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English 242
Vocab Exam 2
20
English
Undergraduate 3
03/11/2013

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Term
Agnostic
Definition
A person who thinks knowing whether or not God really exists is impossible
Term
"Angel in the House"
Definition
The ideal Victorian woman was supposed to be domestic and pure, selflessly motivated by the desire to serve others rather than fulfill her own needs" (LABL 2B1061).
Term
bildungsroman
Definition
Novel depicting an individual's development from childhood to maturity, when the individual understands his/her role in society and either takes it on or prepares to do so
Term
Chartism
Definition
The world’s first independent working-class movement,” which “called for sweeping reforms, including universal male suffrage, the secret ballot, equal electoral districts, and annual elections” (LABL 2B1060).
Term
conceit
Definition
Any fanciful, ingenious expression or idea, but especially one in the form of an extended metaphor."
Term
Evangelicals
Definition
“Evangelicalism dominated the religious and often the social life of working- and middle-class Britons. Evangelicals practiced self-denial and frugality; they rejected most forms of entertainment as sinful or frivolous" (LABL 2B1056).
Term
Gender
Definition
Socially-constructed ideals of "masculinity" and "femininity"; for a middle-class or upper-class person in the Victorian era, strict gender roles determined appropriate behavior based on that individual’s biological sex—a male should be “masculine,” while a female should act “feminine.”
Term
Ideology
Definition
The beliefs of a certain group that determine the group's attitudes and behaviors
Term
Melodrama
Definition
A sensational literary work or play that features stereotypical characters who have exaggerated emotional outbursts; a melodrama focuses on plot twists and action rather than characterization
Term
Motif
Definition
A recurrent thematic element—word, image, symbol, object, phrase, action."
Term
Pre-Raphaelites
Definition
Founded in 1848, this influential group of writers and artists 1) defied artistic conventions; 2) rejected the current style of painting as being too academic; 3) wished to return to the spiritual art that preceded the High Renaissance master Raphael; 4) emphasized the sensuous, and 5) included mystical symbols in their works
Term
Laissez-faire
Definition
A governmental policy of non-interference in economic matters.
Term
Realism in literature
Definition
"The faithful representation of life. Realism carries the conviction of true reports of phenomena observable by others."
Term
Satire
Definition
"Poking corrective ridicule at persons, types, actions, follies, mores, and beliefs."
Term
Social Darwinism
Definition
This theory applied Darwin's concept of the "survival of the fittest" to human society; proponents believed that "Only the fittest should survive in capitalist competition as well as in nature. […] this theory supported the apparent destiny of England to prosper and rule the world
Term
Sonnet
Definition
"A verse form of 14 lines, in English characteristically in iambic pentameter and most often in one of two rhyme schemes [...]. An Italian sonnet is composed of an octave [...] and a sestet"; the octave introduces a problem or subject, and the sestet offers a solution or comment. "A Shakespearean sonnet has three quatrains and a couplet."
Term
Symbol
Definition
"Something standing for its natural qualities in another context, with human meaning added: an eagle, standing for the soaring imperious dominance of Rome."
Term
Tanscendence
Definition
The act of going beyond human experience and beyond the reach of ordinary, common thought and experience.
Term
Utilitarianism
Definition
: This was one of the dominant ideologies of the Victorian period. Utilitarians measured "all human endeavor by its ability to produce 'the greatest happiness for the greatest number'" (LABL 2B1057).
Term
Victorian
Definition
1) Time period from 1832-1901 in England encompassing the reign of Queen Victoria; 2) saw rapid and momentous changes in British politics, economy, faith, science, art, empire, and gender relations; 3) a rather conflicted era during which England's traditional, agrarian way of life was rapidly transformed into a modern, industrial one.
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