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AP Literature (Prose) Vocabulary Flashcards

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5188377071antiheroa protagonist who lacks the characteristics that would make him a hero (or her a heroine)0
5188377072archetypeA detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response1
5188377073flashbacka transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story2
5188377074flat charactera character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story3
5188377075round characterthis character is fully developed - the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background4
5188377076static charactera character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end5
5188377077dynamic characterone whose character changes in the course of the play or story6
5188377078genrea kind of literary or artistic work7
5188377079interior monologuewriting that records the conversation that occurs inside a character's head8
5188377080point of viewthe perspective from which a story is told9
5188377081parodya composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way10
5188377082satireform of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly11
5188377083stream of consciousnessa literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur.12
5188377084analogydrawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect. Ex."the operation of a computer presents and interesting_______ to the working of the brain";13
5188377085conflictThe main clash, discord, or problem faced by the protagonist. Can be internal or external.14
5188377086pacingthe relative speed or slowness with which a story is told or an idea is presented15
5188377087RealismA new style of literature that focused on the daily lives and adventures of a common person. This style was a response to Romanticism's supernaturalism and over-emphasis on emotion16
5188377088RomanticismAn artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th Century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.17
5188377089NaturalismDescribes a type of literature from the late 19th century that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Unlike realism which focuses on literary technique this literature implies a philosophical position18
5188377090ModernismA literary and artistic movement of the early 20th century rejecting traditionalism (subjects and styles) as outdated19
5188377091Post-Modernisma period of literature after WW II that saw a rise in feminism, literary criticism, and contemporary topics. Also sometimes called "The Age of Anxiety"20
5188377092first person povstory is told by one of the characters who uses pronouns such as I or we and participates in much of the action21
5188377093omniscient povA story told by an all-knowing author in 3rd person. The reader gets the thoughts and feelings of more than one character22
51883770943rd person limited povan outside narrator who knows the thoughts/feelings of one major character23
5188377095dramatic (objective) povThe narrator reports on what happens and what's said, but cannot read minds or guess motives.24
5188377096protagonistthe principal character in a work of fiction25
5188377097settingtime and place that a literary work is set26
5188377098antagonistthe character who works against the protagonist in the story27
5188377099frame narrativea story within a story28
5188377100characterizationThe process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. Can be achieved through appearance, actions, dialogue, thoughts of other characters, etc.29

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