Short Stories (notes, literary terms, Grammar)

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Short Stories(notes, literary terms, Grammar)
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THE BET ANTON CHEKHOV

• Russian (1860-1904)
• Was a doctor before he chose to be a full-time
  writer.
• Wrote and completed many of his stories in an
  hour or two.
• Chekhovs Gun If you acknowledge an item in
  the beginning of your story, it must return by
  the end of the story and serve a purpose.

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THE BET ASSIGNMENT

• What is the meaning or motivation behind this
  story? And how can you relate it to your world?
• How does the lawyers characterization change
  after fifteen years in isolation? How has the
  bankers character changed?

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Narration (Point of View) Notes

• First-person narrative The narrator calls
  themselves I. This is their story, from their
  perspective. Some are aware that they are
  telling a story, some are merely thinking aloud
  to the readers.
• Second-person narrative Refers to the
  characters as you. A difficult style to
  manage, it places the reader into the role of a
  character who cannot control his or her own fate.
• Third-person, objective - tells a story without
  describing any character's thoughts or feelings.
  Like a fly-on-the-wall.

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Narration (Point of View)

• Third-person, subjective - the narrator conveys
  the thoughts, feelings, etc. of one or more
  characters.
• Limited the narrator only conveys
  the thoughts of one character
• Omniscient the narrator conveys the
  thoughts of any and all characters.
• Unreliable narrator a narrator who does not
  know everything that is happening in the story or
  is lying to the reader

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ITS POE-TIME!
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THE CASK OF THE AMONTILLADO EDGAR ALLAN POE

• American (1809-1849)
• Was a superstar at the height of his career. He
  was hired to do poetry readings for parties and
  so on.
• Often depressed, even more after his wife died
  suddenly, Poe spiraled into alcoholism and died.

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THE CASK OF THE AMONTILLADO ASSIGNMENT

• What type of narration is this written in?
• According to Montresor, what makes a perfect
  crime?
• What character traits in Fortunato make him an
  easy target for Montresor?
• How is Montresor an unreliable narrator?

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BW Finding a Motive

• Suppose you are a detective assigned to the case
  at the time it happened. Write a half-page
  report with your theory about the disappearance
  of Fortunato (you can have fun with this!)
• Example "Montresor is the last member of an old
  aristocratic Catholic family that lost its money.
  Fortunato was a businessman who had recently
  become wealthy and wasnt above cheating to make
  money. Fortunato also was a member of the Masons,
  a secret Protestant organization that Catholics
  cannot join. These facts explain Montresors
  hatred of Fortunato. They also supply him with a
  motive for murder."

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Character and Language Terminology

• PROTAGONIST good guy/lead character
• ANTAGONIST villain
• Voice the writers or speakers distinctive use
  of language
• Diction the writers or speakers choice of
  words (slang, simplistic, flowery language, etc.)
• Tone the attitude conveyed through the writers
  or speakers words (mocking, affectionate, etc.)

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Motivation and Inference

• Motivation the reason for a characters
  behavior
• Inferences an educated guess based on clues
  from a story

Symbolism

• Symbol person, place, thing, or event that
  stands for itself and for something beyond itself
  as well
• Figurative language refers to words, and groups
  of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual
  meanings of the component words. (opposite of
  literal language)
• Allegory a narrative in which characters and
  settings stand for abstract ideas or moral
  lessons

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CHRYSANTHEMUMS JOHN STEINBECK

• American (1902-1968)
• Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner
• West-coast focused
• Wrote to the common man of the Great Depression
  era
• If you are using dialoguesay it aloud as you
  write it. Only then will it have the sound of
  speech.

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CHRYSANTHEMUMS ASSIGNMENT

• Describe the setting in your own words. Its
  mentioned in great detail, so why is the setting
  important to this story?
• Describe Steinbecks voice (characterization,
  dialogue, pace) and diction in this story.
• Explain Elisas relationship with her husband
  Henry.
• Describe the personality of the salesman.
• How does the chrysanthemum plant symbolize Elisa?
• Think of an item that symbolizes you. What is it
  and how/why does it reflect who you are?

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GOLDEN KITE, SILVER WIND RAY BRADBURY

• American (1920-2012)
• One of the greatest science-fiction writers of
  the 20th century in both literature and
  television.
• Used a typewriter for all of his writing up until
  his death this year.

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GOLDEN KITE, SILVER WIND ASSIGNMENT

• What motivates the two towns to engage in the
  wall-building competition? What are the negative
  effects of the competition on the townspeople?
• Explain what One without the other is nothing
  means.
• Fully explain in 5 sentences how this story
  functions as an allegory about the Cold War.

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THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH EDGAR ALLAN POE

• Poe is back, and now he wants to go to a
  fancy-dress party!

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RED DEATH P.O.V. ASSIGNMENT

• Write for a half page about how the story would
  have differed if we followed the point of view of
  Death throughout the entire story. First, tell
  me what form of narration this new story has and
  then what form it would be if the entire story
  came directly from the Red Deaths thoughts. What
  changes when we shift perspective? Consider
  setting, surprise, and characterization.

Now, get out a piece of blank paper and draw the
Black Room. Poe gave you a lot of details that
should make this easy to visualize!
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THE MAIN IDEA IS?..

• Of all the representatives sent
  abroad by Congress in the early part of the
  Revolutionary war to secure aid of various kinds
  from certain friendly nations, no one has equaled
  Benjamin Franklin in ability, tact, common sense,
  diplomacy, and reputation that was national as
  well as world wide. Any government to which he
  was assigned received an unusual personality.
• When Franklin went to France in
  the early part of the Revolution as the official
  diplomat and ambassador of the thirteen colonies,
  he came as a man of maturity, brilliance,
  ability, and as a world statesman. Upon his
  arrival in Paris, there was no other statesman or
  philosopher who could equal him in his ability
  and accomplishments. His presence in Paris
  annoyed the British minister and staff. Franklin
  enjoyed the situation. The years he remained in
  Paris were unusually fruitful ones for America
  and helping to work out the future destiny of the
  United States of America. In the early 1950's the
  United States published ten volumes of the United
  States Foreign Affairs during the Revolution, and
  the major part of the ten volumes covers the work
  of Franklin.
• The colonies indeed needed help of
  every description--men, money, equipment, ships,
  and all things to fight a successful war. The
  long years of enmity between France and Britain
  opened the way for the leadership of Franklin.
  And he was not only the man to exploit it, but
  also the reason for the acceptance of thirteen
  states as a recognized nation in the world of
  nations.

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NonFiction terminology

• Thesis one or two sentences in which you
  identify the main idea of your paper
• Synthesizing putting all the pieces together to
  create a coherent combined whole
• Paraphrasing summarizing the writers most
  important ideas in your own words
• Evidence the specific details used to support a
  thesis quotes, summaries, etc.
• Elaboration the connections you create for your
  readers so that they understand your analysis of
  the subject matter

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Non-fiction practice

• Complete the Edgar Allen Poe Webquest
• Read the four articles pertaining to Edgar Allen
  Poes death. (pgs. 221-228)
• Answer the Test Practice questions on p. 229-230
• Look at page 221. Make a Main Idea/Support chart
  for each article. Be sure that you include at
  least two examples of supporting evidence for
  each main idea. (Four articles/letters)

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Theme

• Theme the central idea of a work of literature
  (ex Love is more powerful than hatred, no one
  wins in war)
• Conflict struggle or clash between opposing
  characters or opposing forces
• External conflict struggle caused by an
  outside force (nature, another character,
  society, etc)
• Internal conflict takes place entirely
  inside the characters own mind (desires,
  emotions, etc)
• Think of three movies you like and come up
  with their themes.

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Irony and Ambiguity

• Irony contrast between expectation and reality
• Verbal Irony a writer or speaker
  says one thing but means something completely
  different (sarcasm)
• Situation Irony when there is a
  contrast between what would seem appropriate and
  what really happens (a contradiction of
  expectation)
• Dramatic Irony when the
  audience/reader knows something important that a
  character does not known (most often occurs in
  plays)
• Ambiguity an element of uncertainty in a text,
  in which something can be interpreted in a number
  of different ways

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HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED? LEO TOLSTOY

• Russian (1828-1910)
• He came from a wealthy family. An early believer
  of Marxism and Communism, Tolstoy gave away most
  of his possessions and lived a simple life.
• Considered one of the fathers of Russias Golden
  Age of Literature

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HOW MUCH LAND DOES A MAN NEED? ASSIGNMENT

• Contrast Pahom and the Bashkir chiefs attitudes
  about land. Why are their views different?
• What is the theme of this story?
• What is ironic about the final line of the story?
• How does the conversation between the two sisters
  at the beginning of the story foreshadow Pahoms
  end?

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POISON ROALD DAHL

• Welsh (1916-1990)
• Best known for his kids stories, but also has
  written a lot of adult stories, many in
  war-settings.
• Story takes place in India at the time that
  England had colonized the country.

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POISON ASSIGNMENT

• Explain all of the meanings that the word
  poison can mean in this story literally and
  symbolically.
• What is ironic in this story?
• What is ambiguous about it?
• Give an example of internal conflict and external
  conflict happening in the story.

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THE STRING GUY DE MAUPASSANT

• French (1850-1893)
• Prolific writer best known for his short stories
  with ironic twists.

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THE STRING ASSIGNMENT

• Who is the protagonist of the story? The
  antagonist?
• What is the main conflict in the story?
• What is the theme?
• What is ironic in the story? What type of irony
  is that?

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A ROSE FOR EMILY WILLIAM FAULKNER

• American (1897-1962)
• Grew up in Mississippi, stories focus on the
  decay of the old South
• Another Nobel Prize winner

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A ROSE FOR EMILY ASSIGNMENT

• Put the events in this story in chronological
  order! Just make a simple timeline and summarize
  what happens during each event.

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NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A SHORT
STORYTIME TO MAKE YOUR OWN SHORT STORY!