Context is key. Literature does not exist in a vacuum; it is a mirror to the history, politics, and philosophy of its time.
Literature is typically divided into three major forms.
Literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience, arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.
A mode of fictional representation through dialogue and performance. It is composition in verse or prose intended to portray life or character.
Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. It is the most common form of modern literature.
The minds that shaped the English language.
When we read literature, we often wear different "glasses" to focus on specific aspects of the text. These are called critical lenses.
Examines how gender roles are portrayed. Ask: How are women represented? Who has the power?
Focuses on social class and money. Ask: Who benefits from the society? How does wealth affect the characters?
Based on Freud. Looks at subconscious desires. Ask: What are the character's fears or repressed memories?
Considers the time period. Ask: How do events of the time (war, plague) influence the story?
Literature isn't just about what happens, but how it is told. Understanding these devices unlocks the deeper meaning behind the text.
Comparing two unlike things. Metaphor says one thing *is* another; Simile uses "like" or "as". (e.g., "The world is a stage")
The contrast between expectation and reality. Dramatic (we know what characters don't), situational, or verbal.
Using objects to represent abstract ideas (e.g., The green light in *Gatsby* representing unattainable dreams).
Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story, building suspense.
"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say."
— Italo Calvino
Essential terminology for discussing literature.
Formula: [Topic] + [Claim] + [Because/How]
"In 'Hamlet', Shakespeare uses the ghost (Topic) to represent memory (Claim) by disrupting the present with the past (How)."
Match the famous quote to its author or work.