Literature Section
English 2 Honors - Collection 1 Study Guide
Name
Test Date
9/7 (A-Day) and 9/8 (B-Day)
Literature Selections
1. The Possibility of Evil by Shirley Jackson (not in your textbook but can be accessed at
http://thepossibilityofevilma.weebly.com/short-story.html )
2. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson p.25 in the textbook
3. The Storyteller by Saki (not in your textbook but can be accessed at
http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/Storyteller.html )
4. What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish? by Etgar Keret p.3 in textbook
5. The Wife’s Story by Ursala K. Le Guin p.3 in the Close Reader
6. By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benét (will be posted under the “Handout” section on my
website)
7. The Bet by Anton Chekov (not in your textbook but can be accessed at http://www.eastoftheweb.com/cgibin/version_printable.pl?story_id=Bet.shtml)
Literature Terms
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Antagonist: character who blocks the protagonist from getting what he or she wants
Conflict
a. External: involves a character and another person or thing
b. Internal: always takes place within a character’s mind, heart, or soul
Connotation: emotions or feelings associated with a word
Direct characterization: writer reveals the character’s traits
Epiphany: a moment of insight or a revelation experienced by a character
Flashback: scene that occurs out of sequence and tells of events that happened in the past
Foreshadow: A hint or clue about something that will happen later in a story
Imagery: language that appeals to our 5 senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing)
Indirect characterization: writer allows the reader to visualize the character in action by showing how the
character acts, speaks, private thoughts (diary), appearance, and how other characters interact with the
character
Irony: A contrast between what is expected with what actually happens
a. Situational: situation turns out the opposite of what you expected
b. Dramatic: when the readers or audience know something that the characters don’t
c. Verbal: say one thing but mean the another
Magic realism: realistic narrative is combined with surreal elements of fantasy
Mood: atmosphere, affecting the way we feel as we read
Motivations: needs or conflicts that drive a character
Protagonist: main character; one who drives the action
Satire: writing that ridicules the shortcomings of humanity or institutions in order to bring about change.
Writers want to convince the reader to do or believe something. They use exaggeration, irony,
understatement, ridiculous situations, etc.
Setting: the story’s time and
place
Suspense: the feeling of uncertainty or anxiety about what is going to happen next
Symbol: person, place, thing, or event that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself
Theme: makes some revelation about the subject. Often reveals a truth about human behavior.
Tone: writer’s attitude toward subject
Traits: special characteristics