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Literary Analysis
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Symbolism | an object stands for an idea or a greater meaning |
| Alliteration | a sentence or phrase in which most of the beginning letters or sounds begin with the same consonant sound |
| Secondary Character | character who plays a significant role in a narrative but is not the main focus |
| Imagery | heavily descriptive language |
| Simile | making a comparison of two or more things including the use of the words "like" or "as" |
| The American Dream (Literary Theme) | A common theme of Modernist and Contemporary literature, these stories explore the pursuit of "happiness" and the contrast between expectations and reality. |
| Marxist Theory | analyzes class struggles, socioeconomic power structures, and ideology in literature |
| Third-Person Omniscient | narrator is outside of the story, but understands the motivations and actions of all characters |
| Peace & War (Literary Theme) | often discusses death, hopelessness, loss, and courage amidst a war |
| Indirect Characterization | character details are shown through dialogue, thoughts, or actions and must be inferred by the reader |
| Character's Point of View | an attitude or perspective toward the topic of what is being written or spoken by the character within the story |
| Third-Person Limited | narrator is outside of the story and has limited access to the minds and motivations of characters |
| Idiom | a phrase or expression that does not mean the same as the literal words |
| Allusion | a reference to someone or something outside of the text |
| First Person | tells the story from the narrator's perspective |
| Connotation | the implied meaning of a word; the feeling a word conveys |
| Theme | the central idea, message, or underlying meaning that a literary text explores |
| Conflict (Narrative) | the challenge(s) the main character(s) need to overcome to achieve their goal |
| Formalist Theory | studies a text's structure, style, and literary devices, emphasizing its form over content or context |
| Historical Theory | investigates the historical context and its influence on the creation and interpretation of a text |
| Allegory | an extended metaphor with two meanings |
| Second Person | used mostly in instructional texts where the narrator is speaking to the reader |
| New Historicist Theory | examines the interplay between a text and the cultural and political context of its time |
| Isolation (Literary Theme) | characters explore being alone or potentially finding belonging with others |
| Characters | The persons, animals, or other figures who are in stories. |
| Survival (Literary Theme) | characters attempt to survive life-threatening situations |
| Love (Literary Theme) | Can vary from romance to friends and family, but it often discusses the power of love and heartbreak. Types of love include forbidden, unrequited, sacrificial, or fated |
| Apostrophe | when a character speaks to an inanimate object or a person not present in the scene. |
| The Environment (Literary Theme) | exploration of climate change and loss of biodiversity in literature |
| Justice (Literary Theme) | characters explore the value truth and fairness and seek it out for themselves or others |
| Archetypal Theory | analyzes recurring symbols, themes, and characters (archetypes) that resonate across cultures and texts |
| Parallelism | syntactical similarity in clauses; often involves repeating a phrase |
| Onomatopoeia | words that make the sound of what the text is describing |
| Metonymy | replacing an object with something commonly associated with it |
| Figurative Language | a word or phrase that does not have its normal everyday, literal meaning |
| Hyperbole | to exaggerate or overstate something that is being described |
| Unreliable Narrator | when a narrator's point of view cannot be trusted, whether due to dramatic irony, mental illness, or naivete, etc. |
| Characterization | the details an author uses to build a character (appearance, personality, thoughts, actions) |
| Author's Purpose | the general reason an author writes a text (persuade, inform, entertain, explain) |
| Literary Criticism | when another author considers literary works through various lenses |
| Metaphor | a literary device that describes a person, object, or concept by asserting that it is something else, creating a figurative comparison between the two. |
| Literary Theories | strategies a reader can use to evaluate a text for meaning |
| Repetition | use of the same word, phrase, or idea to call attention to its significance |
| Literary Device | used by authors to communicate specific idea to the reader |
| Dialogue | conversation between two or more characters |
| Dialect | a specific variety of a language with distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation used by a particular region or social group |
| Oxymoron | Using contradictory terms in conjunction with each other. |
| Identity & Belonging (Literary Theme) | characters explore who they are and how they fit into society |
| Analogy | comparisons between two things, often to drive home a point. |
| Power & Corruption (Literary Theme) | explores how power impacts individuals and society, a common theme in dystopian stories |
| Rhetorical Question | a question asked for effect rather than an answer |
| Incident (Narrative) | the actions taken by characters, including interactions between characters |
| Coming of Age (Literary Theme) | follows one or more characters as they grow up in some manner |
| Fate vs. Free Will (Literary Theme) | characters grapple with whether they have control in life or if their outcomes are predetermined by fate |
| Reader-Response Theory | focuses on the reader's interpretation and how individual perspectives shape understanding of a text |
| Setting | The time and place that a story takes place in a novel. |
| Tone | the author's attitude or feelings toward the subject, characters, or audience, conveyed through their choice of words, style, and perspective; sets the emotional atmosphere of the text, influencing how readers interpret and feel about the story |
| Structuralist Theory | investigates the underlying structures, such as language and narrative, that shape meaning in texts |
| Foreshadowing | the narrator or character hints at a future plot point |
| Irony | an incongruity between what the reader expects the author to mean and what they actually mean |
| Moral | lesson or message to be learned; common in fables or children's stories |
| Protagonist | the main character in a narrative |
| Personification | giving human traits to inanimate, non-living objects |
| Good vs Evil (Literary Theme) | the battle of a protagonist against an evil villain |
| Inference | a conclusion based on evidence, observation, and reasoning |
| Biographical Theory | considers the author's life and experiences to understand and interpret the text |
| Psychological Theory | applies psychological theories to characters, authors, and themes to reveal deeper meanings |
| Gender Theory | explores the construction and representation of gender identities and roles in literature |
| Dramatic Irony | when the audience/reader knows something the character does not |
| Mood (Text Feature) | the emotional response that the writer wants to give the reader through choices like figurative language, word choice, details, etc. |
| Anthropological Theory | examines literature through the lens of human culture and societal practices |
| Faith vs. Doubt (Literary Theme) | stories that test a character's beliefs in themselves or others |
| Extended Metaphor | a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a piece of writing |
| Third Person | relates information or events using third person pronouns such as "he", "she, and "they" |
| Courage & Perseverance (Literary Theme) | characters triumph in the face of adversity |
| Universal Theme | common ideas that appear in literature across all cultures |
| Antithesis | contrasting ideas to show a comparison |
| Post-Colonial Theory | explores themes of colonization, identity, and resistance in texts from or about colonized regions |
| Details | information about the setting, characters, actions, plot, etc. that helps the reader understand the story better |
| Feminist Theory | focuses on gender dynamics, representation of women, and the critique of patriarchal structures in literature |
| Word Choice | an author's deliberate selection of words to convey meaning, establish tone, create mood, and reveal character or theme |
| Family (Literary Theme) | Characters consider where they come from or where they belong. Stories might explore family dynamics, loyalty, traditions, and more. |
| Audience (Rhetorical Situation) | the intended recipient of a written or verbal communication |
| Death & Mortality (Literary Theme) | explores the mysteries of existence, including the inevitability of death |
| Direct Characterization | details about a character are explicitly given |
| Hubris (Literary Theme) | a character's pride or arrogance leads to their downfall |
| Plot | the events included in a story (may or may not be sequential) |
| Forgiveness & Redemption (Literary Theme) | characters reflect on their mistakes and strive to change |
| Aphorism | a short saying to convey a truth; often using an opposite to make the point |
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