Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Euphemism

Euphemism: (From the Greek,"good speech") A more agreable or less unpleasant substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

Example:
" Shucks, it ain't no use to talk to you, Fuck Finn. You don't seem to know anything, somehow-perfect sap-head."
                                       (Huckleberry Fin, Pg.14)

This is euphemism because Jim calls Huck a "Sap-head." That could mean anything he might of tried and called him "hard headed" or something else but instead he calls him a "sap-head."

Epigraph

Epigraph: A quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work that is suggestive of the theme.

Example:
"By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant."
                      (Frederick Douglass, Pg.1)

This is an example of epigraph because by reading the first sentence we know that the main theme of the story is the harshness of slavery. We know this because he says the "wish of most masters" to keep them ignorant. Which the impact of ignorance coudl be aother theme.


Either/ or fallacy

Either/ or fallacy: Reducing an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignoring possible alternatives.

Example:
" Well,then, what did you want to kill him for?"
"Why nothing- only it's on account of the feud."
              (Huckleberry Finn, Pg.108)

This is a fallacy because both of the boys do not know what they are talking about. They both dont feel like killing someone is something normal since it's a "feud." They could of tried and scare the other boy, but instead Buck decided that it was nice to try and actually kill him.

Didactic

Didactic: (from the Greek,"teaching") A term used to describe a work that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of moral or ethical behavior or thinking.

Example:
" It was fifteeen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger- but I done it, and warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd knowed it would make him feel that way."
           (Huckleberry Finn, Pg.87)

This is a good example of a didactic situation because he's teaching us a lesson. He's trying to tell us that there is no difference is apologizing to a black person from apologizing to a white person. He says that he wasn't sorry for it and therefore we shouldn't eather. (During that time)

Colloquial/Colloquialism

Colloquial/Colloquialism: The use of slang or informalities in speech if writting. Colloquial expressions in writting include local or regional dialects and usage. Colloquialisms are to be avoided in formal writting.

Example:
" Starchy clothes-very. You think you're a good deal of a big-bug, don't you?"
                         (Hucklebery Finn, Pg.19)

This is an example of what Pap (Hucks father) said to him while he was yelling at him for being educated. He calls him a big-bug which is a slang for something else. It could bea "tough guy" or "better than me", but instead he uses the slan "big-bug."

Caricature

Caricature: A grotesque likeness of striking characteristics in persons or things.

Example:
" Col. Grangerford was very tall and very slim, and had a darkish-paly complexion, not a sign of red in it anywhere; he was clean-shaved every morning, all over his thin face, and he had the thinnest kind of lips , an the thinnest kind of nostrils, and a high nose, and heavy eyebrows, and the blackest kinds of eyes, sunk so deep back that they seemed like they was looking out of caverns at you, as you may say."
                                         (Huckleberry Finn, Pg.105)

This is an example of caricature because Huck is descrbing Col. Grangerford just the way he is. He might of exaggerated but he still described Col. Grangerford in a way that we can picture just the way he is.


Bombast

Bombast: Inflated language; the use of high-sounding language for a trivial subject.

Example: " 'Well' says Buck, 'a feud is this way. A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man's brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in- and by-an-by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But it's kind of slow, and takes a long time.'"
                  ( Huckleberry Finn, Pg. 109)

This is an example of bombast because Buck is trying to make the feud sound more important of what really is. He tries to make it sound like it's something which they couldn't live without. He is making it a lifestyle. When it really is not that important.