Short stories

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 4

Short stories

Analysis

Today

Recap Lamb to the Slaughter

Read: Death by Scrabble

Analyse Death by Scrabble

Compare notes

Foreshadowing/ Forecasting

Je krijgt hints die je pas achteraf begrijpt.

Deze term komt voor in je toets!

Irony

Ironie is een techniek waarbij de werkelijke betekenis van woorden tegenovergesteld is aan hun letterlijke betekenis. Deze techniek wordt vaak gebruikt om humor, spot, of nadruk te geven.

Ook deze term komt op de toets!

Let's discuss The Lamb to the Slaughter - Describe the story in max. 2 sentences, in Dutch.

Match the name of the character to their matching box.

disrespectful

detective

obedient

greengrocer

Mrs Maloney

Mr Maloney

Jack Noonan

Sam

Student question: Why did Mrs Maloney kill her husband?

Example test question: why is it important to the story that we don't know what Mr Maloney said to his wife?

What is the plot twist in this story?
Describe in your own words

Plot twist

- Sweet and innocent Mary Maloney turns out to be the killer.

- The policemen eat the murder weapon.

Why is Mary's pregnancy relevant for the story?

Mary's pregnancy

The pregancy partly explains the choices she makes: she calls the police after getting back to the house. 

She gets an alibi after murdering her husband: so she won't be a suspect, and her child won't be taken away. 

Give examples of foreshadowing in the story.

Foreshadowing

* Patrick returning home from work: moody, drinking more than he usually does. Getting ready to give bad news.​

* Mary, in front of the mirror, trying to smile (greengrocer used as an alibi so Mary plans on getting away with murder).​

* The leg of lamb that was deliberately put in the oven (frozen!) and offered to the policemen.

Which statements could be labelled as irony?
(there's more than 1 correct answer)

1. The police officers eat the murder weapon
2. Mary is pregnant
3. Patrick wants to have a drink
4. Patrick (a detective) becomes a murder victim

Irony - an example

​

"Personally, I think it's right here on the premises."​

"Probably right under our very noses. What you think, Jack?"​

And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.

Death by Scrabble - page 133

Read the text and take notes, using the analysis matrix. Also focus on irony, foreshadowing and plot twist.

Add examples from the text to your notes.

Finished reading? Write a short summary, in Dutch.

Summarize Death by Scrabble in one sentence, you may do this in Dutch.

Which keywords describe the SETTING.

1. living room cold day
2. living room hot day
3. balcony hot day
4. balcony cold day

What do we know about the husband?

1. 42 years old
2. he hates his wife
3. he is unhappy
4. he loves his wife

What do we know about the wife?

1. she only cares about herself
2. she loves her husband
3. she wants to kill her husband
4. nothing

Which of these things could be considered forecasting?

1. The wife's scrabble words
2. The husband's scrabble words
3. The wife only makes 1 cup of tea
4. The man's habit of chewing on the tiles

What is the plot twist in this story?
You may answer in Dutch.

Example test question: Was the man murdered by his wife? Why (not)?

Do you have any questions about this story? Drop them here so I can answer them in the next lesson.

Choose one of the words and make a sentence about Death by Scrabble

How does the ending change your understanding of both characters?

In what ways does the story use irony?

The Landlady - p.126

Listen to the story and read along

I will tell you which parts to highlight

The Landlady - Analysis

Answer the questions on the worksheet

Support your answers with examples from the text.

Describe the story in 2 or 3 sentences.
You may do this in Dutch.

Describe the plot twist in The Landlady

Plot twist

- the landlady looked like a nice old lady, but she's not...

- the animals seemed alive, but are stuffed

- the boy will be added to the woman's 'collection'

Foreshadowing in The Landlady -
describe in your own words

Some clues...

• there are weird smells in the house (and the tea smells weird)
• the landlady says she's been expecting him
• he is the only guest
• he recognizes the names in the guest book 

Homework - Friday 12-12

Read The Open Window 

Take notes based on the Short Story Analysis Matrix

Write down questions you still have about the 4 stories - Lamb to the Slaughter, Death By Scrabble, The Landlady, The Open Window

The Open Window

Page 136

What is true about Framton Nuttel?

1. recovering from mental breakdown
2. he doesn't believe in ghosts
3. he went to India in the past
4. he knows many people in town

What is true about Vera?

1. she has a lively imagination
2. she is an adult
3. she knows Framton

Which words describe the setting (time/place/mood) of the story?

1. ghostly atmosphere
2. October
3. unfriendly
4. rainy day

What is the plot twist in this story?
You may answer in Dutch.

Plot twist

A seemingly innocent child turns out to be a trickster.

Last line: Romance at short notice was her specialty. 

Describe in what way(s) forecasting is used in this story.

Examples forecasting

* Vera asks if Framton knows anything about the family

* Vera tells the first story when her aunt is not there, the second when Framton is not there.

* An open window in October

* Framton's nerves (He came to the countryside for rest)

"Do you know many of the people round here?"
- Why did the girl ask this?

Answer

The girl (Vera) asked this because she wanted to know if she could invent her own story (tell lies to Framton).

Describe how tension (spanning) is built up in this story.

Tension/ Suspense

* Ghostly atmosphere: piece of bog, twilight, aunt keeps looking at the window.

* The persons showing up in the twilight perfectly match the earlier description, even the song. The writer even calls them ‘’the figures’’ instead of men which adds to the suspense. (Zombie like)​

* Framton trying to get eyecontact with Vera when the shadows appear because he thinks the aunt is so devastated and smitten by grief that she has gone nuts and sees things that aren’t real.​

Choose one of the words and make a sentence about the story

Follow up

Do you have questions about any of the stories?

In groups of 3 or 4, try to come up with test questions about one of the stories. Also think about what the answers would have to look like. 

Swap your questions with a different group.

The Landlady - what do you remember?