10/7-10/11
STATIC CHARACTER--a character who does not change much in the course of a story.
Example: Atticus Finch is a static character. Despite the fact that he experiences many events
that could have changed his personality, Atticus' character stays consistent throughout the novel.
Atticus upholds his morals, honesty and belief in equity, all traits he tries to instill into his
children and the citizens of Maycomb. Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.
DYNAMIC CHARACTER-- a character who changes in some important way as a result of the
story's action.
Example: At the start of the Crucible, John Proctor feels severe guilt over his affair with Abigail
Williams; it haunts him and makes him think very poorly of himself. By the end of the play he is
able to regain a positive self-image by testifying on behalf of those accused of witchcraft. In a
last effort of moral preservation, he is willing to die to protect his good name. Miller, The
Crucible.
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ALLUSION--a reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature,
religion, or politics. The Bible and Greek Mythology are two of the most alluded to subjects.
Example: In John Milton's poem "L'Allegro" there are many allusions to Greek Mythology. In
lines 2-3: "Of Cerberus and blackest Midnight born/ In Stygian caves forlorn". Cerberus is
referring to the three headed dog that guards the gates of Hades. Stygian caves is a reference to
the River Styx. one of the five major rivers in classical hell. Milton, "L'Allegro"
More help with allusions.
DIALECT-- a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or the inhabitants
of a certain geographical area.
Example: Mark Twain uses a lot of regional dialect in his novel Huckleberry Finn. In addition to
using casual vocabulary and phonetic spellings of words (ain't, hifalut'n), Twain also used
shorter, less complex, and often times inverted syntax in his dialogue. This helps to capture the
culture of the novel's setting. "You don't know about me without you have read a book by the
name The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain't no matter." Twain, The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn
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INTERNAL CONFLICT-- a conflict can be internal, involving opposing forces within a
person's mind.
Example: In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is a character with great internal conflict. Bilbo struggles
between maintaining his peaceful, care-free, food-filled existence in the Shire and welcoming
danger as a thief on a perilous quest where he learns to speak up for himself. Tolkien, The
Hobbit.
FORESHADOWING-- the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot.
Example: In "The Most Dangerous Game", General Zaroff complains that he became bored with
hunting buffalo and tigers because he could win too easily, leading towards his hunting of more
dangerous prey: people. His growing boredom foreshadows that he will later hunt Rainsford (a
famous hunter) because he offers the upmost challenge. Connell, "The Most Dangerous Game"
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EXTERNAL CONFLICT--a struggle between two opposing forces that can exist between two
people, between a person and nature or a machine or between a person a whole society.
Example: Katniss vs. the Careers/Cato (Man vs. Man); Katniss vs. dehydration/inability to find
water (Man vs. Nature); Katniss vs. the Capitol (Man vs. Society). Collins' The Hunger Games
SYMBOL--a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for
something more than itself.
Example: The raven in Poe's poem symbolizes the narrator's grief over losing Lenore. The raven
will never leave him, just like his thoughts of his departed love--they will haunt him for eternity.
Poe's "The Raven"
9/9-9/13
ALLITERATION--repetition of the same or similar beginning consonant sounds in words that
are close together.
Example: "On a freshly fallen, silent shroud of snow." Simon and Garfunkel's I am a Rock
DICTION--a speaker or writer’s choice of words.
Example: Dr. Seuss uses specific diction to convey a feeling of playfulness and to keep a
rhyming pattern in his children's books. In addition to using simple words that are fitting for his
audience, Seuss also creates his own words that add to the whimsical nature of his writing: "footsy" and "winning-est". Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go.