ENGLISH I: SHORT STORIES

Comprehension and Analysis

Harvard Reading Skills

Look “around” the text Annotate Outline, Summarize, Analyze Look for repetitions and patterns Contextualize Compare and Contrast

“The Most Dangerous Game” pp 19-36

Plot: the events/circumstances that make up a story

Exposition- The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.

Conflict- The essence of fiction; it creates plot. The conflicts (or obstacles/problems) we encounter can usually be identified as one of four types (see below).

Rising Action- A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax.

Plot continued

Climax- The climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome of the conflict can usually be predicted.

Falling Action- The events after the climax which close the story.

Resolution- (aka denouement) Rounds out and concludes the action.

Plot Triangle

Climax Rising Action Falling Action Exposition Resolution

Types of Conflict

Internal: problem within oneself (person versus self)—examples: a major decision, insanity, difficult emotions

External: person has a problem with outside forces Person v PersonPerson against another person—could

be mental, emotional, physical, etc. Person v Society Person against a collective group—

could be oppressive society, etc. Person v Nature Person against natural forces—ex:

weather, terrain, etc. Person v Supernatural Person versus forces that aren’t

natural—ex: God, superheroes, etc. Person v Technology Person against science/technology

—ex: Terminator, robots, etc.

Setting

Definition: Where and when the plot takes place (ex: 1915; London, England)

Importance: Setting can influence the action of the story, and can also help establish mood

“Papa Who Wakes Up

Tired in the Dark”

Point of View (POV)

Definition: the narrator’s position in relation to the story being told

TYPES First person—I, me, my, our, we—the narrator is

directly involved in the story 2nd person—you, you all (usually in self-help books,

guide books, and DIY manuals) 3rd person—they, he, she, it—the narrator is

removed from the action in the story/ not a character (most common POV used in novels, short stories, etc.) Omniscient—knows thoughts and actions of characters Limited—limited to only what is observed/heard; doesn’t

know thoughts

Diction

Diction: Element of style an author’s word choice; affects tone; determined based on purpose and audience Example:

"Dearest reader, I humbly entreat you to eschew the latest celebrity tittle-tattle and instead devote your attention to diction and tone." Sophisticated/elevated word choice—very formal

versus"Listen up! Drop the gossip magazine and get with the diction/tone program!" Informal/colloquial word choice—used with peers/friends/people of equal or lower “status”

Tone

Definition: implied attitude of the author/speaker toward the subject/audience; determined by diction

Review the tone descriptors on your handout—these are great words to use to describe the author’s tone!

How does tone influence the meaning of a text? (Part of our essential question today!)

Connotation and Denotation

Denotation: the literal, “dictionary definition” meaning of a word

Connotation: the commonly understood, subjective cultural association of meaning with a word, in addition to the dictionary definition For example, we use many different terms for young people. While

“little one” and “brat” both literally refer to a young person, “little one” usually has a positive connotation (association), whereas “brat” typically has a negative connotation. You wouldn’t want to compliment a young mother by calling her child a “cute little brat.”

Other examples: “Stink” versus “aroma” “Reckless” plan versus “daring” plan “Easygoing” friend versus “lazy” friend Answer with “arrogance” versus answer with “confidence”

Positive, Negative, and Neutral Connotations

POSITIVE= “LITTLE ONE”NEUTRAL=CHILDNEGATIVE=BRAT

Positive, Negative, and Neutral Connotations

POSITIVE= “STROLLING” NEUTRAL=“WALKING”

NEGATIVE=“TRUDGING”

Character and Characterization

Characterization— the process of revealing the personality of a character

Character- a person in a story, poem, or play (sometimes animals) Ways to reveal character:

1. Letting us hear the character speak2. Describing how they look or dress3. Letting us listen to the character’s inner thoughts and feelings4. Revealing what other characters think or say about the character5. Showing us what the character does— how they act.6. Tell us directly what the character’s personality is like: cruel, kind,

sneaky, etc. Indirect Characterization- (first 5 ways) we have to use our own

judgment to decide what a character is like, based on the evidence the writer gives us.

Direct characterization- (#6) we don’t have to decide; we’re told

Character (continued)

Characters are classified as: Static- one who does not change much (ex: Zaroff in MDG) Dynamic- character changes as a result of the story’s

events (ex: Rainsford in MDG) Flat- has only one or two traits (ex: Ivan in MDG) Round- like a real person, has many different character

traits (usually, protagonists in novels, plays, etc.)

Motivation- the fears or conflicts that drive a character (ex: vengeance, fear, greed, love, boredom) Motivation plays a role in characterization as well—by

analyzing motivation, we can make judgments re: character traits

Character Classification

Static—always mean Dynamic—changes

Character Classification

Flat—just evil Round—stubborn, tender-hearted, playful, loyal, etc.

“The Scarlet Ibis” pp 333-

344

“The Scarlet Ibis” pp 333-344

Summary: The narrator has to care for his younger brother Doodle, who is physically disabled. The narrator is frustrated by this burden, but succeeds in teaching Doodle to walk. After the narrator leaves Doodle in the middle of a storm, Doodle dies trying to meet the narrator’s expectations.

Setting: Southern America, ~1918 (WWI)

Characters: Doodle and Brother (narrator); Mama, Daddy, Aunt Nicey, Bleeding tree, Scarlet Ibis, Mr. Heath

“The Scarlet Ibis” Information (cont)

Conflicts: Doodle’s disabilities Brother wanting a brother to play with—Doodle is more of a burden

(p. 335) Brother and Doodle trying to overcome disabilities and walk, run,

paddle, etc. Scarlet Ibis dies in yard Thunderstorm—must get back to the house, but Doodle falls behind

Resolution: Doodle does learn to walk, and the boys become closer than they’d

probably ever imagine. While trying to teach Doodle to run (and being somewhat mean-spirited), Brother leaves him behind in a storm. When he goes back to get him, Doodle is dead and has blood on the front of his shirt. His figure resembles that of the dead Scarlet Ibis from the yard earlier that afternoon. Brother sounds serious and nostalgic in his tone while portraying this event from earlier in his life, from which he most likely felt significant guilt, sorrow, and helplessness.

Symbolism

Definition: A symbol is a person, a place, an activity, or an object that stands for something beyond itself.

Examples:

Symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis” Red Scarlet Ibis Casket “Blighted” summer Rain

Dialogue

Some vocabulary to know… Dialogue= character conversation

An essential part of most short stories and novels. It is always better to show or have happen than to explain or to describe, and dialogue is one way to “show” and not “tell.”

Dialogue Tags= identify who is speakingExamples of common dialogue tags include:

I said Sallie yelledShe said muttered JaniceFred said said MaxMark commented asked William

Dialogue Rule 1

All talking needs to be surrounded by quotation marks (").

"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry.The first (") is used just before the first word that the person says, and the second (") is used just after the last word. The comma has to go inside the quotation marks.

Dialogue Rule 2

Instead of using a period at the end of the speech, use a comma, if you are going to tell who is talking."Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes.“After the word “baby,” Rowling used a comma because she was letting the readers know it was the giant speaking. But after the word “eyes,” she could use a period to finish the sentence.

Dialogue Rule 3

If you use a question mark, you don't need to change to a comma."What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does.”After the word “school,” Rowling used a question mark. Usually, we use a comma before telling the readers who the speaker is - but not with a question. The question mark goes inside the quotation marks.

Dialogue Rule 4

If you use an exclamation mark, you don't need to change to a comma."A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it.”After the word “dying,” Rowling used an exclamation mark. Again, it needs to be inside the quotation marks, and there is no need for a comma.

Dialogue Rule 5

If you have interrupted speech, to let the reader know who is speaking, a comma is needed before the break, and after the speaker's name.

"Professor," Harry gasped, "your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire –”

After the word “Professor,” Rowling used a comma inside the quotation marks to let the reader know that Harry was speaking. When she wanted to start his talking again, she used a comma after “gasped” to let the reader know about the change. The second (") just before “your” let the readers know that the talking started again.

Dialogue Rule 6

If someone is thinking about something, but doesn't say it out loud, you can either use quotation marks or not. Either way is acceptable.

Of course, he thought bitterly, Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party.

Rowling chose not to use quotations around Harry's thoughts. She could just have easily used them like this...

"Of course," he thought bitterly, "Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party.”

Dialogue in “The Scarlet Ibis”

I skipped through the rooms, down the echoing halls, shouting, “Mama, he smiled. He’s all there! He’s all there!” and he was.

I hadn’t expected such an answer. “So I won’t have to haul you around all the time.”

“I can’t walk, Brother,” he said.“Who says so?” I demanded.“Mama, the doctor—everybody.”“Oh, you can walk,” I said, and I took him by

the arms and stood him up.

“The Necklace” p 348

Theme Irony

Dramatic Situational Verbal

Protagonist Antagonist

SEE HANDOUT FOR NOTES

“The Cask of Amontillado” p 285 Imagery Mood

See notes

“The Lotter

y”

“The Lottery” HW Review

Protagonist

Antagonist

Theme

Tone

“The Lottery” HW Review Protagonist– The Village—story revolves around the community as a whole

—the lottery is a whole-group tradition/ritual for this community

Antagonist– The Lottery—the actual lottery is the antagonist because it acts against the community members by sentencing them to death

Theme(s): Family—family is the unit for selection, but there is no true loyalty Traditions—traditions that are actually harmful are upheld because they are “What

we’ve always done” Nature of Violence—children seem to enjoy the stoning spectacle, while the

parents don’t shy from it, but don’t want it to be aimed toward them…these people don’t give up the tradition, when they could (reasons for keeping it seem weak)…do humans enjoy violence?

Tone– calm, normal, detached– “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day”; “The lottery was conducted—as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program…” Highlights the horrific nature of the lottery by presenting it as realistic/ “normal” Jackson clearly does not suggest that this violence is ideal, though…she is bring

attention to the violent nature of people and the danger of harmful traditions

“The Lottery” Discussion

What's up with the children of the village – specifically the boys – being the first to stockpile stones? What, if anything, is Jackson trying to suggest about children?

Who supports the lottery? Why? Who might want to stop it? What kinds of arguments are produced for and against the lottery?

“The Lottery” Discussion

What are possible symbols in the story, and what might they represent?

Do you agree with Mrs. Hutchinson – is the lottery unfair? How or how not? Her friends and neighbors point out that they all take the same risks in participating.

Why message does Jackson seem to be conveying through this “dark” story?

Foreshadowing

Definition: hinting to the reader about what is to come without purposefully spoiling the conclusion

Why Important? Foreshadowing builds SUSPENSE by increasing the reader’s anticipation of what will happen next.

Foreshadowing examples

1. Weather…i.e. Storm clouds might indicate forthcoming danger

2. Phrases about the future (i.e. “Put off your trip until morning and stay here tonight” might foreshadow a dangerous event in the future when the person doesn’t stay)

3. Character dialogue—i.e. Simba asks his father, Mufasa, “We’ll always be together, right?” His father dies in the next few minutes of the movie. Other example: Bambi’s mother warns him of the dangers of the forest, including Man with his gun. She dies soon after, after being shot.

4. Objects/events– i.e. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” when the bird dies, the death foreshadows Doodle’s death because they are similar in their weakness.

Foreshadowing in “The Lottery” 1.

2.

3.

Foreshadowing in “The Lottery” 1. Children put stones in pockets/ make

piles of stones in town square why?

2. Tessie is late to the lottery, which is how she is set apart as a character from the others will she be important?

3. Watson boy has to draw for himself and his mother—where is father?

Suspense

Definition: When a work (story, novel, poem, play, film, etc.) makes the reader uncertain/anxious about the outcome of the events

Why Important? Suspense draws the reader’s attention in more deeply to the story

Suspense Examples

1. A character is hanging from a ledge, has to jump across a wide space, etc. WILL (S)HE SURVIVE?

2. In Toy Story 3, Woody and friends must escape from nearly certain “death” in the garbage incinerator…Stressful!

3. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” why Montresor is seeking revenge keeps the reader’s interest (even if that question is never answered).The numerous occasions Fortunato has to escape his doom provide suspense by drawing the reader into emotionally (in hoping Fortunato gets away).

Suspense in “the Lottery”

1.

2.

3.

4.

Suspense in “the Lottery”

1. Author doesn’t reveal what lottery is until later, when stone hits Tessie

2. Reader learns tradition of lottery before knowing what it is…keeps reader uncertain

3. Crowd is nervous; Tessie freaks out about “winning”

4. We learn what’s happening at end when the stone hits Tessie’s head SHOCK

“Harrison Bergeron”

“Harrison Bergeron” p 66

Homework Discussion:How did you feel while reading this story? Give specific details and support with textual evidence (either plot/character details or quotations).

Dystopia

Definition: A dystopia is the idea of a society, generally in the imagined future, characterized by: negative, anti-utopian elements environmental, political, and social issues

Dystopian societies are often used to raise issues regarding society, environment, politics, religion, psychology, spirituality, or technology that may become present in the future

Why are DYSTOPIAS important? Dystopias can be cautionary tales, in which

readers can see dangers in modern trends taken to extremes (play the “what if?” game) Example: In Brave New World, a fight for more

“liberal” rights ends with a culture with no morals

They warn us of problems in our current cultures Example: With governmental control, class

structures, ignorance/education, etc. Discusses notion of good versus evil, in

ourselves and in the world around us

Dystopia Examples

The Giver, The Hunger Games trilogy Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag begins this classic novel as a fireman: meaning he is a man society calls on to burn all books, which are outlawed. Unlike “1984″ or “Brave New World,” “451″ doesn’t speak politically against the left or the right politically, but speaks against the dumbing down of society, specifically on how Hollywood pop culture slush and TV entertainment can create an entire nation of people who are not only incapable of fighting for their rights, but who don’t even realize the importance of doing so. This is a brilliant novel that shows Guy going from soldier of the state to an independent free thinker who must go on the run to survive.

1984 by George Orwell “1984″ is synonymous with tyrannical governments, fascism, and dystopian science fiction. Even

the phrases “1984″ and “Big Brother” are now part of the common culture. Orwell’s detailed novel shows how a government can manipulate the people by manipulating the truth and manipulating the news. This book is the source for arguing against a government getting unfettered power.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley While this dystopian masterpiece and “Fahrenheit 451″ could be interchangeable as the top two,

“Brave New World” gets the nod because the writing itself is the best. This novel is incredible, showing a society where left leaning thinking and self hedonism is taken so far to the extreme that one person’s utopia turns out to be an appalling place where the irony of a peaceful existence has caused society to lose all concept of art, honor, religious beliefs, or anything that often defines culture. The “utopia” has people who have no sympathy, no empathy, and this vision of a future is as chilling as any other on this list.

How is “Harrison Bergeron” a dystopia?

How is “Harrison Bergeron” a dystopia?

Society is designed to treat people equally– no “unfair advantages” (taken to an extreme, though)

Society is an “improvement” over the “dark ages” of the past when competition/inequality existed

Government has control—the United States Handicapper General; government transmitters

Discusses social issues—competition, inequality Being different than average person= danger to

government Lack of emotional capacity; ignorance/ inability to

think independently WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO HUMANITY IS PROHIBITED.

Metaphor

Definition- implied comparison of two unlike things that actually have something in common, without using “like” or “as”

Examples: “He was a lion in the fight” “Love is a rose.” "The streets were a furnace, the sun an

executioner.“ "Humor is the shock absorber of life; it

helps us take the blows.“ You come up with one!

Simile

Definition—direct comparison of two things, using “like” or “as” “It’s been a hard day, and I’ve been working

like a dog.” “His skin was as cold as ice.” “He eats like a pig.” You come up with one!

Significance—similes add emphasis to words and can make descriptions more vivid

…LIKE A…

“The Pedestrian”

REVIEW homework SEE review activity handout