The Cure
A mineral treatment at a spa. In Guido's case, holy water used to treat bodily ills.
Marxism
An ideology that proposes Communism as a means of eliminating class inequalities, developed by nineteenth-century thinker Karl Marx.
Pragmatism
A theory wherein the truth of principles or theories is judged by how effective they are when applied to real life.
Realism
An artistic movement and/or ideology that advocates for the realistic representation of subjects, though what is meant by "realistic" is subject to interpretation. The artistic Realism movement of the nineteenth century rejected the Romanticism that had dominated art and literature for years.
Mise-en-abyme
Refers to art having infinite representations of itself within itself. For example, a film within a film (8 1/2), or a picture within a picture.
Absurdist
Something intentionally surreal or absurd, especially in art.
Stream of Consciousness
A style of narration structured to mimic a character's thoughts and reactions in real time, as opposed to narration that strives to present plot information in an ordered, intelligible way.
Director's Block
The film director's version of "writer's block," a sensation wherein a writer feels unable to think of new ideas or conquer the blank page.
Pornography
Art, especially film and video, depicting sexual acts. Largely considered more vulgar than sex scenes in regular film, even though the former often resembles the latter.
Squalid
Dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of neglect or poverty.
Escapist
Designed to avoid dealing with reality
Gratuitous
Uncalled for, unrelated
Superfluous
Unnecessary, or more than enough
Faithful
Loyal to
Drained
Deprived of strength
Devour
To consume avidly and wholly
Salvation
Deliverance from harm or pain
Authentic
Genuine or real
Lucid
Intelligible, clear
Bitter
Resentful at being treated unfairly
Dream Logic
Illogical logic that guides dreams but would not pass for logic in waking life
