Lesson 4 Close Reading: The Most Dangerous Game

Close Reading
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EngelsMiddelbare schoolvwoLeerjaar 4

In deze les zitten 23 slides, met interactieve quizzen en tekstslides.

time-iconLesduur is: 90 min

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Close Reading

Slide 1 - Tekstslide

sign up to lesson up! 

Continuation of the CR lessons/short stories

Part of a series of lessons

Slide 2 - Tekstslide

Various tools are necessary to analyse texts more carefully. Detective work or forensic work.

Like last week, we will discuss another short story. 
 

Lesdoel = practice CR and learn new concepts and how to apply them

Slide 3 - Tekstslide

Do you remember the communication cycle?

How do readers respond – context – time place and culture. 
Why do writers write – social political historical personal message – human creativity an intrinsic desire and need to tell stories
What choices do they make – genre, text type, purpose and literacy features

Last week we focused on purpose and audience, today we will have a closer look at style & structure!

Slide 4 - Tekstslide

Today: content and theme & structure

Analytical tools
These tools helps you to analyse texts. It is very useful for Paper one, written tasks and individual oral commentary.

 This is the lens in which you look at texts and reveal the levels of understanding.

Last week 3 lensen... today...

Audience and purpose – who wrote the text, who was it written for, why did the writer write it
Content and Theme – what is the text about
Tone and Mood – what is the writer’s tone how does the text make the reader feel.
Stylistic analysis – what devices does the writer use
Structure – what kind of text is it, what structural conventions are used.

Do you like scary movies/stories?
Yes
No

Slide 5 - Poll

Yes; which movies/stories exactly and why
Horror stories
The 4 elements of horror:
  • Frightening setting.
  • Relatable protagonist who makes dreadful decisions.
  • Villain single-mindedly focused on devastation.
  • Suspense-driven pace.

Slide 6 - Tekstslide

Genre/Context of the text

Slide 7 - Tekstslide

Author: Richard Connel 
Published: 1924
Inspired by the big-game hunting safaris in Africa and South America, particularly fashionable among wealthy Americans in the 1920s.
But with a twist...

Short intro to the story: 
- summary in a few sentences; suspenseful adventure story about celebrated hunter Sanger Rainsford. After falling overboard while sailing to a hunting vacation, Rainsford washes ashore on Ship-Trap Island, an eerie place
**SCARY AND GORY STORY

- video summary 0:26-5:06
- 'suspense' is created in the video with the use of music. With CR we will discover how its done in writing 
Horror elements in "The Most Dangerous Game"
The 4 elements of horror:
  • Frightening setting.
  • Relatable protagonist who makes dreadful decisions.
  • Villain single-mindedly focused on devastation.
  • Suspense-driven pace.

Slide 8 - Tekstslide

- the island is an unknown place. the unknown is often experienced as frightening
- Rainsford, the mc, makes questionable decisions when he decides to become the hunter himself. 
- The general's obsession with hunting bigger game: people
- suspense is key in horror stories. In film it is primarily jump scares (sound/image), but in books that is not possible
Struggle and Conflict
Conflict – A struggle between two opposing forces. In literature, there are two types of conflict.
External Conflict – a struggle between a literary character and outside force (other character/nature).
Internal Conflict – a psychological struggle within the literary character’s mind.

Examples:
External conflict: Superman vs General Zod
Internal conflict: to kill or to not kill; the question Superman struggles with

Slide 9 - Tekstslide

Struggle
Closely related to horror is struggle; characters are always struggling for smt, usually survival.
Ask students whether they can come up with examples. Could be a personal one if they want to share


Passage 1
"Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea closed over his head.

He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the saltwater in his open mouth made him gag and strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender as the yacht raced on. He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his power. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night."

Slide 10 - Tekstslide

Student will read out passage

Before moving on to the instructions...
- Refer to previous work submitted
- Compliments about Gift of the Magi
Directions – Closely read and annotate the passage from Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” As you read, look for examples from the text that demonstrate various types of conflict. Write a quote for each type of conflict in the passage, and explain how the quote represents the conflict.
"Rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. He strained his eyes in the direction from which the reports had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was pinched off short as the blood-warm waters of the Caribbean Sea closed over his head.

He struggled up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face and the saltwater in his open mouth made him gag and strangle. Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. There was a chance that his cries could be heard by someone aboard the yacht, but that chance was slender and grew more slender as the yacht raced on. He wrestled himself out of his clothes and shouted with all his power. The lights of the yacht became faint and ever-vanishing fireflies; then they were blotted out entirely by the night."

Slide 11 - Tekstslide

7-10 minutes
- point out students to give their answers
- discuss/probing questions
- whole passage is external conflict struggle

!! textual evidence !!

one example of internal conflict/struggle (resolve of conflict/struggle more); ask students to point it out
"Desperately he struck out with strong strokes after the receding lights of the yacht, but he stopped before he had swum fifty feet. A certain coolheadedness had come to him; it was not the first time he had been in a tight place. "


** Write down your passage as I want you to submit all your answers via Magister. All the passages/answers you write regarding the CR assignment upcoming weeks you will have to submit as you will be graded for it. From the 5 submissions, 4 will count for the final grade. Meaning you can mess up big time once, or not submit smt once. 
I will put the details on Magister for you. 



Theme

Is there a common theme in scary stories?

Slide 12 - Tekstslide

Fear
Mystery
Murder
Death
Darkness
Disfigurement
Power
What is the theme of "The Most Dangerous Game"?

Slide 13 - Open vraag

Struggle, Conflict and Suspense all come together in the theme POWER/STRENGTH

"Richard Connell uses conflict to heighten the suspense of the story. The use of this literary device suggests that Connell wanted to convey the hunter versus the hunted ideals of General Zaroff as an important theme which propels the plot."
Passage 2
"It will be light enough in Rio," promised Whitney. "We should make it in a few days. I hope the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's. We should have some good hunting up the Amazon. Great sport, hunting."
"The best sport in the world," agreed Rainsford.
"For the hunter," amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar."
"Don't talk rot, Whitney," said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who cares how a jaguar feels?"
"Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.
"Bah! They've no understanding."
"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing--fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death."
"Nonsense," laughed Rainsford. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist. The world is made up of two classes--the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?”

Directions – Closely read and annotate this passage from Richard Connell’s short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” 
As you read, analyze the text for clues that reveal the story’s theme. Write an explanatory paragraph on what the theme is.

Slide 14 - Tekstslide

7 minutes:
Students may or may not be asked to share their answers. Depends on time...

KEY = power, strength, killing
What is Suspense?

Slide 15 - Woordweb

answer = a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen.

How is this feeling created?
How is the feeling of suspense created?

Content and Theme?
Tone and Mood?

Stylistic devices? Structure? 

Slide 16 - Tekstslide

Content and Theme? Can only scary stories be suspenseful? How about a story about a soccer team that has to win the finals? The deciding penalties are also suspenseful, right? 

How is it done then? Give me words that indicate suspense = afraid, scary, petrified

Closer look to find the source of suspense. You need to analyse stylistic devices and sentence structure. 
**Today stylistic devices will not be discussed, but they can still be recognized because of the effect they have
Passage 3
"An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it, and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken. Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times."

"Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coastline; and his first thought was that be had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building--a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows."

Slide 17 - Tekstslide

7-10 minutes
Why is this passage suspenseful? Write down/Annotate every little thing that makes you feel suspense

 KEY = 
- Authors achieve suspense when their audience wants to find out the outcome.
- Suspense keeps the audience engaged and interested in the story
"An abrupt sound startled him. Off to the right he heard it, and his ears, expert in such matters, could not be mistaken. Again he heard the sound, and again. Somewhere, off in the blackness, someone had fired a gun three times."

"Bleak darkness was blacking out the sea and jungle when Rainsford sighted the lights. He came upon them as he turned a crook in the coastline; and his first thought was that be had come upon a village, for there were many lights. But as he forged along he saw to his great astonishment that all the lights were in one enormous building--a lofty structure with pointed towers plunging upward into the gloom. His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows."

Slide 18 - Tekstslide

Why is this expert suspenseful? Write down/Annotate every little thing that makes you feel suspense

Only one example of suspense highlighted. Students have to figure out the rest. 

 KEY = STRUCTURE: it is not immediately revealed what is heard and seen. then the descriptions are mysterious and creepy

- Authors achieve suspense when their audience wants to find out the outcome.
- Suspense keeps the audience engaged and interested in the story
Passage 4
"I've always thought," said Rainsford, "that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game."
For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly, "No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game." He sipped his wine. "Here in my preserve on this island," he said in the same slow tone, "I hunt more dangerous game."
Rainsford expressed his surprise. "Is there big game on this island?"
The general nodded. "The biggest."
"Really?"
"Oh, it isn't here naturally, of course. I have to stock the island." "What have you imported, general?" Rainsford asked. "Tigers?"
The general smiled. "No," he said. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford."
The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and offered his guest a long black cigarette with a silver tip; it was perfumed and gave off a smell like incense.
"We will have some capital hunting, you and I," said the general. ”I shall be most glad to have your society."
"But what game--" began Rainsford.

Slide 19 - Tekstslide

7 minutes
Again, same directions: 
Why is this expert suspenseful? Write down/Annotate every little thing that makes you feel suspense

- the fact that it is not revealed that he talking about hunting people? 
- the vocabulary used? 

"I've always thought," said Rainsford, "that the Cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game."
For a moment the general did not reply; he was smiling his curious red-lipped smile. Then he said slowly, "No. You are wrong, sir. The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game." He sipped his wine. "Here in my preserve on this island," he said in the same slow tone, "I hunt more dangerous game."
Rainsford expressed his surprise. "Is there big game on this island?"
The general nodded. "The biggest."
"Really?"
"Oh, it isn't here naturally, of course. I have to stock the island." "What have you imported, general?" Rainsford asked. "Tigers?"
The general smiled. "No," he said. "Hunting tigers ceased to interest me some years ago. I exhausted their possibilities, you see. No thrill left in tigers, no real danger. I live for danger, Mr. Rainsford."
The general took from his pocket a gold cigarette case and offered his guest a long black cigarette with a silver tip; it was perfumed and gave off a smell like incense.
"We will have some capital hunting, you and I," said the general. ”I shall be most glad to have your society."
"But what game--" began Rainsford.

Slide 20 - Tekstslide


Ask them about the blue (refer to the Hunger Games; the sentence can suggest he eats people and smokes scented cigarettes to mask the smell of human flesh) 
Structure
Text Structure?

Sentence structure:
- Play with pace
- Delay of information
- Creates Suspense

Slide 21 - Tekstslide

Ask students about text structure: they have to explain the structure of an essay, instructions, article etc. 

CR means looking with a magnifying glass at a text; thus sentence structure.



Concepts discussed today:
- Internal & External conflict
- Suspense
- Structure

Slide 22 - Tekstslide


Students have to explain/give definitions of these concepts

(Creative) Writing Assignment

Directions - write a short passage that displays internal conflict OR external conflict. Use what you have learned about (sentence) structure to create suspense in the passage. (300-400 words) 

Submit this before Wednesday 5 o'clock via Magister (Word document)
Also, submit your responses to the passages we have read/discussed together.

Slide 23 - Tekstslide

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