Summary of Literary Works

Test Review: Division, Reconciliation, and Expansion
Part I: BRIEFLY summarize each literary work. A couple of sentences should be sufficient for you to create a quick reference guide for studying purposes. (Note: This does not mean that you shouldn’t also go back to specific passages from the literary works when you study.)

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane
“The Open Boat,” is a story about four men who were stuck in the ocean. They are trying to survive and at the end, one of them dies.
From My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
“My Bondage and My Freedom,” is a story about a slave boy whose owner used to teach him how to read and write. Then her husband told her not to and made her stop. He didn’t hate his owner, he just didn’t like her husband. He still loved his owner because she gave him the bit of education he had. He appreciated her and was grateful towards her.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
This story is about a man who is being hanged off Owl Creek Bridge. As he is being hanged, he imagines himself escaping and seeing his wife one more time. Although his imagination seems so real, in the end you find out that he was actually dead and didn’t survive or escape to see his wife and children.
“The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln
“The Gettysburg Address,” is Abraham Lincoln’s speech that he gave in dedication to the military cemetery on the battlefield in Gettysburg after the Battle of Gettysburg. He gave the speech because he wanted the people who had lost their lives to not be forgotten.
“The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain
“The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” is a story inside a story. The narrator visits a man in a bar to ask about someone named Leonidas W. Smiley. The man in the bar, Simon Wheeler, says he knows a Jim Smiley and proceeds to tell a story about this man. Backs the narrator into the corner just to tell the story; monotonous tone while he was telling the story; more excited about the story, he wants to tell it. The narrator wasn’t interested in hearing the story; thought it would go on forever and he thought it wasn’t important. He tells the narrator a story about a frog who was taught how to catch a fly which is ironic because a frog doesn’t have to be taught how to catch a fly.
“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte
This is a story about outcasts who get kicked out of their town because they were outcasts. They get caught up in a snowstorm and stay with a young couple. The only one who lived was Mother Shipton.
“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
This story is about a woman who was told that her husband died. She has heart problem so they were careful when telling her. She locked herself up in her room and everyone thought she was grieving but she was not. She was thinking about her freedom. In the end, her husband walks through the door. She was shocked that he was alive and she died.
“Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson
This poem is about a man who is very wealthy and everyone wants to be him. In the last line of the poem, he commits suicide.
“Lucinda Matlock” by Edgar Lee Masters
This poem is about a woman who does so much for people and was very selfless. She dies towards the end, but she dies peacefully and was happy with what she accomplished in her life.
“A Wagner Matinee” by Willa Cather
“To Build a Fire” by Jack London

Part II: Define each of the following literary terms.

Diction a writer’s word choice and the way the writer puts those words together.
Mood the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.
Tone the writer’s attitude toward his or her audience or subject.
Point of view perspective or vantage point from which a story is told
Stream of consciousness writing that presents thoughts and ideas the way the human mind experiences them
Situational irony occurs when something happens that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters or the audience
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience is aware of something that the character or speaker is not.
Hyperbole an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally; obvious and intentional exaggeration
Regionalism a literary movement in which writers attempt to depict and analyze the distinctive and unique of a geographical area and its people
Local color distinctive, sometimes picturesque characteristics or peculiarities of a place or period as represented in literature or drama, or as observed in reality.
Dialect a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group
Frame story a secondary story or stories embedded in the main story
Slave narrative testimonies of hundreds of fugitive slaves and former slaves; exposed the inhumanities of the slave system; recorded the oppressive conditions suffered under owners to document their experiences and ensure that the reunified nation wouldn’t soon forget.
Realism portrays people’s life in actual ways
Naturalism individuals are controlled by greater forces
Speaker the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem
Characterizationthe act of creating and developing a character

Part III: Go back to your literary work summaries. For each work, list the literary terms that apply (that we specifically discussed in relation to the work). When you study later, you should be able to explain examples.

Stephen Crane: The Open Boat o Realism- portrays people's life in an actual ways o Naturalism- individuals are controlled by greater forces Fredrick Douglass: My Bondage and My Freedom o Slave narrative- testimonies of hundreds of fugitive and former slaves o Point of view- the position of the narrator in relation to the story Ambrose Bierce: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge o Stream of consciousness- a narrative technique that presents thoughts as if they were coming directly from a character’s mind o Local color- distinctive, sometime picturesque characteristics or peculiarities of a place or period as represented in literature or drama, or as observed in reality
Dramatic irony- the audience is aware of something that the character or speaker is not

Abraham Lincoln: The Gettysburg Address o Diction- a writer's word choice and the way the writer puts those words together o Mood- the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. o Tone- the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject Mark Twain: The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country o Situational irony- occurs when something happens that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters or audience o Regionalism- a literary movement in which writers attempt to depict and analyze the distinctive and unique of a geographical area and its people o Dialect- the form of a language spoken by people in a particular region, or group differs in pronunciation, grammar, and word choice o Frame story- a secondary story or stories embedded in the main story Bret Harte: The Outcasts of Poker Flat o Hyperbole- an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally; obvious and intentional exaggeration o Naturalism- individuals are controlled by greater forces Jack London: To Build A Fire o Realism- portrays people's life in an actual ways o Naturalism- individuals are controlled by greater forces o Point of view- the position of the narrator in relation to the story Kate Chopin: The Story of an Hour o Mood- the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage o Dramatic irony- the audience is aware of something that the character or speaker is not Edwin Arlington Robinson: Richard Cory o Speaker- the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem o Local color- distinctive, sometime picturesque characteristics or peculiarities of a place or period as represented in literature or drama, or as observed in o Situational irony- occurs when something happens that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters or audience Edgar Lee Masters: Lucinda Matlock o Speaker- the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem o Mood- the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage
Willa Cather: A Wagner Matinee o Characterization- the act of creating and developing a character o Situational irony- occurs when something happens that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters or audience