Literary Terms Review for “The Lottery”

Tone The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous, sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective.

Foreshadowing The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature.

Symbols using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

Setting Where and when a story takes place.

Theme The central idea of a story.

Irony: an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. Three kinds of irony: 1. Verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something else. 2. Dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know. 3. Irony of situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results.

Isn’t it Ironic?

Dramatic When watching a talk show, the audience knows why a person has been brought on the show. However, the person sitting in the chair does not know that he is going to be reunited with a former love. This adds to the suspense and humor of the show.

Situational You break a date with your girlfriend so you can go to the ball game with the guys. When you go to the concession stand, you run into your date who is with another guy.

Verbal You are arguing with your mother, who reprimands you for being "smart." Your reply is a sarcastic, "If you think I am smart, then why won't you let me make some smart decisions?"

Dramatic Have you ever seen a horror movie that has a killer on the loose? You, and the rest of the audience, know that the teenagers should not go walking in the woods late at night, but they think a midnight stroll would be romantic. Needless to say, the teens become the next victims.

Situational You stay up all night studying for a test. When you go to class, you discover the test is not until the next day.

Verbal Your boyfriend shows up in ripped up jeans and a stained t-shirt. With a smirk, you say, "Oh! I see you dressed up for our date. We must be going to a posh restaurant."