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  1. Listen to this lesson
  2. Plot
  3. Characters, like people in real life, are largely responsible for what happens to them. As events unfold, we may observe the characters in a story losing control over their lives. The character's decisions determine his fate, just as your decisions determine your fate.
  4.  
  5. It might seem that a character doesn't really have a choice. He does, but it might not be an appealing choice. For instance, assume that you failed a test in Biology and this grade was going to keep you from playing basketball. The teacher presents you with this option: You can retake the test before the basketball game and if you get an �A�, �B,� or �C� on it, you can play basketball. But, the teacher will not give you more than 50% of what you get on the test. So...you can:
  6.  
  7. stay up nights studying again for the test, hoping you get a high enough grade to play basketball, knowing that the teacher will still put a �failing� grade in the gradebook, (even if you get an �A�), OR
  8. forget the whole thing and just try to do better on the next test instead of going to all the trouble of studying again for this one.
  9. Ultimately, character and the decisions he makes remain the source of the action!
  10.  
  11. Definition of Plot: A chain of causes and effects revealing characters interacting with negative and positive forces.
  12.  
  13. Every plot arranges these actions in three sections or stages which gradually reveal the outcome of this interaction: the beginning (exposition), the middle (rising action leading to climax) and the end (resolution).
  14.  
  15.  
  16. Click here for a long description of the image above.
  17.  
  18. To illustrate the three sections and parts of the plot shown in the above diagram, we are going to use the story of the �Three Little Pigs.� Click here for a text version of the presentation.
  19.  
  20.  
  21.  
  22. Listen to this lesson
  23. Reading: "The Wager" by Anton Chekhov
  24. Read the short story “The Wager” by Anton Chekhov. Click here to access an electronic copy of "The Wager" by Anton Chekhov.
  25.  
  26. Before you read, consider the following questions:
  27.  
  28. Under what conditions are wagers, or bets, made?
  29. Are wagers necessarily friendly or unfriendly? Are they always one or the other?
  30. What is the usual outcome of a bet?
  31. Does the outcome of a bet ever affect the person's respective situations significantly?
  32. Gambling
  33.  
  34. In modern times, gambling has become a part of our society. Consider online gaming, Native American gaming, gambling addictions, and lotteries. These topics are frequently in the media. Do some research online to find out a little more about gambling. Use the following questions to guide your search.
  35.  
  36. Native American Gaming Article: Read "The Social and Economic Impact of Native American Casinos" by William Evans and Julie Topoleski in the National Bureau of Economic Research. What positive changes have the authors noted over the past twenty years? What are the negative changes?
  37. Lottery Article: Read "Where does MegaMillions money go after the jackpot?" by Armen Keteyian for CBS News. Who gets the majority of the money? What does the article say about education and lottery revenue? How do most lottery winners end up broke?
  38. Online Gaming Addiction Website: Explore the website "TechAddiction" for extensive information, articles, and links on gaming statistics, facts, and research. What is Internet addiction and what are the different types? What are the signs and symptoms of game addiction?
  39. Art: Dogs Playing Poker by C.M. Collidge is a collection of paintings showing different dogs playing poker. Look at the differences between the paintings and the titles. What do they have in common? How does the painter "humanize" the dogs in the paintings?
  40.  
  41. Listen to this lesson
  42. Reading: "The Wager" by Anton Chekhov
  43. "The Wager" Practice Exercise
  44.  
  45. After reading "The Wager," focus on the following passage. Explain in a paragraph the evolution of the prisoner's values based on the books/novels he was reading. How are the books evidence of how he was changing what he thought was important? Why did he read light novels the first year but change to reading the classics the second to fifth year?
  46.  
  47. As you write your paragraph for this practice activity, keep alluding to his reading material as time goes on and explain how his taste in reading material mirrors his change in values.
  48.  
  49. In the first year the books he sent for were principally of a light character; novels with complicated love plots, sensational and fantastic stories, and so on.
  50.  
  51. In the second year the piano was silent in the lodge, and the prisoner asked only for the classics. In the fifth year music was audible again, and the prisoner asked for wine. Those who watched him through the window said that all that year he spent doing nothing but eating and drinking and lying on his bed, frequently yawning and angrily talking to himself. He did not read books. Sometimes at night he would sit down to write; he would spend hours writing, and in the morning tear up all that he had written. More than once he could be heard crying.
  52.  
  53. In the second half of the sixth year the prisoner began zealously studying languages, philosophy, and history. He threw himself eagerly into these studies--so much so that the banker had enough to do to get him the books he ordered. In the course of four years some six hundred volumes were procured at his request. It was during this period that the banker received the following letter from his prisoner:
  54.  
  55. "My dear Jailer, I write you these lines in six languages. Show them to people who know languages. Let them read them. If they find not one mistake I implore you to fire a shot in the garden. That shot will show me that my efforts have not been thrown away. The geniuses of all ages and of all lands speak different languages, but the same flame burns in them all. Oh, if you only knew what unearthly happiness my soul feels now from being able to understand them!" The prisoner's desire was fulfilled. The banker ordered two shots to be fired in the garden.
  56.  
  57. Then after the tenth year, the prisoner sat immovably at the table and read nothing but the Gospel. It seemed strange to the banker that a man who in four years had mastered six hundred learned volumes should waste nearly a year over one thin book easy of comprehension. Theology and histories of religion followed the Gospels.
  58.  
  59. As you finish your writing, think about whether you have seen or read something similar where a person, after being imprisoned for a long time, changes his or her viewpoints. This is sometimes a theme of prison movies. What specific examples can you think of that relate to a person evolving while confined?
  60.  
  61.  
  62. Question Number 1 Points: 0.00/2.00
  63. Question Text
  64. In "The Wager," the banker still recalls a party over fifteen years ago vividly because, at that point, he allowed himself to be cloistered (shut up in solitary) for fifteen years.
  65. Your Answer
  66. True
  67. Question Number 2 Points: 2.00/2.00
  68. Question Text
  69. In "The Wager," the story becomes more complicated because the jurist begins screaming to get out of his confinement.
  70. Your Answer
  71. False
  72. Question Number 3 Points: 0.00/2.00
  73. Question Text
  74. In "The Wager," the young jurist said he would prefer life imprisonment to the death penalty.
  75. Your Answer
  76. False
  77. Question Number 4 Points: 5.00/5.00
  78. Question Text
  79. Which of the following plot elements came first in the plot of "The Wager?"
  80. Your Answer
  81. B. The banker realizes the bet is senseless.
  82. Question Number 5 Points: 5.00/5.00
  83. Question Text
  84. Which of the following plot elements came first in the plot of "The Wager?"
  85. Your Answer
  86. C. The jurist attends a party given by the banker.
  87. Question Number 6 Points: 2.00/2.00
  88. Question Text
  89. In "The Wager," once the wager has been made, protagonist and antagonist are in conflict.
  90. Your Answer
  91. True
  92. Question Number 7 Points: 2.00/2.00
  93. Question Text
  94. The title of the story is the reader's first clue about the subject of the plot.
  95. Your Answer
  96. True
  97. Question Number 8 Points: 5.00/5.00
  98. Question Text
  99. Which of the following plot elements came first in the plot of "The Wager?"
  100. Your Answer
  101. C. The banker bets the jurist that he would not be able to remain in solitary confinement for even five years.
  102. Question Number 9 Points: 2.00/2.00
  103. Question Text
  104. In "The Wager," the climax comes when the jurist who is confined, begins to ask for musical instruments and tobacco.
  105. Your Answer
  106. False
  107. Question Number 10 Points: 0.00/2.00
  108. Question Text
  109. In "The Wager," the potential for conflict at the beginning of this story occurs because, although no wager has been made, the protagonist and antagonist do not agree on how devastating solitary confinement would be.
  110. Your Answer
  111. False
  112.  
  113. Listen to this lesson
  114. Descriptive Verbs
  115. Notice how Anton Chekhov uses specific, vivid verbs to create images in the reader's mind.
  116.  
  117. "During supper he joked and chaffed the jurist about it."
  118. "It had also been decided that during the fifteen years he should be deprived of the right to cross the threshold of the building in which he was confined:"
  119. "It was settled that his only communications with the outer world were to be effected in silence through a small window made specially for the purpose"
  120. "The slightest attempt on the part of the jurist to evade any of the conditions of the wager, . ."
  121. "During the second year the sounds of music ceased, and the jurist asked for the works of various classical authors."
  122. When writing, you should choose verbs that are specific and create an image in the mind of the reader.
  123.  
  124. Practice Activity: Identifying Vivid Verbs
  125. From the following sets of verbs below, choose the ones that are the most vivid and descriptive. Check to see if you have the correct answer by clicking the blue Show Answer button Show Answer below the set of verbs.
  126.  
  127. Walk:Saunter
  128.  
  129. Show Answer Button
  130.  
  131. Sit:Lounge
  132.  
  133. Show Answer Button
  134.  
  135. Squeal:Tattle
  136.  
  137. Show Answer Button
  138.  
  139. Slouch:Lie Down
  140.  
  141. Show Answer Button
  142.  
  143. Investigate:Search
  144.  
  145. Show Answer Button
  146.  
  147. Munch:Eat
  148.  
  149. Show Answer Button
  150.  
  151. Cry:Whimper
  152.  
  153. Show Answer Button
  154.  
  155. Think:Ponder
  156.  
  157. Show Answer Button
  158.  
  159. Shake:Quiver
  160.  
  161. Show Answer Button
  162.  
  163. Guzzled:Drank
  164.  
  165. Show Answer Button
  166.  
  167.  
  168.  
  169. Question Number 1 Points: 0.00/5.00
  170. Question Text
  171. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  172.  
  173. The school principal _________ his secretary and the counselors.
  174. Your Answer
  175. C. shares information with
  176. Question Number 2 Points: 5.00/5.00
  177. Question Text
  178. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  179.  
  180. After the garbage man _________ garbage all over our front yard, I began putting my garbage out in the back alley.
  181. Your Answer
  182. B. scattered
  183. Question Number 3 Points: 5.00/5.00
  184. Question Text
  185. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  186.  
  187. Sometimes I feel that I can _________ my parents about anything.
  188. Your Answer
  189. C. confide in
  190. Question Number 4 Points: 5.00/5.00
  191. Question Text
  192. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  193.  
  194. Our plan began to _________ as soon as our parents found out about it.
  195. Your Answer
  196. C. collapse
  197. Question Number 5 Points: 5.00/5.00
  198. Question Text
  199. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  200.  
  201. The boys began _________ each other as soon as they got out of school.
  202. Your Answer
  203. A. pummeling
  204. Question Number 6 Points: 5.00/5.00
  205. Question Text
  206. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  207.  
  208. The four of them always _________ every party that the governor gives.
  209. Your Answer
  210. B. attend
  211. Question Number 7 Points: 5.00/5.00
  212. Question Text
  213. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  214.  
  215. I tried to _________ my parents the humiliation of having a son that was failing math; so I studied much harder.
  216. Your Answer
  217. A. spare
  218. Question Number 8 Points: 5.00/5.00
  219. Question Text
  220. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  221.  
  222. Mary was _________ from her horse because he didn't make it over the jump!
  223. Your Answer
  224. C. hurled
  225. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  226. Question Text
  227. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  228.  
  229. As it _________ around the track, the horse was obviously not going to win the race.
  230. Your Answer
  231. C. loped
  232. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  233. Question Text
  234. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  235.  
  236. Christians believe that angels _________ to heaven.
  237. Your Answer
  238. A. ascend
  239.  
  240. Listen to this lesson
  241. Conflict
  242. Another element of plot is CONFLICT.
  243.  
  244. A conflict is a struggle between opposing forces. Internal conflict is a struggle within oneself and external conflict is a struggle with opposing forces which are outside of oneself.
  245.  
  246. All stories have a conflict, a major problem that involves the characters. Complications in the plot create tension and further conflict.
  247.  
  248. Conflict
  249. Click on the frame below to watch a short presentation on conflict. Click here for a text version of the presentation.
  250.  
  251.  
  252.  
  253.  
  254. Listen to this lesson
  255. Conflict
  256. Conflict Practice Exercise
  257.  
  258. Choose one item from each element (character, setting, plot) listed below and write a paragraph focusing on the conflict and how it is resolved. Be sure you choose vivid verbs, use transitions to go from one part of the plot to the next, and include all the elements of plot - exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.
  259.  
  260. You may need more than one paragraph to complete this practice.
  261.  
  262. Character Setting Conflict
  263. Young child Crowded beach Pushing ahead in cafe
  264. New mother Grocery store Cutting in line
  265. Several teenage boy/girls Park bench Returning home late
  266. Elderly woman Dark, desolate road Being offered drugs
  267. Man entering prison A field of flowers Cheating on test
  268. An animal Apartment house Blizzard
  269.  
  270. Listen to this lesson
  271. Character
  272. Why do we act as we do? Why does one twenty-one year old go to college and get a business degree and another enlist in the Army? Why do some people shrug it off when someone pulls in front of them on the road and others exhibit violent "road rage?"
  273.  
  274. But fiction is tidier than life and in fiction, an author can give us carefully selected words, thoughts and actions designed to reveal the qualities of a character. Therefore, these deliberately arranged details reveal the life of a character to us far more clearly than the same details of behavior observed randomly in the life of a person.
  275.  
  276. Click on the frame below to view a short presentation on Character.
  277. Click here for a text version of the presentation.
  278.  
  279.  
  280.  
  281.  
  282. Listen to this lesson
  283. Concrete vs. Abstract Images
  284. Practice Activity: Concrete vs. Abstract Images
  285. Often authors use figurative language such as metaphors, similes and personification to make their stories "come alive" and create an image in the reader's mind. These descriptions are called ABSTRACT images whereas when an author tells directly what a character looks like or what he does without using imagery, the description is called CONCRETE.
  286.  
  287. See if you can choose correctly whether the following images are concrete or abstract. Check to see if you have the correct answer by clicking the blue Show Answer button Show Answer below the question.
  288.  
  289. "Stephen was a hot lump of sleep, lazy thing."
  290.  
  291. Show Answer Button
  292.  
  293. Answer: Abstract
  294.  
  295. ". . .once she brought him a worm."
  296.  
  297. Show Answer Button
  298.  
  299. Answer: Concrete
  300.  
  301. ". . .The Dark Walk would be full of little scraps of moon."
  302.  
  303. Show Answer Button
  304.  
  305. Answer: Abstract
  306.  
  307. "She . . .looked out the window . . ."
  308.  
  309. Show Answer Button
  310.  
  311. Answer: Concrete
  312.  
  313. "The gravel cut into her soles . . ."
  314.  
  315. Show Answer Button
  316.  
  317. Answer: Concrete
  318.  
  319. ". . .she came to the cool ooze of the river's bank where the moon-mice on the water crept . . ."
  320.  
  321. Show Answer Button
  322.  
  323. Answer: Abstract
  324.  
  325. "Like a river of joy her holiday spread before her."
  326.  
  327. Show Answer Button
  328.  
  329. Answer: Abstract
  330.  
  331. "Underfoot the tough brown leaves are never dry enough to crackle:"
  332.  
  333. Show Answer Button
  334.  
  335. Answer: Concrete
  336.  
  337. ". . .she found a hole scooped in the rock at the side of the walk, choked with damp leaves, so shrouded by ferns that she only uncovered it after much searching."
  338.  
  339. Show Answer Button
  340.  
  341. Answer: Abstract
  342.  
  343. ". . .she emerged gasping, clasping her hands, laughing, drinking in the sun."
  344.  
  345. Show Answer Button
  346.  
  347. Answer: Abstract
  348.  
  349.  
  350. Listen to this lesson
  351. Setting
  352. Setting includes the place and the time period in which the story takes place.
  353.  
  354. Setting may or may not have an important influence on the story:
  355.  
  356. An integral setting is essential to the plot; it influences action, character or theme.
  357. A backdrop setting is relatively unimportant to the plot; it is like the featureless curtain or flat painted scenery of a theater.
  358. Readers may interpret the importance of the setting differently; one may say that the setting is integral because the story must happen in a big city; another may say the same thing is backdrop because it may happen in any big city. (The former statement is probably more accurate, but either is acceptable if the meaning is clear.)
  359. Setting can clarify conflict, illuminate character, affect the mood, and act as a symbol. The setting itself can be an antagonist in a person-against-nature conflict.
  360.  
  361. Presentation
  362. Let's see how the setting motivates and moves along the plot, character and theme in the following stories. Click on the frame below to view a short presentation on how setting is used in different pieces of literature.
  363.  
  364. Click here for a text version of the presentation.
  365.  
  366.  
  367. Listen to this lesson
  368. Reading: "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
  369. Poe's Gothic Setting
  370. The story "The Cask of Amontillado" contains many of the standard elements of Gothicism: medieval castles which often feature mystery, horror, violence, ghosts, clanking chains, long underground passages, and dark chambers. Devices Poe uses in "The Cask of Amontillado" include:
  371.  
  372. The Palazzo of the Montresors with its many rooms
  373.  
  374. The long and winding staircase . . . . . .
  375.  
  376. That leads to the Catacombs underneath Montresor's castle
  377.  
  378. The Clanking of Chains
  379.  
  380. Continue to page two to read "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
  381.  
  382.  
  383. Listen to this lesson
  384. Reading "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
  385.  
  386. The following links will take you to an audio recording of "The Cask of Amontillado". Try listening to the story first, and then go back and read it yourself.
  387.  
  388. Click here for part 1
  389. Click here for part 2
  390. Click here for part 3
  391. Click here for part 4
  392. Click here to download a text version of The Cask of Amontillado
  393.  
  394. Key vocabulary words from the story are highlighted on this page along with their definitions.
  395.  
  396. As you are reading this story, consider the following questions:
  397.  
  398. Why does Fortunato follow Montresor into caverns? How does Montresor persuade him to keep following?
  399. Even as he moves towards his death, Fortunato continues to insult Montresor. In what ways does he anger him?
  400. Why is it important that this murder takes place during the Carnival season (Mardi Gras)? How does that add to the story?
  401. Throughout the story, Fortunato is identified by his bells. At the end of the story, the bells have been replaced by another, jingling, metallic sound. What is it?
  402. Why is our narrator finally confessing this crime now, fifty years later? Has his heart changed in those fifty years? What does his attitude about the murder tell you about him as a person?
  403. As with many Poe narrators, ours has a skewed moral perspective. Under what rules has he lived? Why does he not see himself as a criminal?
  404. Poe uses a couple of Latin phrases. What do Nemo me impune lacesit and in pace requiescat mean?
  405.  
  406.  
  407. Question Number 1 Points: 5.00/5.00
  408. Question Text
  409. Which of the following is the theme of "The Cask of Amontillado"?
  410. Your Answer
  411. B. revenge
  412. Question Number 2 Points: 5.00/5.00
  413. Question Text
  414. In "The Cask of Amontillado," as soon as the narrator sees Fortunato, he tells him that he has received "a pipe for what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts". Who does the narrator suggest that he is going to see to find out if the wine is genuine?
  415. Your Answer
  416. A. Luchesi
  417. Question Number 3 Points: 5.00/5.00
  418. Question Text
  419. Choose the best term to define...(moving backward as if in horror)
  420. Your Answer
  421. A. recoiled
  422. Question Number 4 Points: 0.00/5.00
  423. Question Text
  424. In "The Cask of Amontillado," how many tiers of stone did Montresor have to lay in order to wall Fortunato up in the cave?
  425. Your Answer
  426. D. 12
  427. Question Number 5 Points: 0.00/5.00
  428. Question Text
  429. At the end of the story, the reader discovers that "The Cask of Amontillado" is...
  430. Your Answer
  431. D. all of the above
  432. Question Number 6 Points: 5.00/5.00
  433. Question Text
  434. In "The Cask of Amontillado," what is the setting for most of the story?
  435. Your Answer
  436. A. catacombs
  437. Question Number 7 Points: 5.00/5.00
  438. Question Text
  439. In "The Cask of Amontillado," how many injuries has the narrator 'permitted' from Fortunato?
  440. Your Answer
  441. B. one thousand
  442. Question Number 8 Points: 5.00/5.00
  443. Question Text
  444. In "The Cask of Amontillado," verbal irony occurs when a character says one thing and means another. Which of the following is an example of VERBAL IRONY that occurs in the story?
  445. Your Answer
  446. C. Montresor's words to Fortunato are kind, but his intentions are cruel.
  447. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  448. Question Text
  449. In "The Cask of Amontillado," what does Montresor do to Fortunato that prevents him from escaping while Montresor carried out his plan?
  450. Your Answer
  451. B. chains him to the wall
  452. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  453. Question Text
  454. Choose the best term to define...(expert knowledge)
  455. Your Answer
  456. A. connoisseurship
  457.  
  458. Listen to this lesson
  459. Personification
  460. Personification is figurative language that attributes human characteristics to a creature, idea, or object. Edgar Allan Poe uses personification liberally in his stories. Here are some examples from "The Cask of Amontillado."
  461.  
  462. "A draft (a drink or swig) of this Medoc (a kind of wine) will defend us from the damps." Poe is comparing the wine and its soothing properties as a kind of defense like one would get from a weapon.
  463. "Its termination (the end or corner which was the farthest from the light) the feeble light did not enable us to see." Poe is comparing how weak the light was to a person who is also weak.
  464. "My heart grew sick -- on account of the dampness of the catacombs." Poe is comparing the illness of a human, feeling weak, with the weakness, confusion he feels on finally wreaking revenge on Fortunato.
  465. Just to make sure you understand personification, here are examples of creature, idea, and object personification.
  466.  
  467. Creature: The giraffe read the "No Trespassing" sign, ignored the message, and tripped lightly back to his favorite tree.
  468.  
  469. Idea: The old man felt he had been stalked by his infirmities and run over by his neglect to his body.
  470.  
  471. Object: The moon smiled brightly at the two young people in love.
  472.  
  473. Personification Practice Activity
  474.  
  475. For this practice activity, you will write five sentences. Create a sentence giving each of these nouns a human trait or characteristic.
  476.  
  477. time
  478. a flower
  479. mouse
  480. memories
  481. sweater/hoodie
  482.  
  483. Listen to this lesson
  484. Appeals to the Five Senses
  485. Now that we are going to explore some other figures of speech, the metaphor and the simile. Any comparison (metaphors, similes, personification, allusions, etc.) that appeals to a reader's senses is called imagery.
  486.  
  487. Imagery is what an author uses to try and create a picture or image in the reader's mind. By appealing to the senses, authors like Poe can create stronger atmosphere and intensify their readers' experience of the story.
  488.  
  489. Continue to the next page to complete a practice activity over appeals to the five sentences.
  490.  
  491.  
  492. Listen to this lesson
  493. Creating Atmosphere
  494. Edgar Allan Poe was a master at creating eerie and unusual atmospheres. Much of this was done by his clever manipulation of the setting in his stories. Let's look at some of the techniques he used to give his story "The Cask of Amontillado" a sense of the Gothic.
  495.  
  496. I took from their sconces two flambeaux and, giving one to Fortunato, bowed him through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passed down a long and winding staircase, requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came at length to the foot of the descent and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors.
  497.  
  498. Poe creates an eerie atmosphere by having the area only poorly lighted by two torches ---torches which distort what one sees by them as they flicker and burn inconsistently. As the two men descend, Poe uses the sense of touch and smell to depict the clammy, unnatural atmosphere found deep under the ground in the catacombs.
  499.  
  500. The gait of my friend was unsteady, and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode.
  501.  
  502. "The pipe," said he.
  503.  
  504. "It is farther on," said I; "but observe the white web-work which gleams from these cavern walls."
  505.  
  506. He turned toward me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication.
  507.  
  508. "Niter?" he asked, at length
  509.  
  510. "Niter," I replied. "How long have you had that cough?">
  511.  
  512. "Ugh! ugh! ugh!----ugh! ugh! ugh!----ugh! ugh! ugh!----ugh! ugh! ugh!----ugh! ugh! ugh!"
  513.  
  514. My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes.
  515.  
  516. Poe juxtaposes (places side by side) the jingling of the bells (a happy sound) with the continuous sound of the hacking cough (a sickly sound) to point up just how uncomfortable and sick Fortunato was. He also appeals to the sense of sight when he points out the forbidding "white web work" on the walls.
  517.  
  518. "A draft of this Medoc will defend us from the damps."
  519.  
  520. "Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of its fellows that lay upon the mold."
  521.  
  522. "Drink," I said, presenting him the wine.
  523.  
  524. He raised it to his lips with a leer. He paused and nodded to me familiarly, while his bells jingled.
  525.  
  526. "I drink," he said, "to the buried that repose around us."
  527.  
  528. "And I to your long life."
  529.  
  530. He again took my arm, and we proceeded.
  531.  
  532. "These vaults," he said, "are extensive."
  533.  
  534. The narrator's voice is crucial to creating atmosphere. Poe's narrator is much too calm and collected for someone that will soon bury someone alive. This gives the impression that the narrator may be unbalanced and even enjoying the play he is acting out when he drinks to Fortunato's "long life."
  535.  
  536. "The Montresors," I replied, "were a great and numerous family."
  537.  
  538. "I forget your arms."
  539.  
  540. "A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushed a serpent rampant whose fangs are embedded in the heel."
  541.  
  542. "And the motto?"
  543.  
  544. "Nemo me impune lacessit."
  545.  
  546. Poe uses the symbol of Montresor's coat of arms to foreshadow what will happen to Fortunato because of his supposed insult to the Montresor family. The serpent would represent Fortunato who is deadly and sly like a serpent and the foot is the revenge that Montresor will exact on Fortunato ---- the foot is crushing the serpent!
  547.  
  548. "The nitre!" I said. "See, it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults. We are below the river's bed. The drops of moisture trickle among the bones."
  549.  
  550. Poe's simile of the nitre that "hangs like moss upon the vaults" gives the impression that the sleazy stuff that covers the walls is getting thicker and damper and making the catacombs even more depressing.
  551.  
  552.  
  553. Listen to this lesson
  554. The Writing Process: Narrative Essay
  555. What Makes a Good Narrative?
  556.  
  557. Think about the stories that you enjoy. What do you like about them? Do you like an interesting plot or a fast-paced, exciting adventure? Perhaps you like stories with lovable characters, or characters that you love to hate. Maybe you like stories that are funny or stories that make you feel deeply about something. All of these elements are part of a good narrative. When you write a narrative, you should consider all of the following characteristics:
  558.  
  559. Plot
  560. Logical sequence
  561. Characters
  562. Dialogue
  563. Sensory details
  564. Setting
  565. Figurative language
  566. Plot
  567.  
  568. Remember that the plot of a story is the series of events that occur. The events must be relevant, or related to the thesis, or the main idea of the story. If the events in your plot are not relevant, your readers will wonder what the point of your story is. Most plots have some sort of conflict, either external or internal, that helps move the story along. The plot in a narrative must also have a beginning, middle, and end. Do not leave your readers wondering what happens in the narrative by leaving out important parts of the plot.
  569.  
  570. Logical Sequence
  571.  
  572. A logical sequence, or order that follows a logical pattern, makes the story easier for readers to follow. Generally, you should tell the story in a chronological order, or in the order that events occurred. Some stories start in the middle of the action to get the readers immediately interested. If you decide to use another type of organization, you should still provide readers with background information to help them understand what is going on.
  573.  
  574. One way to improve the logical sequence of a narrative is to write sentences and paragraphs that are logically connected. Your writing will be coherent, or logically connected, when details, sentences, and paragraphs fit together smoothly. To make smooth connections for your readers, make sure that each paragraph focuses on one topic. You can also repeat key words or phrases and use transition words. Notice how topic sentences and transition words tie the following paragraphs together.
  575.  
  576. Example
  577.  
  578. "Have you been to the doctor?" I asked her.
  579.  
  580. "No," she moaned, "I'll get over it."
  581.  
  582. "I'm calling Mom," I told her.
  583.  
  584. I wasn't surprised that my aunt didn't think to take better care of herself. She was always thinking about other people. Now it was my turn to help her as she had helped me so many times. My mom came over immediately and took Aunt Beth to the after-hours clinic. While they were gone, I did the dishes, picked up all the tissues and newspapers that were littering the living room, vacuumed, and folded the laundry that had been sitting in the dryer. I found a couple of eggs in the fridge, scrambled them, and made some buttered toast. When they got home, I had a plate ready for Aunt Beth along with a hot cup of tea.
  585.  
  586. "Breakfast for dinner?" she asked.
  587.  
  588. "It's the only thing I can make," I laughed.
  589.  
  590. "And it's perfect. How did you get to be so thoughtful?"
  591.  
  592. "I've had two good teachers."
  593.  
  594. Characters
  595.  
  596. A narrative depends on characters who create or respond to events in the plot. Interesting characters make stories more meaningful. In personal narratives, the narrator is an important character as well. You can give readers insight into the characters in a story by describing what they do, what they say, how they react to other characters or events, and how they look. Not all characters in a story need to be fully developed, but you should have at least one well-developed character to make the story more interesting to your reader.
  597.  
  598. Dialogue
  599.  
  600. Writers use dialogue to recreate what characters say in a narrative. Dialogue represents the spoken words of characters in a story. In addition to moving the story along, a character's dialogue can sometimes provide important information about the character. Read the two passages of dialogue below.
  601.  
  602. Example
  603.  
  604. "Hey, mister! How much you askin' for the kid's bike?"
  605.  
  606. "Excuse me, sir. I'm interested in the child's bicycle you are selling. Would you be so kind as to tell me the price of this item?"
  607.  
  608. Did you notice the difference between the two speakers? Does the language used by the speakers put an image in your mind? If I told you that one of the speakers rode a motorcycle, which one would you chose?
  609.  
  610. Sensory Details
  611.  
  612. Sensory details are details that appeal to your senses. Writers provide descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations to help narratives come alive and to establish an overall mood in the story. Without sensory details your narrative will be dry and lifeless. The paragraph below has a basic plot, but no details to bring it to life.
  613.  
  614. Emily walked down the hall toward her classroom. She opened the door and entered. The students were quiet as she moved to her desk. She felt all eyes on her. She looked out the window and thought, "What a perfect day!"
  615.  
  616. Notice how sensory details add information to this brief narrative.
  617.  
  618. Emily's footsteps echoed as she hurried down the darkened hall toward her classroom. She rested her clammy hand on the cold door knob before turning it slowly and gently pulling the door open. With the first squeak of the door, a hush fell across the room. Emily slinked to her desk and felt the blood rush to her cheeks as every single student watched. She slipped before landing in her hard wooden desk, and let her books fall to her desktop. She turned away from the penetrating gaze of her classmates, and focused on the torrential rainfall beating against the windows. "What a perfect day!" she thought.
  619.  
  620. In the next example, you can see how the story changes when the sensory details change.
  621.  
  622. Emily dashed through the hall, eagerly making her way to her next class. Her heart was racing as she threw open the door. Her classmates were already quietly working. Emily calmed herself and casually strolled across the room to her desk. She noticed that all eyes were on her. She gracefully slid into her desk. She sat straight and tall and turned to look out the window. She felt the warmth of the sunshine on her face. "What a perfect day!" she sighed.
  623.  
  624. Setting
  625.  
  626. Setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. The development of setting depends on good sensory details. The details of setting often support the main point of your narrative. When you include sensory details in the narrative, be sure to think specifically about the sights, sounds, smells, and other physical details of the setting.
  627.  
  628. Figurative Language
  629.  
  630. When you explain something using a figure of speech, such as simile, metaphor, or personification, you are using figurative language. Figurative language relies on comparisons to help readers understand characteristics of people, objects, or places more clearly. Narratives that have figurative language are more interesting for the reader. Below are some examples of figurative language.
  631.  
  632. Simile: The fog stalked across the field like a hunting cat. (The fog is compared to a cat. The word "like" is used in the comparison.)
  633.  
  634. Metaphor: This political campaign has been a long journey with a lot of twists and turns. (The campaign is compared to a journey. The word "like" or "as" is not used in the comparison.)
  635.  
  636. Personification: The cool water of the pool called to Joe on the hot summer afternoon. (The pool is given human characteristics in this comparison. A pool cannot literally call to someone, but the figurative language suggests that it calls in the same way that a person calls.)
  637.  
  638.  
  639. Listen to this lesson
  640. The Writing Process: Narrative Essay
  641. Showing Instead of Telling
  642.  
  643. Have you ever tried to tell friends a story, only to face blank expressions on their faces? Those blank stares tell you that your friends do not understand your story. So you tell them, "Oh well, you had to be there." If you are attentive to the characteristics of a good narrative, you can involve your readers in the story so that they will have a sense of experiencing what you experienced. If you have few details, a confused plot, no dialogue, and no well-defined people in your story, your readers will not understand the purpose of your story.
  644.  
  645. One way to help readers share the experience in a narrative is to show them the story instead of simply telling what happened.
  646.  
  647. Remember Strong Verbs
  648.  
  649. When writing a narrative, it is important to make your writing clear and vivid so readers can visualize the story. One way to do this is replace weak verbs with strong verbs.
  650.  
  651. For example, consider how you would describe the way a person looked at you. You could simply say:
  652.  
  653. When I walked into the room, Mr. Colson looked at me.
  654.  
  655. But that verb does not tell your reader much about this event. You might tell how he looked at you by adding modifiers, like this:
  656.  
  657. When I walked into the room, Mr. Colson carefully looked at me.
  658.  
  659. When I walked into the room, Mr. Colson quickly looked at me.
  660.  
  661. These revisions are fine, but you can make your writing more exact and concise with strong verb choices.
  662.  
  663. When I walked into the room, Mr. Colson scowled at me.
  664.  
  665. When I walked into the room, Mr. Colson glanced at me.
  666.  
  667. These two sentences are stronger because the verbs are more exact. When you revise your narrative essay, work on replacing weak verbs with strong verbs to make the writing more interesting for readers. You may want to consult a thesaurus, but avoid simply replacing your verbs with synonyms. This can make the writing sound like you swallowed a dictionary. Look at the original and revised sentence below. It is an example of what can happen if you use a thesaurus without making sure that your strong verb accurately expresses your meaning.
  668.  
  669. Original: Grandma talked with me while I washed the dishes.
  670.  
  671. Revised: Grandma confabulated with me while I ablution the dishes.
  672.  
  673. This revision would be much better:
  674.  
  675. Revised: Grandma gossiped with me while I scrubbed the dishes.
  676.  
  677.  
  678. Listen to this lesson
  679. Writing a Narrative Assignment Instructions
  680. What is the assignment?
  681.  
  682. Write a story with vivid atmosphere. It doesn't have to be spooky! It needs to include the following characteristics:
  683.  
  684. Plot
  685. First-person narrator (the main character tells the story using "I")
  686. Logical sequence
  687. Characters
  688. Dialogue
  689. Sensory details
  690. Setting
  691. Figurative language
  692. You will first need to develop a plan for the story. Who will be the main character? What problem will develop? How will you arrange the events in the plot so that it creates suspense or humor? How will you resolve the conflict? How will you include vivid atmosphere?
  693.  
  694. Remember your story needs to have a main idea, or theme.
  695.  
  696. Choose a topic for your narrative essay from the following suggestions:
  697.  
  698. Think of a real experience you have had that would be hard to forget. Think about what makes it so hard to forget. Tell what happened.
  699. Think about your best or funniest event you have ever attended. Perhaps a holiday celebration, a wedding, a school event might come to mind. Tell about this event and why it was memorable.
  700. Pretend your favorite book character or comic book character came to life for a day. Tell what happened.
  701. What are the requirements of this assignment?
  702.  
  703. A multi-paragraph narrative essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion
  704. Approximately two pages
  705. How do I complete the assignment?
  706.  
  707. Prewriting
  708.  
  709. Review the assigned topics for ideas and make a list of possible narratives that you can write about. Decide whether you want to write fiction or nonfiction. Outline the events of one or two narratives from your list. Select the narrative outline that most interests you. Write out the basic plot of your story, making sure to present the information in the most logical order.
  710.  
  711. Drafting
  712.  
  713. Look over the basic plot that you have written and make sure every part of the plot is relevant to the main idea. Add any missing parts of the plot. Use specific details to enhance the plot, develop character, and create a mood and setting.
  714.  
  715. Revising
  716.  
  717. After you have completed your first draft, set it aside for a while so that you can come back to the draft and read it with a fresh outlook. You might find it helpful to have someone else read your narrative essay as well. As you revise, make sure that your narrative makes a point. Add details to your plot, character description, and setting to support the main idea. Check each paragraph for coherence and smooth transitions from one idea to the next.
  718.  
  719. Editing
  720.  
  721. Read through your essay carefully to catch any spelling and mechanical errors
  722.  
  723. NOTE: Before you turn in the paper for a grade, make sure that it has all the qualities of a good paper by comparing it to the Assignment Specific rubric.
  724.  
  725. Download Narrative Rubric
  726.  
  727. Click here for help with basic grammar or effective writing.
  728.  
  729.  
  730. Listen to this lesson
  731. Point of View
  732. Point of view is the narrator that the author uses to tell his story. Imagine a camera resting on the shoulder of the protagonist in the story. Whatever that camera sees, the reader experiences. But anything outside the range of the camera, the reader does not know.
  733.  
  734. Authors can either use a first person point of view (the narrator is a character in the story) or a third person point of view (the narrator is outside the story). There are several advantages and disadvantages to using each one.
  735.  
  736. First Person Point of View
  737. Advantages
  738. It is easier for the author to use his/her voice.
  739. There is often more power and emotion in the voice of the narrator because he is in the story as the events are taking place.
  740. The author assumes the protagonist's role, therefore it is easier for him to discern the character's motivations and emotions.
  741. Disadvantages
  742. The author can only reveal what the protagonist sees, hears or thinks. He can't reveal the thoughts of the other characters.
  743. In Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," the narrator is obviously using verbal irony (saying one thing but meaning another) when he tells Fortunato in the catacombs:
  744.  
  745. "Come," I said, with decision, "we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible."
  746.  
  747. It becomes obvious that Montresor cares nothing at all about the health of Fortunato and is simply luring him to his death using Fortunato's own ego as bait! Poe uses a first person narrator to allow the reader to determine the extent of the narrator's need for revenge and escalating mental imbalance.
  748.  
  749.  
  750. Listen to this lesson
  751. Point of View
  752. Third Person Point of View
  753. There are two kinds of third person point of view: limited and omniscient.
  754.  
  755. Third Person Limited Point of View
  756. Advantages:
  757.  
  758. The author "limits" thoughts and emotions to only one character even though the tale is told from outside the story. It is as if the author were talking through the eyes of his "viewpoint" character. The author, however, uses "he," not "I" when his narrator speaks. Because the author is looking through the eyes of only one character, there is a feeling of immediacy and "being there."
  759. The third person point of view allows the author to set himself or herself apart from the action, making it easier to control the events of the story.
  760. Disadvantages
  761. By limiting the point of view to the lead character, the reader knows only what the lead character knows.
  762. In O'Faolain's story "The Trout," the author is telling the story through the eyes of the main character, Julia because its themes deal with coming of age and a sense of having the confidence to do what one thinks is the right thing to do.
  763.  
  764. Almost every culture has a "rite of passage" through which an adolescent moves to become an adult. For example, upon reaching puberty, an Apache girl may take part in an elaborate four-day ceremony that marks her entry into womanhood and affirms her ties to her people.
  765.  
  766. In "The Trout," Julia's "rite of passage" was not as ritualistic as this Apache girl's but it is obvious that she has grown and taken on responsibility when the author says:
  767.  
  768.  
  769. "She scuttled up the hill, in the window, plonked down the ewer and flew through the air like a bird into bed. The dog said bark-bark. She heard the fishing-reel whirring. She hugged herself and giggled. Like a river of joy her holiday spread before her."
  770.  
  771. The author uses third person limited point of view to show Julia's transition from a silly adolescent into a responsible teenager who had taken it upon herself to find the appropriate solution.
  772.  
  773.  
  774. Listen to this lesson
  775. Point of View
  776. Third Person Omniscient Point of View
  777.  
  778. Advantages
  779.  
  780. Because the omniscient point of view allows the author to use multiple viewpoint characters (he can see the story from all the characters' points of view), the author has the freedom to move from character to character as necessary to tell the story effectively.
  781. The author can switch smoothly among several viewpoint characters if the scene demands it.
  782. This point of view allows authors to tell complicated stories, using the perspectives of various characters.
  783. Disadvantages
  784.  
  785. The third person point of view lacks the immediacy and emotion and power that come from having a character in the story telling the story (first person point of view).
  786.  
  787. In Chekhov's story "The Wager," the author is able to switch viewpoint characters from the banker to the jurist. He needs to show both characters points of view to show how each has changed over a fifteen year period.
  788.  
  789. The jurist began to change his point of view about what was important in life as he went from reading light literature to study languages .........
  790.  
  791. ..... to reading philosophy and history and the classics.
  792.  
  793. Chekhov shows, by using third person omniscient point of view that the jurist has become:
  794.  
  795. " . . .a man, hardly human in appearance. He resembled a skeleton covered with skin, with long womanlike hair and a shaggy beard. His face was yellow, with earthy tints and hollow cheeks."
  796.  
  797.  
  798. But Chekhov must switch viewpoints when he says of the banker, at the end of fifteen years:
  799.  
  800. "Never before, not even after sustaining serious losses on the Exchange, had he despised himself as he did at the moment. When he reached his own house he went to bed, but the emotion he had just experienced, and tears that he could not repress, kept him long awake . . ."
  801.  
  802.  
  803. Both men had been forever changed by their experience that had ensued from the wager.
  804.  
  805.  
  806. Listen to this lesson
  807. Point of View
  808. The Same Woman from Different Points of View
  809. The same person, situation, setting, etc. can be seen in a completely different light depending on the personality of the person looking at it. In "The Cask of Amontillado," how do you think the story would have changed if it had been told from Fortunato's point of view?
  810.  
  811. He was slightly drunk so he may not have been aware of how deep into the catacombs Montresor was taking him.
  812. He was arrogant enough not to want Montresor to consult Lucchesi about the quality of the Amontillado.
  813. He thought Montresor was a friend who valued his opinion about wine and would never harm him.
  814. He thinks Montresor is playing a joke on him when he begins to wall him up in the niche.
  815. He is devastated and terrified when he realizes Montresor means to bury him alive.
  816. Let's look at another scenario involving a teacher Ms. Taylor, as seen by several of her students. Click on the frame below to view a short presentation on point of view.
  817.  
  818. Click here to download a text version of the presentation.
  819.  
  820.  
  821.  
  822. Listen to this lesson
  823. Review of Literary Terms
  824. Literary Terms
  825. You should be familiar with the following literary terms that have been introduced in this unit.
  826.  
  827. Literary Term Definition
  828. Conflict the struggle found in fiction. Conflict may be internal or external and is best seen in (1) man in conflict with another man; (2) man in conflict in nature; (3) man in conflict with self.
  829. Verbal irony when an author says one thing and means something else.
  830. Narrator the voice or person telling the story
  831. Protagonist the main character in the story who is helped by allied forces and is battling against other forces.
  832. Allusion a brief reference to a person, event, or place (real or fictitious), or to a work of art. Casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion
  833. Theme the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express.
  834. Point of view the angle from which a story is told.
  835. First person point of view
  836. the story is told by someone who is in the story.
  837.  
  838. Third person limited point of view the story is told by the author outside of the story by through the eyes of only one character
  839. Third person omniscient point of view the story is told by the author outside of the story but can see into the minds of all the characters.
  840. Foreshadowing the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature.
  841. Flashback when the action of the story is interrupted to tell of earlier events.
  842. Metaphor comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be" and not using like or as.
  843. Simile the comparison of two unlike things using like or as.
  844. Personification giving human qualities to animals or objects.
  845.  
  846. Listen to this lesson
  847. Theme
  848. Theme is the underlying meaning of the story, a universal truth, a significant statement the story is making about society, human nature, or the human condition.
  849.  
  850. A book's theme must be described in universal terms, not in terms of the plot. The plot is the way the universal theme is carried out in that particular book. Themes can be applied to the reader's own life or to other literature.
  851.  
  852. Although themes can convey important messages, they should never be overtly didactic. Didacticism is preaching and teaching so explicitly that the readers lose pleasure in the story and reject its message.
  853.  
  854. The primary theme is the most important theme in the story; children's books usually have one primary theme. There may be other secondary themes as well.
  855.  
  856. Types of themes:
  857.  
  858. An explicit theme is one that is stated openly in the book. It is stated in universal terms in the book itself.
  859. An implicit theme is one which is not directly stated, but which the reader can infer. Many times, readers will not notice that an explicit theme is directly stated, but they can often infer the theme anyway.
  860. Themes must be clearly stated; one word is not usually enough. To say that a book's theme is "friendship" is not clear. It may mean, "Friends are a person's most valuable possession." It may also mean, "Friends can never be trusted if their own interests are opposed to yours."
  861.  
  862. An understanding of theme is dependent upon one's previous experience of life and literature. At the same time, theme in literature can enlarge one's understanding of life.
  863.  
  864. Not every good book has a significant theme; some books' value lies in the pleasure they give, rather than the message they bring. Books of humor, for instance, may or may not have a significant theme.
  865.  
  866. Discovering Theme
  867. Does theme seem elusive? Hard to find? Never specifically one thing or another? Perhaps it is difficult to “pin down” if you don’t know what clues to use to find it. The reader discovers the ideas controlling the story primarily by responding to clues. It is up to the reader to identify, follow, arrange, and interpret the writer’s clues in order to discover the theme.
  868.  
  869. Let’s start our treasure hunt! Click on the frame below to view a presentation on discovering theme.
  870.  
  871. Click here to download a text version of the presentation.
  872.  
  873.  
  874.  
  875. Listen to this lesson
  876. Theme
  877. Practice Activity: Finding Theme
  878. Using the "clues to finding theme" from the previous presentation, fill in the following chart for each of the fables that follow.
  879.  
  880. Click here to download a text version of the table chart.
  881.  
  882. Title Main Element (e.g., greed, jealousy, etc.) Problem Solution Moral
  883.  
  884.  
  885.  
  886.  
  887.  
  888.  
  889.  
  890.  
  891.  
  892.  
  893. 1. The Frog and the Ox
  894. "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."
  895.  
  896. "Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see."
  897.  
  898. So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out.
  899.  
  900. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.
  901.  
  902. "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.
  903.  
  904. Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.
  905.  
  906. "Bigger, Father, bigger," was the reply.
  907.  
  908. So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled. And then he said, "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as this." But at that moment he burst.
  909.  
  910. 2. Patty the Milkmaid
  911. Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a pail on her head. As she went along, she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk.
  912.  
  913. "I'll buy some fowls from Farmer Brown," said she, "and they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the parson's wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs, I'll buy myself a new dimity frock and a chip hat; and when I go to market, won't all the young men come up and speak to me!"
  914.  
  915. "Polly Shaw will be that jealous; but I don't care. I shall just look at her and toss my head like this."
  916.  
  917. As she spoke she tossed her head back, the pail fell off it, and all the milk was spilt. So she had to go home and tell her mother what had occurred.
  918.  
  919. "Ah, my child," said the mother.
  920.  
  921. Once you have completed this practice, go on to the assignment to check your understanding.
  922.  
  923.  
  924. Listen to this lesson
  925. Pessimism and Optimism
  926. Literature reflects the fact that life provides real grounds for both pessimism and optimism.
  927.  
  928. A story can be considered optimistic if it suggests possibilities of:
  929.  
  930. Human happiness
  931. Individual goodness
  932. Improvement in society and how it helps those in need
  933. Harmony within relationships
  934. Long-term hopefulness
  935. A story can be considered pessimistic if it emphasizes:
  936.  
  937. Human frailties (e.g., greed, jealousy, selfishness, lack of compassion, etc.)
  938. Powerlessness
  939. Failure (personal, professional, societal, etc.)
  940. Unhappiness
  941. Despair
  942.  
  943. Listen to this lesson
  944. Themes in "The Trout"
  945. Examine "The Trout" for specific references to each of the following human experiences. Determine what the story implies about each of them, identifying what support there is from the story for your choices.
  946.  
  947. Try the following problems below. Check to see if you have the correct answer by clicking the blue Show Answer button Show Answer below the question.
  948.  
  949. Fear/Terror
  950.  
  951. Show Answer Button
  952.  
  953. Answer: Julia enjoys the challenge of the laurel walk and it has therefore become largely ritualistic. These children do not cower at the edge of the forest. One theme in the story suggests the possibility of confronting and surmounting personal fear.
  954.  
  955. Joy
  956.  
  957. Show Answer Button
  958.  
  959. Answer: Julia is often joyful even as she is fearful, e.g. “she emerged gasping, clasping her hands, laughing, drinking in the sun.” The story suggests a link between terror and joy; confronting fear yields happiness.
  960.  
  961. Disillusionment
  962.  
  963. Show Answer Button
  964.  
  965. Answer: Julia is disillusioned about Santa Claus, the Stork, etc. but the story suggests that this disillusionment is a normal part of growing up and leads to healthy skepticism, not despair.
  966.  
  967. Growing up
  968.  
  969. Show Answer Button
  970.  
  971. Answer: Julia finds herself, at twelve, between childhood innocence and adult responsibility which, the story implies is normal for pre-adolescence.
  972.  
  973. Family life
  974.  
  975. Show Answer Button
  976.  
  977. Answer: Family life appears to be happy with parents that are concerned about how their children perceive their world. The story implies that happiness and security are possible although not necessarily permanent.
  978.  
  979. Human power
  980.  
  981. Show Answer Button
  982.  
  983. Answer: Julia responds to the idea that there is no Fairy Godmother by acting implying that people need not be passive victims or idle spectators.
  984.  
  985.  
  986. Theme Practice Exercise
  987. In one sentence, write what you consider to be the theme of the story, "The Trout." Be sure that you do not mention specific actions or characters in your theme statement. Themes should be universal.
  988.  
  989.  
  990. Allusion
  991. Allusion is a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. Casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion.
  992.  
  993. Often an allusion will help the reader determine the author's theme as in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O'Henry, the author intends for the reader to compare the selflessness with which the Magi (the three Wise Men) give their gifts to the Baby Jesus and the selflessness with which each of the young people in the story sell something precious to them in order to give the other a wonderful and unexpected Christmas gift.
  994.  
  995. See if you know what the reference is for the following allusions.
  996.  
  997. Try the following problems below. Check to see if you have the correct answer by clicking the blue Show Answer button Show Answer below the question.
  998.  
  999. Judas
  1000.  
  1001. Show Answer Button
  1002.  
  1003. Answer: A traitor; From the Judas in the Bible that disclosed Jesus’ whereabouts for thirty pieces of silver.
  1004.  
  1005. Job
  1006.  
  1007. Show Answer Button
  1008.  
  1009. Answer: One who suffers a great deal but remains faithful; from the character of Job in the Bible who, though his family was lost, remained patient and faithful.
  1010.  
  1011. To shanghai someone
  1012.  
  1013. Show Answer Button
  1014.  
  1015. Answer: To cheat or steal or to get by trickery or force; from the seaport in East China where sailors were often forced to work on illegal voyages.
  1016.  
  1017. To stonewall something
  1018.  
  1019. Show Answer Button
  1020.  
  1021. Answer: Hinder or obstruct by delaying tactics; relating to Stonewall Jackson, Confederate General; a remark made at the Battle of Bull Run, “Look at Jackson’s men; they stand like a stone wall.”
  1022.  
  1023. Waterloo
  1024.  
  1025. Show Answer Button
  1026.  
  1027. Answer: A decisive or final defeat or setback; place of Napoleon’s last defeat.
  1028.  
  1029. Prodigal Son
  1030.  
  1031. Show Answer Button
  1032.  
  1033. Answer: A wasteful son who disappoints his father; from the Bible story of the man with two sons, who split his estate between the two. When the younger son spent all of the money, he came crawling back to his father, who accepted him, pardoning his error by saying he was “lost but was found.”
  1034.  
  1035. Romeo
  1036.  
  1037. Show Answer Button
  1038.  
  1039. Answer: One who is impulsively romantic, falls in love easily; from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet where Romeo, a boy of fifteen, falls in love with Juliet after only seeing her once.
  1040.  
  1041. Attila
  1042.  
  1043. Show Answer Button
  1044.  
  1045. Answer: To be a barbarian, rough leader; King of the Huns from 433-453 and the most successful of the barbarian invaders of the Roman Empire.
  1046.  
  1047. Scrooge
  1048.  
  1049. Show Answer Button
  1050.  
  1051. Answer: To be greedy and lack compassion; from the character in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens where Scrooge is visited by three ghosts to show him that his greed was not making him happy.
  1052.  
  1053. Mother Teresa
  1054.  
  1055. Show Answer Button
  1056.  
  1057. Answer: To be totally selfless and giving to the needs of others; from Albanian nun who went into the poorest sections of India to help those who were sick and dying.
  1058. Question Number 1 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1059. Question Text
  1060. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  1061.  
  1062. I tried to _________ my parents the humiliation of having a son that was failing math; so I studied much harder.
  1063. Your Answer
  1064. A. spare
  1065. Question Number 2 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1066. Question Text
  1067. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  1068.  
  1069. The school principal _________ his secretary and the counselors.
  1070. Your Answer
  1071. A. works with
  1072. Question Number 3 Points: 0.00/2.00
  1073. Question Text
  1074. In "The Wager," the "end" of the story begins after the jurist leaves his confinement.
  1075. Your Answer
  1076. False
  1077. Question Number 4 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1078. Question Text
  1079. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  1080.  
  1081. After the garbage man _________ garbage all over our front yard, I began putting my garbage out in the back alley.
  1082. Your Answer
  1083. B. scattered
  1084. Question Number 5 Points: 2.00/2.00
  1085. Question Text
  1086. In "The Wager," the climax comes at the end of the middle section of the story after which the author "ties up loose ends" by telling the reader what happened to each major character.
  1087. Your Answer
  1088. True
  1089. Question Number 6 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1090. Question Text
  1091. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  1092.  
  1093. Our plan began to _________ as soon as our parents found out about it.
  1094. Your Answer
  1095. C. collapse
  1096. Question Number 7 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1097. Question Text
  1098. Read the excerpt from John Steinbeck’s classic American novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Refer to this excerpt from Chapter 5 to answer the questions.
  1099.  
  1100. The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it.
  1101.  
  1102. In The Grapes of Wrath, the bank can be considered as what?
  1103. Your Answer
  1104. C. A persona
  1105. Question Number 8 Points: 0.00/2.00
  1106. Question Text
  1107. In "The Wager," the banker was probably motivated to make the wager by his hatred for the jurist.
  1108. Your Answer
  1109. True
  1110. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1111. Question Text
  1112. In "The Cask of Amontillado," which of the following is the setting of the story?
  1113. Your Answer
  1114. A. 1850s in Italy
  1115. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1116. Question Text
  1117. Why is the following an example of personification?
  1118.  
  1119. The alarm clock shouted at me as it alerted me to wake up.
  1120. Your Answer
  1121. A. An alarm clock cannot literally shout.
  1122. Question Number 11 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1123. Question Text
  1124. What does an author mean when he writes that a "piano sings"?
  1125.  
  1126. Your Answer
  1127. B. The piano makes beautiful music.
  1128. Question Number 12 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1129. Question Text
  1130. If a television "springs to life," what has that TV done?
  1131. Your Answer
  1132. A. It suddenly begins working.
  1133. Question Number 13 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1134. Question Text
  1135. "My computer hates me" is an example of personification. How would a computer given this characteristic be performing?
  1136. Your Answer
  1137. B. Poorly
  1138. Question Number 14 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1139. Question Text
  1140. In "The Cask of Amontillado," according to Montresor, revenge would not be successful if....
  1141. Your Answer
  1142. C. his victim knew who had punished him
  1143. Question Number 15 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1144. Question Text
  1145. Read the excerpt from John Steinbeck’s classic American novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Refer to the excerpt, which is a quote from the character Jim Casy, to answer the questions.
  1146.  
  1147. From The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 4:
  1148.  
  1149. “Before I knowed it, I was sayin' out loud, 'The hell with it! There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing.' . . . . I says, 'What's this call, this sperit?' An' I says, 'It's love. I love people so much I'm fit to bust, sometimes.' . . . . I figgered, 'Why do we got to hang it on God or Jesus? Maybe,' I figgered, 'maybe it's all men an' all women we love; maybe that's the Holy Sperit--the human sperit--the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of.' Now I sat there thinkin' it, an' all of a suddent--I knew it. I knew it so deep down that it was true, and I still know it.” (Jim Casy)
  1150.  
  1151. Based Jim Casy’s dialogue, what could you infer (or guess) about his character?
  1152. Your Answer
  1153. B. He is impoverished.
  1154. Question Number 16 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1155. Question Text
  1156. Choose the best term to define...(stubborn)
  1157. Your Answer
  1158. A. obstinate
  1159. Question Number 17 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1160. Question Text
  1161. In "The Cask of Amontillado," based on Montresor's actions throughout the story, the reader can conclude that he is...
  1162. Your Answer
  1163. D. rational and open-minded
  1164. Question Number 18 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1165. Question Text
  1166. Many authors use references to other authors, works of art, or historical events. What is this literary device called?
  1167. Your Answer
  1168. A. Allusion
  1169. Question Number 19 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1170. Question Text
  1171. What is another term for the main character in a story?
  1172. Your Answer
  1173. A. Protagonist
  1174. Question Number 20 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1175. Question Text
  1176. Answer the question about the following text.
  1177.  
  1178. The Frog and the Ox
  1179.  
  1180. "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."
  1181. "Tush, child, tush,"" said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see.""
  1182. So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out.
  1183. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.
  1184. "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.
  1185. Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.
  1186. "Bigger, Father, bigger," was the reply.
  1187. So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled. And then he said, "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as this." But at that moment he burst.
  1188.  
  1189. What is the moral of the story?
  1190. Your Answer
  1191. A. Not all creatures can become as great as they think.
  1192. Question Number 21 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1193. Question Text
  1194. What best defines the plot of a story?
  1195. Your Answer
  1196. B. The story's sequence of events or actions
  1197. Question Number 22 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1198. Question Text
  1199. Which of the following plot elements came first in the plot of "The Wager?"
  1200. Your Answer
  1201. C. The banker bets the jurist that he would not be able to remain in solitary confinement for even five years.
  1202. Question Number 23 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1203. Question Text
  1204. In "The Cask of Amontillado," how long has it been that no one has disturbed Fortunato's bones?
  1205. Your Answer
  1206. D. Half a century
  1207. Question Number 24 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1208. Question Text
  1209. If someone says, "The chocolate pie is calling my name," what does the speaker mean?
  1210. Your Answer
  1211. C. The speaker wants a piece of pie.
  1212. Question Number 25 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1213. Question Text
  1214. In which part of the plot structure can you expect to find the most exciting part of the story?
  1215. Your Answer
  1216. C. The climax
  1217. Question Number 26 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1218. Question Text
  1219.  
  1220. Answer the question about the following text.
  1221. The Frog and the Ox
  1222. "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."
  1223. "Tush, child, tush,"" said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see.""
  1224. So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out.
  1225. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.
  1226. "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.
  1227. Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.
  1228. "Bigger, Father, bigger," was the reply.
  1229. So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled. And then he said, "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as this." But at that moment he burst.
  1230.  
  1231. How does the old frog feel about the white ox?
  1232. Your Answer
  1233. D. He is scared of him.
  1234. Question Number 27 Points: 0.00/2.00
  1235. Question Text
  1236. In "The Wager," although the jurist is disenchanted with the greed and lack of compassion most men have, the banker is decidedly better off as he has learned his lesson and knows he is a better man for it.
  1237. Your Answer
  1238. True
  1239. Question Number 28 Points: 0.00/2.00
  1240. Question Text
  1241. In "The Wager," after fifteen years of imprisonment, the man was anxious to leave his cell and spend the two million dollars.
  1242. Your Answer
  1243. True
  1244. Question Number 29 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1245. Question Text
  1246. Choose the most vivid (i.e. the most specific) verb to complete this sentence:
  1247.  
  1248. The boys began _________ each other as soon as they got out of school.
  1249. Your Answer
  1250. A. pummeling
  1251.  
  1252. Listen to this lesson
  1253. Surrealism
  1254. The Surrealist movement in art gained momentum at the end of the First World War when the world was disillusioned with the truths they had always held dear. This was not “the war to end all wars” and it did not necessarily “save the world for democracy” or if it did, the price had been astronomical. Surrealism came on the heels of the introspective works of the psychologists Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. It was lead by Andre Breton, a French doctor who had fought in the trenches during the First World War. Some of the artists in the group expressed themselves in the abstract tradition, while others expressed themselves in the symbolic tradition.
  1255.  
  1256. Famous Surrealists:
  1257.  
  1258. Carl Jung
  1259. Sigmund Freud
  1260. Andre Breton
  1261. In general, the Surrealists believed:
  1262.  
  1263. The images of the subconcious should not be burdened with meaning but able to "flow freely" relying on feeling more than analysis to interpret them;
  1264. The academic discipline of art, (a tree should look like a tree), destroyed the free expression of feeling;
  1265. That lack of recognizable form was a way to rebel against "the establishment"; and,
  1266. Through metaphor, the concrete world could be understood.
  1267.  
  1268. Listen to this lesson
  1269. Surrealism
  1270. Surrealism in Art
  1271. Surrealism is an early 20th-century movement in art and literature that tried to represent the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery and placing (side by side) elements that seem to contradict each other. Watch the following presentation which provides examples and illustrations of surrealism in art.
  1272.  
  1273. Click here to download a text version of the presentation.
  1274.  
  1275.  
  1276.  
  1277.  
  1278. Listen to this lesson
  1279. Symbolism
  1280.  
  1281. Guy de Maupassant
  1282. A symbol is a person, object or event that suggests more than its literal meaning. In other words, it is something that has two levels of meaning: on the literal level it is what it is (the actual necklace in "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant); on the non-literal level it would represent a more "hidden" meaning (the wife's vanity, the sacrifices the couple made, deceit, the life they could have had). Determining the meaning of a symbol (or if something is a symbol at all) is often a matter of close reading and interpretation--the reader must pick up on the contextual clues supplied by the writer.
  1283.  
  1284. Sometimes, of course, there is not much ambiguity involved, since we are surrounded by conventional symbols and natural symbols whose meanings are already basically predetermined. A conventional symbol is one that is very widely recognized by a society as a symbol. For example, a country's flag is a symbol of that country itself as well as the characteristics associated with that symbol. (Our flag not only represents the United States but, to some, also represents "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.") A natural symbol, as its name implies, is a generally recognized symbol that is connected to nature itself. The season of fall and the sunset, for example, are generally associated with dying, while spring and sunrise often are associated with birth or new life. However, many difficulties in reading symbols exist with literary symbols, where the author determines what the symbol will imply.
  1285.  
  1286.  
  1287. D. H. Lawrence
  1288. When a story revolves around or focuses on a single symbolic object, as in the case of "The Necklace," the object operates as a central symbol. Unlike allegory, where the reader encounters universal symbols with traditional meanings, it is not possible to reduce the necklace to a single meaning. In some stories, symbolism comes from symbolic gesture (a repeated gesture or act) as in D. H. Lawrence's "The Rocking Horse Winner." In other works, the symbol is a place or environment, as in Frank Baum's Oz books (symbolic environments) If there does not seem to be a literal level for a story's symbol--if it seems to be one extended set of symbols, a universal meaning, or represents general truths or abstract concepts about the human condition--the story is termed an allegory (found in Kafka 's or Marquez's works).
  1289.  
  1290. Why do authors use symbols? Because they are subtle, non-intrusive ways of getting meaning across. Most readers hate being whacked over the head with obvious "messages," and symbols are ways of telling a reader something without having to come right out and state it directly. Symbols work in conveying meaning because our unconscious minds are used to dealing with them--when we dream, we dream in symbols, according to modern psychology. Symbols also pervade our spiritual lives, so most of us grow accustomed to seeing them from an early age.
  1291.  
  1292. Listen to this lesson
  1293. Symbolism
  1294. Literary Terms Vocabulary
  1295. Review the following literary terms related to symbols and symbolism in literature.
  1296.  
  1297. Literary Terms
  1298. Term Definition
  1299. allegory A set of symbols that represent a universal truth about the human condition.
  1300. ambiguous symbols Symbols which could have several meanings depending on how the story was interpreted.
  1301. central symbol A symbol around which a story or piece of fiction is created.
  1302. contextual clues Hints that the reader uses in the work in order to determine the meaning of the symbols.
  1303. conventional symbol A symbol that is widely recognized by a society.
  1304. literary symbols Symbols which are created and used by an author to stand for a particular idea of his own making.
  1305. natural symbol A symbol that is associated with nature or natural elements.
  1306. symbolic environments A place that is used as a symbol in a fictional work.
  1307. symbolic gesture A repeated act that is used consistently throughout a work.
  1308. symbolism The use of a person, object or event that represents more than its literal meaning.
  1309.  
  1310. Listen to this lesson
  1311. Symbolism
  1312.  
  1313. Click here for a long description of the image above.
  1314.  
  1315. The Son of Man, 1964
  1316. Magritte, a French Surrealist painter, uses symbolism in his paintings to represent the idea that too often, people hide their true identity from the outside world. In the picture "The Son of Man," Magritte uses an apple to hide the face of the man to represent the idea that man's identity and individuality are too often hidden even from those he knows the best. However, because there is an assumption that there is a face behind the apple, people often "fill in the blanks" and assume that others have qualities or values that they would like to see in their friends/acquaintances. Often, the attachment to these assumptions is so strong, that the truth of "what is really behind the apple" is discounted for "what I would like there to be behind the apple."
  1317.  
  1318.  
  1319. Listen to this lesson
  1320. Symbolism
  1321. Symbolism Practice Activity
  1322. For this practice activity, you will read a short story and write one paragraph discussing the symbolism in the story. You are getting ready to read a horror novella by Franz Kafka regarding Gregor Samsa and how he turns from a human into a bug. Other famous authors have written spooky stories, such as Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart." The spooky story you will read for this practice activity is William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily." Go online and search for the title. Print the story and annotate (take notes) the story looking specifically for references to symbolism.
  1323.  
  1324.  
  1325. Listen to this lesson
  1326. Franz Kafka
  1327. Franz Kafka, who was born in 1883 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, introduced many autobiographical elements into his novella, Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa's dissatisfaction with his job as a traveling salesman mirrors Kafka's own frustration with his work as an insurance lawyer. He felt the work was often meaningless and unfulfilling and that he was being forced to do his family's bidding in order to be "the good son." His own relationships with his aggressive and threatening father and his nondescript and placating mother are seen in Gregor's relationships with his family as his "metamorphosis" becomes more and more apparent. This novella puts into perspective the grotesque but alternately tragic and comic relationships humans have with family and friends.
  1328.  
  1329. Just as Magritte, Dali and Picasso blur the edges of their paintings between reality and fantasy, so does Kafka in his novel Metamorphosis. In both paintings and novel, the absurdity of a world in which man often has little control over his environment or well-being is depicted symbolically, either by becoming overnight a dung beetle, as in Kafka's novel, or by having one's face and identity obscured by an apple as in Magritte's The Son of Man. By becoming "surreal", beyond real, both kinds of artists, the literary and the artistic, indicate that reality is often distorted by what we think it should be or hope it will be!
  1330.  
  1331. Although Kafka is associated with surrealism, he was not intentionally of that school. He is a surrealist because of the influence of his own dreams on his content, which is by coincidence a surrealist technique.
  1332.  
  1333. Think About It
  1334.  
  1335. A metamorphosis is a "change in form or body" such as the change of a caterpillar into a butterfly or moth and the change of a tadpole into a frog or toad. One can also use the term metaphorically to indicate a change in attitude or value system.
  1336.  
  1337. Think about the following questions:
  1338.  
  1339. How did you feel when you got up this morning?
  1340. What if you woke up as a cat? A rat? What difficulties would you have that you do not have now?
  1341. Our main character in the story wakes up as a bug. How would waking up as a bug change the way you feel about yourself and about how others perceive you?
  1342.  
  1343. Listen to this lesson
  1344. Reading Assignment: Metamorphosis Part I
  1345. Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka
  1346.  
  1347. Translated by David Wyllie
  1348.  
  1349. One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked.
  1350.  
  1351. "What's happened to me?" he thought. It wasn't a dream. His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table - Samsa was a traveling salesman - and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.
  1352.  
  1353. Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad. "How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense", he thought, but that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn't get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was. He must have tried it a hundred times, shut his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at the floundering legs, and only stopped when he began to feel a mild, dull pain there that he had never felt before.
  1354.  
  1355. "Oh, God, he thought, what a strenuous career it is that I've chosen! Traveling day in and day out. Doing business like this takes much more effort than doing your own business at home, and on top of that there's the curse of traveling, worries about making train connections, bad and irregular food, contact with different people all the time so that you can never get to know anyone or become friendly with them. It can all go to Hell!" He felt a slight itch up on his belly; pushed himself slowly up on his back towards the headboard so that he could lift his head better; found where the itch was, and saw that it was covered with lots of little white spots which he didn't know what to make of; and when he tried to feel the place with one of his legs he drew it quickly back because as soon as he touched it he was overcome by a cold shudder.
  1356.  
  1357. He slid back into his former position. "Getting up early all the time", he thought, "it makes you stupid. You've got to get enough sleep. Other traveling salesmen live a life of luxury. For instance, whenever I go back to the guest house during the morning to copy out the contract, these gentlemen are always still sitting there eating their breakfasts. I ought to just try that with my boss; I'd get kicked out on the spot. But who knows, maybe that would be the best thing for me. If I didn't have my parents to think about I'd have given in my notice a long time ago, I'd have gone up to the boss and told him just what I think, tell him everything I would, let him know just what I feel. He'd fall right off his desk! And it's a funny sort of business to be sitting up there at your desk, talking down at your subordinates from up there, especially when you have to go right up close because the boss is hard of hearing. Well, there's still some hope; once I've got the money together to pay off my parents' debt to him - another five or six years I suppose - that's definitely what I'll do. That's when I'll make the big change. First of all though, I've got to get up, my train leaves at five."
  1358.  
  1359. And he looked over at the alarm clock, ticking on the chest of drawers. "God in Heaven!" he thought. It was half past six and the hands were quietly moving forwards, it was even later than half past, more like quarter to seven. Had the alarm clock not rung? He could see from the bed that it had been set for four o'clock as it should have been; it certainly must have rung. Yes, but was it possible to quietly sleep through that furniture-rattling noise? True, he had not slept peacefully, but probably all the more deeply because of that. What should he do now? The next train went at seven; if he were to catch that he would have to rush like mad and the collection of samples was still not packed, and he did not at all feel particularly fresh and lively. And even if he did catch the train he would not avoid his boss's anger as the office assistant would have been there to see the five o'clock train go, he would have put in his report about Gregor's not being there a long time ago. The office assistant was the boss's man, spineless, and with no understanding. What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely strained and suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor's recommendation not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was ever ill but that many were workshy. And what's more, would he have been entirely wrong in this case? Gregor did in fact, apart from excessive sleepiness after sleeping for so long, feel completely well and even felt much hungrier than usual.
  1360.  
  1361. He was still hurriedly thinking all this through, unable to decide to get out of the bed, when the clock struck quarter to seven. There was a cautious knock at the door near his head. "Gregor", somebody called - it was his mother - "it's quarter to seven. Didn't you want to go somewhere?" That gentle voice! Gregor was shocked when he heard his own voice answering, it could hardly be recognized as the voice he had had before. As if from deep inside him, there was a painful and uncontrollable squeaking mixed in with it, the words could be made out at first but then there was a sort of echo which made them unclear, leaving the hearer unsure whether he had heard properly or not. Gregor had wanted to give a full answer and explain everything, but in the circumstances contented himself with saying: "Yes, mother, yes, thank-you, I'm getting up now." The change in Gregor's voice probably could not be noticed outside through the wooden door, as his mother was satisfied with this explanation and shuffled away. But this short conversation made the other members of the family aware that Gregor, against their expectations was still at home, and soon his father came knocking at one of the side doors, gently, but with his fist. "Gregor, Gregor", he called, "what's wrong?" And after a short while he called again with a warning deepness in his voice: "Gregor! Gregor!" At the other side door his sister came plaintively: Gregor? Aren't you well? Do you need anything? Gregor answered to both sides: "I'm ready, now", making an effort to remove all the strangeness from his voice by enunciating very carefully and putting long pauses between each, individual word. His father went back to his breakfast, but his sister whispered: "Gregor, open the door, I beg of you." Gregor, however, had no thought of opening the door, and instead congratulated himself for his cautious habit, acquired from his traveling, of locking all doors at night even when he was at home.
  1362.  
  1363. The first thing he wanted to do was to get up in peace without being disturbed, to get dressed, and most of all to have his breakfast. Only then would he consider what to do next, as he was well aware that he would not bring his thoughts to any sensible conclusions by lying in bed. He remembered that he had often felt a slight pain in bed, perhaps caused by lying awkwardly, but that had always turned out to be pure imagination and he wondered how his imaginings would slowly resolve themselves today. He did not have the slightest doubt that the change in his voice was nothing more than the first sign of a serious cold, which was an occupational hazard for traveling salesmen.
  1364.  
  1365. It was a simple matter to throw off the covers; he only had to blow himself up a little and they fell off by themselves. But it became difficult after that, especially as he was so exceptionally broad. He would have used his arms and his hands to push himself up; but instead of them he only had all those little legs continuously moving in different directions, and which he was moreover unable to control. If he wanted to bend one of them, then that was the first one that would stretch itself out; and if he finally managed to do what he wanted with that leg, all the others seemed to be set free and would move about painfully. "This is something that can't be done in bed", Gregor said to himself, "so don't keep trying to do it".
  1366.  
  1367. The first thing he wanted to do was get the lower part of his body out of the bed, but he had never seen this lower part, and could not imagine what it looked like; it turned out to be too hard to move; it went so slowly; and finally, almost in a frenzy, when he carelessly shoved himself forwards with all the force he could gather, he chose the wrong direction, hit hard against the lower bedpost, and learned from the burning pain he felt that the lower part of his body might well, at present, be the most sensitive.
  1368.  
  1369. So then he tried to get the top part of his body out of the bed first, carefully turning his head to the side. This he managed quite easily, and despite its breadth and its weight, the bulk of his body eventually followed slowly in the direction of the head. But when he had at last got his head out of the bed and into the fresh air it occurred to him that if he let himself fall it would be a miracle if his head were not injured, so he became afraid to carry on pushing himself forward the same way. And he could not knock himself out now at any price; better to stay in bed than lose consciousness.
  1370.  
  1371. It took just as much effort to get back to where he had been earlier, but when he lay there sighing, and was once more watching his legs as they struggled against each other even harder than before, if that was possible, he could think of no way of bringing peace and order to this chaos. He told himself once more that it was not possible for him to stay in bed and that the most sensible thing to do would be to get free of it in whatever way he could at whatever sacrifice. At the same time, though, he did not forget to remind himself that calm consideration was much better than rushing to desperate conclusions. At times like this he would direct his eyes to the window and look out as clearly as he could, but unfortunately, even the other side of the narrow street was enveloped in morning fog and the view had little confidence or cheer to offer him. "Seven o'clock, already", he said to himself when the clock struck again, "seven o'clock, and there's still a fog like this." And he lay there quietly a while longer, breathing lightly as if he perhaps expected the total stillness to bring things back to their real and natural state.
  1372.  
  1373. But then he said to himself: "Before it strikes quarter past seven I'll definitely have to have got properly out of bed. And by then somebody will have come round from work to ask what's happened to me as well, as they open up at work before seven o'clock." And so he set himself to the task of swinging the entire length of his body out of the bed all at the same time. If he succeeded in falling out of bed in this way and kept his head raised as he did so he could probably avoid injuring it. His back seemed to be quite hard, and probably nothing would happen to it falling onto the carpet. His main concern was for the loud noise he was bound to make, and which even through all the doors would probably raise concern if not alarm. But it was something that had to be risked.
  1374.  
  1375. When Gregor was already sticking half way out of the bed - the new method was more of a game than an effort, all he had to do was rock back and forth - it occurred to him how simple everything would be if somebody came to help him. Two strong people - he had his father and the maid in mind - would have been more than enough; they would only have to push their arms under the dome of his back, peel him away from the bed, bend down with the load and then be patient and careful as he swang over onto the floor, where, hopefully, the little legs would find a use. Should he really call for help though, even apart from the fact that all the doors were locked? Despite all the difficulty he was in, he could not suppress a smile at this thought.
  1376.  
  1377. After a while he had already moved so far across that it would have been hard for him to keep his balance if he rocked too hard. The time was now ten past seven and he would have to make a final decision very soon. Then there was a ring at the door of the flat. "That'll be someone from work," he said to himself, and froze very still, although his little legs only became all the more lively as they danced around. For a moment everything remained quiet. "They're not opening the door", Gregor said to himself, caught in some nonsensical hope. But then of course, the maid's firm steps went to the door as ever and opened it. Gregor only needed to hear the visitor's first words of greeting and he knew who it was - the chief clerk himself. Why did Gregor have to be the only one condemned to work for a company where they immediately became highly suspicious at the slightest shortcoming? Were all employees, every one of them, louts, was there not one of them who was faithful and devoted who would go so mad with pangs of conscience that he couldn't get out of bed if he didn't spend at least a couple of hours in the morning on company business? Was it really not enough to let one of the trainees make enquiries - assuming enquiries were even necessary - did the chief clerk have to come himself, and did they have to show the whole, innocent family that this was so suspicious that only the chief clerk could be trusted to have the wisdom to investigate it? And more because these thoughts had made him upset than through any proper decision, he swang himself with all his force out of the bed. There was a loud thump, but it wasn't really a loud noise. His fall was softened a little by the carpet, and Gregor's back was also more elastic than he had thought, which made the sound muffled and not too noticeable. He had not held his head carefully enough, though, and hit it as he fell; annoyed and in pain, he turned it and rubbed it against the carpet.
  1378.  
  1379. "Something's fallen down in there," said the chief clerk in the room on the left. Gregor tried to imagine whether something of the sort that had happened to him today could ever happen to the chief clerk too; you had to concede that it was possible. But as if in gruff reply to this question, the chief clerk's firm footsteps in his highly polished boots could now be heard in the adjoining room. From the room on his right, Gregor's sister whispered to him to let him know: "Gregor, the chief clerk is here." "Yes, I know", said Gregor to himself; but without daring to raise his voice loud enough for his sister to hear him.
  1380.  
  1381. "Gregor", said his father now from the room to his left, "the chief clerk has come round and wants to know why you didn't leave on the early train. We don't know what to say to him. And anyway, he wants to speak to you personally. So please open up this door. I'm sure he'll be good enough to forgive the untidiness of your room." Then the chief clerk called "Good morning, Mr. Samsa." "He isn't well," said his mother to the chief clerk, while his father continued to speak through the door. "He isn't well, please believe me. Why else would Gregor have missed a train! The lad only ever thinks about the business. It nearly makes me cross the way he never goes out in the evenings; he's been in town for a week now but stayed home every evening. He sits with us in the kitchen and just reads the paper or studies train timetables. His idea of relaxation is working with his fretsaw. He's made a little frame, for instance, it only took him two or three evenings, you'll be amazed how nice it is; it's hanging up in his room; you'll see it as soon as Gregor opens the door. Anyway, I'm glad you're here; we wouldn't have been able to get Gregor to open the door by ourselves; he's so stubborn; and I'm sure he isn't well, he said this morning that he is, but he isn't." "I'll be there in a moment," said Gregor slowly and thoughtfully, but without moving so that he would not miss any word of the conversation. "Well I can't think of any other way of explaining it, Mrs. Samsa," said the chief clerk, "I hope it's nothing serious. But on the other hand, I must say that if we people in commerce ever become slightly unwell then, fortunately or unfortunately as you like, we simply have to overcome it because of business considerations." "Can the chief clerk come in to see you now then?," asked his father impatiently, knocking at the door again. "No," said Gregor. In the room on his right there followed a painful silence; in the room on his left his sister began to cry.
  1382.  
  1383. So why did his sister not go and join the others? She had probably only just got up and had not even begun to get dressed. And why was she crying? Was it because he had not got up, and had not let the chief clerk in, because he was in danger of losing his job and if that happened his boss would once more pursue their parents with the same demands as before? There was no need to worry about things like that yet. Gregor was still there and had not the slightest intention of abandoning his family. For the time being he just lay there on the carpet, and no-one who knew the condition he was in would seriously have expected him to let the chief clerk in. It was only a minor discourtesy, and a suitable excuse could easily be found for it later on, it was not something for which Gregor could be sacked on the spot. And it seemed to Gregor much more sensible to leave him now in peace instead of disturbing him with talking at him and crying. But the others didn't know what was happening, they were worried, that would excuse their behavior.
  1384.  
  1385. The chief clerk now raised his voice, "Mr. Samsa", he called to him, "what is wrong? You barricade yourself in your room, give us no more than yes or no for an answer, you are causing serious and unnecessary concern to your parents and you fail - and I mention this just by the way - you fail to carry out your business duties in a way that is quite unheard of. I'm speaking here on behalf of your parents and of your employer, and really must request a clear and immediate explanation. I am astonished, quite astonished. I thought I knew you as a calm and sensible person, and now you suddenly seem to be showing off with peculiar whims. This morning, your employer did suggest a possible reason for your failure to appear, it's true - it had to do with the money that was recently entrusted to you - but I came near to giving him my word of honour that that could not be the right explanation. But now that I see your incomprehensible stubbornness I no longer feel any wish whatsoever to intercede on your behalf. And nor is your position all that secure. I had originally intended to say all this to you in private, but since you cause me to waste my time here for no good reason I don't see why your parents should not also learn of it. Your turnover has been very unsatisfactory of late; I grant you that it's not the time of year to do especially good business, we recognize that; but there simply is no time of year to do no business at all, Mr. Samsa, we cannot allow there to be."
  1386.  
  1387. "But Sir", called Gregor, beside himself and forgetting all else in the excitement, "I'll open up immediately, just a moment. I'm slightly unwell, an attack of dizziness, I haven't been able to get up. I'm still in bed now. I'm quite fresh again now, though. I'm just getting out of bed. Just a moment. Be patient! It's not quite as easy as I'd thought. I'm quite alright now, though. It's shocking, what can suddenly happen to a person! I was quite alright last night, my parents know about it, perhaps better than me, I had a small symptom of it last night already. They must have noticed it. I don't know why I didn't let you know at work! But you always think you can get over an illness without staying at home. Please, don't make my parents suffer! There's no basis for any of the accusations you're making; nobody's ever said a word to me about any of these things. Maybe you haven't read the latest contracts I sent in. I'll set off with the eight o'clock train, as well, these few hours of rest have given me strength. You don't need to wait, sir; I'll be in the office soon after you, and please be so good as to tell that to the boss and recommend me to him!"
  1388.  
  1389. And while Gregor gushed out these words, hardly knowing what he was saying, he made his way over to the chest of drawers - this was easily done, probably because of the practice he had already had in bed - where he now tried to get himself upright. He really did want to open the door, really did want to let them see him and to speak with the chief clerk; the others were being so insistent, and he was curious to learn what they would say when they caught sight of him. If they were shocked then it would no longer be Gregor's responsibility and he could rest. If, however, they took everything calmly he would still have no reason to be upset, and if he hurried he really could be at the station for eight o'clock. The first few times he tried to climb up on the smooth chest of drawers he just slid down again, but he finally gave himself one last swing and stood there upright; the lower part of his body was in serious pain but he no longer gave any attention to it. Now he let himself fall against the back of a nearby chair and held tightly to the edges of it with his little legs. By now he had also calmed down, and kept quiet so that he could listen to what the chief clerk was saying.
  1390.  
  1391. "Did you understand a word of all that?" the chief clerk asked his parents, "surely he's not trying to make fools of us". "Oh, God!" called his mother, who was already in tears, "he could be seriously ill and we're making him suffer. Grete! Grete!" she then cried. "Mother?" his sister called from the other side. They communicated across Gregor's room. "You'll have to go for the doctor straight away. Gregor is ill. Quick, get the doctor. Did you hear the way Gregor spoke just now?" "That was the voice of an animal", said the chief clerk, with a calmness that was in contrast with his mother's screams. "Anna! Anna!" his father called into the kitchen through the entrance hall, clapping his hands, "get a locksmith here, now!" And the two girls, their skirts swishing, immediately ran out through the hall, wrenching open the front door of the flat as they went. How had his sister managed to get dressed so quickly? There was no sound of the door banging shut again; they must have left it open; people often do in homes where something awful has happened.
  1392.  
  1393. Gregor, in contrast, had become much calmer. So they couldn't understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him, clearer than before - perhaps his ears had become used to the sound. They had realized, though, that there was something wrong with him, and were ready to help. The first response to his situation had been confident and wise, and that made him feel better. He felt that he had been drawn back in among people, and from the doctor and the locksmith he expected great and surprising achievements - although he did not really distinguish one from the other. Whatever was said next would be crucial, so, in order to make his voice as clear as possible, he coughed a little, but taking care to do this not too loudly as even this might well sound different from the way that a human coughs and he was no longer sure he could judge this for himself. Meanwhile, it had become very quiet in the next room. Perhaps his parents were sat at the table whispering with the chief clerk, or perhaps they were all pressed against the door and listening.
  1394.  
  1395. Gregor slowly pushed his way over to the door with the chair. Once there he let go of it and threw himself onto the door, holding himself upright against it using the adhesive on the tips of his legs. He rested there a little while to recover from the effort involved and then set himself to the task of turning the key in the lock with his mouth. He seemed, unfortunately, to have no proper teeth - how was he, then, to grasp the key? - but the lack of teeth was, of course, made up for with a very strong jaw; using the jaw, he really was able to start the key turning, ignoring the fact that he must have been causing some kind of damage as a brown fluid came from his mouth, flowed over the key and dripped onto the floor. "Listen", said the chief clerk in the next room, "he's turning the key." Gregor was greatly encouraged by this; but they all should have been calling to him, his father and his mother too: "Well done, Gregor", they should have cried, "keep at it, keep hold of the lock!" And with the idea that they were all excitedly following his efforts, he bit on the key with all his strength, paying no attention to the pain he was causing himself. As the key turned round he turned around the lock with it, only holding himself upright with his mouth, and hung onto the key or pushed it down again with the whole weight of his body as needed. The clear sound of the lock as it snapped back was Gregor's sign that he could break his concentration, and as he regained his breath he said to himself: "So, I didn't need the locksmith after all". Then he lay his head on the handle of the door to open it completely.
  1396.  
  1397. Because he had to open the door in this way, it was already wide open before he could be seen. He had first to slowly turn himself around one of the double doors, and he had to do it very carefully if he did not want to fall flat on his back before entering the room. He was still occupied with this difficult movement, unable to pay attention to anything else, when he heard the chief clerk exclaim a loud "Oh!", which sounded like the soughing of the wind. Now he also saw him - he was the nearest to the door - his hand pressed against his open mouth and slowly retreating as if driven by a steady and invisible force. Gregor's mother, her hair still disheveled from bed despite the chief clerk's being there, looked at his father. Then she unfolded her arms, took two steps forward towards Gregor and sank down onto the floor into her skirts that spread themselves out around her as her head disappeared down onto her breast. His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room. Then he looked uncertainly round the living room, covered his eyes with his hands and wept so that his powerful chest shook.
  1398.  
  1399. So Gregor did not go into the room, but leant against the inside of the other door which was still held bolted in place. In this way only half of his body could be seen, along with his head above it which he leant over to one side as he peered out at the others. Meanwhile the day had become much lighter; part of the endless, grey-black building on the other side of the street - which was a hospital - could be seen quite clearly with the austere and regular line of windows piercing its façade; the rain was still falling, now throwing down large, individual droplets which hit the ground one at a time. The washing up from breakfast lay on the table; there was so much of it because, for Gregor's father, breakfast was the most important meal of the day and he would stretch it out for several hours as he sat reading a number of different newspapers. On the wall exactly opposite there was photograph of Gregor when he was a lieutenant in the army, his sword in his hand and a carefree smile on his face as he called forth respect for his uniform and bearing. The door to the entrance hall was open and as the front door of the flat was also open he could see onto the landing and the stairs where they began their way down below.
  1400.  
  1401. "Now, then", said Gregor, well aware that he was the only one to have kept calm, "I'll get dressed straight away now, pack up my samples and set off. Will you please just let me leave? You can see", he said to the chief clerk, "that I'm not stubborn and like I like to do my job; being a commercial traveler is arduous but without traveling I couldn't earn my living. So where are you going, in to the office? Yes? Will you report everything accurately, then? It's quite possible for someone to be temporarily unable to work, but that's just the right time to remember what's been achieved in the past and consider that later on, once the difficulty has been removed, he will certainly work with all the more diligence and concentration. You're well aware that I'm seriously in debt to our employer as well as having to look after my parents and my sister, so that I'm trapped in a difficult situation, but I will work my way out of it again. Please don't make things any harder for me than they are already, and don't take sides against me at the office. I know that nobody likes the travelers. They think we earn an enormous wage as well as having a soft time of it. That's just prejudice but they have no particular reason to think better it. But you, sir, you have a better overview than the rest of the staff, in fact, if I can say this in confidence, a better overview than the boss himself - it's very easy for a businessman like him to make mistakes about his employees and judge them more harshly than he should. And you're also well aware that we travelers spend almost the whole year away from the office, so that we can very easily fall victim to gossip and chance and groundless complaints, and it's almost impossible to defend yourself from that sort of thing, we don't usually even hear about them, or if at all it's when we arrive back home exhausted from a trip, and that's when we feel the harmful effects of what's been going on without even knowing what caused them. Please, don't go away, at least first say something to show that you grant that I'm at least partly right!"
  1402.  
  1403. But the chief clerk had turned away as soon as Gregor had started to speak, and, with protruding lips, only stared back at him over his trembling shoulders as he left. He did not keep still for a moment while Gregor was speaking, but moved steadily towards the door without taking his eyes off him. He moved very gradually, as if there had been some secret prohibition on leaving the room. It was only when he had reached the entrance hall that he made a sudden movement, drew his foot from the living room, and rushed forward in a panic. In the hall, he stretched his right hand far out towards the stairway as if out there, there were some supernatural force waiting to save him.
  1404.  
  1405. Gregor realised that it was out of the question to let the chief clerk go away in this mood if his position in the firm was not to be put into extreme danger. That was something his parents did not understand very well; over the years, they had become convinced that this job would provide for Gregor for his entire life, and besides, they had so much to worry about at present that they had lost sight of any thought for the future. Gregor, though, did think about the future. The chief clerk had to be held back, calmed down, convinced and finally won over; the future of Gregor and his family depended on it! If only his sister were here! She was clever; she was already in tears while Gregor was still lying peacefully on his back. And the chief clerk was a lover of women, surely she could persuade him; she would close the front door in the entrance hall and talk him out of his shocked state. But his sister was not there, Gregor would have to do the job himself. And without considering that he still was not familiar with how well he could move about in his present state, or that his speech still might not - or probably would not - be understood, he let go of the door; pushed himself through the opening; tried to reach the chief clerk on the landing who, ridiculously, was holding on to the banister with both hands; but Gregor fell immediately over and, with a little scream as he sought something to hold onto, landed on his numerous little legs. Hardly had that happened than, for the first time that day, he began to feel alright with his body; the little legs had the solid ground under them; to his pleasure, they did exactly as he told them; they were even making the effort to carry him where he wanted to go; and he was soon believing that all his sorrows would soon be finally at an end. He held back the urge to move but swayed from side to side as he crouched there on the floor. His mother was not far away in front of him and seemed, at first, quite engrossed in herself, but then she suddenly jumped up with her arms outstretched and her fingers spread shouting: "Help, for pity's sake, Help!" The way she held her head suggested she wanted to see Gregor better, but the unthinking way she was hurrying backwards showed that she did not; she had forgotten that the table was behind her with all the breakfast things on it; when she reached the table she sat quickly down on it without knowing what she was doing; without even seeming to notice that the coffee pot had been knocked over and a gush of coffee was pouring down onto the carpet.
  1406.  
  1407. "Mother, mother", said Gregor gently, looking up at her. He had completely forgotten the chief clerk for the moment, but could not help himself snapping in the air with his jaws at the sight of the flow of coffee. That set his mother screaming anew, she fled from the table and into the arms of his father as he rushed towards her. Gregor, though, had no time to spare for his parents now; the chief clerk had already reached the stairs; with his chin on the banister, he looked back for the last time. Gregor made a run for him; he wanted to be sure of reaching him; the chief clerk must have expected something, as he leapt down several steps at once and disappeared; his shouts resounding all around the staircase. The flight of the chief clerk seemed, unfortunately, to put Gregor's father into a panic as well. Until then he had been relatively self controlled, but now, instead of running after the chief clerk himself, or at least not impeding Gregor as he ran after him, Gregor's father seized the chief clerk's stick in his right hand (the chief clerk had left it behind on a chair, along with his hat and overcoat), picked up a large newspaper from the table with his left, and used them to drive Gregor back into his room, stamping his foot at him as he went. Gregor's appeals to his father were of no help, his appeals were simply not understood, however much he humbly turned his head his father merely stamped his foot all the harder. Across the room, despite the chilly weather, Gregor's mother had pulled open a window, leant far out of it and pressed her hands to her face. A strong draught of air flew in from the street towards the stairway, the curtains flew up, the newspapers on the table fluttered and some of them were blown onto the floor. Nothing would stop Gregor's father as he drove him back, making hissing noises at him like a wild man. Gregor had never had any practice in moving backwards and was only able to go very slowly. If Gregor had only been allowed to turn round he would have been back in his room straight away, but he was afraid that if he took the time to do that his father would become impatient, and there was the threat of a lethal blow to his back or head from the stick in his father's hand any moment. Eventually, though, Gregor realised that he had no choice as he saw, to his disgust, that he was quite incapable of going backwards in a straight line; so he began, as quickly as possible and with frequent anxious glances at his father, to turn himself round. It went very slowly, but perhaps his father was able to see his good intentions as he did nothing to hinder him, in fact now and then he used the tip of his stick to give directions from a distance as to which way to turn. If only his father would stop that unbearable hissing! It was making Gregor quite confused. When he had nearly finished turning round, still listening to that hissing, he made a mistake and turned himself back a little the way he had just come. He was pleased when he finally had his head in front of the doorway, but then saw that it was too narrow, and his body was too broad to get through it without further difficulty. In his present mood, it obviously did not occur to his father to open the other of the double doors so that Gregor would have enough space to get through. He was merely fixed on the idea that Gregor should be got back into his room as quickly as possible. Nor would he ever have allowed Gregor the time to get himself upright as preparation for getting through the doorway. What he did, making more noise than ever, was to drive Gregor forwards all the harder as if there had been nothing in the way; it sounded to Gregor as if there was now more than one father behind him; it was not a pleasant experience, and Gregor pushed himself into the doorway without regard for what might happen. One side of his body lifted itself, he lay at an angle in the doorway, one flank scraped on the white door and was painfully injured, leaving vile brown flecks on it, soon he was stuck fast and would not have been able to move at all by himself, the little legs along one side hung quivering in the air while those on the other side were pressed painfully against the ground. Then his father gave him a hefty shove from behind which released him from where he was held and sent him flying, and heavily bleeding, deep into his room. The door was slammed shut with the stick, then, finally, all was quiet.
  1408.  
  1409.  
  1410.  
  1411. Question Number 1 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1412. Question Text
  1413. Which of the following DOES NOT describe Gregor's body when he woke up?
  1414. Your Answer
  1415. B. Although his body has a hard shell, he still has human hands and feet
  1416. Question Number 2 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1417. Question Text
  1418. Which of the following are NOT some of the demands that come with Gregor's job?
  1419. Your Answer
  1420. B. His job requires that he often fire his employees
  1421. Question Number 3 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1422. Question Text
  1423. How does Gregor feel about his boss?
  1424. Your Answer
  1425. B. He thinks he is oppressive and intrusive
  1426. Question Number 4 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1427. Question Text
  1428. What does the presence of the picture in his room imply about his life?
  1429. Your Answer
  1430. C. He has little or no relationships with real women of his own age
  1431. Question Number 5 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1432. Question Text
  1433. The framed picture in Gregor's room is of:
  1434. Your Answer
  1435. A. A fur clad girl
  1436. Question Number 6 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1437. Question Text
  1438. What is Gregor's job?
  1439. Your Answer
  1440. D. Gregor is a traveling salesman
  1441. Question Number 7 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1442. Question Text
  1443. What does the term vermin refer to?
  1444. Your Answer
  1445. C. repulsive animals or insects
  1446. Question Number 8 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1447. Question Text
  1448. Which one of the following IS NOT evidence that Gregor is a conscientious worker?
  1449. Your Answer
  1450. D. He doesn't require a great deal of reinforcement for what he does
  1451. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1452. Question Text
  1453. What are Gregor's future plans?
  1454. Your Answer
  1455. C. He wants to "tell off his boss" and quit his job
  1456. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1457. Question Text
  1458. Which of the following conflicts is MOST evident in Metamorphosis?
  1459. Your Answer
  1460. A. Person vs. self
  1461.  
  1462. Listen to this lesson
  1463. Alienation
  1464. An important theme in The Metamorphosis is alienation, or a feeling of not belonging. Gregor begins to feel alienated from himself, from his family, and from his work and peers. This theme of alienation is a common one in literature. Characters in great works like Frankenstein, The Scarlet Letter, and Othello all experience alienation.
  1465.  
  1466. People who experience alienation typically experience one of these three types:
  1467.  
  1468. Family alienation
  1469. Self-alienation
  1470. Societal alienation
  1471. Family alienation occurs when someone does not fit in with the expectations of other family members. As a result, family members do not accept that person. A person experiencing family alienation may have ambivalent feelings like love and hate toward parents or siblings. An example of this is someone who strives for independence but still needs his or her parents. Parent alienation syndrome, a current topic in the news, is an extreme form of family alienation in which a parent alienates a child from the other parent.
  1472.  
  1473. A young person who experiences self-alienation is unable to achieve goals and distrusts his or her identity. A person experiencing self-alienation may not be able to be completely independent of family and may not believe in herself and her decisions. It is common for this person to focus on the negatives rather than the positives of her personality.
  1474.  
  1475. A person experiencing societal alienation maintains unpopular opinions in the face of fierce peer pressure and may not “fit in.” His opinions are iconoclastic, or out of the mainstream. He may choose an unconventional lifestyle and create an identity that is scorned by society. This is sometimes referred to as social alienation.
  1476.  
  1477. The theme of alienation appears in literature a great deal because many people can relate to it. Popular media bombards the audience with images of people who look perfect and appear happy. These unrealistic images often push people into a feeling of alienation.
  1478.  
  1479. There are many books for teens that deal with the topic of alienation. This topic has become popular as a means of demonstrating the journey toward and discovery of identity that each teen experiences. The literature often does not pretend that life is full of happy endings, just as Kafka did not paint a happy picture for Gregor. In contrast to the entertainment industry’s obsession with fairy tale endings, these authors are trying to support teens in their struggles with family, self, and peers.
  1480.  
  1481. Alienation Practice Exercise
  1482.  
  1483. Go online and locate a copy of the following items. Read and identify the following information.
  1484.  
  1485. What type of alienation is represented in the text?
  1486. How do the author's words and phrases indicate alienation?
  1487. Readings
  1488.  
  1489. " When I Lay My Burden Down" from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  1490. "Alienation" by Alex Daydream
  1491. More of the Unusual
  1492. A number of allusions to The Metamorphosis can be seen in popular media and culture including the 1986 movie The Fly and an episode from The Simpsons titles "Metamorphosimpsons." For an interesting way to experience this novel, check out Random House's graphic novel of Metamorphosis.
  1493.  
  1494. Metamorphosis is not the only story to detail the unusual or bizarre. Nickolai Gogol also created fantastical stories. Take time to read his short story "The Nose." It shows off this author's amazing imagination.
  1495.  
  1496.  
  1497. Question Number 1 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1498. Question Text
  1499. Gregor's father was
  1500. Your Answer
  1501. D. all of these
  1502. Question Number 2 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1503. Question Text
  1504. Grete discovers
  1505. Your Answer
  1506. D. what caused Gregor's illness.
  1507. Question Number 3 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1508. Question Text
  1509. The Samsa's maid had begged
  1510. Your Answer
  1511. B. to leave the Samsa's employ.
  1512. Question Number 4 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1513. Question Text
  1514. What had his family felt when Gregor started to support them?
  1515. Your Answer
  1516. B. entitlement
  1517. Question Number 5 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1518. Question Text
  1519. Gregor's secret plan had been to
  1520. Your Answer
  1521. C. send his sister to a music conservatory.
  1522. Question Number 6 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1523. Question Text
  1524. As time goes by, Gregor becomes
  1525. Your Answer
  1526. A. happy with his situation.
  1527. Question Number 7 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1528. Question Text
  1529. By listening through the door, Gregor is surprised to learn that
  1530. Your Answer
  1531. B. there is more money than he had thought.
  1532. Question Number 8 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1533. Question Text
  1534. Gregor's mother was
  1535. Your Answer
  1536. A. asthmatic
  1537. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1538. Question Text
  1539. Gregor becomes more isolated from his family because
  1540. Your Answer
  1541. D. they do not try to communicate with him.
  1542. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1543. Question Text
  1544. Gregor soon learns that he feels more comfortable when he is
  1545. Your Answer
  1546. B. under his couch.
  1547.  
  1548.  
  1549. Question Number 1 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1550. Question Text
  1551. When the clerk leaves what does Gregor's father do?
  1552. Your Answer
  1553. D. goes to the table to finish eating
  1554. Question Number 2 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1555. Question Text
  1556. How does the cook react to Gregor's metamorphosis?
  1557. Your Answer
  1558. D. asks to leave
  1559. Question Number 3 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1560. Question Text
  1561. How does Gregor react to his furniture being moved from his room?
  1562. Your Answer
  1563. C. with quiet disdain
  1564. Question Number 4 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1565. Question Text
  1566. How does the family survive after Gregor's metamorphosis?
  1567. Your Answer
  1568. D. spend their savings
  1569. Question Number 5 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1570. Question Text
  1571. How does the father positively change after Gregor's metamorphosis?
  1572. Your Answer
  1573. D. He smiles.
  1574. Question Number 6 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1575. Question Text
  1576. How does Gregor's family isolate him?
  1577. Your Answer
  1578. B. don't communicate with him
  1579. Question Number 7 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1580. Question Text
  1581. Who has the most contact with Gregor after the metamorphosis?
  1582. Your Answer
  1583. C. Grete
  1584. Question Number 8 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1585. Question Text
  1586. What does Grete do after Gregor's metamorphosis?
  1587. Your Answer
  1588. B. brings him food
  1589. Question Number 9 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1590. Question Text
  1591. Who does not react negatively to seeing Gregor as an insect?
  1592. Your Answer
  1593. C. Grete
  1594. Question Number 10 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1595. Question Text
  1596. Who is Gregor closest to before he transforms into an insect.
  1597. Your Answer
  1598. A. his sister
  1599.  
  1600. Listen to this lesson
  1601. The Plot Structure of Metamorphosis
  1602. Most stories follow the following plot structure:
  1603.  
  1604.  
  1605.  
  1606. Click here for a long description of the image above.
  1607.  
  1608. Exposition - Orients the reader to the situation and character
  1609. Rising Action - A series of events that develop the central conflict
  1610. Climax - Point of highest intensity in the conflict development
  1611. Denouement - Resolves the conflict and ties up the loose ends of the story
  1612. Metamorphosis, however, begins with the climax of the story where Gregor wakes up as an insect. This is the point of highest intensity in the story. The exposition and rising action are included along the way through flashbacks.
  1613.  
  1614.  
  1615.  
  1616.  
  1617. Listen to this lesson
  1618. Metamorphosis Culmination Paper Instructions
  1619. What is the assignment?
  1620.  
  1621. Now that you have read The Metamorphosis, you will write a one- to two-page persuasive essay.
  1622.  
  1623. Answer the question: "If Gregor had a chance to relive his life, what should he do differently?
  1624.  
  1625. Begin with an introduction that relates to one of the themes of the story:
  1626.  
  1627. The family dynamics are changed when each family member takes on more or less responsibility
  1628. Taking on the entire responsibility for a family often leads to complete destruction of self.
  1629. Each family member has to give something to the family or it will not form a cohesive unit where each nurtures his own identity as well as takes on his share of responsibility.
  1630. Be sure your thesis is placed toward the end of the introduction and relates how you think Gregor should change. Possible introductions might include:
  1631.  
  1632. A scenario - A short little story, either real or fictional, illustrating your point.
  1633. A short discussion of family responsibilities
  1634. An appropriate quotation, either one you found or one from the story
  1635. A rhetorical question ( A question that is asked just to make one think that is not really supposed to be answered.)
  1636. Each of the body paragraphs should deal with one thing that Gregor should do differently if he had the chance. You MUST give evidence from the story that Gregor DID NOT do these things as you have seen him in the novel. Explain WHY a change in his ideas and actions would have made a difference in his life.
  1637.  
  1638. Your conclusion should be from 5 to 8 sentences long and should NOT just be a restatement of your thesis. The ideas in your thesis should be addressed, but expand your conclusion to answer the questions: Why would Gregor have been better off with the decisions you have outlined?; What caused him to make inappropriate decisions in the first place?; What has Kafka said about the individual's identity and its relationship to the family?, etc.
  1639.  
  1640. Your paper will be graded according to the 6+1 Traits rubric. Click here to view and download the 6+1 Traits rubric.
  1641.  
  1642. Click here for help with basic grammar or effective writing.
  1643.  
  1644.  
  1645. Listen to this lesson
  1646. Metamorphosis Culmination Paper Instructions
  1647. What is the purpose of this assignment?
  1648.  
  1649. The purpose of this assignment is to use analysis skills to gain deeper understanding of what you have read. After analyzing the text, characters, and events of The Metamorphosis, you will use your understanding to complete the writing process.
  1650.  
  1651. What are the requirements of this assignment?
  1652.  
  1653. Read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
  1654. Write an essay of one to two pages in length
  1655. Answer the question: "If Gregor had a chance to relive his life, what should he do differently?"
  1656. Include a thesis statement
  1657. Use supporting evidence from the story (This means you will have to use direct quotations.)
  1658. Use the five-paragraph essay format with introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion
  1659. How do I complete the assignment?
  1660.  
  1661. Use the writing process to complete this writing task.
  1662.  
  1663. Begin by brainstorming ideas
  1664. Use outlining or web mapping to organize your ideas
  1665. Write a first draft
  1666. Read and revise your first draft
  1667. Edit your second draft
  1668. Polish and publish your final draft
  1669.  
  1670. Listen to this lesson
  1671. Gathering Information
  1672.  
  1673.  
  1674. In this unit you will research and write a short story about one of the five historical figures presented below (A, B, C, D, or E)!
  1675.  
  1676. Historical Figure Image Historical Figure Location Time Period
  1677. Scenario A: Erik the Red (Viking) Norway (later Greenland)
  1678. 10th century
  1679.  
  1680. Scenario B: Catherine the Great (Empress of Russia) Russia 18th century
  1681. Scenario C: Napoleon Bonaparte (Emperor) France Late 18th century and early 19th century
  1682. Scenario D: Elizabeth I (Queen of England) England 16th century
  1683. Scenario E: Sitting Bull (Native American) Grand River in Dakota Territory 19th century
  1684. Your choice MUST be limited to one of these five historical figures!
  1685.  
  1686. Listen to this lesson
  1687. Gathering Information
  1688. Over the course of this unit, you will be asked to write a fiction story based upon the historical figure you choose.
  1689.  
  1690. The following FOUR assignments will ALL be focused on the historical figure you have chosen to research and write about.
  1691.  
  1692. The Paper Component: Narrowing Your Topic Assignment will ask you to:
  1693. Decide on the protagonist, antagonist, setting, conflict, complications, climax and resolution for the story you will write.
  1694. This (fiction) story will be written from the research you do on the scenario you choose.
  1695. The Paper Component: Working Bibliography Assignment will require you to:
  1696. Submit all nine of these resources in MLA format.
  1697. Research the location, time period and historical figure for your selection.
  1698. Three outside sources are required for each: three for location, three for time period and three for the historical figure.
  1699. (Be sure to not to mix and match the people, time periods and locations! If you choose Erik the Red, then you must also use Norway and the 10th century!)
  1700. The Paper Component: Outline for Short Story Assignment will ask you to:
  1701. Describe your antagonist's appearance and personality
  1702. Describe your protagonist's appearance and personality
  1703. Describe the setting in which your story will take place
  1704. The Paper: Final Short Story Assignment will ask you to:
  1705. Upload the short story you have written from the scenario you have chosen.
  1706. Read the Instructions for writing your short story carefully.
  1707. Your short story MUST include ALL of the following elements:
  1708.  
  1709. Your story must contain dialogue
  1710. You must carefully include all the elements of a short story: setting, point of view, plot, characterization and theme.
  1711. The way you say something is just as important as what you say: use imagery and figurative language (metaphors, similes, allusions, personification, etc.) and specific words to describe character, setting, etc.
  1712. Describe your setting in detail. Use your research to make the reader see, hear, feel, and smell the place.
  1713. Use your research of the time period to lend the richness of societal life to your story. How did people make a living? What did they eat and how did they prepare their food? What was family life like? What did they do for entertainment?
  1714. Use your research to make your historical figure really come ALIVE! Use your Methods of Characterization chart to help describe what your character is like. What does he or she look like physically? What kind of clothes does he or she wear? How does he or she treat other people? What are his or her goals? What do others say about him or her? What does he or she think about the era in which he or she lives?
  1715. The rubric that will be used to grade your short story is as follows:
  1716. Is the beginning of the story appealing? Is there a "hook" for the reader?
  1717. Does the story create suspense or humor?
  1718. Is the setting appropriate to the story and fully developed enough to move the plot along?
  1719. Does the dialogue give insight into the characters and seem natural?
  1720. Do the differences between the protagonist and the antagonist show the conflict and is each character (or in the case of the antagonist, each element, e.g., a storm or animal) fully developed?
  1721. Is the conflict resolved in a manner consistent with the plot and the characters created? (Note that if the conflict is not resolved, that, in itself, could be a resolution. In such a case, the lack of a resolution should be foreshadowed in the story).
  1722.  
  1723. Listen to this lesson
  1724. Why do we do research?
  1725. Research is an important skill, for making sound decisions requires a careful and objective examination of facts, and some kind of research is required to do that. Whether we are planning to buy a new car or start a new business, we need to know the basics of good research. Begin by looking at this presentation, and then move on to get an understanding of objectivity in research.
  1726.  
  1727. View Presentation
  1728.  
  1729. See the presentation below to understand the importance of objectivity in research.
  1730.  
  1731. Click here to download the presentation as a text document.
  1732.  
  1733.  
  1734.  
  1735.  
  1736. The most common mistake in research is doing research to prove something we already believe to be true. This leads to poor research and bad decisions.
  1737. Listen to this lesson
  1738. Credibility in Research
  1739. Determining the Credibility of a Research Source
  1740. People tend to believe the things said by people they like. Another very common mistake people make is to believe everything they read. We all need to learn to make better judgments about the degree to which we can believe a source. How do we know we can trust the information we find?
  1741.  
  1742. Here are some things to look for:
  1743.  
  1744. Partisanship
  1745. Anytime there is a possibility of a "cause," there will be someone or an organization that is dedicated to one side of it. In nutrition, you may find that there are people and organizations that are doing all they can to persuade you to accept their position. If you are researching nutrition and you read materials published by the American Dairy Association, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American Beef Council, or any of a number of other similar organizations, you will find that each one has a totally different view from the others. You will need to be sure to read materials from organizations that do not have the same viewpoints as these people. You will be surprised at how different they are, and how hard it is to tell which one is right.
  1746.  
  1747. Authors publish books for the purpose of making money. A new diet book that advertises itself by saying "There is nothing in here that is new or controversial, and we agree with the medical information you can get anywhere else," will not sell well. Remember, then, that any book promoting a certain new diet or other similar plan will have biased information. Just as each car dealer will tell you that it sells the best cars in the world, each individual "selling" a certain point of view cannot be counted on for objective information.
  1748.  
  1749. Credible Organizations
  1750. On the other hand, there are many organizations that are not pushing a specific point of view and which have established credentials. The American Medical Association, or the Center for Disease Control, for example, can be counted on for objective information. Many universities publish credible sources of information.
  1751.  
  1752. Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals
  1753. Newspapers: Be sure to distinguish between mainstream newspapers, like the New York TImes, and the tabloid-type newspapers you see by the checkout line in the supermarket. Although they make mistakes, regular newspapers usually try to be accurate; the tabloids will publish whatever they think will sell. Don't believe anything you read in newspapers that tell you that space aliens are sitting in on business meetings at General Motors.
  1754.  
  1755. Magazines: News magazines like Time and Newsweek make mistakes, but they are generally trustworthy. Some magazines have less reliable reputations.
  1756.  
  1757. Journals: Journals are essentially magazines devoted to some professional organization, like the New England Journal of Medicine. These are extremely credible.
  1758.  
  1759. The Internet - Web Sites
  1760. The Internet may provide some very valuable help, but it is risky. Anyone in the world can purchase a web site and put information on it, no matter how inaccurate it might be. In addition, schools all over the world own their own web sites and have students put their writing on it. You might be reading a failing eighth grade essay! On the other hand, there are excellent web sites with a wealth of valuable information. By all means, use a good search engine and look for information, but remember to be very careful to evaluate the resources you find. Because it is so easy to access the Internet, it can be an excellent place to do preliminary research and get to a final focusing question.
  1761.  
  1762. For a good article on telling if a web site is valid, check out this explanation at the Johns Hopkins University library: http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/practical.html
  1763.  
  1764. For an interesting look at the dangers of web sites, read this story by Alan November: "Teaching Zack to Think": http://novemberlearning.com/resources/archive-of-articles/teaching-zack-to-think/
  1765.  
  1766. Links to reliable, valid resources such as those found on Ebsco Host and Grolier Online can also be found at the bottom of the course home page. These sources are an excellent place to begin your research.
  1767.  
  1768. The Internet - News sites, Newsgroups, Chat Rooms, and Blogs
  1769. News sites and blogs often contain useful information, but they are very unreliable. Consider the following true story to see how unreliable they can be.
  1770.  
  1771. On April 20, 1999, two students began a horrible shooting spree in their high school in Colorado, killing and wounding many of their classmates before killing themselves. In the first hours and days after the shooting began, there was great confusion, and fears that the shooters were part of a much larger conspiracy. A school district employee was assigned to search the Internet for signs of a rumored Internet-based conspiracy. This employee used a special search device to search active newsgroups, which are places people exchange ideas on given topics. Almost immediately, he found a person posting to several groups who claimed to be part of the shooting conspiracy and who called on others to join him at the site.
  1772.  
  1773. Many news group participants are very skilled computer users, and the people in these news groups immediately checked the credibility of those posts. Within 30 minutes, the school district employee knew for certain that the man who posted was a known "troll" living on the east coast who regularly made false and provocative posts to news groups. The employee saw that there was nothing to the story, and he reported that observation to the school district.
  1774.  
  1775. About 12 hours later, Matt Drudge of The Drudge Report, an Internet news site, posted the information about these false posts, except that Drudge thought they were true. This caused a major problem for the school district and the local police department as the public demanded to know why they did not know about this. They had to explain that they had already investigated the story and found that it was not true.
  1776.  
  1777. [Note: You should be asking, "How credible is this story?" Answer: This lesson was prepared by the school district employee who did the research.]
  1778.  
  1779. Listen to this lesson
  1780. Generalizations and Inferences
  1781. Determining the Credibility of a Research Source
  1782. Generalizations and inferences are easily found in many forms of communication. If you are to become a critical reader so that you can become an expert researcher, you need to understand the nature and use of these devices.
  1783.  
  1784. Generalization - A statement that seems to be true in most situations, but is based on too few facts or only on a small number of instances.
  1785.  
  1786. Examples:
  1787.  
  1788. After visiting four hospitals, it must be reported that all American hospitals are useless. (Four hospitals are not sufficient basis for the conclusion.)
  1789. Most people approve of President Obama's overseas policy. (Who are "most people?")
  1790. Teenagers are careless and rude. (Not all teenagers, surely!)
  1791. Inference - A conclusion or opinion that is based on known evidence.
  1792.  
  1793. Example:
  1794.  
  1795. The grass on the front lawn is wet. It must have rained last night. (The inference is based on experience. It is possibly incorrect, but it is still valid.)
  1796. The school's fire alarm is going off. We must be having another fire drill. (Maybe, but maybe not. It could be a real fire or someone might have pulled the alarm as a prank. But it is still a valid inference.)
  1797. Mom was late picking me up again after practice. She probably had to work late today. (Good guess. It's evident that the mom's job has made her late before. It's possible something else went wrong, though.)
  1798.  
  1799. Listen to this lesson
  1800. Quotations and Documentation
  1801. In a research paper, you will have occasions to quote or paraphrase a source of information. You will want to be sure you use quotation marks properly. Look at the models below to see how to do the most common quotations. See where the other punctuation marks go in relation to the quotation marks.
  1802.  
  1803. "It's simple. We eat more calories than we need," said Peter Smith.
  1804. Peter Smith said, "It's simple. We eat more calories than we need."
  1805. "It's simple," Peter Smith said. "We eat more calories than we need." [two sentences]
  1806. "It's a simple fact," Peter Smith said, "that we eat more than we need." [one sentence]
  1807. According to Peter Smith, we simply eat more calories than we need. [paraphrase]
  1808. Smith argues that we gain weight because "we eat more calories than we need." [Blending quotations into your own sentence is a very effective way to do this.]
  1809. Question Marks
  1810. The examples above are all statements, and they are easier than questions. See how quotations are used with questions.
  1811.  
  1812. "Why do we eat more than we need to?" asked Peter Smith.
  1813. Peter Smith asked, "Why do we eat more than we need to?"
  1814. Peter Smith asked why we eat more than we need to. [The paraphrase is not a question.]
  1815. Special Situations
  1816. If the quotation is more than four lines long, it should be indented from the left margin, with no quotation marks used and single spaced.
  1817.  
  1818.  
  1819. Question Number 1 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1820. Question Text
  1821. Is the following statement an inference, a generalization, or neither an inference nor a generalization?
  1822.  
  1823. According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three men in the U.S. will have some sort of heart disease.
  1824. Your Answer
  1825. C. neither an inference nor a generalization
  1826. Question Number 2 Points: 0.00/2.00
  1827. Question Text
  1828. The following statement is an inference.
  1829.  
  1830. Fish live in the sea; mammals live on land..
  1831. Your Answer
  1832. True
  1833. Question Number 3 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1834. Question Text
  1835. Which of the following is punctuated correctly?
  1836. Your Answer
  1837. B. "Whales are more intelligent than people believe." says William Smith.
  1838. Question Number 4 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1839. Question Text
  1840. Is the following statement an inference, a generalization, or neither an inference nor a generalization?
  1841.  
  1842. People from far and wide favor a curfew law in their city.
  1843. Your Answer
  1844. B. generalization
  1845. Question Number 5 Points: 5.00/5.00
  1846. Question Text
  1847. Is the following statement an inference, a generalization, or neither an inference nor a generalization?
  1848.  
  1849. 23% of the people surveyed by the World Health Organization believed that there was not enough money being spent on the study of the mentally disabled.
  1850. Your Answer
  1851. C. neither an inference nor a generalization
  1852. Question Number 6 Points: 0.00/5.00
  1853. Question Text
  1854. Which of the following is punctuated correctly?
  1855. Your Answer
  1856. B. Peter Smith says: "Whales are more intelligent than people believe."
  1857. Question Number 7 Points: 2.00/2.00
  1858. Question Text
  1859. The following statement is an inference.
  1860.  
  1861. There are more people living in Russia than there are in Switzerland.
  1862. Your Answer
  1863. False
  1864.  
  1865. Listen to this lesson
  1866. Paraphrasing
  1867. As you begin to research, you will be bombarded with huge amounts of material, some of which will not directly relate to your short story. Therefore, you want to learn to paraphrase information you find that you think might be helpful.
  1868.  
  1869. Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words
  1870. Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.
  1871.  
  1872. A paraphrase is...
  1873. Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.
  1874. One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
  1875. A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.
  1876. Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...
  1877. It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.
  1878. It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.
  1879. The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.
  1880. Six Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
  1881. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
  1882. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card being careful to only read a paragraph or two so that you do not clutter your brain with too much information.
  1883. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind yourself later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase. Or divide your notes into categories. In this case, historical person, historical place and time period. Highlight each notecard with a different color so that it is easy to organize the parts of your story.
  1884. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form. Pretend that you are simplifying the information in the passage for your little brother or sister (not too little but younger than high school age).
  1885. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
  1886. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily in your Works Cited sheet.
  1887. Let's look at an original passage that has been paraphrased:
  1888.  
  1889. Original Passage
  1890.  
  1891. On narrow lanes off the main avenues could be found the cramped and smelly homes of London's poor workers, who often threw household trash, including leftovers from the preparation of meals and human and animal wastes, outside their front doors. Passersby also added to the stench due to their lack of hygiene and inaccessibility of restrooms. The foulest of these backstreets earned the name of Stinking Lane. Due to the disgusting conditions and the closeness of the houses to each other, the Londoners were always in fear of an epidemic or the complete destruction of their living areas by fire. Crime was also rampant enough for people to hire attendants with torches to discourage thieves lurking in the darkness.
  1892.  
  1893. Paraphrased Passage
  1894.  
  1895. London was not only cramped but also smelly due to wastes in the streets and the lack of hygiene of the people. Because the conditions were less than antiseptic and the houses were so poorly built and close together, Londoners lived in fear of disease, fire and assailants.
  1896.  
  1897.  
  1898. Listen to this lesson
  1899. Narrowing Your Topic
  1900. Your Topic
  1901. After you choose the character, time and place you want to research, remember that you will find more information than you will be able to use. Begin to create your story line so that you can limit the information that you are finding. Your story should be no longer than 1,500 words; therefore, you must decide which conflict you are going to research, how many characters you want to have, and if the action will take place in just one location or will there be two? (In a story no longer than this, more than two locations would be complicated and difficult to work with.) One of the major lessons to be learned in the research process is how to take all the information you have acquired and organize it into some semblance of order. And, although it will be PAINFUL, much of the information you have struggled to retrieve must be discarded! DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING YOU MUST USE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU FOUND!
  1902.  
  1903. Steps in Successful Research
  1904.  
  1905. Step 1. Preparing Your Research Proposal and Plan
  1906.  
  1907. As in all writing, you have to begin with these two key questions: why am I doing this, and to whom will I communicate the results?
  1908.  
  1909. Purpose
  1910.  
  1911. Truly understanding what you need to accomplish will help you make good decisions. You will better understand what information you need from your research, and, more importantly, you will understand what information you do not need. Remember, your purpose must always be to find out information objectively, not to prove that something you already believe is true.
  1912.  
  1913. Audience
  1914.  
  1915. To whom are you writing? In a class like this, the teacher is an artificial audience. Nowhere in real life do people write to a teacher. What is the difference? An authentic audience is focused on your message and how effectively you present something as a result. A teacher is likely looking at your writing skills and how well you are integrating your research into a short story that is exciting and alive! A real audience is one that does not know the information contained in your short story but who is interested in that information because it is set in a fascinating format resembling a historical novel --- you are writing an historical short story! You can make history come to life by presenting it, not in a dull textbook manner, but in a story that has real people (you are going to make them real) in conflicted situations who either triumph or fail according to the decisions that they make and the negative forces that are against them.
  1916.  
  1917. Purpose for this assignment
  1918.  
  1919. Here are some guidelines to follow as you do your research on the PERSON, PLACE, AND TIME PERIOD that you are researching.
  1920.  
  1921. FAMOUS PERSON: dates of birth and death, parent's names, occupation, schooling, training, honors or awards, appearances, lifestyle, hardships, marriage status, children.
  1922.  
  1923. PLACE: exact location, climate, appearance, population, vegetation, animals, historical importance.
  1924.  
  1925. TIME PERIOD: important events, important people, social activities
  1926.  
  1927.  
  1928. Listen to this lesson
  1929. Narrowing Your Topic
  1930. Paper: Research--Narrowing Your Topic
  1931. For this story, you will need several basic elements as listed below. Deciding on these elements will help you narrow the focus of the story.
  1932.  
  1933. Protagonist: The character in the short story with whom the reader identifies - the "hero" or "heroine." In your case, the protagonist will be the character you chose from the chart in the Introduction. He or she is the person we want to "win" in the story's conflict. If written from a first-person point of view, it is often the protagonist who tells the story.
  1934.  
  1935. Antagonist: The antagonist is the opposing force against which the protagonist struggles. The antagonist might be any force opposed to the main character (nature, society, human desires) but in your story it will probably be another person.
  1936.  
  1937. Conflict: The struggle or battle between the protagonist and the antagonist is the conflict. The conflict is what drives the plot and leads to the final outcome. Problems that "complicate" the conflict are called...complications.
  1938.  
  1939. Resolution: This is the point in a story when the reader discovers whether the protagonist or the antagonist will be victorious in their conflict. It marks the end to the conflict and signals the end to a story.
  1940.  
  1941. To narrow your scope, fill in a chart using the one below as a guide. You may add more circles if you need them for more complications or explanation. Write 100-200 words for this assignment. Click here to download a copy of this guide.
  1942.  
  1943.  
  1944.  
  1945. Listen to this lesson
  1946. Secondary Research
  1947. As opposed to primary research, which is the work you do to find information yourself (such as interviews and surveys), secondary research is found by reading published reports created by others. Secondary research is sometimes called "desk research."
  1948.  
  1949. The following resources may be of varying degrees of usefulness. Before looking at these descriptions, you should understand that technology is dramatically and continually changing the ways you can get information. This unit cannot possibly describe accurately the situations that exist everywhere, and if it could, it would be wrong in a matter of months. Read these descriptions to get a general sense, and then go to the resources in your area and ask for help.
  1950.  
  1951. High School/Community libraries
  1952. Many of these libraries have all the resources you need. It depends upon your topic, though. In some cases, you may need to check resources that are rarely used by high school students or people within the community. These would be highly academic topics that are of interest especially to people who do most of their work through colleges and universities. If you need materials these libraries do not have, they may have the ability to find the titles and get copies on loan from the holding libraries. With the rapid changes being made in library services, an individual library might have access to resources that are not usually found in these libraries. The best thing to do is to take the full information on this page to such a library and ask what resources are available.
  1953.  
  1954. Internet Searches
  1955. The main Internet may provide some very valuable help, but it is risky. Anyone in the world can purchase a web site and put information on it, no matter how inaccurate it might be. In addition, schools all over the world own their own web sites and have students put their writing on it. You might be reading a failing eighth grade essay. On the other hand, with very famous writers, there are sometimes excellent web sites that contain a wealth of valuable information. By all means, use a good search engine and look for information, but remember to be very careful to evaluate the resources you find. Because it is so easy to access the Internet, it can be an excellent place to do preliminary research and get to a final focusing question.
  1956.  
  1957. Click here to read an article by the Johns Hopkins University Library about evaluating Internet information.
  1958.  
  1959. Online Libraries
  1960. There are now online libraries that can be excellent resources for people who have limited ability to get to a physical library. You will normally need a subscription to use these. One of these is Questia (http://www.questia.com/)
  1961.  
  1962. Books
  1963. A good book on a topic can be very helpful, but for many topics, there will be few available to you.
  1964.  
  1965. Periodicals
  1966. Most of your best information will be found in essays published in journals. There are hundreds of periodicals that are filled with essays of this kind. You won't find many of them on any news stand, but they still exist. To find them, use one of several indexes. These are like The Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, except they search these unusual journals. For English, the two most popular are The MLA Bibliography and The Union Catalog. All other subject areas have similar indexes--ask the reference librarian for suggestions. These can be searched by computer, and larger university libraries will have entire computers dedicated to each one.
  1967.  
  1968. The advantage to using these professional journals is that they are reviewed. That means that when someone submits an article for publication, it is reviewed by an expert to ensure that it meets that journals standard for quality. That does not guarantee that it will be a great article, but it is more reliable than an Internet site that can be set up by anyone.
  1969.  
  1970.  
  1971. Listen to this lesson
  1972. Working Bibliography
  1973. Creating a Working Bibliography
  1974. Doing Your Research
  1975. Once you have identified your research plan and begun to do your research, make sure you follow a process that will lead to the best results.
  1976.  
  1977. One- to Two-Page Working Bibliography
  1978. The first thing to do is to compile a list of as many possible sources as you can find. Don't read them yet. Just get the titles. Now that you have a focusing question, you can skip over sources that don't help you answer it. Make sure you get all the information you will need for a final bibliography. (Use the MLA format you selected in your proposal.) A key mistake beginners make is to skip all of that information now. That becomes a real problem when they have to search for the source later when they do the final bibliography. Once you have a pretty good collection of sources (and you will add to it and subtract from it as you go), look for the ones that are the most promising. Read the most promising ones first. The biggest mistake is to read them in the order you find them. You will run out of time before you read them all, and you may miss the best sources.
  1979.  
  1980. You may be wondering what the difference is between a bibliography and a works cited page. The bibliography is where you record everything that you consulted while conducting your research. A works cited page is smaller and includes only the items you referenced in your paper.
  1981.  
  1982. Taking Notes
  1983. The old way of doing this was with note cards. Researchers used one card per idea. They made a heading that identified the topic of the note, they wrote the note, and then they noted the page number. This was an excellent way to do it, and it saved a lot of time. Why? Because when it came time to write the paper, the notes could be stacked in whatever order made sense, and the writer could just go through the ordered cards when writing the paper without the need for an outline.
  1984.  
  1985. Today we do so much research on a computer that it makes sense to use the computer to help us. The simplest way is to use cutting and pasting. Open a word processing document for your notes. When you find something you need, highlight it, copy it, and then paste it onto the note page. Put a heading on it so that you can see what it is about later. You can then use the cut and paste function to change the order of the notes the way you would have changed the order of the cards.
  1986.  
  1987. How much is enough?
  1988.  
  1989. Imagine you are on trial for a murder you did not commit, and your attorney came to you and asked, "How many witnesses should I call?" Your answer would be "Whatever it takes to convince the jury." You hire the attorney for the skill and judgment needed to determine and present what is necessary. One excellent witness might be all you need, but ten witnesses with little to say will be worthless. Similarly, the skilled researcher has the judgment to determine what is needed to support his story. Because this is a teaching exercise, though, you will receive some limitations by the assignment. This is for your protection, since you could write a book on any topic if you wanted to.
  1990.  
  1991.  
  1992. Listen to this lesson
  1993. Working Bibliography
  1994. MLA Format
  1995. For an excellent, up-to-date resource on MLA formatting, visit the OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab. The items listed below are only a few of the types of publications you will encounter as you research. Consult the latest MLA Handbook or visit the OWL website for more ways to cite sources.
  1996.  
  1997. Periodicals
  1998.  
  1999. Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year:
  2000.  
  2001. pages. Medium of publication.
  2002.  
  2003. Example
  2004.  
  2005. Poniewozik, James. "TV Makes a Too-Close Call" Time 20 Nov. 2000:
  2006.  
  2007. 7 - 71. Print.
  2008.  
  2009. Books
  2010.  
  2011. Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher,
  2012.  
  2013. Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.
  2014.  
  2015. Examples
  2016.  
  2017. Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, 1987.
  2018.  
  2019. Print.
  2020.  
  2021. Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring.
  2022.  
  2023. Boston: Allyn, 2000. Print.
  2024.  
  2025. Electronic Source
  2026.  
  2027. The current volume of the MLA Handbook (7th ed.) does not require the use of URLs in MLA citations. Since web addresses change often, MLA believes most readers can find these electronic sources through a title or author search. Please visit OWL Purdue Writing Lab or consult the MLA Handbook on how to cite different kinds of electronic sources.
  2028.  
  2029. Entire Web Site
  2030.  
  2031. Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number.
  2032.  
  2033. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher),
  2034.  
  2035. date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.
  2036.  
  2037. Example
  2038.  
  2039. The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and
  2040.  
  2041. Purdue U, 2008. Web. 23 Apr. 2008.
  2042.  
  2043.  
  2044. Listen to this lesson
  2045. Passive Voice versus Active Voice
  2046. The voice in which a sentence is written describes the relationship between the subject and the action that the verb in the sentence expresses. When the subject is acting upon someone or something else, the sentence is in the active voice. When the subject is being acted upon by someone or something else, the sentence is said to be in the passive voice.
  2047.  
  2048. Compare:
  2049.  
  2050. Active Voice: The man bit the dog.
  2051.  
  2052. Who is the sentence about? The Man. What did he do? He bit the dog.
  2053.  
  2054. Passive Voice: The man was bitten by the dog.
  2055.  
  2056. Who is the sentence about? The Man. What did he do? You don't know, but you do know that the dog bit him...he was acted upon.
  2057.  
  2058. Do you see the difference between the active and passive voice? Mouse over the picture below to see an illustration of active versus passive voice.
  2059.  
  2060.  
  2061.  
  2062.  
  2063. Listen to this lesson
  2064. Dialogue
  2065.  
  2066. Dialogue can bring people together, force them apart, save nations, split nations, be uplifting, be depressing, but stories come alive when the characters actually talk to each other. There is something stimulating about knowing exactly what a character says and not just what the author thinks he might say. You should know the character that you are researching well enough to decide what he might say in a given situation. There are a few rules to using dialogue.
  2067.  
  2068. Dialogue requires the use of quotation marks.
  2069. Commas and end marks always go inside the quotation marks.
  2070. The words of new speakers begin new paragraphs.
  2071. Dialogue should always be a part of the plot and move the story forward.
  2072. What might the three great men in the picture above actually be saying to each other? They are, from left to right, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These countries fought together to destroy the threat of the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII.
  2073.  
  2074. "If we overtake Germany within the next year, how are we going to divide its largest city, Berlin?" queried Stalin.
  2075.  
  2076. "Before we begin dividing up the spoils, shouldn't we be sure that the threat from these countries can be soundly and completely destroyed?" inserted Churchill, always the voice of reason.
  2077.  
  2078. But Roosevelt, the supreme optimist, declared, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself! After the United States entered the war, there was no question who would win!"
  2079.  
  2080. Notice that there are several ways to insert who is speaking besides "she or he said." Also, the speaker can be inserted anywhere in the line---not just at the beginning. If a speaker has several lines, it is probably not necessary to repeat who is speaking.
  2081.  
  2082. LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR CHARACTERS ARE SAYING!
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