supernatural

supernatural

adjective or noun (“the supernatural”)

of or relating to things that cannot be explained by natural laws

unexplainable by natural law or phenomena

gothic

gothic

adjective or noun

noting or pertaining to a style of literature characterized by a gloomy setting, grotesque, mysterious, or violent events, and an atmosphere of degeneration and decay

popular especially in the late 18th century

occult

occult

adjective or noun

of or pertaining to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers

beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious.

literary device

literary device

noun

a literary or linguistic technique that produces a specific effect

Examples: figure of speech (metaphor, simile, personification…) narrative style (third person, omniscient narrative or

an “unreliable” narrator…) plot mechanism (foreshadowing, irony…)

red herring

red herring

noun

something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand

a misleading clue or seemingly guilty character

Backround: The herring  in this expression is red and strong-smelling from being preserved by smoking. The idiom alludes to dragging a smoked herring across a trail to cover up the scent and throw off tracking dogs. [Late 1800s]

scientific method

scientific method

noun

a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested.

observation

observation

noun

an act or instance of noticing or perceiving

speculation

speculation

noun

the contemplation or consideration of some subject: to engage in speculation on the meaning of life

a conclusion or opinion reached by such contemplation: These speculations are impossible to verify.

conjectural consideration of a matter; conjecture or surmise (guessing): a report based on speculation rather than facts.

deduction

deduction

noun

Logic: a process of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the premises presented, so that the conclusion cannot be false if the premises are true.

His astute deduction was worthy of Sherlock Holmes.

inference

inference

noun

the act of deriving by reasoning; concluding or judging from premises or evidence: They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice.

Logic: the process of arriving at some conclusion by reasoning

hypothesis

hypothesis

noun

a suggested explanation for a group of facts or phenomena, either accepted as a basis for further verification (working hypothesis ) or accepted as likely to be true

an unproved theory; a guess

conclusion

conclusion

noun

a final decision or judgment; resolution

social class

social class

noun

a broad group in society having common economic, cultural, or political status.

portrayal

portrayal

noun

to make a verbal picture of; depict in words

commoner

commoner

noun

any person ranking below a peer; a person without a title of nobility

gullible

gullible

adjective

easily deceived or cheated.

foil

foil

noun

a person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast: The straight man was an able foil to the comic.

serving as the opposite to the main character: (as with Dr. Watson & Sherlock Holmes)

intellect

intellect

noun

the power or faculty of the mind by which one knows or understands, as distinguished from that by which one feels and that by which one wills (wants)

the understanding; the faculty of thinking and acquiring knowledge.

static character

static character

noun

 a literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work

dynamic character

dynamic character

noun

someone who undergoes an important, internal change because of the action in the plot

Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (for example)