Critical Reader: The Briefcase

Choice F is correct because the chef wants to play it safe wouldn't want to throw away his identity away as the professor by doing something the professor wouldn't do. the chef asked some of the professors friends to send money to a post office and because he didn't tell them his exact location

2. What is the chef's strategy for survival? f. He conceals his location and asks the professor's friends for money. g. He plans to marry the professor's wife and help raise their son. h. He takes a job in a new restaurant where no one knows him. j. He has no strategy because he knows how hopeless his situation is.

Although the chef took on the role of the professor, he did not actually understand the question. The correct answer is D because the professor's wife called the police on the chef.

3. At the end of the story --is a better choice because the professor's wife comes and discovers his secret. The chef finally understands the professor's question He has been evicted from his room because he has no more money. His disguise has convinced the professor's son that he is his father. The chef's secret has been discovered.

Characters

ANALYZE CHARACTER ___________________- are people who participate in the events in the story. Like people, they display certain qualities and develop and change over time. You can understand characters through their speech, thoughts, actions, and interactions with other characters. Setting also affects characterization in a story.

The connection is that the chef uses the quote to convince himself that he is the professor. He relates the astronomy question to his life and the things that are happening to him to allow himself to believe that he really is the professor. The connection between the astronomy question and the story's theme is about universal topics and how the chef was adapting to this life . He uses the astronomy question to convince himself that he is the professor. The author uses themes of astrology to help himself with this. Through this we can see that the chef struggles with the question and doubts if can be answered,like when "He felt, perhaps, that if he used the other papers in the briefcase, he must also make use of the question. Or perhaps he felt that if he could answer it, he could put the universe back together. Or perhaps it was something to fill his empty days." It shows that he doesn't know the answer and isn't sure if he can.

Analyze Throughout the story, the author revisits the astronomy question. What is the connection between this question and the story's theme?

He will have nothing he is presumed dead since when switched identity he is an official would be a nobody he can;t work he has no titles no friend. He has nothing he has to start over. He is a dead man. He may just give up and die, become a prisoner and ethir is nowhere left to go.

Annotate: Record details in paragraph 57 that reveal the chef's desperation. No, he says, Non,non,non,non, I am right here No, he does not believe it, He is the only piece of the professor left alive. He whispers to her: let me go home with you. I'll be a father to your son, and I'll warm your bed, and keep you safe. Infer: What will happen to the chef if he loses the professor's identity?

The soldiers are scared since they don;t know what to do if you don't bring in 200 guys so they grab a random man. Chef indirectly responsible, soldiers directly responsible. Cause and effect. The chef is displeased that a random civilian was taken in his place, but he does not try to stop it as he is too concerned with his own safety at the moment. After he picks up the briefcase, he then becomes the professor and starts acting like him, using the materials to help himself along the way.

Annotate: Record major plot development points that occur in paragraph 5. He was running and crawling Counted 199 men, shouted to each other,...panicked voices Soldier, a bigger one, a louder one, stopped a man walking by. A man in a suit, Stripped him of his coat, his shirt, his leather case, cuffed him to the chain. They marched again. The chef ran down to the street Analyze: Who is to blame for what happens to the professor? How does the chef respond to this injustice?

It confirms his fears of being found out. That with every action he does he is weary that he has messed up and that someone will figure him out. Someone does in his dream and for him that means his life is over. Even Though it had just started.

Annotate: Record the description of the chef's dream that reveals what he fears most. The Americas before columbus; the oceans, before the british; the Romans, before their fall. History was safer than the new because there was no question of how it would end Analyze: What does this dream suggest about the chef's conflicted feelings about the professor?

Motivation- survival/motivated to use whatever he can to hide his identity even if it's unethical/ will use the professor's identity.

Annotate: Record the semicolon that is used to link two independent clauses in paragraph 11. "Oddy, this felt not like a robbery but like an apology, a way to put the world back in balance. The professor would not die, because he himself would become the professor, and he would live." Analyze: What is the effect of using a semicolon here instead of a period?

All of the people move around him or he in the metaphor is dying cigarette. At any time he can burn out easily and create toxicity around him. Hsi character is changing jhe he is accepting his new life and living it to the fullest. He doesn't care about others of the man he stole h

Annotate: Record the sentence in paragraph 13 that summarizes the chef's answer to the professor's question. If all heavenly bodies move, they must therefore move in relation to the earth, and in relation to my cigarette Infer: What does this answer reveal about how the chef's character is changing?

He is conflicted and confused. He knows he has to get away. He will most likely escape

Annotate: Record the text in paragraph 17 that describes the chief's habits of approaching and entering the post office. In a different city than the one where he stayed. Just before closing, Looked through the window first to check that the lobby was empty. He prepared a story The post box, of course, was in a different city than the one where he stayed. He arrived at the post office just before closing, and came only onc3e every two or three weeks, He always looked through the window first to check that the lobby was empty. If it was not, he would leave and come again another day. Infer: What do these habits reveal about the chef?

He is not reading current newspapers sicn ehe does not know what will happen in current ones. There is an element of control when you know what happened in history. That is why he is reading old ones since he knows the outcome.

Annotate: Record the text that explains why the chef is no longer reading current newspapers. Infer: What does this change reveal about the chef's state of mind?

This main character is not of much wealth, he has most likely been starving for awhile. They can;t afford modern technology and they have to dry their clothes in the sunlight. Hopeless, confused Motivations: He sees how terrible he would suffer and he is innocent and does not want to go through that. Next actions: He tries to escape, succeeding That he is not from the high class he is starved probably scrambling for food and in a rock and a hard place.

Annotate: Record words or phrases in paragraph 2 that describe the main character. "His hand was starved, his wrist was thin, his body was cl.." "Each aw only his own mother weeping in a kitchen , his own love on a bed i while sheets and sunlight" Infer: What can you tell about the main character based on these descriptions?

Explanation: Choice A is stronger than choice D because it states in the text that the chef noticed the professor's bag on the ground. The chef ended up finding the briefcase when the professor dropped it while being arrested

Check Your Understanding Why does the chef have the professor's briefcase? The professor dropped it when taken prisoner in the chef's place. He found it on the street and picked it up, hoping it might be helpful. He feels a responsibility to tell the professor's family what happened. It was left in the restaurant where the chef worked before his arrest.

"In his dream, the chef takes the case and runs west. If the professor takes it back, there will be no name left for the chef, no place on the Earth. The moment his fingers leave the leather loop of the handle, he will fall off the planet." The chef fears discovery after a year because if he is found, he will no longer have a life to live and will have to accept his fate. He is so anxious he cannot even escape in his dreams. "More than forgetting, perhaps what he fears is that he will be denied access — that the little box will one day recognize him behind his thick and convincing beard, will decide he has no right of entry." After all this time, the chef fears that even inanimate objects like the lock box will see through his charade and shun him. He worries incessantly that his act will no longer succeed, that everyone will discover his fraudulent nature.

Cite Evidence. What evidence does the author provide that the chef, even after a year in hiding, fears discovery?

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Do the physical descriptions of the character relate to his identity? When describing the physical characteristics of an individual, one of the first things that will strike you is the overall build or body type.

SETTING

Do the time, place, or cultural setting affect the character? If you need to leave behind a past life to protect yourself from something that is threatening to you. But it is not often to start over. Setting is the time and place where a scene occurs. It can help set the mood, influence the way characters behave, affect the dialog, foreshadow events, invoke an emotional response, reflect the society in which the characters live, and sometimes even plays a part in the story.

Yes, as time passes the chef begins to speak, think, and act like the professor. He begins to slowly change himself into the professor, without even realizing it himself. For example, the text states "He has learned that he has a young son. Rather, the professor has a son". This shows that the chef sometimes gets caught up in believing that he is actually the professor. He also answers the professor's question saying, "The light of my cigarette is a fire like the sun. From where I sit, all the universe is equidistant from my cigarette. Ergo, my cigarette is the center of the universe. My cigarette is on Earth. Ergo, the Earth is the center of the universe. If all heavenly bodies move, they must therefore move in relation to the Earth, and in relation to my cigarette," which shows that this is now how he is filling his days. In the end of the story, he doesn't believe that he himself is the professor but he believes he could convince someone he is, if given the chance. The chef never truly begins to believe his own lie and despite trying to assume the identity of the professor. For example, after a few months in the city, "the chef stopped buying his newspapers on the street by the café and began instead to read the year-old news the widow gave him for his fires" (Makkai 23). This shows that the chef is insecure about the future, so he comforts himself by reading about past events from which he knows the outcome. He is afraid that his true identity will be discovered and reading old newspapers gives him a sense of control. Additionally, when going to the post office, "He always looked through the window first to check that the lobby was empty. If it was not, he would leave and come again another day" (Makkai 17). This demonstrates that the chef does not truly believe that he is the professor and is paranoid that someone who knew the real professor will uncover the chef's lie.

Draw Conclusions Does the chef ever begin to believe his own lie? Cite evidence from the story to support your answer.

CHANGES

How does the change throughout the story? Once He gets the full perspective from others he can see that even though it seems terh have their life together they may still be struggling in their own way.

A way to set things right Uses the material in the briefcase, as a life line. He will do his best to protect give hope to the wife.

How does the chef become more confident in taking the professor's identity?

The reason the chef struggling to explain this passage is because he is feeling confused and lost in this part of the story. He is losing touch with reality and he is reconsidering his role as a professor. He isn't as confident and this confidence is only continuting to plummit. The chef feels lost and hopeless; disliking the realization he is stuck in this never-ending cycle of trying to be the professor, thinking if he can keep up the act any longer. He is struggling to make sense of the professor's identity and embody it.

How would you answer this question for the chef? Consider: the chef's actions and motivations

The chef is scared because the relatively easy life he had is disappearing. He is also worried because the man he considered his double is gone- showing what would become of the chef if he hadn't taken the professor's identity or if he is discovered now.This is where the chef's paranoia becomes extremely obvious. He begins to notice even the smallest of things and fears that they will somehow have an impact on his, potentially exposing his secret. He also fears that the beggar is dead, as he once saw himself to be the beggar and fears that he too might have the same fate.

How would you answer this question for the chef? Consider: the settings effects on the character and plot

The chef is fearful and scared because he saw the professor's wife. He feels defeated because he knows his lie has come to an end, and the professor's wife knows he is not really the professor. He is desperate and in denial, still holding on to any piece of the professor that he can. (SD) At first, the chef feels nervous about the unpredictable situation he's in. But later on, he realizes that if he doesn't believe that his secret is revealed, it won't come to haunt him in the long-run. A sense of anxiety occurs as this problem progresses. He's anxious to still keep his identity safe and hidden. Although, feels as if a part of the professor is within him.

How would you answer this question for the chef? Consider: themes in the story.

The chef feels as if he is going to forget the combinations since he isn't the professor. He goes to the post office when no one around since he doesn't want to be recognized as the chef. his would later lead to his own downfall. He feels scared and eh doe'snt wan tot get caught. the chef feels paranoid and nervous as he fears that his true identity will be discovered. After all of the oppression and hiding he has gone through, he feels as though it is only a matter of time before he gets caught.

How would you answer this question for the chef? Consider: what happened to the professor

The chef sees the beggar outside of the cafe as his double because if not for the professor's briefcase, the chef would be left in a similarly destitute position. If the chef had not stolen the professor's briefcase, he would have nothing, and he sees the beggar as who he probably should be, instead of masquerading as a professor living a relatively comfortable life far from danger. This view, however, is not enough of a motivation for the chef to stop pretending. While the beggar makes him feel guilty, the chef is convinced that living this lie is preferable to poverty. The chef does not wish to walk past the beggar as he does not want to feel that guilt, and he does not want to think about what his life would be without the lies he has spun around himself.

Interpret In what way is the beggar outside the cafe the chef's "double"? Why does the chef not want to walk past him?

Background

SHORT STORY _________________________-: The protagonist of "The Briefcase" is a political prisoner in an unnamed country, a man arrested for associating with the wrong people. Political prisoners are detained, imprisoned, and sometimes executed, without benefit of a trial or jury, due to political associations or beliefs that conflict with those of the people in power. Such detentions happen all over the world under regimes that hold absolute power over people and the press. In this story, author Rebecca Makkai examines the issue through the lens of basic astronomy.

He justifies this as though he filled the void of professor. He feels the need to carry on the professors legacy and give a reason to why the professor no longer communicates. He lives a lie as a tribute to the professor and keep himself off the streets.

Summarize How does the chef justify the theft of the professor's briefcase and identity?

theme

The __________- is the central idea of a story. It is the moral, life lesson, or insight about life or human nature that the author wants to convey. Themes may be universal, such as "Money cannot buy happiness" or "Love conquers all," or they may be more specific to the story. An author might state a theme directly, but most often readers must infer theme, relying on character development and unfolding events to make an educated guess about what message the author wants to convey.

ACTIONS

What do his actions and reactions reveal about him? Hover for more information. Doodle's reactions to various situations and stimuli reveal that he has a sensitive, artistic soul that responds to the beauty in nature. In addition, his sensitive nature and unselfishness allow him a remarkable capacity to love.

THOUGHTS

What does he think about? What do his thoughts reveal about him? At the point and state he is in he has given up fighting and his last resort is escape if you tried everything it may be hard in eye to see the state that he is in.

MOTIVATIONS

What drives the character to make the choices that he does? A plot-driven story focuses on the action, while a character-driven story focuses on a character's thoughts. Simple enough, but let's look at some examples. ... Character-driven novels show more of the process a character goes through as they make a decision. As a result, plot events are more spread out.

The question at the end, a good one:" Using It is a way to put the world back in balance. Compares himself to the professor finds common ground in these unfair circumstances

Why does the chef feel no guilt for taking on the professor's identity?

INTERACTIONS

With whom does he interact? What does each interaction reveal about him? All of his interactions contain fear, there is nowhere he can turn so he has to fend for himself, not letting anyone in.

Semicolons

Writers use semicolons (;) to link closely related ideas in independent clauses. As you read "The Briefcase," note the author's use of semicolons and how they link ideas to create coherence. Here is an example from the story: Ex. Surely he could not teach at the university; surely he could not slip into the man's bed unnoticed.

havoc

_________- n. destructive disorder or chaos.

flail

_________- v. to thrash or wave about wildly. When he opened the briefcase, papers flew out, a thousand doves flailing against the walls of the alley.

flagrantly

_________-adv. in a blangantly or conspicuously offensive manner.

inversion

___________-n. reversal or upside-down placement The addresses of friends; this card of identification; this riddle about the inversion of the universe.

transpire

_____________- v. to happen or occur The amounts they sent were smaller, the notes that accompanied them more inquisitive. What exactly had transpired?

equidistant

______________-adj. at equal distance from. From where I sit, all the universe is equidistant from my cigarette.

Characters' motivations

________________________-, or reasons for doing what they do, advance the plot of a story and reveal its theme.