Honors English 10 Final Exam Review I. Of Mice And Men (John Steinbeck) A. B. Title 1. 2. From a Robert Burns poem, “To A Mouse” Encapsulates the idea of man and nature being one 3. “Gang aft agley” Important Characters 1. George – small and scrawny; he is Lennie’s selfappointed caretaker and travels with Lennie from ranch to ranch as they attempt to avoid the consequences of Lennie’s earnest mistakes. Tends to be sharp and doesn’t believe in the dream that he tells Lennie to keep him going. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife on accident, a. Dream: To be free of Lennie and able to live his own life (marriage, property, etc.) 2. Lennie – a big man with the mentality of a child, Lennie depends on George to survive. He has a habit of getting into trouble (touching a girl’s soft dress in Weed, freezing when touching Curley’s wife’s hair, etc.) and always needs George to protect him. a. Dream: To have a farm with George, raise animals, and live off of the “fatta the lan’”. 3. Curley – the son of the man who owns the ranch that George and Lennie find work at, Curley is a small man with a Napoleon complex. Because Lennie bests him several times during his short time at the ranch, Curley becomes determined to show Lennie up and prove that he is the “real” biggest man. He also sees his wife as a trophy wife and only married her for her looks. Gets his hand crushed by Lennie when he tries to attack him. a. Dream: To be the alpha dog, complete with underlings and a beautiful wife. 4. Candy – was going to buy an old ranch with George and Lennie. Candy is older and had a dog that he had herded sheep with when he had owned his own land and had a farm. Now that the dog has grown old, he is bullied into letting the 5. 6. 7. other men shoot the dog, a decision he regrets later. a. Dream: To own his own land and be able to shepherd again with the young dog he used to love. Slim – the true alpha dog on the ranch; all the men look to him for leadership and he is the only one brave enough to stand up to Curley’s bullying. a. Dream: Slim was living his dream and content where he was. Crooks – the black ranch hand. He grew up living off of the land and playing with the white children he lived by; after getting older and entering the real, racist world, he became scornful and bitter, but appreciates the companionship of Lennie, even if Lennie is oftentimes distracted by other thoughts. a. Dream: Crooks has already lived his dream in his childhood and, while he still wants it, is more fearful of losing it again now that he has lost it once. Curley’s Wife – treated with suspicion by the rest of the ranch, she feels lonely and just wants to talk to someone, although the men accuse her of having “the eye” and making moves. When Lennie appears willing to speak with her, she eagerly tells him about how she fell in love with a man who could get her into Hollywood but left her, leaving her in what she implies is an unhappy marriage to Curley. She offers him the chance to feel the softness of her hair and soon grows fearful; screaming until Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. a. Dream: To be a star and have all of the luxuries that fame offers. C. Setting 1. Salinas, California a. Avocado capital of the world 2. Great Depression a. 1929-1940 b. Shift in the American Dream Pre-Depresion: i. Education ii. Home iii. Family iv. Good job Depression-era: i. Survive c. Psychological Harm done to American Men i. Puritan purpose was to work ii. Idleness was the work of the devil iii. Unable to provide for their families, men felt worthless and degraded iv. Spike in the numbers of men who committed suicide and left their families. D. Plot 1. 2. II. George and Lennie come to the ranch in the Salinas River Valley in search of work after fleeing from their last place of employment due to Lennie’s childish antics. They encounter a slew of miserable souls, all chasing a dream they can’t quite reach or mourning a lost dream that they can’t retrieve. The other noticeable presence on the ranch is Curley’s wife, a lonely newlywed accused of having “the eye” by the men, who have been intimidated by Curley’s boisterous bullying since the union. When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, George takes Lennie into the woods where the book begins and shoots him while telling him of their dream – a farm where they can be self-sustaining and avoid the world – in order to protect Lennie from the furious mob Curley is leading after Lennie. Tragedy (Greek Tragedy) a. Character’s downfall is caused by his or her own personal flaws. Arthurian Legend (Countless People) A. Important Characters 1. King Arthur – son of King Uther Pendragon and Queen Igraine, Arthur was raised by Sir Ector. He was acting as foster brother Sir Kay’s page when he pulled the sword Caeldfwunch out of the stone and became King of England (“I am King of the Britons!”). Married Guinevere and established the Knights of the Round Table. The sword Excalibur was given to him by the Lady in the Lake. 2. B. Sir Lancelot – King Arthur’s right hand man and Knight of the Round Table, Lancelot betrayed Arthur’s trust and sent England into a state of famine and drought when he had an affair with the Queen. 3. Guinevere – wife of Arthur, she failed to produce an heir to his throne and had an affair with Lancelot. After the paramours were discovered, she retired to a convent and became a nun. 4. Merlin – wizard who aided Arthur and King Uther in their political and romantic lives. 5. Morgan Le Fay – ruler of Avalon, who had healing powers and was sometimes depicted to have learned magical powers from Merlin. 6. Mordred – Arthur’s illegitimate son with Morgause who, depending on the version of the legend, either kills Arthur or steals Arthur’s kingdom from him when Arthur is away. 7. King Uther – falls in love with Igraine but cannot convince her to leave her husband; he has his officers mount an attack on the castle that the Duke is at and, with the help of Merlin, appears to Igraine in the likeness of her husband. When her husband is killed, Igraine marries Uther and their child is Arthur. 8. Significant Knights of the Round Table: a. Sir Bedivere b. Sir Bors c. Sir Ector d. Sir Galahad e. Sir Gawain f. Sir Lancelot g. Sir Lionel h. Sir Tristan/Tristam i. Sir Mordred j. Sir Percival k. King Pellinore Legends read in class 1. The Once and Future King – T.S. Elliot 2. The Passing of Arthur – Alfred, Lord Tennyson 3. L’Morte de Arthur – Thomas Malory 4. Sir Lancelot du Lac – Thomas Percy III. Night (Elie Wiesel) A. Characters 1. 2. 3. 4. B. Craft 1. 2. IV. Eliezer – narrator and protagonist. When he arrived at Auschwitz, he was given the ID “A7713”. Stayed by his father’s side during their imprisonment and lost his mother and sister when they first arrived. While the book is mostly autobiographical, Eliezer is not the same person as Elie Wiesel. Meir Katz – an enormous man that Eliezer and his father know at Birkenau and Buna; he believed that if they were to die, it should be sooner rather than later. Akiba Drumer – bunks with Eliezer; he believes that God is testing them, to see their reactions, and that they are deeply loved by God. Josef Mengele – surgeon at Auschwitz who performed experimental and painful surgeries, such as trying to change a person’s eye color and experimentation on twins. Uses understatement to force the reader to consider what they would do if they were placed in Eliezer’s situation. Plain words and sentence structure, with big impact. C. Setting 1. Eliezer’s hometown is Sighet, Transylvania 2. 1942-1945 3. Concentration camps: a. Auschwitz b. Buna c. Birkenau d. Buchenwald Writing A. V. Attention Getters 1. Anecdote 2. Quote 3. Definition 4. Rhetorical Question B. Thesis Statement (Fact and opinion) C. Topic Sentence (Point and Thesis connection) D. MLA Citation Poetry A. Form 1. Stanza 2. Lines 3. White Space 4. End-stopped 5. Run-on/enjamblement B. Craft 1. Figurative Language 2. Onomatopoeias 3. Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance 4. Etc. C. Musicality 1. Metrics 2. Timing 3. Caesuras 4. How does it sound? D. Interpreting Poetic Language 1. Poetically: “pity this busy monster, manunkind,/not” (E.E. Cummings) 2. Prosaically: “do not pity this busy monster, manunkind” 3. Layman’s terms: “do not pity this busy, unkind monster, man” E. Periods 1. Traditional (pre-1900): Nature Image and Moral 2. Modern (1900-1950): Image 3. Contemporary (1950-1990): Sex and violence 4. Post-Contemporary (1990-Now): Brutal honesty F. Terminology 1. Blank verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter 2. Consonance – repetition of ending consonant sounds 3. Denotation – literal dictionary definition of a word 4. Assonance – repetition of beginning vowel sounds 5. Alliteration – repetition of beginning consonant sounds 6. Paradox – contradictory statements (grander scale than oxymorons or irony) 7. Meter – pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line 8. Connotation – contextual meaning of a word or phrase 9. Form – structure that serves as the foundation for meter and musicality 10. Sarcasm – bitter or cutting speech intended to cause pain to the person being addressed VI. 11. Caesura – a natural pause caused by the way we speak (you up, Joyce Chang, etc.) 12. Free Verse – poem with no structural rules 13. Onomatopoeia – words that imitate sounds 14. Also know… a. Run-on Line – no ending punctuation b. End-stopped Line – line that ends with a period, exclamation mark, question mark, etc. c. Personification – the application of human attributes to human (and usually inanimate) objects d. Metaphor e. Irony – Difference between expectation and outcome f. Symbolism g. Stress h. Stanza i. Imagery G. Poems examined 1. “On Turning Ten” – Billy Collins 2. “The Art Of Drowning” – Billy Collins 3. “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” – Emily Dickinson Antigone (Sophocles) A. B. Setting 1. Ancient Greece a. Thebes Important Characters 1. Antigone – sister of Ismene, daughter of Oedipus. Attempts to bury her brother Polynieces, who led an army on Thebes during a war with her brother Etocles and has been declared a traitor by uncle and new ruler Creon, and is arrested. Creon sentences her to death and she hangs herself in her cell, as he is about to declare her release. Betrothed to Haimon, Creon’s son. 2. Ismene – Antigone’s sister. She warns Antigone not to bury Polynieces and instead obey Creon’s laws, but, when Antigone is arrested, stands by her sister’s side. She is first arrested, and then released. 3. Creon – Antigone’s uncle and new ruler of Thebes. He declares that any man who attempts to bury the “traitor” Polynieces will be sentenced to death 4. 5. 6. C. Plot 1. 2. IV. and refuses to swallow his pride when Antigone is found to be the one who buried him. Antigone’s sentencing sets off a chain reaction of suicides, causing him to lose his niece, son, and wife. Oedipus – Antigone’s father. He married Antigone’s mother, only to find out years later that she was also his mother; he commits suicide because of the disgrace the knowledge brings him and his family. Haimon – Creon’s son and Antigone’s betrothed. He attempts to defend Antigone and persuade Creon with sturdy logic but fails. When he learns of Antigone’s suicide, he stabs himself. Etocles and Polynieces – Antigone’s brothers. Polynieces wages a war on Thebes and Etocles defends the city. After the brothers kill themselves, Creon gives Etocles a hero’s burial and leaves Polynieces’ body to rot. Creon is the new king Polynieces and Etocles are brothers, sons of Oedipus, who kill each other. a. Polynieces led an army on Thebes 3. Creon decrees that Polynieces is not to receive funeral rites. 4. Antigone buries Polynieces despite Ismene’s disapproval 5. Antigone is caught and sentenced to death 6. Haimon attempts to convince his father that he should relent, but is shot down and promises his own death in retaliation to Antigone’s death 7. Tiresias comes with a message of warning. 8. Creon accuses him of being for sale 9. Tiresias tears Creon to shreds with a prophesy of DOOM 10. Creon freaks out and tries to fix everything 11. Antigone hangs herself 12. Haimon finds her and kills himself with a sword 13. Euridice hears about everything and stabs herself in the heart with a knife 14. Creon feels really bad and wants to kill himself 15. The End Julius Caesar A. Setting IV. 1. Ancient Greece 2. Begins in 44 BCE B. Important Characters 1. Julius Caesar – Ruler of Rome and last surviving member of his triumvirate. Because his trusted friend Brutus and other conspirators fear he may soon be king – he had already thrice been offered the crown – they assassinate him in the Senate building. Husband of Calphurnia and uncle of Octavius. 2. Marcus Brutus – A friend of Caesar who is coerced into leading the conspirators against Caesar by Cassius, his shrewd but unpopular brother-in-law. After many poor decisions in a position of leadership, he prepares to lead an army against the forces of Octavius, but impales himself upon his own sword when he learns of Cassius’ suicide. Husband of Portia. 3. Caius Cassius – Convinces Brutus to lead a rebellion against Caesar in attempts to seize leadership of Rome, although he must maneuver from the proverbial backseat, as he is largely disliked and distrusted. He believes more strongly in the cause than any of the other conspirators, but commits suicide when he believes that his endeavors have left good friend Titanius dead. Brother of Portia. 4. Marcus Antony – Caesar’s trusted confidant, who, after forming a new triumvirate after Caesar’s death, drives Rome into ruin and leads armies against Cassius and Brutus’ forces. 5. New Triumvirate b. Antony c. Octavius Caesar d. Lepidus 6. Conspirators a. Brutus b. Cassius c. Trebonius d. Ligarius e. Decius Brutus f. Metellus Cimber g. Cinna Anthem (Ayn Rand) A. V. Objectivism 1. Ayn Rand’s philosophy 2. Encourages emphasis on external things instead of thoughts or emotions in literature and art 3. Stresses the superiority of the individual over society. B. Setting 1. Futuristic society 2. Totalitarian governmental rule C. Characters 1. Equality 7-2521 – challenges the confines of society after discovering electricity. Adopts the name Prometheus and “marries” Liberty 5-3000. 2. Liberty 5-3000 – works in the fields and accompanies Equality when he flees society. He names her Gaia, although he also calls her the Golden One. Vocabulary A. Mythology 16. Calypso – A sea nymph who entertained Odysseus on her island for seven years 17. Odyssey – a long journey that alters the journeyer 18. Palladium - safeguard 19. Penelope – loyal woman 20. Procrustean – producing strict conformity by ruthless or arbitrary means 21. Protean – readily assuming different shapes or forms 22. Sibyl – female oracle or prophetess 23. Siren – a dangerously seductive woman 24. Augean stable – Hercules’ task, marked by filth 25. Croesus – rich person 26. Dragon’s teeth – seeds of conflict 27. Hades – death 28. Lethargic – sluggish 29. Midas Touch – ability to make money always 30. Pyrrhic Victory – victory at heavy cost 31. Stygian – accumulation of filth 32. Achilles heel – seemingly small but mortal weakness 33. Arcadia – geographic area 34. Cassandra – someone who makes predictions which are never believed but turn out to be true 35. Cyclopean – style of masonry where walls are fitted together of huge irregular stones 36. Draconian – very severe, oppressive, or strict 37. Myrmidon – one of a fierce tribe or troop 38. Nemesis – principle of retributive justice 39. Trojan Horse – subversive person or device placed within the ranks of the enemy 40. Cynosure – Ursa Minor 41. Aeolian Harp – harp with strings tuned in unison 42. Laconic – using as few words as possible to communicate lots of information 43. Mnemonic – anything used to help remember something 44. Platonic – mutual 45. Sapphic – relating to lesbianism 46. Solecism – error in the use of language D. “Curr/Curs” – to run 1. Concurrent – simultaneous 2. Cursory –brief or broad 3. Discursive – using reason and argument rather than intuition 4. Precursor – an indicator of approaching events E. “Ped” – foot 1. Expedient – a simple or quick method 2. Expedite – the accelerate the process of something 3. Impediment – an obstacle to progress 4. Pedestrian – ordinary or everyday F. “Flect/Flex” – to bend 1. Deflect – to deviate from the original path 2. Flexor – a muscle whose contractions act to bend a joint or limb 3. Genuflect – to bend the knee in servitude or worship, grovel 4. Inflection – turning away from a straight course G. “Post” – after or behind 1. Posterior – located behind or near the rear of an object 2. Posthumous – taking place after one’s death 3. Postmodern – any piece of art, architecture, or literature that reacts against an earlier modernism 4. Postmortem – occurring or done after death H. “Prot/Proto” – first in time or first formed 1. Protagonist – main character in a literary work 2. Protocol – rule which guides how an activity should be performed 3. Protoplasm – the cytoplasm and nucleus of a cell 4. Prototype – original object that acts as the basis for other objects I. “Ante” – before or in front of 1. Antechamber – small room used as an entryway to a larger room 2. Antedate – to occur before an event or time; to backdate 3. Ante Meridiem – before noon, A.M. 4. Anterior – before in place; nearer to the front J. “Orth/Ortho” – straight, right, or true 1. Orthodontics – area of dentistry concerned with correcting misaligned teeth 2. Orthodox – conforming to established, accepted or traditional faith or religion 3. Orthopedics – branch of medicine dealing with the prevention or correction of disorders of the bones 4. Orthography – the study of correct spelling K. Mal” – bad 1. Malevolent – having or displaying ill will 2. Malicious –the willful or will-less behavior of one who hurts others in a mean-spirited fashion 3. Malign –to make false defamatory statements about someone 4. Malnourished – fed too little to obtain the nutrients required to sustain life L. “Cata” – down 1. Catacomb – underground system of tunnels and chambers with recesses for graves 2. Catalyst – something that speeds up a reaction or event 3. Catatonic – suffering from mental illness M. Latin Terms 1. A fortiori – with greater reason or more convincing force 2. A posteriori – from the latter 3. A priori – from the former 4. Bona fide – in good faith, without fraud or deceit 5. Carpe diem – seize the day 6. Caveat emptor – let the buyer beware, without a warranty 7. N. O. G. H. I. J. Corpus delicti – fundamental fact necessary to prove guilt of a crime 8. Curriculum vitae – short account of one’s career and qualifications “Rog” – to ask 1. Abrogate – to treat as nonexistent 2. Arrogate – To claim without justification, in the name of another 3. Derogatory – expressive of a low opinion 4. Prerogative – exclusive or special right, power, or privilege “Quis” – to seek or obtain 1. Inquisition – official inquiry before a jury 2. Perquisite – gain or profit incidental to regular salary or wages 3. Acquisitive – strongly desirous of possessing 4. Requisition – act of requiring someone to perform an act “Err” – to wander or stray 1. Aberrant – deviating from the ordinary or normal way 2. Errant – straying outside of the established limits 3. Erratic – unsteady and prone to sudden changes 4. Erroneous – inaccurate “Ced/Cess” – to go or proceed 1. Accede – to arrive; to enter upon an office or dignity 2. Antecedent – earlier either in time or order 3. Concession – the act of conceding defeat 4. Precedent – an act in the past which may be used as an example to help decide the outcome of similar instances in the future. “Vid/Vis” – relating to seeing or sight 1. Visage – countenance or appearance 2. Vis-à-vis – face-to-face 3. Visionary – Having vision or foresight; imaginary or illusory 4. Visitation – an official visit to expect or examine something. “Spic/Spec” – to look or behold 1. Auspicious – of good omen, conducive to success 2. Conspicuous – obvious or easily noticeable 3. K. L. M. N. O. Introspection – the act or process of selfexamination; the cognition which the mand has of its own acts and states 4. Perspicacious – having the power of seeing or understanding clearly “Voc/Vok” – speaking, calling, or use of voice 1. Equivocate – to express one’s opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive 2. Irrevocable – Unable to be retracted or reversed; final 3. Provoke – to bring about a reaction 4. Vociferous – clamorous or noisy “Phon” – sound 1. Cacophony – a mix of discordant sounds 2. Phonetic – relating to the sounds of spoken language 3. Polyphonic – having two or more independent but harmonic melodies 4. Symphony – an extended piece of music in three or more movements for a full orchestra “Cur” – to care for 1. Curative – possessing the power to heal or treat illness 2. Curator – person who manages, administers, or organizes a collection 3. Procure – to acquire or an item, sometimes rare and usually by extra effort 4. Sinecure – a position that requires no work but still gives a payment “Tend/Tent” – to stretch, extend, or spread 1. Contentious – marked by heated arguments or controversy 2. Distend – to expand from internal pressure; swell 3. Portend – to serve as a warning or omen 4. Tendentious – having a partisan, biased, or prejudiced opinion “Pend/Pens” – to hand, weigh, or cause to hang down 1. Appendage – external body part that projects from the body 2. Expend – To spend or disperse money; to consume or exhaust some resource 3. Propensity – tendency, preference, or attraction P. Q. R. S. T. U. V. 4. Stipend – a fixed payment, generally small and occurring at regular intervals “Pan” – Completely, whole, or general 1. Panacea – healing through herbs 2. Pandemonium – tumultuous or lawless gathering 3. Panegyric – formal speech or opus publicly praising someone or something 4. Panoply – A splendid display of something “Extra” – beyond usual or routine territory 1. Extrapolate – to infer by extending known information 2. Extrovert – One who is outgoing, sociable, or concerned with outer affairs 3. Extraneous – not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing “Phos/Phot” – light 1. Phosphorescent – having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away 2. Photogenic – generated or caused by light 3. Photon – The quantum of electromagnetic energy “Luc” – light; to shine or glitter 1. Elucidate – to make clear or obvious 2. Lucent – translucent, emitting light 3. Lucubration – intense or prolonged study or meditation 4. Translucent – allowing light to pass through but scattering as it does “Mort/Mor” – to die or death 1. Immortality – not susceptible to death 2. Mortibund – approaching death 3. Mortician – an undertaker or funeral director 4. Mortify – to discipline oneself by suppressing desires “Nec/nie/nox” – having to do with death and dying 1. Internecine – mutually destructive 2. Necrosis – the localized death of cells or tissues through injury or disease 3. Noxious – unpleasant and possibly harmful fumes 4. Pernicious – causing death or injury “Her/Hes” – to stick or get stuck 1. Adherent – a person with a membership to a group, association, or religion 2. Cohesion – sticking together 3. Incoherent – unable to be understood 4. Inherent – a natural part or consequence of something W. “Fug” – to flee 1. Centrifugal – tending or causing to recede from the center 2. Fugitive – person who is fleeing or escaping from something 3. Fugue – contrapuntal piece of music wherein a particular melody is played in a number of voices 4. Subterfuge – indirect or deceptive device or staragem X. “Cosm” – ornament and order 1. Cosmetic – external or superficial 2. Cosmology – the study of the physical universe, its structure, dynamics, origin, evolution, and fate 3. Cosmopolitan – composed of people from all over the world 4. Cosmos – an ordered, harmonious whole Y. “Sci” – to know or understand 1. Conscientious – thorough, careful, or vigilant 2. Omniscience – the capacity to know everything 3. Prescient – possessing, exhibiting, or relating to foresight 4. Unconscionable – unscrupulous and lacking in principles