PLEASE READ!
Select TWO of the literary devices/concepts covered at the botttom then(In your own words)
Discuss how you still see them being used in modern fiction. These can include the following: metaphor, symbolism, foil, in medias res, deus ex machina, or any other that has appeared in our material.
This is a bit analytical, so make a case using specific examples from books, stories, or films of today.
CONCEPTS AT THE TOP
Metaphor = An implicit comparison between two things/people.
Example: ever notice how often crossroads appear in literature and film? What does that kind of image represent?
Gilgamesh’s journeys are similar to other epics.
• Odysseus crosses the ocean to the land of the dead to speak with Tiresias
• Aeneas crosses the river Styx to speak with his father
• Gilgamesh must journey through the darkness of the mountain and over the
waters of death to gain the knowledge he seeks from Utanapishtim.
Anthropomorphism (anthropomorphized)= Gods are given human characteristics allowing them to pity the characters.
Foil = Describes the contrasts between characters in order to highlight certain features.
Famous Examples
• Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy
• Frankenstein and his monster
• Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan
• Gaston and the Beast
In Medias Res = In the middle of things – story that drops you in without context.
Deus Ex Machina =God from the machine. Divine intervention.
GENERAL CONCEPTS
Cosmogony = A theory about the origin of the universe. (Most major civilizations have these. Often cited as proof of the human desire to understand their place in the
cosmos.)
Ex Nihilo = From or out of nothing.
Theomachy= A battle of the gods. (Oftentimes cosmogonies depict a theomachy, where younger generations of
gods take over from the older generations.)
Hierarchical Structure = The world is often depicted hierarchically, with gods living above, humans on earth, and demons/spirits in a lower world.
Literary Devices
Motif: = In a literary work, a motif can be seen as an image, sound, action, or other figures
that have a symbolic significance and contributes toward the development of
theme.
Foreshadowing: = An advance sign or warning about what is to come in the future.
What do the above motifs foreshadow?
Exposition: = In literature, this term describes the information a reader/audience needs in order to
understand a story.