Literary Terms- B's & C's

Question 1

Bathos

Answer 1

False or forced emotion that is often humorous. Whereas pathos draws upon deep emotion, bathos takes this emotion to such an extreme that the reader find that humorous rather than touching

Question 2

Begging the question

Answer 2

A fallacy and reasoning which omits the minor premise and goes directly to the conclusion. Cut out the middle man

Ex:
First time drivers are reckless.
Steven is a first time driver.
Steven will be reckless.

Question 3

Bildungsroman

Answer 3

A coming of age novel, the story of a person’s development

Question 4

Canon

Answer 4

An excepted list. Religious canon = Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc.

Question 5

Carpe Diem

Answer 5

Literally, seize the day, a philosophy of living for the day and not thinking of tomorrow

Question 6

Catharsis

Answer 6

A moral and spiritual cleansing you receive when watching a protagonist overcome great odds to survive

Question 7

Character

Answer 7

A person described as an individual with reference to characterization. Characterization; an imaginary person who seems life like

Question 8

Chiasmus

Answer 8

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed

Ex:
Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country

Question 9

Chronological

Answer 9

In the order of time; first, second, third. The simplest way to structure a narrative

Question 10

Clause

Answer 10

Any combination of subject and verb which makes a complete sentence. If the subject verb combination expresses complete meaning, the clause is independent. If the subject verb verb combination does not express complete meaning, the cause is dependent.

Question 11

Colloquial

Answer 11

Informal conversation; it differs in grammar, vocabulary, syntax, imagery or connotation

Question 12

Conceit

Answer 12

A type of metaphor that is strikingly odd and thoughtful

Ex:
Love compared to a motorcycle

Question 13

Concrete

Answer 13

Opposed to abstract; quantifiable

Question 14

Concrete Detail

Answer 14

Details used in a persuasive paper which attempt to convince the reader; proof or evidence

Question 15

Confidant (male)/ Confidant (female)

Answer 15

A person who partakes little in the action, is very close to the protagonist, and hears all of the intimate secrets of the protagonist

Question 16

Conflict

Answer 16

Protagonist/antagonist clash; anytime these two come into the same arena, there is some form of conflict; conflict maybe external or internal

Question 17

Contrast

Answer 17

Writers often use contrast, or oppositions, to elaborate ideas. Contrast help writers to expand on their ideas by allowing them to show both what a thing is and what it is not. Take, for instance, images of light and darkness; a reader may better appreciate what it means to have light by considering it’s absence- darkness.

Question 18

Controlling Image

Answer 18

An image or metaphor which runs throughout the work

Question 19

Crisis

Answer 19

The point of the highest clash

Question 20

Criticism

Answer 20

Analysis, study and a valuation of individual works of literature