Please use the definitions from this glossary. The terms in bold are those for the project; unbolded terms are for reference only.
Simile: A figurative comparison of two things, often dissimilar, using the connecting words: "like," "as," or "then."
Example: “His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer” (Steinbeck 34).
Function: This instance of simile is found in a direct characterization of Slim, a skilled, powerful mule driver in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men. The use of the word “as” to compare Slim and a temple dancer immediately signifies that the comparison is a simile (see definition above). The juxtaposition between Slim and a “temple dancer” is extremely effective in bringing his unexpectedly intricate dexterity to light. Given his physical description alone, his pronounced largeness and strength would overpower the reader’s ability to fathom his graceful, finely controlled touch. Yet, by equating the delicate skill of his large hands to those of a refined performer who has mastered beautifully intricate hand movements, the reader’s view of Slim is broadened, emphasizing his pure skill in addition to his sheer size and strength. Additionally, the word “temple” within the term “temple dancer” indicates religious and spiritual overtones within the characterization of Slim. This religious air is the foundation of the development of Slim as a “Godlike” (40) figure who is trusted by all, both in confidence and counsel. Overall, this simile masterfully contributes to Steinbeck’s ongoing depiction of Slim’s admired “majesty” (33), undisputed “authority” (33) and deeply intellectual “understanding” (34).
Protagonist: Chief character in a dramatic or narrative work, usually trying to accomplish some objective or working toward some goal.
Example: “The Times are Tidy” by Sylvia Plath
Unlucky the hero born
In this province of the stuck record
Where the most watchful cooks go jobless
And the mayor's rôtisserie turns
Round of its own accord.
There's no career in the venture
Of riding against the lizard,
Himself withered these latter-days
To leaf-size from lack of action:
History's beaten the hazard.
The last crone got burnt up
More than eight decades back
With the love-hot herb, the talking cat,
But the children are better for it,
The cow milks cream an inch thick.
Significance: Sylvia Plath’s poem “The Times are Tidy” coveys the predicament of an unfortunate “hero,”(1) or protagonist (as he is conveyed as the primary character of the poem), who has been born into a “province”(2) in which their acts of heroism are not required of them. This protagonist lives in an area absent of almost all crime or wrong doings, being that “The last crone got burnt up/ More than eight decades back” (11-12). In fact, Plath suggests that this town is so well-behaved that “the mayor’s rotisserie turns/round of its own accord” (3-4), without the aid of a butler or chef to tend or cook it, and that “The cow milks cream an inch thick” (14-15). However, a prosperous town lacking in crime or grievances is, as the narrator suggests, no place for a protagonist. According to the narrator, in this town “There’s no career in the venture/of riding against the lizard” (6-7). The “lizard,” in this case, represents an antagonist, as the protagonist would be forced to ride “against” it, as is the case with a protagonist/antagonist relationship. While the current quality of the town is undoubtedly positive, relishing in a peaceful prosperity in which “the children are better” (14) and the quality of life is increasing, this success certainly isn’t favorable to the protagonist or hero. Without constantly plaguing issues or suffering, a protagonist is simply without purpose or “career.” Plath makes use of this concept of a protagonist to make a provocative comment on the nature of storytelling itself; she suggests the utter strangeness in that protagonists within novels only ever seem to exist to combat problems or antagonists, whereas in real life this is frequently not the case, illustrated within the example of the province. Literature seems to favor the tales of a protagonistic hero, and Plath utilizes the lens of “protagonism” to speak of the need for conflict in storytelling.
Term: Anaphora—Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This device is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent.
Example: "When she went up the courthouse steps she missed the elderly men who loitered there, she missed the water cooler that stood inside the door, missed the cane-bottom chairs in the hallway; she did not miss the dank urine-sweet odor of sunless county cubbyholes” (Lee 105).
Significance: This passage from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place as Jean Louise enters the county county courthouse after hearing of her father’s involvement in a meeting likened to the “Invisible Empire” of the South. She fears that her father may be a participant in this meeting, where values of racial injustice and other prejudices are likely to be affirmed. Through the use of anaphora, Harper Lee is able to capture the disparities between the South in which Jean Louise grew up and the morally unjust parts of the South that Jean Louise is so against. The contrast between old and new and the repetition of “she missed” illustrates all the qualities of life during Jean Louise’s childhood that have since disappeared. No longer can Jean Louise get a drink from the familiar water cooler to quench her thirst, as she now is living in a world that is both different and confusing. Even more so, she is confused about the change that has overcome her father; she remembers Atticus as a man who fought for justice, but now she understands that he has taken the side that might be labeled as “unjust.” Ultimately, what Harper Lee captures in this scene is the immense change that has occurred in Maycomb since Jean Louise’s childhood. In a society of changing ideas, changing beliefs, and changing courthouse furnishings, Jean Louise struggles to find any ground upon which she can set foot upon. Essentially, she is an alien to what was once her home. Conflicted by the old and new ideas that pervade Maycombian culture, Jean Louise has difficulties understanding the new society around her, and Lee’s use of anaphora reinforces such.
Anaphora: Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This device is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent. (litterms_glossary)
Example: “I have no joy of this contract tonight/ It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,/ Too like the lightning” (Shakespeare II.ii.118-120)
Function: In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, when Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s courtyard, he begins to flatter her with illustrious compliments and words of love. Aware of the situation, Juliet notifies Romeo that this is not the proper time to exchange vows of love and passion. Juliet does this by speaking in anaphora. Shakespeare utilizes anaphora to illustrate the irrational and rash nature of Romeo. Romeo is so entranced with Juliet that he wants to exchange vows with Juliet while hiding in the shadows of her courtyard. This is clearly not the time to be conducting such actions, yet Romeo is too filled with lust to realize the stupidity of the situation. By speaking in anaphora, Juliet causes Romeo to look like the lustful teanager that he is as she brigns some reason into the situation. When Juliet repeatedly exclaims the word “too” (119-120) followed by words like “unadvised,” “rash,” and “sudden” (119-120), she makes it clear that exchanging vows is far too ridiculous for the moment and location. Romeo, however, continues to swear of his unwavering love, which illustrates his juvenile nature. Furthermore, by saying “I have no joy of this contract tonight” (118), Juliet is implying that although she is not in favor of exchanging vows this specific night, it doesn’t mean that she is always against it. Despite this, Romeo shows extreme desperation as he is relentless in pursuing Juliet’s love. In this desperation, Romeo displays his unreasonable judgment and the lack of control he has over his emotions. Ultimately, through anaphora, Shakespeare develops Romeo as a severely irrational character, which will prove to be his downfall by the end of the play.
Imagery: The use of images, especially in a pattern of related images, often figurative, to create a strong unified sensory impression. (litterms_glossary).
Example: “His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse” (Steinbeck 3).
Function: In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck first introduces the reader to Lennie’s character through strong imagery. After Lennie and George escape from Weed, Lennie and George are both exhausted and thirsty. To quench his thirst, Lennie immediately drinks still, green water from the river nearby. By providing this imagery of Lennie slurping down such grimy water, Steinbeck depicts Lennie as mentally backward. No man with at least some common sense would go to a still, murky river bank and eagerly gulp down huge amounts of water as they would realize the harmful organisms that inhabit a river of such characteristics. Steinbeck shows that for Lennie , however, this is certainly not the situation. By doing this so early in the novella, Steinbeck quickly establishes the characteristics of Lennie, which play a prominent role in the storyline. When Lennie is illustrated as drinking from the water “like a horse” (Steinbeck 3), he is portrayed as animal-like, which implies that he possesses less than human mental aptitude. Additionally, Steinbeck uses the verb “snorting” (Steinbeck 3) when describing how Lennie drinks, which depicts him as possessing crude characteristics. This again creates an image of Lennie’s mental limitations for the reader. It is these mental limitations of Lennie which drive forward the story. Whenever George and Lennie get into trouble during the novel, it is usually a direct result of Lennie’s lack of mental acumen. Therefore, it is crucial for Steinbeck to develop such a prominent force in the novella in a clear and effective manner. By using imagery, Steinbeck certainly accomplishes this.
Symbol: A thing, event, or person that represents or stands for some idea or event. Symbols also simultaneously retain their own literal meanings. A figure of speech in which a concrete object is used to stand for an abstract idea —e.g. The cross for Christianity.
Example: “I didn’t call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone – he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness” (Fitzgerald 25-26).
Function: As the mystery surrounding the charismatic character of Gatsby is slowly unveiled, the lasting presence of the green light serves as a reminder of the hope and desire for the future. Setting the stage for the introduction of the ‘great’ Gatsby, Fitzgerald--through Nick Carraway--observes, “[Gatsby] stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way...he was trembling...I glanced seaward--and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away" (26). The effect of the green light is one that inspires in its wake an ever-increasing desperation and with it, a sense of vulnerability. Indeed, its apparent draw is so strong that Gatsby, in the manner of a devout worshipper, reaches adoringly towards it, and often stands for hours on end, searching futilely for a mere glimpse. The contrast of the ‘dark water’ and ‘far away’ pinprick of light is perhaps indicative of the true quality of a dream--that it is at once all-consuming and yet cruelly distant. Green is also most commonly regarded as the color of promise, hope, and renewal and, as a result, reinforces the idea that the 'beacon' is a physical manifestation of Gatsby’s dream of a future with Daisy. Gatsby’s “stretched out...arms” is also reflective of the ingrained belief that one’s gain of money and fortune will lead to an eternity of happiness. Thus, the symbol of the green light represents not only Gatsby’s aspirations for the future but all those of the American people in their pursuit of currency. Fitzgerald lends further dimension to the symbol through his comparison of Gatsby’s green light to the “green beast of the new world” (115), drawing a parallel between Gatsby’s dream of rediscovering Daisy with an explorer’s discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. Yet, Gatsby’s dream is ultimately tarnished through his pursuit of material objects, a microcosm depicting how America herself has fallen into the lust for gold. The artificial quality of the light itself only further highlights the unrealistic qualities of dreams. It indicates the shallowness of Gatsby’s naive fantasies as he refuses to accept reality. Just as his perception of Daisy as an innocent and loving individual is a fabrication of his own mind, the green light is an ultimately meaningless beacon of a worthless dream that is lacking in depth.