Individuality & Conformity Unit Vocabulary Definitions

• The vocabulary terms from this class will be roughly 50% content vocabulary and 50% useful words from the literature we read.

• To be a successful student, you must be able to take your own notes that will help you to study and learn.

• You will be quizzed over these vocabulary words every week, and they will also appear on your tests and projects.

• You may choose to write down the exact definition from the PowerPoint, or to write a shorter or longer definition that uses your own words.

• You should include an example for each term that will help you to memorize it. This can be a name, sentence, phrase, mnemonic, or even a picture.

Week 11. Individualism: the belief that the needs of each person are

more important than the needs of the whole society/group; the actions or attitudes of a person who does things without being concerned about what other people will think

2. Collectivism: the belief that the needs of a whole society/group are more important than the needs of a single person

3. Conformity: Behavior that is the same as that of most other people in your society/group; behavior that meets other people’s expectations

4. Prudent: wise5. Transient: short-lived; not lasting a long time; fleeting6. Usurp: to take something that does not belong to you7. Tyrant: a ruler who uses their absolute power to take

advantage of people; a cruel, oppressive ruler8. Absolve: to declare someone free from guilt, blame, or

responsibility

Week 21. Direct characterization: when the author describes a

character (TELLS)2. Indirect characterization: when the reader learns about a

character through their words, actions, thoughts, or interaction with others (SHOWS)

3. Irony: when there is a contrast between expectation and reality4. Verbal Irony: saying the opposite of what you mean5. Dramatic Irony: Occurs when the reader knows

something the character doesn’t6. Situational Irony: when what happens is the opposite of

what the reader or character expected7. Ambiguity: when something can be read, understood, or interpreted in more than one way (adjective form = ambiguous)8. Repress: to control someone/something; to prevent someone/something from reaching their full potential

Week 31. Text: a written work, such as a story, article, poem, book, or play2. Textual evidence: a specific example or quotation from the text

that supports your argument3. Concrete detail: (CD) a fact, example, or claim4. Parenthetical documentation: (P-DOC) a citation inside

parentheses () that comes at the end of a sentence with textual evidence. In MLA format, it includes the author’s last name and the page number where the information appeared.

Ex: Lily says, “Poor Miss May” (Kidd 51).5. Commentary: (CM) A sentence explaining why the CD or textual

evidence is important.6. Summarize: to give a shorter statement of the main idea in

your own words7. Paraphrase: to restate someone else’s ideas in your own

words8. Direct quotation: using someone else’s language word-for-

word

Week 41. Arbitrary: based on random choice or personal

whim, rather than any reason or rule2. Degrade: to lower in quality, status, or rank3. Oppress: to crush or burden with the abuse of

power or authority4. Assert: to behave in a way that expresses your

confidence, importance, or power5. Comply: to follow a rule; to act according to

expectations6. Solidarity: a feeling of unity based on common

goals and interests7. Benign: gentle, kind, harmless8. Pathological: harmful; so extreme that it is

abnormal or possibly caused by disease

Week 51. Alliteration: repetition of beginning sounds

– Jamba Juice, school spirit2. Parallelism: Using similar grammatical structures in repeated phrases, sentences, or lines

– I came, I saw, I conquered– The bigger they are, the harder they fall

3. Inversion: changing word order to emphasize the words at the end of the sentence4. Figurative language: language that has a meaning other than its literal meaning – simile, metaphor, #6 & 7, etc.5. Personification: describing a non-human entity as if it were human6. Hyperbole: describing something as larger or more important than it really is; exaggeration7. Sensory detail: a detail that appeals to one of the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, or sound)8. Imagery: language that creates an image in the reader’s mind

Week 61. Assonance (n): repetition of vowel sounds (making

bacon pancakes)2. Consonance (n): repetition of consonant sounds 3. Allegory (n): A story that has both a literal meaning (its

plot) and a symbolic meaning (something it represents or stands for)

4. Paranoia (n): extreme, irrational distrust or suspicion of others

5. Persecution (n): hostility or ill treatment, often due to being different

6. Afflict (v): to cause pain or harm to someone7. Construe (v): to understand or interpret something in a

particular way, such as clues, words, or actions8. Hysteria (n): a situation in which many people behave

or react in an extreme or uncontrolled way because of fear, anger, etc.

Week 71. Drama: literature written to be performed; plays2. Dialogue: conversation between 2 or more

characters3. Monologue: a speech by one character which

other characters can hear4. Soliloquy: a speech by one character which is not

heard by other characters5. Aside: a short comment made by a character to

the audience, which other characters cannot hear6. Overture: an introduction to the rest of the play7. Stage directions: directions that tell the director

and actors what to do; not meant to be read aloud.

Week 81. Essay writing terms