Summary
Summary OCR A-Level English Literature Dystopia Unseen Language and Structures Techniques
- Module
- Dystopian Fiction
- Institution
- OCR
OCR A-Level English Literature Dystopia Unseen Language and Structures Techniques
[Show more]
Content preview
Close Analysis TechniquesBreaking down literary techniques:
S – sound/senses
L – language
I – imagery
P – perspective
S – structure
Adjective – a word which qualifies or modifies the meaning of a noun
Adverb – a word which qualifies or adds to the action of a verb
Allegory – a story, poem, or picture which can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning,
typically a moral or political one
Alliteration – the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or
closely connected words
Allusion – an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly
Ambiguity – having multiple meanings
Analogy – a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of
explanation or clarification
Anaphora – the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
Antagonist – a major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play
Anthropomorphism – the attribution to a non-animate thing of human attributes.
Antithesis – the contrast of opposing ideas in close proximity
Archetype – a typical example of a certain person or thing; a primitive mental image
inherited from the collective unconscious; a recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or
mythology
Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds in close proximity to create internal rhyme
Asyndeton – the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence,
Atmosphere – the overall feeling of a work, which is related to tone and mood
Axiomatic – something that is self-evident and cannot be questioned
Bathos - an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the
sublime to the trivial or ridiculous
Brevitas - the use of a concise statement to say a lot more
Caesura – a pause created by punctuation in the middle of a line of poetry
4
, Characterisation – how an author establishes character. An author may directly describe the
appearance and personality of character or show it through action or dialogue
Clause – a sentence or sentence-like construction included within another sentence
Cliché – a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought
Climax – the point at which the action in a story or play reaches its emotional peak
Colloquialism – the use of everyday speech rather than formal language
Conjunction – a word used to connect words or constructions (e.g. and, but, if, because,
although)
Connotations – an idea or feeling which a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary
meaning
Conflict – competing elements of a plot. Traditionally, every plot is built from the most basic
elements of a conflict and an eventual resolution. The conflict can be internal (within one
character) or external (among or between characters, society, and/or nature)
Consonance – the recurrence of similar-sounding consonants in proximity
Contraction – the process of shortening a word by combination or elision
Convention – the defining characteristics of a genre
Dialect – a form of a language which is particular to a specific region or social group
Diction – the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
Didactic – intended for instruction; instructive
Dialogue – the speech and conversations between characters
Direct Speech – the representation within speech marks of the exact words of a character
Discourse markers – embedded phrases in text that show a change of direction – ‘anyway’
‘so’ ‘the next thing.’
Elision – the omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable and replaced by an apostrophe
Emotive language – language that arouses specific emotions
Epithet – an adjective or adjective phrase used to characterise someone or something
Euphemism – a phrase that hints at an alternative meaning without being explicit, often used
to cover up a more sinister meaning
Figurative Language – language that does not mean exactly what it says. It represents an
object or an idea by using a metaphor or another figure of speech.
First person narrative – narrative perspective whereby the narrator tells the story from their
point of view, typified using the pronoun ‘I’
Free indirect discourse – third person narrative perspective in which the narrator has access
to a character’s thoughts and feelings
5
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anish24shah. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £3.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
73918 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now