Short Story Presentation

1
Short Story Presentation

• Once Upon a Time
• by Nadine Gordimer

2
Characters

• Protagonist(s) the husband and wife (who live
  happily in a safe community)
• Antagonist(s) the would-be intruders, the
  loafers, unemployed, beggars
• The trustworthy housemaid (of the family)
• The itinerant gardener (who travels to different
  houses to garden)
• The little boy (the son)
• The cat and dog

Include the protagonist, the antagonist, and
minor characters, with a brief description for
each
3
Setting

• in a house, in a suburb, in a city (39)
• A country where racial tensions run high and
  there is a big discrepancy between the rich and
  the poor
• No specific time period is mentioned it is
  timeless (could happen anywhere, anytime)

Remember, setting is where when the story takes
place it also can include the mood of the story
4
Topic Statement

• Once Upon a Time is about a man and his wife
  who live in a comfortable, gated community, and
  strive to make their lives even more safe by
  installing various security devices.

• State what the story is about in one detailed
  sentence.

5
Theme Statements

• 1) Obsessing about safety can negatively impact
  ones quality of life.
• 2) People can sometimes lose focus on the
  important things in life when worried about
  safety and appearance.

• Remember, theme statements are the authors
  commentary on life
• They must be expressed in one complete sentence

6
Rating
What specific thing did you like/dislike about
the story?

• We gave this story a rating of 8/10
• We liked it because of the irony in the story.
  It sounds like a fairly tale, with the title,
  Once Upon a Time, and the family living
  happily ever after. But, in the end, the
  family loses sight of what is really important
  (their son) in their quest for a safer
  environment that quickly becomes hazardous.

Give specific references from the story that
support your above statement.