Vocab Week 3

More Literary Terms and To Kill a Mockingbird

Background

Novel

an invented prose narrative

that is usually long and
complex and deals especially
with human experience through
a usually connected sequence
of events.

Point of View
In literature,point of viewis the mode of
narration that an author employs to let the
readers hear and see what takes place in a
story, poem, essay etc. Point of view is usually
either in First Person (I love Mr. Feldmanns
class!), Third Person Omniscient(Darius loves Mr.
Feldmanns class!), or Third Person Limited (I
love Mr. Feldmanns class, Tymia thought to
herself with a smile.)

Idiom

a group of words established by

usage as having a meaning not
deducible from those of the
individual words (e.g.,rain cats
and dogs,see the light).

Symbolism
Symbolismis the use ofsymbolsto signify
ideas and qualities by giving
themsymbolicmeanings that are different from
their literal sense.Symbolismcan take different
forms. Generally, it is an object representing
another to give it an entirely different meaning
that is much deeper and more significant.

Motifs
In narrative, amotif(pronunciation)
(help. info) is any recurring element
that has symbolic significance in a story.
Through its repetition, amotifcan help
produce other narrative (orliterary)
aspects such as theme or mood.

Allusion
Allusionis a brief and indirect
reference to a person, place, thing or
idea of historical, cultural, literary or
political significance. It does not
describe in detail the person or thing to
which it refers.

Protagonist/Antagonist
Protagonist: the leading character or one of the major
characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional
text.
Antagonist: the character who is in conflict with the
protagonist.
Note: Protagonist is not always the hero, antagonist is
not always the villain (for example, Cask of
Amontillado)

The Great Depression

the

economic crisis and period of low business

activity in the U.S. and other countries,
roughly beginning with the stock-market crash
in October, 1929, and continuing through most
of the 1930s.It was characterized by
extremely high unemployment and poverty.

Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow lawswere state and
locallawsenforcing racial segregation
in the Southern United States. Enacted
after the Reconstruction period,
theselawscontinued in force until 1965.

Segregation
the

separation or isolation of a
race, class, or ethnic group by
enforced or voluntary residence in
a restricted area, by barriers to
social intercourse, by separate
educational facilities, or by other
discriminatory means