Glossary of Literary Terms 文学术语词汇表

GlossaryofLiteraryTerms文学术语词汇表Thedefinitionsgivenbelowarenotmeanttobeexhaustive.Indeed,wholebookshavebeenwrittentoexplainsomeoftheseterms,suchasarchetype,hero,realism,andsymbolism.Thesenotesaremeanttoprovidebasicdefinitionsoffrequentlyusedliteraryterms;Ihopethesedefinitionswillestablishcommongroundforbookdiscussions.MostoftheexamplesgivenareworksreviewedonthisWebsite.(Source:Benet's,26).alternativehistoryalternateterm:alternatehistory“Aspeciesoffiction-alsocalledallohistory-inwhichmuchdependsonsomemajorreversalofknowngeographyorhistory”(Source:Harmon&Holman,15).Examples:novelsinwhichGermanywonWorldWarII.antagonistSeeprotagonist(Source:Harmon&Holman,246).Thetermmayalsorefertoaresolutionthatdoesnotdeserveallthebuild-upithasreceived.Alsosee:climax(Source:Benet's,40).Aprotagonistofamodernplayornovelwhohastheconverseofmostofthetraditionalattributesofthehero.Thisheroisgraceless,inept,sometimesstupid,sometimesdishonest(Source:Harmon&Holman,30).Example:ParkerinthenovelsbyRichardStark:hero://…Archetypescanbeprimitiveanduniversalandconsistofgeneralthemeslikebirth,death,comingofage,love,guilt,redemption,conflictbetweenfreewillanddestiny,rivalrybetweenmembersofthefamily,fertilityrites;ofcharactersliketheherorebel,thewanderer,thedevil,thebuffoon;andofcreatureslikethelion,serpent,oreagle(Source:Benet's,46).Top(Source:Benet's,83).Bildungsroman“Atypeofnovel,commoninGermanliterature,whichtreatsthepersonaldevelopmentofasingleindividual,usuallyinyouth”(Source:Benet’s,109).blackhumoralternateterms:blackcomedy,darkhumor,darkcomedyAsubstantialaspectof…muchmodernfiction.Thetermdescribessardonicallyhumorouseffectsderivedfrommordantwitandmorbidorgrotesquesituationsthatdealwithanxiety,suffering,ordeath(Source:Benet's,112).Example:TheAx://“bookends”Anarrativestructure(whichusuallymakesupthebulkofthework)betweentwosmallersectionsthatintroduceandconcludethework.Thetwosmallersectionsthusstandonbothsidesofthemainnarrative,likeasetofbookendsproppinguparowofbooksonashelf.Authorsmaychoosethistypeofstructurefortworeasons:1.toprovideanotherperspectiveontheaction.Thenarratorofthetwobookendsectionsisoftendifferentfromthenarratorofthemainsection.Thistechniquethereforeoffersanotherperson’sperceptionoftheeventsandtheirsignificance,oranothercharacter’scommentsaboutthemainnarrator.Sometimesthenarratorofthebookendsectionsoffersinformationthatthemainnarratordoesnotorcouldnotknowbutthatthereaderneedstounderstandthefullsignificanceofthestory.2.toindicatethepassageoftime.Manyauthorsusethisnarrativestructuretopresentamainnarrativethatoccurredinthepast;thebookendsectionsthenprovideacurrentcommentonthemainstory,forexampleapersondescribingadiarywrittenbyanancestorfoundinanoldtrunk.Sometimesthebookendstructureservesbothofthesepurposes.Forexample,anadultmayprovideacurrentcommentaryonamainnarrativewrittenfromhispointofview