Final Exam Study Guide
Allusion:
A brief reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in
history or literature.
EX- Scout’s reference to Adolf Hitler in TKM
Aside:
A character is not alone on stage, yet makes comments meant only
for the audience to hear.
EX- Macbeth admits that Malcolm is an obstacle in his way to
become king.
Attention Grabber:
An opening statement that grabs the reader’s attention and makes
the reader want to continue reading your essay
EX- There are five different types of attention grabbers:
question, anecdote, imagine, fact, quote.
Autobiography:
Form of non-fiction in which a person tells his or her own story.
EX- Night is an autobiographical work written by Wiesel.
Final Exam Study Guide
Characterization:
Act of creating and developing a character
Indirect and direct.
Climax:
High point of interest or suspense.
EX- When the kids are attacked in TKM
Clincher statement:
Concluding sentence in a paragraph that connects your
paragraph back to your thesis statement.
EX- As evident, Atticus demonstrates incredible parenting
skills, which is why he will always be remembered that way.
Closing argument:
Powerful words spoken in a last attempt to persuade the jury.
EX- Atticus’ closing words at the trial.
Comic relief:
A humorous scene or incident that alleviates tension in an
otherwise serious work.
EX- The scene with the drunk Porter in Macbeth after King
Duncan is killed
Final Exam Study Guide
Conflict (two types):
Struggle within the plot
– man in conflict with self (internal)
– man in conflict with man (external)
– man in conflict with nature
EX- Atticus strives to do what is right even though he is
sacrificing the safety of his children
- Jews in conflict with the Nazis
Direct Characterization:
Author directly states a character’s personality traits
EX- Atticus treats people with respect
Exposition:
Beginning of plot diagram - introduces setting, characters, and
conflict.
EX- Scout and Jem are introduced in Maycomb County and
Scout has broken his arm
Figurative Language: Words used in an imaginative, non-literal
sense.
EX- Similes, metaphors, personification, etc.
Final Exam Study Guide
Flashback:
Literary device that serves as an interruption in the action to
show a scene that took place earlier
EX- TKM is a flashback – story of how Jem breaks his arm
Foil:
A character whose behavior and values contrast with those of
another character in order to highlight the distinctive
temperament of that character
EX- Macbeth and Banquo, Atticus and Mr. Ewell
Foreshadow:
Suggestion of events to come
EX- Macbeth’s visions of daggers
Hyperbole:
An exaggeration
EX- I love you to death
Imagery:
Words used to create vivid images, appeal to the five senses
EX- The room smelled like fresh apple pie
Final Exam Study Guide
Indirect characterization:
Readers infer personality traits based on comments and actions
of the character and comments and actions of other characters
EX- People in Sighet turned to Elie Weisel’s father for guidance
while in the ghetto. This means he must have been a wise and
respected man.
Metaphor:
Comparisons between two unlike things that do not use the
words like or as
EX- School is heaven
MLA citation:
Modern Language Association style of citing sources
EX- (Lee 113)
Mood:
Atmosphere or the feeling created in the reader by a literary
work.
EX- A creepy and eerie mood is established in Act 1. Scene 1 of
Macbeth
Final Exam Study Guide
Oxymoron:
A combination of two contradictory ideas
EX- Jumbo shrimp
Personification:
Speaking of an inanimate object as human.
EX- The test stared at me
Plot:
Sequence of events in a literary work
EX- Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,
dénouement
Final Exam Study Guide
Point of view (three different types):
Perspective or vantage point from which a story is told
–First-person:
narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself
or herself with the first-person pronoun I.
The story is told through the perspective of the
narrator.
–Third-person omniscient:
narrator knows all and tells what each character feels
and thinks
–Third-person limited:
narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only
one character, and everything is viewed from this
character’s perspective
Final Exam Study Guide
Setting:
Time and place
EX- Night – Poland and Hungary, 1939-1945
Short story:
Brief work of fiction meant to entertain or instruct the
listener
EX- “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver
Soliloquy:
A character is along on stage and reveals his/her true thoughts
and feelings
EX- Macbeth reveals his conflicted feelings about murdering
Duncan
Symbol:
Something that stands for something else
EX- Mockingbird stands for innocence
Theme:
Central message or insight into life revealed in a literary work
EX- Night teaches us about the strength of the human spirit
and of family bonds
Final Exam Study Guide
Tone:
Writer’s attitude toward his or her subject, characters or
audience
EX- The tone of Atticus’ closing argument is both serious and
passionate
Topic sentence:
First sentence of a paragraph that clearly state the main point
of your paragraph
EX- First of all, Atticus will be remembered as an excellent
father.
Tragic hero:
Character in a work of fiction who exhibits a tragic flaw which
eventually leads to his or her downfall
EX- One could argue that Macbeth is a tragic hero who is
brought down by his own ambition
Understatement:
Expressing an idea with less emphasis; opposite of the
hyperbole.
EX- Having my car stolen is a minor inconvenience
Final Exam Study Guide
Kitty Genovese:
28 year-old young woman who was brutally murdered in NYC while 38
people witnessed her murder and did nothing; sparked national
attention
Harper Lee:
Harper Lee is the female author of TKM and published her book in
1960. Her childhood parallels the life of Scout in many ways. At first,
her novel received mixed reviews and eventually earned her the
Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Despite the national attention, Lee lived a
private life. Her novel is now considered a masterpiece of American
literature.
Paul Rusesabagina:
A hotel manager who housed over one thousand Tutsis refugees during
their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda and is the subject
of the movie Hotel Rwanda. The movie focuses on the Rwanda
genocide in 1994.
Final Exam Study Guide
William Shakespeare (1564-1616):
Considered to be one of the greatest playwrights to ever live; wrote 38
plays and 154 sonnets
Elie Wiesel:
Holocaust survivor, author, teacher, humanitarian, Noble Peace Prize
winner whose stories help teach the world about injustice and
apathy.
Final Exam Study Guide
Vocab:
There will be a vocab section with 20 words that will ask you to tell me
what the part of speech is and the definition. Along with the vocab,
there will be a section that asks you to use up to 10 vocab words in a
sentence.
Final Exam Study Guide
Opulence:
Noun
Wealth; Affluence
Presumptuous:
Adjective
Overconfident
Resplendent:
Adjective
Shining Brilliantly; Gleaming; Splendid
Final Exam Study Guide
Terse:
Adjective
Brief; To the Point; Concise
Presumptuous:
Adjective
Overconfident
Resplendent:
Adjective
Shining Brilliantly; Gleaming; Splendid
Final Exam Study Guide
Effervescent:
Adjective
Bubbly; Excited
Burgeon:
Verb
To Grow; To Develop
Milieu:
Noun
Environment
Final Exam Study Guide
Assail:
Verb
To attack violently with words or force
Abeyance:
Noun
State of Termination
Diversion:
Noun
Something that takes away attention
Final Exam Study Guide
Colloquial:
Adjective
Characteristic of informal conversation
Illustrate:
Verb
To clarify through examples of comparisons
Analyze:
Verb
To separate into parts and study
Final Exam Study Guide
Immaculate:
Adjective
Perfect
Prejudice:
Noun
Adverse judgment or opinion; Preconceived notion
Tolerance:
Noun
The acceptance of others’ beliefs or ideas
Final Exam Study Guide
Antiquated:
Adjective
Old or Out of Date
Verbose:
Adjective
Wordy
Winsome:
Adjective
Charming
Final Exam Study Guide
Concede:
Verb
To accept as valid; to give way to
Elaborate:
Verb
Detailed
Malevolent:
Adjective
Evil
Final Exam Study Guide