Whirligig

By Paul Fleischman

Whirligig:

noun1. a toy that spins around in the wind2. a thing regarded as hectic or constantly changing."the whirligig of time“ (Webster).

Whirligig Examples

Literary Terms• Characterization: The

method in which an author develops a character

• Dynamic Character: A character that CHANGES over time

• Static Character: A character that does NOT change in a story

• Setting: The time(s) and location (s) a story takes place

• Theme: The author’s main message of a story; it must be more than one word (a complete thought and complete sentence)

Key Terms to know• Restitution: The act

of making good or compensating for loss, damage, or injury

• Karass: A network or group of people that are unknown to them are somehow connected or linked

• Chrysalis: anything in the process of developing (protected stage of developing into an adult)

CharactersDescribe Brent Bishop and how he changes from the beginning to the end.

Characters•Lea Zamora: the name, Lea, means spun by the wind.” Why is a whirligig symbolic?

Who is in Lea’s Karass

Anthony

Steph

Flaco

Jennifer’s grandmother

Why isn’t Brent part of her karass?

Setting• Non-linear, multiple locations, and multiple times

• Begins in Chicago- Brent goes to Chaz’s party, drinks to fit in, and decides to kill himself by driving and swerving into traffic, but he kills innocent Lea instead

• Mrs. Zamora wants Brent to place whirligigs of Lea’s image in the four corners of the nation to spread her spirit and joy

• Brent stayed in a camp ground –Washington…meets cyclist

• Stayed at a hostel-California…meets Emil

• Stayed at a hotel- Main…meets artist

Setting Continued• Bellevue, Washington- angel playing harp:

Anthony finally can stop playing the violin

• San Diego, California- mermaid on whale: Jennifer’s grandmother had hope for survivors to keep on moving forward.

• Miami, Florida- wooden marching band- Flaco, the street sweeper- discovered that people belong together like a band and flock of birds

• Weeksboro, Main- Lea’s face decorated with sea glass and shells Brent found-helps Steph visualize her future and finds her boyfriend

Characters that Taught BrentCyclist

• Taught him how to play Go

Emil

• A German traveler; gave him a book to read, “Two Years Before the Mast”/love of learning and education

Mrs. Zamora

• Taught Brent to self-discover, forgive, and give back to the world

Artist in Main

• Taught Brent that he can forgive himself and people are not defined by their past

Brent

• Taught himself to make whirligigs, play the harmonica, forgive himself, constellations

Lea

• There is more to life than superficial needs like fitting in/belonging

Discussion Question

•Why are those other four stories placed between the chapters about Brent’s growth?

Discussion Question

•Name three behaviors that show Brent to be desperate in the beginning of the novel.

Discussion Question

•What was Mrs. Zamora’s plan for Brent? How does Brent react?

Discussion Question

•What did we learn from Flaco, the street cleaner?

Discussion Question

•Why were whirligigs a tribute to Lea? How is the whirligig a symbol in this book?

Discussion Question

Why did the whirligig have so much beauty attached to it according to Jennifer’s grandmother?

Themes•Brainstorm possible themes for: belonging, guilt, forgiveness, self-discovery/coming of age

Questions?

Review for your test and work on

your essay!