Short Story Unit

Before the End of Summer

If it is written in yellow, you DO NOT NEED to write.

If it is written in white, you need to write.

Activities / AssignmentsNotes on each Short Story

Notes on Literary Terms

Discussion

Quizzes on Literary Terms

Reading Questions

Reading Quizzes

Test

Project

Stories we will read…

The Open Window

Before the End of Summer

The Lady, or the Tiger?

The Most Dangerous Game

The Gift of the Magi

Literary Terminology

• 1. Irony- an outcome of events contrary to what was expected. contrast between what is stated and what is meant or what is expected to happen and what actually does.

• 2. Understatement- The presentation of a thing with under emphasis in order to achieve a greater effect.

Irony

Irony

Irony

Irony

Understatement: It’s going to be a little windy today

Understatement: My office is a little messy right now.

Understatement: I don’t think we’re going anywhere.

Understatement: You need to work on your parallel parking.

3. Setting - where a literary work takes place.

4. Theme - the central message, lesson, or idea of a story.

Setting

Setting

Setting

Setting

5. Conflict - struggle between two forces

A. Internal -struggle the character faces against himself

B. External -struggle the character faces against an outside force

C. Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Supernatural

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Supernatural

6. Foreshadowing - use of clues to suggest events that have yet to occur.

7. Mood – feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.

8. Narrator - the speaker or character who tells the story.

Narrator

9. Metaphor- A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things essentially unalike.

10. Simile A figure of speech in which a comparison is expressed by the specific use of a word or phrase such as: like, as, than, seems or "as if."

11. Symbol- A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which

stands for something else.

Metaphors“Wyatt, I stand corrected, you’re an oak.”

“We would have had more pizza to eat if Tammy hadn’t been such a pig.”

“He was gripped by fear.”

“He has an alligator mouth and a canary behind.”

“It's getting quite hairy out there.”

“That night, football flexed it’s greatest muscle.”

“Give me the rock.”

Similes

As dead as a doornailDoing drugs is like playing with fire. As cool as a cucumberAs nutty as a fruitcakeAs poor as dirt As slow as molasses As snug as a bug in a rug Down like four flat tires

Symbols

12. Plot - sequences of events; what happens in a story

A. exposition -part of the plot graph that introduces the characters, setting, and

the basic situation.

B. conflict - struggle between two forces

C. Rising action - the series of events that lead to the climax; contains minor conflicts and tries to get the reader interested.

D. Climax - the point of highest tension or drama

E. Falling action - any event that follows the climax; conflicts are resolved

F. Resolution - the main conflict is resolved

G. Denouement - anything that happens after the resolution

The Gift of the Magi

13. Point of View - the perspective from which a story is told.

A. 1st person -the narrator is a character and refers to himself as "I".

B. 3rd person limited- the narrator's knowledge is limited to one character.

C. 3rd person omniscient - the narrator knows everything about all the characters

Literary Terminology14. Antagonist - An antagonist is a character or

group of characters who represents the opposition against which the protagonist(s) must contend.

Contrary to what some believe, the antagonist is not always the villain (bad guy), but simply those who oppose the main character.

The Most Dangerous Game

15. Personification A type of metaphor in which distinct human qualities are

attributed to an animal, object or idea.

Personification

16. Diction - a writer's word choice; may be formal or informal, plain or ornate, common or technical, abstract or concrete

17. Character - person or animal that takes part in the action of a work

A. main character -the character on whom the work focuses

B. major - main character and any other characters who play important roles

C. minor - one who does not play an important role

D. round - character who is like a real person: more developed

E. static (flat) - one who doesn't change in the course of the work: usually less developed

18. Figurative Language (or "figures of speech") -a way of saying something other than the literal meaning of the words.

Examples of figurative language

“Taking notes is killing me.”

“I’m making money like a bank teller.”

19. Paradox- A statement or situation containing apparently contradictory or incompatible elements, but on closer inspection may be true.

20. Hyperbole- A bold, deliberate overstatement not intended to be taken literally, it is used as a means of emphasizing the truth of a statement.

Examples of paradox

• “Man learns from history that man learns nothing from history."

• “Lose your life and you will find it.” • "This sentence is false." • "Moderation in all things, including

moderation."

Examples of hyperbole

• Your dog is so ugly you can’t tell if it’s coming or going.

• This is the worst day of my life. • It’s freezing in here. • Your mamma’s so old, her social security

number is 1.