Literary Terms Review Module 3 - Dystopia

symbolism Symbolism is where an object, person, situation, or figure of speech has another meaning than its literal meaning.

Flashback An interruption in the normal, chronological order of events that transitions the story to an earlier time.

Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is where the writer gives an advance hint as to what is going to happen later in the novel. In the story of the cyclops, there are many little things that lead the reader to understand that Odysseus and his men are about to run into a lot of trouble: the cyclops’ refusal to follow the rules of the gods, his lack of hospitality, & the boulder at the door.

Allegory A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. The Wizard of Oz takes place in Kansas – “the heartland of America” (it’s in the center of the continental US) In came the twister: the whirling confusion of the Great Depression, stock market crash, US Bankruptcy, etc. The TIN-Man is the artificial man (Taxpayer Identification Number) who is a vessel of a human being. …and a lot more.

Irony Dramatic irony – The audience/reader understands something about a story that the characters do not. Situational irony – The opposite of what is expected happens. Verbal irony – Sarcasm; a character means the opposite of what he/she is saying. Dramatic – in Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows the lovers’ fate before themselves.

Imagery Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to the reader’s five senses. I could hear the popping and crackling as mom dropped the bacon into the frying pan, and soon the salty, greasy smell wafted toward me.