LITERARY DEVICESADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

BILDUNGSROMAN

A novel which chronicles the physical, emotional, and psychological development of a young protagonist through to adulthood

Examples: Adventures of Huckleberry

Finn, Twain (debatable) David Copperfield,

Charles Dickens The Kite Runner, Hosseini A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,

Smith

COLLOQUIALISM

A conversational expression or spoken, informal level of speech

Example from modern-day language: "I think country gets dumped on across the board by the

Grammys."(Toby Keith)

She was recently dumped by her fiance. Example from Huck Finn:

“You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain’t no matter.”

DIALECT

The particular variety of language spoken in a definite place by a distinct group of people Dialects vary in pronunciation, vocabulary, use of

colloquialisms, and sentence structure Dialects are used to establish setting and provide local color Examples:

South: "Y'all"North: "You guys"

South: "Fixin' to"North: "About to"

South: "Howdy"North: "Hey"

South: "Twixt"North: "Between“

http://robertspage.com/dialects.html]

EPISODIC

Narrative fiction which is structured around a series of loosely linked vignettes, each of which contains a conflict, climax, and conclusion

IRONY

A contrast or tension between what is expected and what occurs Situational Irony – When a character or reader

expects one thing to happen, but the opposite occurs

Verbal Irony – When a character means the opposite of what is said (i.e. sarcasm) ML: Kids, we have a pop quiz today! KIDS: Oh, great.

Dramatic Irony – When there is a contrast between what a character knows and what a reader knows

LOCAL COLOR

The use of characters and details unique to a particular geographic area. Created by the use of customs, clothing,

manners, attitudes, scenery, or landscape Local color stories were extremely popular

after the Civil War Examples: Mark Twain – Mississippi River, Bret

Harte – The Wild West

MOOD

Atmosphere; the feeling created in the reader by a literary work Not to be confused with tone, which reflects

the feelings of the writer CREEPY: http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBGGAjMg9vw

NAÏVE NARRATOR

A first-person narrator who, though not always, is often young and possesses traits of innocence, openness, candor, and a lack of sophistication

PICARESQUE

A satirical, episodic novel that presents the life story of: A triumphant rascal Of low social status Making a living through his wits

POINT OF VIEW

The perspective or vantage point from which a story is told: First Person: I saw her from across the hallway and my

heart stopped. I liked that girl. Second Person: You saw her from across the hallway

and your heart stopped. You liked that girl. Third Person Limited: He saw her from across the

hallway and his heart stopped. He liked that girl. She smiled at him. What could that beautiful smile mean? Did she like him, too?

Third Person Omniscient: He saw her from across the hallway and his heart stopped. He liked that girl. She saw him and smiled. She liked him, too.

REALISM

An accurate and detailed portrayal of real life The literary movement of Realism developed in

the latter half of the 19th century Based on careful observations about contemporary

life Usually portrays something unapologetically, “warts

and all” EMBRACES: Objectivity and honesty REJECTS: Sentimentality and idealism of the previous Romantic movementhttp://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=58DDD094-002B-4C17-A2AF-18E2595785B2&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

ROMANTICISM

A literary and artistic movement of the first half of the nineteenth century which arose in reaction against eighteenth century Rationalism

Values Imagination Emotion over reason Individuality The exotic Nature

American Romantics: Poe, Thoreau, Emerson, Dickinson, Hawthorne

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=FFF65663-256C-40C3-961A-283E35A8BF5A&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

SATIRE

A literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors, or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society

Satire uses: Irony Sarcasm Exaggeration Caricature

TONE

The attitude a writer takes toward a subject. The language and details used help to create tone.

Examples: Playful Serious Bitter Angry Detached

Literary Devices in Modern Reality http://

www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/the-californians/1396627/