English Literature key terms

The central claim of an essay: a concise answer to the question which the rest of the response develops and supports.

Narration using pronouns such as “he”, “she” or “they”, rather than a character telling the story as “I”.

A voice that describes characters as ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’, rather than speaking as ‘I’. In ‘War Photographer’, this voice reveals the photographer’s memories while maintaining some distance from him.

A narrative voice outside the action that refers to characters as ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘they’ and can reveal the thoughts of different characters.

Careful management of money and resources, avoiding unnecessary waste.

A gap in a narrative during which time passes without every intervening event being narrated.

A play that experiments with how time is experienced or represented, challenging the idea of a straightforward sequence from past to future.

Body material made from cells; the word can also mean thin paper. Dharker connects these meanings to explore human fragility.

A change in the attitude or feeling conveyed by a speaker, such as a movement from affectionate recollection to stern scolding.

The attitude or feeling conveyed by a text’s voice and wording, such as tenderness, anger or uncertainty.

A shrub or tree clipped into a deliberately shaped form.

An opening sentence that establishes the particular argument a paragraph will develop.

A warship combining a reinforced ram with torpedo tubes, designed to ride low in the water. The Thunder Child uses its forward momentum to attack the Martian fighting-machines.

A system of government that seeks extensive control over public and private life, suppressing opposition and independent thought.

Buying and selling goods; in the play, overseas trade supplies Antonio's wealth but exposes it to the dangers of sea voyages.

A play that moves towards catastrophe, suffering and death, often exposing the interaction between human choices and forces beyond individual control.

A character whose suffering and downfall invite pity, sometimes alongside recognition of destructive choices or flaws.

A weakness or error that contributes to a tragic character’s downfall. Macbeth’s unchecked ambition can be interpreted as his tragic flaw.

A central character whose downfall involves their own choices or errors as well as circumstances, often provoking pity despite their responsibility.

A reversal in which an action or belief produces a disastrously different result from the one intended or expected. Cassius dies believing Titinius has been captured, although Titinius has actually been welcomed by friends.

Drama combining serious threats or suffering with comic elements and an ending that avoids tragic catastrophe.

Going beyond ordinary physical experience or material explanation. Jekyll applies the word to medicine concerned with the relationship between the body and spirit.

Jekyll’s term for medicine reaching beyond the physical world into questions of spirit and identity. Its claimed powers challenge Lanyon’s understanding of science.

Investigation that reaches beyond the physical world into questions of spirit and existence. Hyde calls Jekyll’s work “transcendental medicine” in Chapter 9; Jekyll describes his studies as tending towards “the mystic and the transcendental” in Chapter 10.

The state of lasting only briefly. In the poem, the berries’ freshness suggests that pleasure cannot be preserved indefinitely.

The punishment of sending a convicted person overseas to a penal settlement.

Lasting psychological distress following a deeply frightening or harmful experience.