Free SACE English Literary Studies Flashcard Review
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How does an observation differ from an inference in close reading?
An observation identifies a verifiable detail; an inference explains what the detail suggests.
What is missing from “The passage uses a metaphor”?
An explanation of the particular comparison and how it contributes to a supported interpretation.
A character removes a third cup before tea. Does this prove a death?
No. It suggests interrupted expectation or absence, but the cause requires further evidence.
Why preserve words such as “perhaps” when quoting?
They qualify the claim; omitting them can turn uncertainty into an assertion the text does not make.
What should a response about an opening paragraph prioritise?
The specified opening and the impression its language creates, rather than a retelling of the whole text.
How can counterevidence improve an interpretation?
It tests the claim and may require qualification or revision so the reading accounts for more of the text.
What makes a quotation relevant evidence?
Its wording or form supports the exact claim being argued, with context preserved.
How can a response distinguish inference from fact?
Use precise qualification, such as “suggests”, and identify what remains unstated.
Why is a device list not a complete analysis?
It identifies features without explaining their relationships to meaning or the question.
What should connect evidence to a thesis?
Reasoning that explains how the selected detail supports, complicates or revises the governing interpretation.
Why should the narrator not automatically be identified with the author?
The narrator is a constructed voice whose attitudes may be questioned by the wider text.
What is the difference between voice and focalisation?
Voice concerns who tells; focalisation concerns the perspective through which events are perceived or understood.
Does third-person narration guarantee neutrality?
No. It can restrict access to one character’s perceptions and evaluations.
What does free indirect discourse blend?
Third-person narration with a character’s idiom or immediate thought, often without an explicit reporting phrase.
What evidence is needed before calling a narrator unreliable?
A pattern giving reason to question the account, interpretation or values; first person alone is insufficient.
Can a narrator report events accurately but misread their cause?
Yes. Factual reporting and interpretation can have different degrees of reliability.
How does restricted access affect a threatening laugh across a room?
Readers may encounter it through one character’s fear without knowing the laugher’s intention.
What creates a knowledge gap in a narrative?
Different access to information among narrator, characters and readers.
Why examine a narrator’s self-corrections?
They can reveal uncertainty, self-justification or changing understanding, depending on context.
How can close narration invite sympathy without agreement?
It gives access to a character’s reasoning while retaining details that allow readers to question it.