reading short stories

MILLENNIUM EDITION

HEEP

SHORT

STORIES

(FOR KEY STAGE 4)

HEEP Hounslow Ealing English Project

HEEP

SHORT

STORIES

(FOR KEY STAGE 4)

This is a book for teachers, which contains photocopiable pages for use in the classroom together with ideas for approaching short stories with years 10 and 11. There is also a list of recommended texts. This book was compiled and written by: Susan Casey, Jane Joyner, Bethan Marshall, Richard Marshall, Dave Martin, David Meaden, Penny Seyfert, Carol Walls. (Thanks also to Simon Fuller and Mick Levens) Edited by: Jane Joyner, David Meaden and Bethan Marshall Revised by David Meaden and Julie Milnes 2001 Copyright HEEP 1991 HEEP SHORT STORIES

HEEP SHORT STORIES 1

CONTENTS

Page INTRODUCTION

The National Curriculum 3 Outcomes 7 Ways In 8

APPROACHES TO INDIVIDUAL STORIES

The Werewolf by Angela Carter 10 Rats Do Sleep At Night by Wolfgang Borchert 14 Imagination Dead Imagine by Samuel Beckett 18 Examination Day - Henry Slesar 20 Author Study - Alice Walker 23

STRUCTURE

Reading Short Stories backwards 31 Narrative Voice 38

RESOURCES

Resources 44

Pages with borders may be photocopied


INTRODUCTION

English teachers have traditionally turned to short stories as a literary form that is more likely than others to be of immediate appeal to their pupils. The confidence with which English teachers approach short stories is due in part to the fact that they can be a total experience in one sitting. It is possible to select a story that would appeal to the majority of pupils in almost any class - and if it doesn't then a different kind of story can be picked for the next lesson. Writers of short stories frequently focus immediately on a central character, relationship or issue. Many pupils who become impatient with the slower pace of novels find this aspect of short stories appealing. Short stories can be a way of introducing pupils to pre-twentieth century literature and literature from other cultures, as well as the work of a particular author. This is often a way of introducing pupils to more difficult literature. Discussions about structure, language, author's intention and the possibility of different readings of the same text are often easier using a short story than another literary form.


THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

The reading and discussion of short stories would enable a teacher to cover many aspects of the programmes of study for reading, while ensuring that “work in speaking and listening, reading and writing is integrated.” EN1 SPEAKING AND LISTENING The tasks suggested would enable the teacher to plan for the development of knowledge, skills and understanding. While some of the tasks would cover aspects of – 1. Speaking

a) structure their talk clearly b) use illustrations, evidence … to enrich and explain their ideas c) use gesture tone, pace and rhetorical devices for emphasis d) use visual aids and images to enhance communication e) vary word choices, including technical vocabulary, and sentence

structure for different audiences f) use spoken standard English fluently in different contexts

as some of the spoken outcomes of the tasks suggested and

2. Listening

To listen, understand and respond critically to others as part of the working process, the tasks enable the teacher to plan for outcomes focussing on –

3. Group discussion and interaction

To participate effectively as members of different groups, pupils should be taught to: a) make different types of contributions to groups, adapting their speech

to their listeners and the activity. b) Take different views into account and modify their own views in the

light of what others say. c) Sift, summarise and use the most important points. d) Take different roles in the organisation, planning and sustaining of

groups. e) Help the group to complete its tasks by varying contributions

appropriately, clarifying and synthesising others’ ideas, taking them forward and building on them to reach conclusions, negotiating consensus or agreeing to differ.


Teachers can also plan to cover the following: 7. Breadth of study

During the key stage, pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through the following range of activities, contexts and purposes.

8. Speaking

The range of purposes should include: a) describing, narrating, explaining, arguing, persuading, and pupils

should be given opportunities to make – b) extended contribution to talk in different contexts and groups c) presentations to different audiences

9. Listening The range should include –

d) discussions in which pupils respond straight away. 10. Group discussion and interaction

The range of purposes should include: a) exploring, hypothesising, debating, analysing

EN2 READING The tasks suggested enable the teacher to focus on the following areas: 1. Knowledge, skills and understanding: understanding texts

To develop understanding and appreciation of texts, pupils should be taught: Reading for meaning a) to extract meaning beyond the literal, explaining how the choice of

language and style affects implied and explicit meanings b) to analyse and discuss alternative interpretations, ambiguity and

allusion c) how ideas, values and emotions are explored and portrayed d) to identify the perspectives offered on individuals, community and

society


Understanding the author’s craft g) how language is used in imaginative, original and diverse ways h) to reflect on the writer’s presentation of ideas and issues, the

motivation and behaviour of characters, the development of plot and the overall impact of a text

i) to distinguish between the attitudes and assumptions of characters and those of the author

j) how techniques, structure, forms and style vary k) to compare texts, looking at style, theme and language, and identifying

connections and contrasts 2. English literary heritage

Pupils should be taught: b) the characteristics of texts that are considered to be of high quality c) the appeal and importance of these texts over time.

3. Texts from different cultures and traditions

Pupils should be taught: a) to understand the values and assumptions in the texts b) the significance of the subject matter and the language c) the distinctive quality of literature from different traditions d) how familiar themes are explored in different cultural contexts e) to make connections and comparisons between texts from different

cultures

6. Language structure and variation Pupils should be taught to draw on their knowledge of grammar and language variation to develop their understanding of texts and how language works

Teachers can also plan to cover the following: 8. Breadth of study

The range of literature should include: a) plays, novels, short stories from the English literary heritage b) recent and contemporary fiction written for young people and adults c) fiction by major writers from different cultures and traditions


EN3 WRITING

The tasks suggested enable the teacher to focus on the following areas:

Knowledge, skills and understanding

1. Composition Pupils should be taught to draw on their reading and knowledge of linguistic and literary forms when composing their writing. Pupils should be taught to:

2. Writing to imagine, explore and entertain a) draw on their experience of good fiction b) use imaginative vocabulary and varied linguistic and literary

techniques c) exploit choice of language and structure to achieve particular effects

and appeal to the reader d) use a range of techniques and different ways of organising and

structuring material to convey ideas, themes and characters

Writing to inform, explain, and describe e) form sentences and paragraphs that express connections between

information and ideas precisely g) consider what the reader needs to know and include relevant details h) present material clearly, using appropriate layout, illustration and

organisation.

Teachers can also plan to cover the following: The range of purposes for writing should include: a) to imagine, explore and entertain, focusing on creative, aesthetic and

literary uses of language. The forms for such writing should be drawn from different kinds of stories, poems, play-scripts, autobiographies, screenplays, diaries.

d) to analyse, review and comment, focusing on considered and evaluative views of ideas, texts and issues. The forms for such writing should be drawn from reviews, commentaries, articles, essays, reports.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS The tasks suggested in the booklet do allow teachers to plan for the inclusion of effective learning opportunities for all pupils.

ATTAINMENT The attainment targets set out the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils of different abilities and maturities are expected to have by the end of each key stage. At Key Stage 4, national qualifications are the main means of assessing attainment in English. The booklet provides pupils with the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and understanding as they progress through the key stage.


w OUTCOMES

Speaking and Listening: A range of talk activities can be generated by reading short stories. These would vary from a general class discussion as to whether or not a story was enjoyable, to a structured role play or a discussion around a list of statements. Where pupils have read stories individually, they can work in pairs or groups on a "Book programme" style presentation.

Reading: Reading short stories should improve pupils' skill and confidence as readers, enabling them to tackle stories that previously might have appeared inaccessible. Greater enthusiasm for reading will, hopefully, result from an increased awareness of style, structure and genre.

Writing: Teachers should find it easier to study structure and narrative techniques in the short story than in the novel because of the way they are constructed is more visible. Pupils should then improve their initial responses to the style, character presentation and narrative technique in a story, and also develop and control their own story writing to greater effect. The variety of sustained pieces from any one story might include: F Writing a story in the first or third person. F Writing a story using the same structure or setting as the one read. F Writing the story from the viewpoint of another character. F A newspaper account of an incident in the story. F An obituary for a character. F A letter from one character to another. F A diary kept by a character. F A factual/historical account of the period/place in which the story is set. F The same story told by different characters a year later.


w WAYS IN Although most short stories are taught singly or because they happen to be published together in a single volume, it is worth considering other groupings. Many stories included in our resources list work well in pairs or groups. The most obvious reason for grouping stories is similar content, e.g. two stories about suicide, a group of stories dealing with the relationship between children and parents. Our chart should suggest possible groupings according to the construction of short stories, e.g. two first person narrative stories, a group of stories with a twist at the end, a story with a strong author's voice compared with a story with a strong narrator's voice. It is as valid to look at how a story is written as to look at what it is about. Indeed, what a story is about depends on how it is told. It is impossible to detach the tale from the telling. One way into work on short stories would be to construct a unit which looked at the many ways in which a writer could choose to tell a story. If one wished to tackle how a story is told by moving progressively through the various methods at a writer's disposal, there is a way of doing this. Following a model of how people learn to use language, which moves from interior monologue (child talking to the air and not distinguishing between self and audience) to an awareness of audience and subject matter and an internalising of monologue to be found in the adult, one can propose a loose order in which short stories can be studied. Following such a model, one would begin with straightforward first person narratives about the author's own experiences. Short stories told in the form of letters, diaries or autobiographies follow on, as they are still first person narratives, but demonstrating a growing awareness of audience. Biography acts as a pivot in such a model because here you have the writer as observer-narrator and you move from first person narrative to third person narrators who may not reveal their sources of knowledge and may be unreliable. Studying stories told in this way is obviously a more difficult proposition. It would be possible to order third person narratives so as to start with straightforward examples and finish with a short story where the identify of the narrator was unclear and the narrator's opinions were untrustworthy. Such a model could serve as a way of constructing a unit of work on short stories for years 10 and 11 or a way of planning work on short stories throughout the English curriculum.


Approaches to

Individual Stories


w The Werewolf - Angela Carter "The Werewolf" is one of Angela Carter's explorations of the Little Red Riding Hood Story, the better known one being "A Company of Wolves". Like that story "The Werewolf" examines the role of the girl and the traditional picture of witches and werewolves. The story could be examined from several angles, all of them interconnected: stylistic, structural, genre, gender, morality, folklore. w Teachers' Notes

F Before reading the story, pupils, in pairs of groups, could brainstorm their ideas and knowledge about werewolves and witches.

F Read the first four paragraphs down to "Winter and cold weather".

Then ask the pupils to work in pairs on the tasks in the top box on the next page (photocopiable).

F Introduce the next phrase - "Go and visit grandmother, who has been

sick. Take her these cakes I've baked for her on the hearth stove and a little pot of butter". Ask pupils to do the work in the second box on the next page.

F Read the rest of the story with the class. F Ask pupils to tell their version(s) of "Little Red Riding Hood".


The Werewolf

1. Decide what kind of story you think it is. Highlight / select those words and phrases that helped you make your decision.

2. Predict what you think might happen.

3. Does the title make a difference to:

i. the kind of story you think it is?

ii. what you think will happen?

If so, why?

Copyright HEEP 1991


The Werewolf

Make a grid charting these differences

Angela Carter Other Versions

the setting

the fight

the description of the girl

the meeting with the wolf

the meeting with the grandmother

What are the effects of the changes that Angela Carter has made? Copyright HEEP 1991


The Werewolf

w Assignments

T Take a fairy tale and rewrite it with a different setting or in a different style.

T In groups plan and record an interview with the main female character in:

"The Werewolf" "Little Red Riding Hood"

During your planning you may wish to consider the following issues: - What difference the name "Little Red Riding Hood" makes - the

fact that the girl in "The Werewolf" has no name? - How the two heroines differ? - What difference did it make that the werewolf was a woman? - Why do you think the protagonist in "The Werewolf"

prospered? - What happens to the protagonist? - What action she does/does not take? - What happens to her at the end of the story? - The character of the grandmother and your attitude towards

her - The idea of werewolves/witches. The recording of the interviews could be played to the rest of the class. Copyright HEEP 1991


w Rats do sleep at night -Wolfgang Borchert

Wolfgang Borchert was born in Hamburg in 1921: he died in 1947 in Basle. At the age of twenty in 1942, he was a private in the German Army invading Russia. In 1942 he was wounded and repatriated and, in the same year, spent six months in solitary confinement under sentence of death for plain-speaking in private letters. His sentence was commuted because of his youth. After the war he had minor jobs in theatres and cabarets for a few months, but his health was ruined and from the end of 1945 until his death two years later he was confined to his bed with fever. Borchert's post-war vision of Germany is a universal catastrophe seen in the symbolic horror of the ruin of German cities. For him war is simply the affirmation by mankind of a spirit of destruction in the world in which "the last human creature with mangled entrails and infected lungs will wander around unanswered and lonely under the poisonous, glowing sun and wavering constellations, lonely among the immense mass graves and the cold idols of the gigantic concrete blocked devastated cities, the last human creature withered, mad, cursing, accusing and his feasible accusation. Why?" *Before reading Before reading this story discuss what you think it might be about and make a note of your ideas. Copyright HEEP 1991


Rats Do Sleep At Night

w Group Work: Discussion

"Rats Do Sleep at Night" is a story about a young boy, Jurgen, keeping guard over the body of his dead younger brother, buried under a pile of rubble in a bomb attack. In your group discuss the following: T Your predictions about what you thought the story would be

about before you read it.

T Your reactions to the story after reading.

T What atmosphere is created in the opening passage and how is this created?

T What are your first impressions of the man in the opening section of the story? Does this impression change, and if so, how? How would you sum him up as a character?

T How does the writer present Jurgen? What feelings are aroused in you as you read about his "guard duty"?

T Discuss how the writer shapes his story from beginning to end. Is there a connection? What is the effect? What do you think the writer wants us to feel at the end of the story?

Copyright HEEP 1991



w Play Project: Group Work In groups of about five, devise a short play script entitled "Rats Do Sleep at Night". You will need to: • Work out a simple set design and seating arrangements.

• Draw sketches for the costumes needed.

• Make a props list.

• Discuss the two characters: How old are they? What do they

look like? What sort of people are they?

• Write in all necessary stage directions.

• Write the script. Two people from the group will take the parts of Jurgen and the old man, a third will be the director. If you wish you may bring in your own props and costumes. Others from the group will be involved in: • Designing publicity posters for the performance.

• Writing a preview notice in the School News Letter - look at

examples in the Radio Times first.

• Designing and writing up programme notes. Someone from another group should write a review of the scene for the school magazine. Look in newspapers and magazines before writing to get some ideas about how to write a review. Copyright HEEP 1991



w Written Assignments

T In your group write the next scene that you imagine might take

place. You may introduce new characters if you wish, but keep these to just a few.

T Re-read the story; using magazines try to find pictures that you

think resemble your idea of Jurgen and the old man. Cut them out and stick them onto paper. When you are happy with your choices go through the story once more making notes on each character. Start with physical descriptions and move on to personality traits.

Basing your information on the pictures you have cut out and the story itself, build up a description of each character, adding your own ideas to flesh out the descriptions. Remember that descriptions of people are always more interesting when examples of their personalities are given or little anecdotes recalled about them. Imagine that you are a relation or someone connected with the character, i.e. sister/aunt/neighbour, etc.

T In pairs re-read the opening paragraphs of the story. The writer describes the bombed house as though it were a weary person. This technique is called personification. - Do you think this is a good way to start the story? What

effect does it create? - Look at the rest of the paragraph. What atmosphere is

created by the writer and how does he achieve this? - Look at the final paragraph. Is it an effective conclusion

to the story? How is it linked to the beginning? - Now attempt to re-write the beginning and the end of the

story, using a different approach and creating a different atmosphere.

T Imagine yourself as the adult Jurgen who has come through the

experience of war as a child. You have decided to write some memoirs for your grandchildren. Write about this episode in your life before and after encountering the man with the rabbits.

Think carefully about what details you would want to include in your story. What tone and style would be appropriate? Apart from the facts of what happened what else would it be important to convey?


w Imagination Dead, Imagine - Samuel Beckett For Staff One of the reasons for using this story is that it is very strange. Content and structure are bizarre and raise interesting questions about the nature of story-telling. Beckett's work has been the subject of an enormous critical response and the bleak minimalism of his work has been considered the most rigorous exploration of themes which have been central to much 20th century writing. The story is about the death of the imagination - we are asked to imagine the death of the imagination. The paradoxical nature of this structures the writing; it is the trying to write about something which cannot be put into words, speaking without speaking. The injunction to look, to imagine, is no accident. Beckett attempts to show the thing he wishes to show, to image the thing he wishes to image, in spite of using words. Of course, the medium of words betrays the injunction to show; he cannot just show; even in this prose we are given glimmers of perspective, of interpretation, of the imagination at work. Yet Beckett's art has been expressed as being a matter of failing, trying again and then failing better. He asserts that the imagination (interpretation via stories in his case) is unavoidable; he does this by working constantly to write without imagination. Always he fails. But fails better!

In the work this strange project of Beckett is the focus. It sheds light on what stories are, how they might be considered as something fundamental (in the sense of unavoidable) to human beings, and what possibilities are possible for story-telling. * Before Reading 1. Theme of Imagination

In groups: Ask them to write a really imaginative story or description in 50 words, OR, in pencil, to draw a really imaginative picture.

Then ask them to take out all the imaginative bits and see what they've got left, OR/AND write a story without using the imagination - make a picture without using imagination. Then ask them: i. To talk about and then write down everything they connect with the

word 'Imagination';

ii. Do they think imagination important?

iii. Which task - drawing or writing, uses imagination most and why do they think this?

iv. Which bits of the body do you connect with the imagination? They could present their findings as wall charts, diagrams or audio tapes.


2. Theme of 'Life After Death' (Groups/Pairs)

Research the names of places various cultures have come up with - e.g. heaven, hell, etc. Describe some traditional views of life after death, perhaps as drawings or diagrams. Compare/contrast life and death - follow on question, e.g. what could you take away from a living person without them being dead or vice versa.

3. General Structure (Groups/Pairs)

What do they expect in a story with this title? Notes What do they expect in any story? Wall Talk Charts

* While Reading Are expectations met? (Discussions) The teacher may need to cue pupils in before reading, e.g. "Imagine someone who has died, or has not yet been born, trying to describe the place she is in, what she feels, thinks, etc." OR

"Imagine someone who has lost their imagination trying to tell someone about what they are looking at".

* After Reading

Build a 3D scale model of the place described (or draw it). The writing precisely describes it and the model will help focus the pupils on the issue of what the story is about, why is it written like that, who is speaking the story? A written assignment could be a follow-on in the style of Beckett from, "leave them there, sweating and icy, there is better elsewhere…". Write a description of a place where the dead go from a specific point of view, e.g.

one of the dead a visitor the controller/owner/ruler

You might use diagrams to help, e.g. pictures from Dante or Hieronymous Bosch.


w Examination Day - Henry Slesar Read the story first, then carry out the tasks below: 1. Complete the table below showing the clues which reveal that

Dickie is intelligent. See how many clues you can write in each column.

His Appearance What he says What he is told by his parents

Now, in groups of 3, role play a scene from the story where Dickie interacts with his parents.

2. The author has presented us with a society of the future. Make a list of all the things in the story that tell us that this is set in the future.

3. What references to 'the Government' are there in the story?

(a) Make a list of each one.

(b) Discuss, with a partner, what we learn about this

particular government. Be prepared to report back to the class.

4. The attendant says, "The machine will take care of the rest".

Write the part of the story which is missed out, to show exactly what you think happens to Dickie. Start with the words, 'Complete this sequence. One, four, seven, ten…'

Copyright HEEP 1991


Examination Day

5. How do Dickie's parents speak to Dickie, and react to him, at different parts in the story? Fill in the table below to chart their behaviour towards him, showing what they say, how they say it and how they act.

Occasion Mother Father a) At the breakfast table b) While Dickie is looking at the rain c) Birthday present and cake time d) Breakfast time on exam day e) In the Govermnent Educational Building

'Misty' - vague and distant but very affectionate

6. What kind of government would want to dispose of highly intelligent children? In groups, decide the policies of this government and the reasons it would not want these children to live.

Do you think all intelligent children would be disposed of? Can you think of any exceptions?

Copyright HEEP 1991


Examination Day

p Assignment

Either: write a clear description of the government in the story, showing its policies and methods of implementing that policy; or: write a further story set in this world, with the same government but different characters in a different context. 7. a) Write 'Rule 84, Section 5, of the new code using evidence gathered from the story.

b) Write 5 more 'Rules of the New Code'. Make them appropriate rules which could have been written by the particular government in the story.

Copyright HEEP 1991


w AUTHOR STUDY - ALICE WALKER

The activities that follow are most based on 'In Love or Trouble', a collection of stories written by Alice Walker (ISBN 0-7043-3941-2). Alice Walker writes for adults, and teachers need to be aware that some of her other works deal with power and relationships using quite explicit language. The suggestions below include some detailed studies, e.g. particular stories, together with approaches that could be used flexibly in classes according to the needs of individual students.

w The Flowers (From 'In Love and Trouble') A very short and powerful story about 10 year old Myop, how she journeys from her house one morning in summer for a walk, stumbles on the remains of a lynching and leaves behind her childhood. There is a particularly effective use of setting and symbolism. p Suggested activities Each group is given a copy of the story without the title, except the first group who have the story cut up into paragraphs. 1. All of these paragraphs make up a short story. Read through each of them in

turn and decide as a group the correct order for the story. Be prepared to explain your decisions.

Work out a title for the story.

2. Your task is to prepare a powerful reading of this story to the whole class.

Read through the story several times and then decide how you will use your voices (singly, many voices, speed, volume, etc.).

Work out a title for the story.

3. Your task is to give a short talk to the class on what we learn about Myop

from reading the story. You will need to work together to gather all your ideas, using the evidence from the story. Focus on her behaviour, personality and attitudes.

Suggest a title for the story

4. Focus on the last two paragraphs, and the final line. You are going to concentrate on the effect that the writer has on the reader. Once you've read the whole story, read through this section very carefully and then pick out particular words or phrases that you think are important here. Can you group together any of these words or phrases? (Highlighter pens and extra copies of the passage, plus sugar paper would be useful).


Suggest a title for the story. 5. Read through the story a few times as individuals or as a group. Get each

person to write one sentence to explain what they think this story is about. Pin up these sentences. Are there any similarities? Any unusual interpretations?

Read it again and see if you can show in a diagram (your title for the story in the middle, and lines from this for each of your suggestions) some of the issues, themes or subject matter of the story. Be prepared to share these with the class.

Each group would then report back with all of the shared research. It's useful to begin with the reading. Different titles could also be explored. p Further Work 1. Another Writer: Same Subject

Compare Alice Walker's 'The Flowers' with Richard Wright's poem 'Between the World and Me'.

2. Other Alice Walker stories: Wider Reading

Read as a class, or as a group, other Alice Walker stories that are linked by either subject matter, theme or style. (See Chart 2)

For example: Similar use of setting: "The Child Who Favoured Daughter" A very powerful story about a father who beats his daughter for her affair with a white man. This incident echoes previous occasions when his wife and sister were accused of a "crime" like this. The opening is particularly symbolic with the reference to nature and to poetry; the ending, when the father mutilates his daughter is very shocking.

3. Other black women writers: Wider Reading

Read the poetry and prose of other writers, including:

Elean Thomas "Before They Can Speak of Flowers" Maya Angelou "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" "Still I Rise" Zora Neale Hurston "Their Eyes Were Watching God"


4. Audio-Visual Material

Black Voices: A 30 minute English File programme, including Alice Walker - reading from 'The Flower' and 'The Colour Purple', Merle Collins, Sipho Sepalma and Lemn Sissay. Writers at Work Six 25 minute videos including extracts from Maya Angelou talking about and reading her work.

5. Designing Book Covers for the Stories Remember to include the following: Front Cover: Title Illustration/Design Author Back Cover: Blurb ISBN Publisher Price

A commentary which explains the reasons for your choice (for example, the colours or print you use) could make this into a detailed assignment.

6. Poetry, Music, Pictures

Prepare a presentation to the class, that involves some or all of the above, which reflects the mood or ideas of one or all of the stories.


w How Did I Get Away with Killing One of the Biggest Lawyers in the State? It Was Easy. This story is characteristic of black women's writing where a character seeks to survive against the traps of convention and a world of increasing isolation. Walker's protagonist tackles the pressures of love, or rather lack of it, rape and death, and walks away, leaving them behind in their chains in the past. The nameless protagonist takes the reader through her past up to the point where she kills, and gets away with killing Bubba, a white lawyer. We are introduced to the world of America's underclass; here a single parent neglects her daughter because she is forced to work long hours simply to make ends meet. The consequence of the breakdown in communication between mama and her daughter is that she accepts the 'love' from Bubba who uses her as his personal prostitute. The protagonist is raped at the age of twelve and once again by Bubba the lawyer when she is fourteen. The social climate strangles the victim to the extent that rape is insignificant and largely dismissed by the young victim. She simply has no one to turn to. Bubba befriends her with money and gifts to keep her quiet and to get her to sleep with him. After a tiring day of work mama finds out that her daughter is seeing Bubba and the protagonist becomes the victim of domestic violence. The relationship suffers further erosion and the only basis for communication is arguing about Bubba. The protagonist and Bubba conspire to have mama admitted to an insane asylum; they are successful and the institution takes its toll on mama's poor health. It is when the protagonist wishes to take her mother out of the asylum that Bubba sees mama as an obstacle. The protagonist wakes up. Mama dies. Seemingly locked in a powerless position, she takes a simple step to exact revenge and kills Bubba. w ACTIVITIES p Discussion T Discuss the title. Can you guess the gender of the character who is speaking

and that of the lawyer? Why do you think the lawyer was killed? T Read as far as … "and Mama died. And I killed Bubba". Predict how Bubba

was killed and how the narrator got away with the murder.


p Ideas for writing: T Comment on the major themes in the story. Can you link these themes?

Show how the themes are interrelated. T What is the turning point in the story? Give your reason(s). T Describe the following relationships and state how they develop:

(a) The protagonist and mama (b) The protagonist and the old woman (c) The protagonist and Bubba

T Outline and comment on three opposites in the story. T Does the story have an appropriate title? Give your answers by referring

closely to the text. T From "… and mama died; and I killed Bubba", write an alternative ending to

the story. Aim to write this ending in the same style that Alice Walker uses. An old woman, forgetful and almost blind, is determined to attend the service at the nearest place of worship, the big white church, lodged in the segregated setting of the South. The story is centred around her relationship with God; this, for her, is above and beyond the codes established by Southern convention. With her mind engaged in private worship she brushes past the reverend and sits shivering on the front bench of the cold church. As expected, there is no welcome and the sight of her enrages the congregation. Her presence is seen as an 'invasion of privacy, which they struggled to believe they still kept'. The convention is that she must worship with her own people. As white fear is revived, Walker scans through a catalogue of white perceptions of black people. They are determined to hide behind convention and break her resilience; hence she is cast out. This no doubt interrupts her worship. We leave the hypocrites sharing a sermon on God's impartial love. Once the old woman is out on the doorstep Walker marries the realist detail to her imagination. She now sings a sad song until she realises that Jesus is coming leisurely along the highway. Jesus is exactly like the 'white' image on the picture that she has of him. She is told to follow him, which she obeys, singing and gesturing excitedly step after step without feeling the slightest touch of fatigue. On they walk as the ground becomes

w The Welcome Table


as cloud; and on and on they walk without stopping … The old woman, seen pointing upwards and smiling, looking at the sky, has fallen dead on the highway. T Group work: Look closely at the use of language, for instance:- irony; imagery; symbolism; diction. Report back to class. T Group work: Comparisons - dress of the old woman - white woman. The real - the imagination. Report back to class. T Discuss the power structures in the relationships between black and white. T Compare 'The Welcome Table' with 'The Good Samaritan' from the Bible. T Consider the message in the title with the words of the spiritual. GENERAL ASSIGNMENTS Any of the specific work on the stories could lead to a longer piece of work. In addition: T Writing in imitation of her style: "Roselily". For example: using stream of

consciousness, as the words of the marriage ceremony make Roselily think about her hopes and fears. You could use an assembly or a funeral to trigger a character's thoughts.

T Using features like changes in time order: "Really, crime doesn't pay." In this

story, the narrator is writing a diary from 1958 and 1961; however, the story starts in the middle of this, and then goes back to the beginning.

T Using a similar conversational style: "How did I get away with killing one of

the biggest lawyers in the State? It was easy." T Using a setting that prepares the reader for what is to happen, or one that

makes her totally surprised when the action changes. The flowers. With all of these activities, it might be useful to role play the situation first.

T An exploration of the ways that Alice Walker has portrayed some of the black

women characters in her stories. You could concentrate on a few people like:


The mother in 'Everyday Use' The wife in 'Her Sweet Jerome' The student in 'To Hell With Dying' Myop in 'The Flowers' The old woman in 'The Welcome Table' Rannie Toomer in 'Strong Horse Tea'

T A script for a TV or Radio programme about Alice Walker. T Remember to think about the length of your programme, the audience that it

is intended for, and the kind of material you'd include. T A film version of one of the stories: you will need to think of one that would

lend itself to this. Work out a sequence and make a story-board, giving details of what is seen, the camera angle and the sound. Perhaps you could also include a commentary on what you were trying to achieve.


Structure


"I have already explained to you that what is out of the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance. In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason backwards. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a very easy one, but people do not practise it much. In the everyday affairs of life, it is more useful to reason forwards, and so the other comes to be neglected. There are fifty who can reason synthetically for one who can reason analytically." "I confess", said I, "that I do not quite follow you". "I hardly expected that you would. Let me see if I can make it clearer. Most people, if you describe a train of events to them, will tell you what the result would be. They can put those events together in their minds, and argue from them that something will come to pass. There are few people, however, who, if you told them a result, would be able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led up to that result. This power is what I mean when I talk of reasoning backwards, or analytically." "I understand", said I. "Now this was a case in which you were given the result and had to find everything else for yourself. Now let me endeavour to show you the different steps in my reasoning". From: "A Study in Scarlet" - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle p Teaching Notes This unit of work was designed in response to a request for a way into a particularly demanding short story in a collection used as an examination text. It involves pupils working in pairs, trying to reconstruct the story from the last few paragraphs. Following the first trial it has been used successfully with a variety of stories and with year nine upwards. It can also be used with years seven and eight with an appropriate text. A note of caution: This approach is designed to be one of a repertoire and should be used sparingly. p Selection of Text So far, this approach has worked with every story with which it has been tried, but there may well be stories that are insufficiently dense in their final paragraphs to allow a satisfactory reconstruction. The best advice is to try it yourself. You will also need to decide on the length of passage that you will give the pupils. None of

w Reading Short Stories Backwards


passages that have been used in the trials have exceeded one page of the printed text. p Introducing the Topic One approach that has worked well is to tell the class that they are such experienced readers that you are sure that they will be able to read a story backwards. They are then told that what they will be doing will not, in fact, be reading from right to left starting at the end of the story, but reconstructing a story of whatever length from the last few paragraphs. p Pair Work The extracts are then distributed, one for each pair. A group of three is possible but this is not an individual activity. While they are reading, the other four sheets are distributed. The class is then called back together and the four sheets are introduced. "Spot the author" and "What is the time scale in your story?" are not essential for this task but have proved to be helpful. They can also be used in relation to pupils' own writing. They are told that the sheets are for them to use to make whatever notes they wish. They will not be collected in. They have between twenty and thirty minutes to discuss in pairs what they think has happened in the preceding story. At this point the most fascinating thing for the teacher to do is move around the room and eavesdrop. p Whole Class Discussion After the allotted time the class should be called together as a group and taken through the sheets together. There will be disagreement and discussion on some points but a consensus view is usually arrived at. The teacher should then tell the class the story as they have reconstructed it. Most classes manage to get the story almost entirely right, but, of course, it does not matter if they do not. After praising them, try asking the following questions: 1. What did you bring to the passage that enabled you to reconstruct the story? 2. Could you have done this as well if you had worked alone, under

examination conditions? 3. If you were set this passage as an unseen comprehension, can you think of

any questions that could be asked about it that you have not already answered in your discussions?

In response to question 1, students will often talk about their personal histories as readers and their variety of experiences in the wider world.


No-one, so far, has answered yes to question 2, and no-one has come up with very much in response to question 3, which should inform our approach to traditional comprehension exercises. You will find that the class will now be very keen to read the whole story. p Some Further Suggestions Why not try this same exercise with: (a) A novel (b) A film Are the results different? If they are, why?


CAN YOU READ A SHORT STORY BACKWARDS? Working with a partner, discuss the passage that you have been given, and use this sheet to make notes.

1 List all the characters that appear or are mentioned.

2 What do you know about the main character? 3 What do you know about any of the other characters? Copyright HEEP 1991


4. Which places are mentioned in the passage?

5. Is there anything that tells you at what time in history the story takes place?

6 Is there anything about the language that tells you when the story was written?

7. What do you think the story is about? What sort of a story is it? (e.g. Science fiction, Romance, Detective, Horror etc.) Give your reasons.

Copyright HEEP 1991


SPOT THE AUTHOR

Where is the author in your story? a. Outside the story b. On the edge

c. In the story

Example Sarah had a My friend Sarah I had a narrow narrow escape had a narrow escape yesterday. escape yesterday. yesterday. Outside Edge Inside Now show where the author is in your story. Outside Edge Inside Copyright HEEP 1991


WHAT IS THE TIME SCALE IN YOUR STORY? It might be set or in the or in the in the past present future 6 6 6 Past Present Future It might start in the present, go back to an incident in the past and then return to the present.

6 3 2 6 61 Past Present Future There are many other possibilities. Show the time scale of your story in the space below. Past Present Future


w NARRATIVE VOICE Because of their relative density, short stories are particularly useful for close study of linguistic features and literary effects. They present many opportunities to consider the distinction between author and narrator and the different effects that can be achieved by the choice of person in which the story is told. We had limited our repertoire to first and third person until an astute student pointed out that there is, in fact, a genre that uses the second person. In fantasy games and stories where you can choose alternative plot directions, the reader is addressed directly.

"You are in a vast subterranean tunnel complex. By the guttering flame of your candle you can see that the passage divides into two. To the left the floor slopes steeply upwards, you can see nothing beyond a few yards. To the right there appears to be faint glow in the far distance. You must choose."

The unit of work that follows is concerned with some of the many varieties of first person narratives, but it would clearly be possible to adopt this approach for the second and third person.


w First Person Narrative A first person narrative is written as if the writer is directly addressing you, the reader, and telling you the story. "I was on my way to work when … ". This does not mean that they are all the same. Read the following four examples of some of the different types of first person narratives. 1. Where someone is telling you a story in which someone else is the

main character:

"When I was in the third year at Earlsfield Comprehensive, Stephen Symes was the only one of my friends who wasn't any good at football. To tell you the truth he was about the worst athlete in the school. He was also the brainiest kid in the class and you might think that putting the two together would make him incredibly unpopular. But he wasn't. He wasn't particularly popular but no one gave him a hard time. Perhaps it was because he let other kids copy his homework or because he didn't flaunt his intelligence. In fact, he was one of the quietest kids I've ever met. The only time I ever saw him excited (apart from the incident with the vaulting horse) was when our fathers took us to a cricket match at The Oval. Stephen lived one floor below me in the flats and I had known him as long as I can remember, so I knew all sorts of things about him that nobody else at school knew. Like his hobby."

2. Someone is telling a story in which they are the main character:

Now we emerged from the cloud. I tapped the fuel gauge angrily, not wanting to believe what it told me. The altimeter showed twelve thousand feet but a quick glance to port and starboard told me that the dive had failed to restart the engines. I leaned across to Carfax and shouted: 'I'm going to take her out to sea - we'll stand a better chance if I have to ditch than we will here’. He nodded. We may, in fact, have been over the sea at that point but the cloud bank below us meant that visibility was nil. I glanced at the altimeter - nine thousand feet.

3. Where we don't necessarily take all that the narrator tells us at face value; sometimes we know more than they do and can 'see through' them: I believe in keeping myself to myself and it's a pity more folk don't do the same. I've no interest in their goings-on but you can't blame me for looking out the window, with car doors slamming at all hours of the day and night. Three different men, at least, this week and the language! 'Nosey old witch!' she shouted at me yesterday. As if I care what she gets up to. And the walls are so thin I can't but hear it all. If you open the cupboard door on the top landing you can hear every word from her bedroom.

Copyright HEEP 1991


4. Where it seems as though the narrator is actually holding a conversation with us or with another character: And a good evening to you, missy. Come in, come in. So you've not forgotten your old friend then? Thank you for that piece of writing, yes, I read it last night. So you're still writing those books of yours then? I'm surprised you've stuck at it - it can't bring you in much money. Still, it's an honest way of making a living, not that it'd suit me. I'd rather be doing something that's of some use to folk. No, I don't mind if you turn that recording thing on, though I'm surprised you think I've anything to say that's worth hearing. Yes, I've thought about what you asked and I expect as I am the only one as knows the way across the marshes now, but there's no good will come of dragging up the past. There haven't been smugglers around here for years and those tunnels have probably collapsed through neglect.

* Now discuss with a partner to which of the four categories you think that the following extracts belong: A. The judge looks directly at me and asks if I have anything to

say before he passes sentence.

"No, my lord, I have nothing further to add."

He starts to speak but I cannot follow him. My mind is elsewhere. It seems so irrelevant. They found me guilty, why can't he get on with it? It's not as though I haven't heard it all before. It's a calculated risk in my line of business. You get caught, you get banged up. I'm not complaining, I knew what the odds were, but I hadn't reckoned on the unexpected happening - the thousand to one chance that had brought me to this courtroom "…and I have no alternative but to sentence you to life imprisonment".

B. Yes, that's his coat hanging up behind the door there. I know

you must think I'm a silly old woman for keeping it; I should have given it to a jumble sale years ago, but it's a comfort to me. Yes, he was a big man, he had to stoop to come through that doorway, and many's the time he'd forget and fetch his skull a mighty crack. No, I don't mind talking about him as he was then. It was how he became after the accident that I don't like to think of. It was as if he'd suddenly shrunk inside himself. I know that if he'd been able to talk he'd have said that he didn't want to go on that way. No, no, you've not upset me, dear, I'm just a silly old woman.


C. Tony's problem was that he was honest. He just did not

understand the social conventions. If someone says "no, come on, tell me what you honestly think", you know that the last thing that they want is the truth. Flattery, yes, downright lies, yes, but the truth, never.

This simple fact of life seemed to have escaped Tony. What you got from him was the simple unadorned truth, and he still had the scars to prove it. He wasn't very successful with girls, or if you really want the truth - he was a total failure. His candid evaluations of their new clothes or hairstyles caused tears if he was lucky and bruised shins if he was not.

In desperation, his parents came to an arrangement with him. No, of course they didn't want him to lie, but he wasn't to give his opinion about anything unless he was asked. That seemed to work until the fateful night at the local dance hall.

D. If you want to succeed in teaching, there's only one way to

deal with kids - show them who's boss. Go in strong at the start and you won't have any trouble; let them take liberties and you're finished. I've got no time for teachers who are always moaning about this kid or that. "Really?", I say, "I never have any trouble with them". And some of them - the noise in their rooms.

What I like to do is look round the door and when the kids shut up I pretend I've just noticed the teacher and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were there". It always works a treat.

Of course, experience, that's what counts and I must have taught in nearly every school in this authority. All sorts of schools, all sorts of kids. Black, white, brown, yellow, purple; they're all the same to me. That business at the High School was exaggerated. Some kids just can't take a joke. I mean, if you were to make a joke about my appearance I wouldn't get offended about it. I certainly wouldn't call it racism. It's all about respect, isn't it?

Copyright HEEP 1991


MAROONED It was on the 91st day that he had spent on the island that he saw the schooner drop anchor off the shore. He was high up on the mountain hunting for wild goat at the time and he calculated that it would take him at least half an hour to scramble back down to the beach. As he descended he could see a boat putting out towards the shore. Twenty minutes later he crashed through the last patch of scrub into the wide expanse of sand. Torn and dishevelled, he staggered towards the lapping waves, only to see the boat pulling strongly away from the shore. Desperately, he shouted with all the force he could muster, but to no avail. He fell to his knees, exhausted, as the schooner turned away and took on more sail. A while later he was about to return to his cave when he noticed what appeared to be a bundle of rags at the water's edge. Perhaps they had, at least, left something for him. As he approached the bundle he suddenly realised the terrible truth. There were now two castaways on the island. w After you have read the story above, try to re-write it as a first person narrative, in one of the four styles that you have examined on the previous sheets. Choose the one that you think fits the story best. You might like to try more than one version.

Copyright HEEP 1991


Resources


w RESOURCES These stories have been used and recommended by many teachers: "The Lumber Room" - Saki (from "20th Century Short Stories", Harrap 0245530894), 7 pages. Nicholas, a small boy, is not being taken on an outing with his cousins as a punishment for being naughty. His aunt supervises him and forbids him to go into the gooseberry garden. Nicholas steals the key to the lumber room and explores in there. Later, he hears his aunt shouting. Suspecting that Nicholas had gone into the gooseberry garden, she had gone looking for him and fallen into a rainwater tank. Nicholas teases her by pretending that her voice is that of the Evil One, tempting him into the forbidden garden and refuses to rescue her. A maid rescues her. The outing turns out not to have been a success, unlike Nicholas's day, which he has enjoyed immensely. "The Case for the Defence" - Graham Greene (from "Loves, Hopes and Fears", Longman Imprint 058233399), 3 1/2 pages. A reporter attends a murder trial. The accused man was seen by several neighbours but the key witness was Mrs. Salmon, whose eyes had met the murderer's as he left the house of the woman who was subsequently found battered to death. Under questioning, Mrs. Salmon is convinced that the man in the dock is the man she saw leaving the house, until his twin brother is produced in court. Both men have an alibi and the accused is acquitted. As the twins leave the court, one is pushed under a bus. The surviving twin is left mourning his brother and staring at Mrs. Salmon. The reader is left wondering, with Mrs. Salmon, whether or not it is the murderer who is alive and free. Although somewhat contrived, this is a short and gripping story, raising lots of interesting questions about construction as well as content. "You Should Have Seen the Mess" - Muriel Spark (from "Story 2", Penguin Education 0140806571), 5 pages. A fanatically clean and tidy teenage girl talks about her life from secondary school days until now (when she is 17). The language is colloquial and direct and the point of the story is the way that her character is revealed through her comments about other people and places. The reader is infuriated by her narrow-minded obsessions. "All Summer in a Day" - Ray Bradbury (in "The Unknown", English and Media Centre). This story is set on Venus where the children of the astronauts who have established an Earth colony are in school. The sun appears on Venus once every seven years for one hour. The children's yearning for the sun is described through the reactions of a


girl named Margot. She is bullied by the other pupils and locked in a cupboard by them. The teacher arrives to take the children to watch the sun rise and set, and Margot is forgotten until after the event, when the horrified children release her. The story is about expectation, disappointment, and unintentional, unthinking cruelty. "Computers Don't Argue" - Gordon R. Dickson (from "Story 3", Penguin Education 014080658X), 14 pages. The story is told through a series of computer punch cards, record cards, notes and letters. Walter A. Child is wrongly billed for "Kidnapped" by R.L. Stevenson by the Treasure Book Club. He refuses to pay fines issued through the computer and the matter is referred to solicitors and the courts. Further confusions caused by the police and their computer leave Walter Child convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Robert Louis Stevenson. Despite the efforts of his solicitor, Walter Child is sentenced to death. The Governor of Illinois issues a pardon but this is rejected by the computer and returned, thus failing to meet the deadline for the execution. The final irony is the computer's warning to the Governor of possible arrest and prosecution for "misusing a service of the State Government". "Satan On My Track" - Julius Lester (from "Long Journey Home", Longman 058222277X), 27 pages. Set in a plantation just after the end of the American Civil War, the story describes how blacks were cheated of their freedom by unscrupulous, racist landowners. Both tension and great excitement result from the arrival of Rambler, a travelling blues guitarist of great skill and presence. Despite the offer from Lucille to settle down, Rambler sets off after his one night stand, knowing that to settle down would enslave him like the others. "A Chip of Glass Ruby" - Nadine Gordimer (from "Six Feet of the Country", Penguin). An Indian woman is imprisoned by the South African police for engaging in political activity in support of the struggle by black people against the pass laws. Much of the story focuses on the character of Mrs. Bamjee as we see her interact with political activities, her children and her husband. In the end she is arrested and goes on hunger strike. "The Raid" - John Steinbeck (from "Short Stories of Our Times", Harrap, 0245564071). Two men, members of the American Communist Party, are preparing for a political meeting in a hut by a railway track. Dick, the older man, knows the ropes and helps the younger man, Noot, to overcome his fear of the prospect of an impending attack from a hostile group of men. After the attack, Dick and Noot talk about their injuries in a prison hospital. They do not blame or hate their attackers; they blame it on the "system".


"Tom's Sister" - Bill Naughton (from "Late Night on Watling Street", Longman Imprint 0582233674). Bill begins work in a local mill, where he meets a fellow worker called Tom, who tells him about his sister. Bill becomes increasingly emotionally involved with the idea of meeting Tom's sister, but is devastated to discover that Tom lives with his father and four brothers and that the sister is a complete fantasy. "The Destructors" - Graham Greene (from "20th Century Short Stories", Harrap 0245530894). T leads a gang of boys who take a house apart, brick by brick, leaving it to be finally flattened when a lorry innocently pulls away the remains under the amazed gaze of the owner. Why T feels the need to destroy, and how he manages to organise his gang, are interesting ideas for discussion. "Through the Tunnel" - Doris Lessing (from "Short Stories of Our Time", Harrap 0245529942). A lonely 11 year old boy, on holiday with his widowed mother, sees some local boys diving and playing in a small, rocky bay. He longs to join them, and finds that they have discovered a way of diving down, swimming through a tunnel in a barrier of rock and emerging on the other side. Although he is not offered their friendship, he determines to emulate their achievements and spends many agonising hours trying to hold his breath under water and to find the tunnel opening in the rock. He becomes obsessed with the importance of his efforts, and the time eventually comes when he must try and swim through the tunnel. He does succeed, but almost drowns in the process - he has a terrible nose bleed, and afterwards can summon no enthusiasm to go on his own to this particular bay. "Vendetta" - Guy de Maupassant (from "The Storyteller 1", Ward Lock Educational 0706234936). A widow's only son is murdered. The murderer escapes from Corsica to Sardinia. The widow Saverini sheds no tears but promises to avenge her son's death. With no relatives to help her, she wonders how she can kill her son's murderer. She finally thinks of a way by using her dog, "Frisky". It is a rather gruesome, bloodthirsty tale but very powerful, with many issues to discuss. "The Pedestrian" - Ray Bradbury. Set in a different time, Leonard Mead find himself at odds with the cosy complacency of his neighbourhood in the face of what looks like a totalitarian police state. His evening walk, while everyone else is mesmerised in front of their television sets, ends with his sudden arrest by a driverless police car.


"Appeasement" - Rabindranath Tagore (from "Short Stories from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh", Harrap 0245535713). Copinath Sil's wife, Giribala, is isolated from the outside world, living on the top floor of a three-storied house. Her isolation, save for the company of her maidservant, and her enforced idleness, mean that she is completely absorbed by her own beauty. She becomes, in time, jealous of her husband's infatuation with an actress and as he spends increasingly long periods away from home with his friends at the theatre, Giribala decides, with the help of her maid servant, Sudho, to visit the theatre to see this actress on stage. Eventually she applies for and is successful in getting the leading role in a play at that theatre. Gopinath Sil cannot cope with the realisation that he has seen his wife in such a public role. His outburst at the performance means that he is banned while "the entire city of Calcutta went to feast its eyes of Giribala's acting". "Kurt B.P. Mungo and Me" - Roger McGough (from "In the Glassroom", Cape 0224013173). Three characters negotiate with the author about how the story should proceed. They complain about the weather that has been written in and that they haven't been portrayed as public school-boys. After trying to apprehend a handbag snatcher, they are mistakenly charged with the crime themselves and sentenced to thirty years imprisonment. They object, and the writer leaves them to consider a number of possible alternative endings to the story. "A Message from the Pigman" - John Wain (from "Short Stories of Our Time", Harrap 0245529942). Five year old Eric lives with his mother and her new lover, Donald - his father having moved out. The boy is puzzled by his parents' separation as no-one bothered to explain to him why his father needed to move out. They thought he was too young to understand. The Pigman, whom Eric has always feared as a strange half monster, calls for the refuse bucket. Eric is too scared to admit his fear to his mother. When forced to confront the Pigman he finds him a normal person, not someone to be afraid of. He decides, with his new found "adult" perception, that the way to tackle problems and fears is to face them head on and he asks his mother why his father can no longer live with them. She fails to respond seriously or to understand his need for a straight answer and treats it as a cute, sweet question. Eric ends up disillusioned and disgusted with all grown-ups. The story is told in the third person but from Eric's point of view. KS4 pupils enjoy the story and get the point. It could be grouped with other stories to do with: child's eye view - presentation of children in stories - growing up - parents and children.


"Werewolf" - Angela Carter - ("Contemporary Short Stories 2," Oxford) 2 1/2 pages. This story is one of Angela Carter's explorations of the Little Red Riding Hood story, like the better known "A Company of Wolves". In "Werewolf" parallels are drawn between the grandmother and the wolf at the end of the story and the traditional pictures of witches and werewolves are raised for discussion. "Rats Do Sleep At Night" - Wolfgang Borchert (from "The Man Outside" - Jupiter Books Calder & Boyars), 3 pages. This is a story about Jurgen, a young boy keeping guard over the body of his dead younger brother, buried under a pile of rubble in a bomb attack. Jurgen is particularly afraid of rats getting at the body. A man talks with Jurgen and seems to have persuaded him that rats do sleep at night so that the body can be safely left. "Examination Day" - Henry Slesar 3 1/2 pages. This is a story, set in the future, where all children who become twelve have to undergo an intelligence test. Dickie Jordan's parents are worried about his forthcoming test. Dickie is a boy who asks questions constantly. Mr and Mrs Jordan accompany their son to the Government Education Building. After the test they are told that Dickie's intelligence was high and ask how they want his body disposed of. The grid on the next page shows the main features of the stories mentioned in this Resources Section to enable you to select stories for a variety of purposes. For example you might wish to highlight the differences between a strong writer's voice and a strong narrator's voice or to focus on a story with an interesting structure.


FI

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THE RAID (STEINBECK) 3 3 3 3 3 3 TOM'S SISTER (NAUGHTON) 3 3 3 3 3 THROUGH THE TUNNEL (LESSING) 3 3 3 3 3

VENDETTA (DE MAUPASSANT) KURT B.P. MUNGO AND ME (McGOUGH) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 SATAN ON MY TRACK (LESTER) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 THE IDEALIST (O'CONNOR) 3 3 3 3 3 3 MESSAGE FROM THE PIGMAN (WAIN) 3 3 3 3 3 3 EXAMINATION DAY (SLESAR) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 RATS DO SLEEP AT NIGHT (BORCHERT) 3 3 3 3 3 THE WEREWOLF (CARTER) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 IMAGINATION DEAD IMAGINE (BECKETT) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 THE SNIPER (O'FLAHERTY) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 CHIP OF GLASS RUBY (GORDIMER) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 COMPUTERS DON'T ARGUE (DICKSON) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 THE PEDESTRIAN (BRADBURY) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 THE DESTRUCTORS (GREENE) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE MESS (SPARK)

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

THE APPEASEMENT (TAGORE) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 ALL SUMMER IN A DAY (BRADBURY) 3 3 3 3 3 THE LUMBER ROOM (SAKI) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 THE CASE FOR THE DEFENCE (GREENE) 3 3 3 3 3 3

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