Introduction: Reading Fiction Responsively
- Read "Reading Fiction Responsively" on pages 13 to 15.
- Focus questions as you read the stories:
- What do you expect from the story based on the title, etc.?
- What happens in the story?
- How is the story narrated?
- Who are the characters?
- What is the setting?
- What do you notice about how the story is written?
- What does the story mean?
"Story of an Hour" - Read this text in the book (pages 15-16) or on the PDF. Also read the sample close reading on pages 16-19 and the essay on pages 20-22.
|
|
|
- Read "Explorations and Formulas" on pages 23-26
"The Cask of Amontillado" - Read this text using the PDF.
|
|
|
Section One: Plot
- Read the introduction on pages 77-78.
- Focus questions as you read:
- Read the first few paragraphs and then stop. What do you expect to happen in the rest of the story, especially regarding conflicts?
- How would you describe the conflict that ultimately develops?
- Where, when, how, and why does the story defy your expectations about what will happen next?
- What is the climax or turning point?
- How is the conflict resolved?
- What seems significant and effective about the plot as a whole?
- Does it follow a common plot pattern--quest, tragedy, comedy, etc.?
"A Rose for Emily" - Read this text in the book (pages 99-105) or on the PDF. Also read the perspective piece on pages 106-107 and the resources on pages 107-109.
|
|
|
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" - Read this text on the PDF. The story is based on a psychopath known as "The Pied Piper of Tuscon."
|
|
|
"Killings" - Read this text in the book (pages 110-122) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
Section Two: Character
- Read the introduction on pages 129-130
- Focus questions as you read the stories:
- Who is the protagonist, or might there be more than one? Who's major and who's minor?
- Consider the protagonist's most distinctive traits, values, motivations, and conflicts.
- Which textual details and moments reveal aspects of the characters? Do any of them complicate your interpretation of this character?
- What functions do the other characters serve?
- Does your view of any of the characters change over the course of the story, or do the characters themselves change? If so, why?
"Lusus Naturae" - Read this story on the PDF. You may want to re-read the chapter "Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampirism" from How to Read Literature Like a Professor.
|
|
|
"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" - Read this text in the book (pages 178-181) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
Section Three: Setting
- Read the introduction on pages 184-186.
- Focus questions as you read the stories:
- How does the setting create or shape conflict?
- How does it affect characters' personalities, outlooks, and actions?
- How does it establish mood?
- How does the setting create or shape conflict?
"Soldier's Home" - Read this text in the book (pages 187-192) on the PDF. Also complete the close reading questions.
|
|
|
"IND AFF" - Read this text in the book (pages 205-211). Also read the perspective on page 212.
|
|
|
Section Four: Point of View
- Read the introduction on pages 215-220.
- Focus questions as you read the stories:
- Does the narrator speak in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person?
- Is the story narrated in the past or present tense? Does the verb tense affect your reading?
- Does the narrator use a distinctive vocabulary, style, and tone?
- Is the narrator and character in the story, and if so, does s/he participate in the action?
- How many characters' thoughts and emotions do you see?
- Does the narrative voice or focus shift during the story?
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" - Read this text on the PDF.
|
|
|
"The Lady with the Pet Dog" - Read this text in the book (pages 224-235) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
Section Five: Symbolism
- Read the introduction on pages 265-268.
- Focus questions as you read the stories:
- Do any details seem to have exceptional significance, such as names, repeated actions or statements, objects, peculiar places, etc.?
- Once you've found a symbol, trace its development throughout the story. Don't forget symbols rarely just have one interpretation.
"That Room" - Read this text in the book (268-271) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
"Battle Royal" - Read this text in the book (pages 275-284) or on the PDF. Also read the sample close reading on pages 286-288.
|
|
|
Section Six: Theme
- Read the introduction on pages 296-299.
- Tips for identifying and tracing themes:
- Pay attention to the title.
- List any recurring phrases and words, especially those for concepts such as love, honor, etc.
- Identify any statements that the characters or narrator(s) make about a general concept, issue, or topic such as human nature, the natural world, etc.
- If a character changes over the course of a story, articulate the truth or insight that he or she seems to discover.
- Identify a conflict depicted in the work and state it in general terms or turn it into a general question.
"Miss Brill" - Read this text in the book (pages 309-312) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
"Free Fruit for Young Widows" - Read this text in the book (pages 313-321) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
Section Seven: Style, Tone, and Irony
- Read the introduction sections on pages 323-327.
"How to Tell a True War Story" - Read this text in the book (pages 340-349) or on the PDF.
|
|
|
war_story_1-2.jpg | |
File Size: | 236 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
war_story_3-10.jpg | |
File Size: | 1110 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
"Boys" - Read this text in the book (pages 350-354) or on the PDF.
|
|
|