Unit One
- Judgment – the process of forming an opinion by evaluation or by discerning and comparing.
- Criticism – the act of considering the merits and demerits of and judging accordingly, usually unfavorably.
- Resentment – a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury.
- Romance – [A.] a love story especially in the form of a novel. [B.] something (such as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact (definition applicable in the sense that Nick romanticizes Gatsby in his narrative).
- Morals – of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.
- Repercussion – an action or effect given or exerted in return: a reciprocal action or effect.
- Betrayal – the act of failing or deserting especially in time of need.
- Disillusion – the condition of being disenchanted: the condition of being dissatisfied or defeated in expectation or hope.
- Flaw – an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness.
- Unreliability – the state of one being unsuitable or unfit to be depended on.
- Manipulation – to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage.
- Reality – the state or quality of being real.
- Skepticism – an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object.
- Affinity Bias – the tendency of one to favor people who share similar interests, backgrounds, and/or experiences as them.
- Social Norms – the informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies.
- Human Nature – the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind, regarded as shared by all humans.
Unit Two
- Propaganda – information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular point of view.
- Unexpressed Self v. Talked-Of Self
- Tragedy – a play/story dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.
- Hamartia – a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero.
- Isolation
- Catharsis – the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
- Fate
- Obligation to Succeed
- Chorus – a person/group whose purpose is to underscore the moral themes, actions, character development, and messages of a story to the audience.
- Dramatic Irony
- Tragic Waste – when good is destroyed along with evil.
- Tragedy of Miscalculation – where the noble protagonist makes a serious error of judgment with catastrophic results.
- Lack of Poetic Justice
- Spectacle – includes all aspects of the tragedy that contribute to its sensory effects: costumes, scenery, the gestures of the actors, the sound of the music, and the resonance of the actors’ voices.
- The American Dream
- Utopianism – the belief in or pursuit of a state in which everything is perfect, typically regarded as unrealistic or idealistic.
- Materialism – a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
- Unspecified – Additional Terms
- Sensuous Illusions
- Reputation
- Fame
- Inhumanity
- Purging
- Audience’s Story of Self
- Style
- Consumerism
- Consumption
- Self-Invention
- Gangster
- Gambling
- Artifice of Personality
- New Identity
- Deception
- Wealth of Goods
- Crime
- Allure of the Artificial
- Perception
- Isolation
Paper Keyterms
- Cinematic Gangster
- Archetype
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Evolution
- Gangster Genre
- Crime Genre
- Adaptation
- Mise-En-Scene
- Transformation
- Disorganized Crime
- Organized Crime
- Gang-Affiliates / Gang-Affiliation
- Gang Wars
- Self-Preservation
- Legal Opposition
- Criminality
- Prohibition-Era Gangster
- Business-Gangster
- Consumerism
- Archetypical Evolution
- Legal Apprehension
- White-Collar Crime / White-Collar Criminal / White-Collar Gangster
- Businessmen & Criminals
- Fugazi
- Social Commentary
- Brutal Power
- Ruthlessness
- Cunning
- Deceit
- Femme Fatale
- Rough, Unpresented Interior
- Smooth Exterior
- Ulterior Motives
- Internalized Amorality
- Fabrication of Divided Internal and External Identities
- Fabrication of Identity
- Malevolence
- Manipulation
- Fallacy
- Self-Realization
- Honesty
- Unreliable Narrator
- Modern Human Condition
- Hypocrisy
- Frame Narrative
- Judgment
- Self-Awareness
“Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s Most-Trusted Online Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, merriam-webster.com/.