Short Fiction Compiled by Mrs. D. Wittmann
The short story was first recognized as a distinct class of literature in 1842, when Poe's criticism of Hawthorne called attention to the new form of fiction. Short story writing had, however, been practiced for many years before that: perhaps the narratives of Homer and the tales of the first books of the Bible may be considered as the first examples. The term short story is applied to every piece of prose writing of 30,000 words or less, more typical is 10,000 words or less.
BIG IDEAS AND ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS CHARACTER Characters in literature allow readers to study and explore a range of values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and cultural norms represented by those characters. SETTING Setting and the details associated with it not only depict a time and place, but also convey values associated with that setting. STRUCTURE The arrangement of the parts and sections of a text, the relationship of the parts to each other, and the sequence in which the text reveals information are all structural choices made by a writer that contribute to the reader’s interpretation of a text. NARRATION A narrator’s or speaker’s perspective controls the details and emphases that affect how readers experience and interpret a text. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE Comparisons, representations, and associations shift meaning from the literal to the figurative and invite readers to interpret a text. LITERARY ARGUMENTATION Readers establish and communicate their interpretations of literature through arguments supported by textual evidence.
The Audience Authors often have a picture in their mind of who they are writing for as they craft their story. How would the author describe his audience (readers)? Who they are (age, sex, education, economic status, political/social/religious beliefs); What level of information they have about the subject (novice, general reader, specialist or expert); The context in which they will be reading a piece of writing (in a newspaper, textbook, popular magazine, specialized journal, on the Internet, and so forth).
Purpose The purpose for writing can go beyond PIE To advocate (promote or support) To report on an event To arouse emotions and sympathies To raise questions To appeal to fantasy and imagination To raise questions To criticize the actions of others To inform of issues To state one's beliefs To encourage and support To propose a solution To seek common ground To instigate thought and action To satisfy curiosity To present new ideas To instruct, teach, or educate To express or reflect on life and experiences To explore a question To present information To analyze and interpret To call for action
"The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allan Poe is often referred to as the "father of the short story." Although he did no invent the form, Poe was among the first to define what the short story is and what it should do. Question: What do you believe is of the utmost importance in the creation of a short story?
"The Cask of Amontillado" Minds On ... Saving Face signifies a desire, or defines a strategy, to avoid humiliation or embarrassment to maintain dignity or preserve reputation. Most of us have been guilty of embarrassing someone, either willfully or inadvertently (on purpose or by accident). Describe a time when you have either humiliated another person or have been humiliated yourself. In either case, how did it make you feel?
Edgar Allan Poe January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849 The name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe’s reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry. https://www.poemuseum.org/life.php
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe Paragraph One: The Exposition THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. AT LENGTH I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled -- but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. im·pu·ni·ty exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action WRITE: First Impressions: Predict: Summarize: Ask a Question:
Coat of Arms http://questgarden.com/133/68/4/111020164752/process.htm Dramatic Reading
It is a murder story, but not a whodunit. It is told by the murderer fifty years after committing the crime, making most of the narrator’s claims a little unreliable – in the end it is a tale of subjective interpretation. The setting (an underground cellar), the time (carnival), and the subtle foreshadowing of the murder (I shall not die of a cough) makes this a classic short story.
An Ace Gallagher Production - Montresor vows revenge on Fortunato in this animated movie based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe, set to the music of the Alan Parsons Project's "Cask of Amontillado"
ANALYSIS 1. Write a 1-2 sentence summary of the short story (the GIST). 2. Complete a quotation analysis: “A succession of loud and shrill screams, … The voice said –" (113). QA. Understanding: Describe the circumstances surrounding the quotation (who, what, where, when). The speaker is .... QB. Language Analysis: In a well-argued paragraph, explain in clear and specific terms the effect the author achieves through the use of auditory imagery (P1) and visual imagery (P2). Include key words or phrases from the quotation in your answer. Begin with a topic sentence stating the two devices and their purpose (to). QC. Story Analysis: In a well-argued paragraph, explain in clear and specific terms how the excerpt contributes to the theme that a person can never escape consequences for wrongful actions. Include key words or phrases from the quotation in your answer.
POST READING 1. Answer questions 1 and 2 on page 115. 2. DICTION: Describe the level of formality. Are the words formal, informal, conversational, colloquial? What effect is Poe trying to achieve through the use of a specific type of diction? 3. What is the connotative or emotional meaning behind the following words? To begin, ask yourself if the words have a positive or negative connotation: punish (108) cry (113) sick (114) 4. SYNTAX: Which of the types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory) does Poe use and why? How would you characterize Poe’s sentence structure? 5. How does Poe use punctuation and why? (part of syntax)
6. IMAGERY: What sensory information do you find in the language? Colour, scents, taste, or textures. What is the tone of the story? How does Poe use imagery to reveal the tone? 7. What is Poe trying to convey or achieve by using this imagery? Are these images part of a larger pattern or structure within the story? Explain 8. LANGUAGE: What effect does Poe achieve through the use of irony? (verbal, situational) 9. DETAILS: What specific details does Poe include? For what reason? 10. For whom is Poe writing (describe his audience) this story? For what purpose did Poe write this short story?
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Minds On... Describe one of your daydreams
James Thurber December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961 The author of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and the creator of numerous New Yorker magazine cover cartoons, was born in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 1894. One of the foremost American humorists of the 20th century, his inimitable wit and pithy prose spanned a breadth of genres, including short stories, modern commentary, fiction, children's fantasy and letters. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-anthony-jones/17-words-invented-by-james-joyce_b_6866424.html http://thurberhouse.org/james-thurber.html
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Paragraph One: The Exposition We’re going through!” The Commander’s voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye. “We can’t make it, sir. It’s spoiling for a hurricane, if you ask me.” “I’m not asking you, Lieutenant Berg,” said the Commander. “Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8,500! We’re going through!” The pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa. The Commander stared at the ice forming on the pilot window. He walked over and twisted a row of complicated dials. “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” he shouted. “Switch on No. 8 auxiliary!” repeated Lieutenant Berg. “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” shouted the Commander. “Full strength in No. 3 turret!” The crew, bending to their various tasks in the huge, hurtling eight-engined Navy hydroplane, looked at each other and grinned. “The Old Man’ll get us through,” they said to one another. “The Old Man ain’t afraid of Hell!” . . . WRITE: First Impressions: Predict: Summarize: Ask a Question:
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" Student Video
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” Making Claims CLAIM ONE: Walter Mitty is a meek, ineffectual man. CLAIM TWO: Walter Mitty symbolizes the romantic day-dreamer in all of us. TASK 1. Find evidence to prove the claim is correct (direct quotations). 2. How does the evidence prove the claim is correct?
ANALYSIS 1. Write a 1-2 sentence summary of the short story (the GIST). 2. Complete a quotation analysis:"They're so damn cocky ... he began looking for a shoe store" (35). QA. Understanding: Describe the circumstances surrounding the quotation (who, what, where, when). The speaker is .... QB. Language Analysis: In a well-argued paragraph, explain in clear and specific terms the effect the author achieves through the use of repetition (P1) and visual imagery (P2). Include key words or phrases from the quotation in your answer. Begin with a topic sentence stating the two devices and their purpose (to). QC. Story Analysis: In a well-argued paragraph, explain in clear and specific terms how the excerpt contributes to the theme that an unhappy reality may lead to seeking refuge in the mind. Include key words or phrases from the quotation in your answer.
POST READING 1. Complete question #1a-d on page 38. 2. DICTION: What category best describes Thurber’s diction? What effect is he trying to achieve through the use of a specific type of diction? 3. SYNTAX: Which of the types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory) does Thurber use and why? How would you characterize Thurber’s sentence structure? How does he use punctuation and why? How does the organization contribute to the text as a whole? 4. IMAGERY: What sensory information do you find in the language? Select ONE of the five fantasies. Does Thurber succeed in creating an image in your head? How is this achieved? 5. What is Thurber trying to convey or achieve by using this imagery? Are these images part of a larger pattern or structure within the story? Explain.
6. LANGUAGE: What effect does Thurber achieve through the use of sound devices? What is the tone of the story? How is the tone revealed through its language? 7. DETAILS: What specific details does Thurber include? For what reason? 8. For whom is Thurber writing (describe his audience) this story? For what purpose did he write this short story? 9. How would the story change if the wife was narrating? 10. Notice that Thurber gives us almost no indication of the actual appearance of either Mitty or his wife. Describe what you imagine these characters would look like.
"Mirror Image" by Lena Coakley Minds On... What is science fiction?
Lena Coakley Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She got interested in young adult literature when she moved to Toronto, Canada, and began working for CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, where she eventually became the Administrative Director. She is now a full-time writer living in Toronto. Witchlanders, her first novel, has received two starred reviews and was called “a stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews. It is a Junior Library Guild selection and an ABC new voices selection. http://lenacoakley.com/biography/ http://lenacoakley.com/short-stories/
"Mirror Image" by Lena Coakley Paragraph One: The Exposition If only there were no mirrors, Alice sometimes thought, although she carried one in her backpack wherever she went. It was a silver-plated mirror her father had given her with the initials ACS on the back. Just you, Alice, she would say to herself, looking the way you'd always looked. The she'd pull out the mirror. The surprise and disbelief at seeing the reflection was a joke she played on herself over and over again. WRITE: First Impressions: Predict: Summarize: Ask a Question:
QUOTATION ANALYSIS QA. Understanding: Describe the circumstances surrounding the quotation (who, what, where, when). The speaker is .... QB. Language Analysis: Analysis of Effect Select TWO literary devices from the quotation and explain the effect (result) the author achieves through their use. INTEGRATE key words or phrases from the excerpt in your answer. QC. Theme Analysis: Analysis of Meaning In a well-argued paragraph, explain in clear and specific terms how the excerpt reveals a theme in the story.
Jill Bolte Taylor: Stroke of Insight
Ode to the Brain