To label someone as having a disease or being abnormal.

Q: What is "hysterical" historically connected to?
A: The diagnosis of mental illness in women, linked to the uterus ("hyster").

Q: Why is normal unattainable?
A: It is an ideal that contradicts itself, often defined by what it excludes or deems abnormal.

Q: How does America depend on "not normal" people?
A: Through unfair labor and judgment of marginalized groups.

Art and Its Functions

Q: What are the two broad categories of art?
A: Aesthetic (beauty-related) and meaning (content-related).

Q: What are some functions of art?
A: Escaping reality, understanding others, providing hope, fun, portraying emotions, reflecting society, and telling stories.

Q: What are the types of art according to Eleanor Davis?
A: Masks (aspirational, ugly, god, animal), mirror art, edible art, concealment art, talisman art, paper mache, performance art, "meta-angel," and god masks.

Q: What are some examples of mirror art?
A: Flattering (idealized self), ordinary (as we are), and old (future self).

Cultural Studies

Q: What is symbolic order?
A: The shared symbols and meanings connected within a culture (e.g., green symbolizes life).

Q: What is the Bechdel Test?
A: A measure of female representation in media: at least two named female characters talk to each other about something other than a man.

Critical Themes

Q: How does cancel culture relate to sympathy for the "bad guy"?
A: It raises questions about redemption, accountability, and whether context can lead to empathy for villains.

Q: What are voyeuristic tendencies in culture?
A: Taking pleasure in observing others, often without their awareness, typically with males as the lookers and females as the objects.

Q: What does the phrase "language creates reality" imply?
A: The words we use shape our understanding and perception of the world, not just reflect it.