supernatural

1. supernatural

2. supernatural adjectiveornoun (“the supernatural”) • of or relating to things that cannot be explained by natural laws • unexplainable by natural law or phenomena

3. gothic

4. gothic adjectiveornoun • 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

5. occult

6. occult adjectiveornoun • 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.

7. literary device

8. 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…)

9. red herring

10. 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]

11. scientific method

12. 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.

13. observation

14. observation noun • an act or instance of noticing or perceiving

15. speculation

16. 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.

17. deduction

18. 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.

19. inference

20. 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

21. hypothesis

22. 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

23. conclusion

24. conclusion noun • a final decision or judgment; resolution

25. social class

26. social class noun • a broad group in society having common economic, cultural, or political status.

27. portrayal

28. portrayal noun • to make a verbal picture of; depict in words

29. commoner

30. commoner noun • any person ranking below a peer; a person without a title of nobility

31. gullible

32. gullible adjective • easily deceived or cheated.

33. foil

34. 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)

35. intellect

36. 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.

37. static character

38. static character noun •  a literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work

39. dynamic character

40. 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)