GCSE

English Literature

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Protagonist – the chief character in the novel, now almost synonymous with ‘hero’ or ‘heroine’, who may be locked in a struggle with the antagonist.

Antagonist – the opponent of the protagonist, the chief character in the novel, where two figures are engaged in a struggle with each other.

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Circumlocution - words and descriptions which take roundabout ways of approaching or hinting at a subject rather than addressing it directly, either for comic or ironic effect, or to avoid embarrassing topics.

Caricature - a grotesque or ludicrous rendering of a character, achieved by the exaggeration of personality traits.

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Centre of consciousness - technique of telling the story wholly or chiefly from the point of view of one individual, though the narrative is still third-person.

Omniscient narrator - the narrator of a story who knows in a godlike way every detail of the characters’ lives, motives, intentions, desires, thoughts, actions…

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Theme – the abstract subject of a literary work: its central idea or ideas.

Motif - a topic raised at several points in a literary work, of lesser significance than a theme. Dancing, walking, reading, letter-writing, clothes and food all serve as motifs in ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Characters are distinguished from each other by their attitudes to such interests or activities.

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Aphorism - a generally accepted truth or principle expressed in a short and pithy sentence.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

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Authorial intervention - a moment in a narrative when the narrator ‘talks’ directly to the reader.

Implied reader – every text contains features which hint at or imply the kind of reader at which it is aimed. These features may be to do with subject matter, tone of voice, assumptions as to shared interests, knowledge…

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Irony - saying one thing while you mean another

Parody - an imitation of a specific work of literature, or literary style or genre, devised so as to ridicule its characteristic features.

A good example is Mr Collins’s letter.

Satire - literature which exhibits or examines vice and folly and makes them appear ridiculous or contemptible.

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Foreshadow - the capacity of a narrative to hint at future events.

Epistolary novel - a novel in which the story is told entirely through letters sent by those participating or observing events.

Note! ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is not an epistolary novel, but it does contain many letters.

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