Students’ Questions about Literature Page 20

In Greek mythology, Medusa is a monster, a Gorgon, with hair of living, venomous snakes whose gaze turned people to stone. She was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head as a weapon until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield.

A foil is a character who contrasts with the main character in a story, usually in order to highlight the main character’s traits.

Her name was Pandora and she was created by the gods.

Tone refers to an author’s use of words and writing style to convey their attitude in a piece of writing. The tone of a piece of literature can be serious, funny, sad, or any other emotion that an author wants to convey.

The mood of a piece of literature is the overall feeling that the reader gets from the story. Mood can be affected by the author’s choice of words, description, and tone.

Ethos is an important tool in literature. It is the author’s way of convincing the reader that he or she is credible, and that the story is worth reading.

Merlin is a wise and magical being who helps King Arthur in his quest to unite the kingdom. He is also Arthur’s teacher, mentor and friend.

1. Pay attention to the little things. 2. Try to find the hidden meaning in what you read.

He was the first born son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne. However these were very troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place and that none should know his true identity.

An allegory is a type of literature in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral concepts. The allegory of the cave is a famous example of allegory in literature.