Analyzing Literary Texts Flashcards

A narrator describes events in a story but admits, 'I may have misremembered some details from that night.' What type of narrator does this indicate?

Answer: Unreliable narrator

An unreliable narrator is one whose credibility is compromised, often signaled by admissions of faulty memory or bias.

In a poem, the line 'The wind whispered secrets through the trees' is an example of which literary device?

Answer: Personification

Personification gives human qualities—like whispering—to non-human things such as wind.

A short story ends with the protagonist achieving her goal but losing her closest friend in the process. Which type of ending is this?

Answer: Bittersweet resolution

A bittersweet resolution combines a positive outcome with a significant loss, leaving mixed emotions.

Which of the following best defines 'static character' in literary analysis?

Answer: A character who remains essentially unchanged throughout the story

A static character does not experience meaningful internal growth or change during the narrative.

Read this passage: 'The courtroom fell silent. Every eye turned to the door.' What technique does the author use to build suspense here?

Answer: Short, clipped sentences and collective action

Short sentences and the image of everyone reacting together create tension and anticipation.

A novel's chapters alternate between 1940 and the present day. What narrative technique does this represent?

Answer: Parallel narrative structure

Parallel narrative structure presents two or more timelines side by side, often to draw thematic connections.

When an author uses the setting of a decaying mansion to reflect a character's mental deterioration, this is an example of:

Answer: Pathetic fallacy

Pathetic fallacy is the technique of using the environment to mirror or reinforce a character's emotional or psychological state.