AP English Literature Unit 7 Cheatsheet: Complexities in Short Fiction

Epiphany: A sudden moment of realization that allows a character to see things in a new light.

• Often directly tied to the central conflict
• The character change it produces may be gradual or sudden.
• May cause the character to act differently (affects plot)

Sources of change:

• Conflict of values in the narrative
• Changes in circumstances
• Moment of realization

Unchanged characters: Also meaningful—reveals what the character refuses to learn or accept.

Symbol: Any textual element—an object, setting, character, action, or event—that suggests meaning beyond its literal role, often standing for an abstraction such as an emotion, ideology, or belief.

• Some settings have developed universal associations
• A setting becomes symbolic over time through repeated connection to an idea

Motif: A unified pattern of recurring elements—such as images, objects, words or phrases, sounds, situations, or ideas—that emphasizes a significant idea throughout or in large parts of a text.