Short Stories

What sentence of the sergeant-major's foreshadows the negative outcome of Mr. White's wishes?

"If you keep it, don't blame me for what happens."

How do you determine the theme?

1. Ask how the protagonist has *changed* during the story's events. 2. Consider the *title*, it will often hint at the meaning. 3. Theme should explain the *whole story*, not just parts of it. 4. Think about the *overall subject* of the story. Then ask yourself what the author wants you to discover about that subject. 5. *Theme cannot be one word.* You must take it one step further and determine what the author is saying about that one word. For example: a story's subject may be fear, but this is not the theme. The theme could possibly be fear can be as destructive as the cause of fear.

What are the five methods of Indirect Characterization?

1. Describing how the character looks and dresses. 2. Letting us hear the character speak. 3. Letting us listen to the character's inner thoughts and feelings. 4. Revealing what others think or say about the character. 5. Showing the character's actions

What is the traditional plot structure?

1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 3. Climax 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution

What are the types of conflict?

1. Man vs. Man (External) 2. Man vs. Society (External) 3. Man vs. Nature (External) 4. Man vs. Self (Internal) 5. Man vs. Supernatural

What are the three most frequently used points of view?

1. Omniscient 2. Limited Third Person 3. First Person

What are the two conflicts in "Lamb to the Slaughter?" What kind of conflict is each of them?

1. Patrick tells Mary he is leaving her - Man vs. Man 2. Mary must cover up the fact that she killed Patrick - Man vs. Society

Why was the war difficult?

1. There weren't established lines, so the enemy could either be in front or behind you. 2. The Vietnamese seldom wore uniforms, so you couldn't tell who were civilians and who were soldiers. 3. The climate and terrain: tropical country, mountainous jungle, vast marshes, extreme heat.

What are the types of irony?

1. Verbal Irony 2. Dramatic Irony 3. Situational Irony

What are the two common types of satire?

1. gentle, witty, and amusing 2. forceful, bitter, and even vicious

When did the US soldiers serve in Vietnam?

1959-1973

When was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund created?

1979

When was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Created?

1981

When was the travel ban for US citizens lifted?

1991

When did President Clinton lift the trade embargo?

1994

How many American males were drafted?

26 million

How many names were etched in the wall in 2004?

58,235 (there are still names added today)

How long did soldiers serve?

A fixed tour of duty of one year.

What is the difference between a theme and a moral?

A moral is a rule of conduct, and a theme is the main idea.

A person or force that opposes the protagonist in the story. The enemy of the protagonist.

Antagonist

How does the setting help to establish the atmosphere at the beginning of "The Lottery?"

At the beginning, the atmosphere is very light-hearted and seemingly happy. The story takes place in a small town on a warm summer's day, which instills the same feelings of warmth and happiness upon readers. The day, June 27, is described as "clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer's day," which creates a happy atmosphere. "The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green." This adds to the warm and happy setting and contrasts with the villagers, whose clothes are described as faded.

The general mood or feeling established in a work of literature.

Atmosphere

Who were America's most significant allies?

Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

A person or animal who takes part in the action of a work of literature. The story's actors.

Character

What is the theme?

Cleverness can get a person out of a tough situation. (I think there could be lots of answers to this question.)

The conflict is solved. This is the point of greatest emotional intensity when we will finally know what will happen to the characters and their conflicts.

Climax

Why did America intervene?

Concerns about Communist expansion (especially after Cuba fell to Communism). The US were worried that if Vietnam became Communist, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia would also become Communist.

A struggle between two opposing forces in a piece of literature. This may take many forms, and may be internal (in your head) or external (involves other people or events).

Conflict

What does the black box symbolize?

Death.

Way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or group of people. It may have a distinct vocabulary, pronunciation system, and grammar. To bring characters to life, writers often use different of these.

Dialect

The writer tells us explicitly what kind of person the character is. We do not have to figure it out for ourselves.

Direct Characterization

The reader or audience knows something that a character in the story or play does not know.

Dramatic Irony

A character who changes in an important way during the course of the story.

Dynamic Character

Gives background information on such things as character and setting.

Exposition

This wraps up the story. There is a final unraveling of the complications.

Falling Action

Any work of literature that includes material that is invented or imagined that is not a record of things as they actually happened. In literature the term usually refers to the novel or the short story. Much is based on actual personal experience, but it almost always involves invented characters, actions, or settings.

Fiction

Only one character tells the story. The narrator speaks as "I." He or she may be used during dialogue with this. Do not assume that if you see he/she it is automatically third person. Make sure to read the context of its usage.

First Person Point of View

A scene in a story or play that interrupts the present action to tell about events that happened at an earlier time.

Flashback

These characters have only one or two personality traits that can be summed up in a single phrase.

Flat Characters

The use of clues to hint at important plot developments that are to follow in a story or drama.

Foreshadowing

Various types of short stories, novels, plays, movies, etc. which people recognize by their familiar narrative conventions.

Genre

How does Tim O'Brien show how lonely Paul is?

He doesn't name any other characters in the beginning, and the other soldiers are referred to as silhouettes. Paul also thinks about his family a lot. Another way is the atmosphere, which is dark and doesn't let you see other people's features, though Paul wouldn't have known them even if he could have. Also, when Paul shakes hands with Toby, he notices how warm his hand is, which shows that he hasn't had much human contact.

Why does Paul laugh uncontrollably? How does laughter help with his anxiety? What is ironic about Billy Boy's death?

He laughs uncontrollably because he is nervous about being in the war. The laughter helps him to get his mind off his worrying and is probably the first time he has laughed in a while. Billy Boy's death is ironic because he was so scared he was going to die from something that probably wouldn't have killed him that he died. Afterwards, when he was being carried off by the Medevac, his body fell out of the helicopter and the soldiers had to get him out of the water.

What did President Johnson believe the impact the build up of American military power would have on North Vietnam?

He thought that once the North saw the US military in the South, they would agree to end the war and let South Vietnam remain a separate, independence nation.

The writer makes us figure out the character for ourselves.

Indirect Characterization

A contrast between what is stated and what is actually meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen.

Irony

Why is the Vietnam War distinct from other wars?

It was the longest and most unpopular was in American History. Some experts say that it was the only war America has ever lost.

What is the climax of "Lamb to the Slaughter?"

Jack Noonan reminds Mary she has something in the oven, and Mary convinces them to eat the leg of lamb in honor of her husband.

Writer tells the story from the vantage point of one character in the story. The reader can see the thoughts of only one character. The reader does not know what other characters think or feel unless the character speaks his/her thoughts and feelings. He/she is often used in the story instead of "I."

Limited Third Person Point of View

When did the war start and end?

March 1954 - April 1975

How did men and women become soldiers?

Men were either drafted or volunteered. Women volunteered only.

What agreement was reached between Ho Chi Minh and America?

Minh would rule the northern half and the US would support the democratic southern half. In 1954, Minh was unhappy with this so he set out to conquer South Vietnam and unite Vietnam.

Who was Ho Chi Minh?

Modern Vietnam's most famous patriot. He wanted to replace the French colonial rule of Vietnam with Communism.

What does Old Man Warner think of discontinuing the lottery? Why does he feel this way? How is this satire?

Old Man Warner thinks it would be very foolish to discontinue the lottery because it has brought them a plentiful harvest each year. He feels this way because the lottery is a tradition that has been done every year his entire life, so he has never thought about life without it. This is satire because it shows that Old Man Warner is so faithful in tradition that he never questions the fact that all of the villagers murder one of their own every year, and that it makes no sense that this terrible act would bring them a plentiful harvest.

The "all-knowing" point of view. The storyteller is outside of the story's action altogether. This narrator may tell what all or some of the characters are thinking. The reader can see the thoughts of more than one character.

Omniscient Point of View

Imitation of a work of literature, art, or music for amusement or satirical purposes. They often use exaggeration or inappropriate subject matter to make a serious work seem ridiculous.

Parody

What do you think Paul has discovered about war and about himself on his first day of combat? Of what theme have you become aware by sharing his experiences?

Paul discovered that war is frightening and that he was not as brave as he thought. The fear of war or dying can be worse than the actual combat. Ex. Billy Boy Watkins died of a heart attack caused by fear that he would die. Ex. Paul was afraid even after he had been in combat and reached the sea, showing that the fear was longer-lasting than combat.

What is it that Paul expects to find at the sea? What does he find instead?

Paul expects to find bravery and comfort so that he is no longer afraid. Ironically, he finds he is still afraid once he reaches the sea.

What is Paul's relationship with his father? Why is Paul's father important?

Paul wants to impress his father and wants to make him proud. For this reason, Paul is not going to tell his father he was scared when he gets back home. They have a good relationship, and this is shown through the way that he removes himself from the situation when he is afraid and into a situation with his father. Paul's father is important because Paul is trying to make his father proud and thinks of him when he is struggling to help him cope with his fear. His father is his biggest motivation.

The sequence of events that make up a story. It shows us a relationship among events. A major element is conflict.

Plot

The vantage point from which the story is told.

Point of View

Why was there an anti-war movement?

President Johnson never fully explained to the American people why he was sending troops to Vietnam. As the years passed America did not seem to be gaining any ground in Vietnam, so by 1968 people began to question why the US was involved. President Nixon's election in 1968 shifted the focus to getting out of Vietnam, and as the soldiers returned home they were treated very poorly.

A main character who is involved in the central conflict of the story. This is the character with whom we, the reader, are supposed to sympathize.

Protagonist

A fictitious spin on a real life event. Think of the movie "Titanic" - this was an actual event that happened. However, we know that the main characters from this movie never existed. The overall plot is based on a real event - but the story itself is fiction.

Realistic Fiction

Here, we see the characters go on with their lives after the conflict has been solved. This portion is usually very brief.

Resolution

A series of complications arise. Here we learn the conflict.

Rising Action

These characters are complex and have many different traits.

Round Characters

Mocks or ridicules the stupidity of individuals, groups, institutions, or society as a whole.

Satire

The time and place in which the events of a literary work take place. This can be very important in establishing atmosphere.

Setting

A fictional narrative written in prose, which is shorter than a novel. Because of its shortness, it often limits itself to one main event and the development of one character or a single aspect of a character.

Short Story

The writer shows a discrepancy between the expected result of some action or situation and its actual result.

Situational Irony

What kind of irony is depicted in "The Monkey's Paw?

Situational Irony Ex. Mr. White's first wish was for two hundred pounds, and he was given two hundred pounds in compensation for his son's death when he was killed in some machinery.

Where is Vietnam?

Small country in Southeast Asia.

A character who does not change; they are exactly the same throughout the story.

Static Character

A character who is stereotyped (like the nerd, the tough guy, the weird scientist, etc.)

Stock Character

Something in a literary work which maintains its own meaning while at the same time standing for something broader than itself. A common example is a rose, which stands for love.

Symbol (Symbolism)

Why were helicopters important?

The Vietnam War was the first war to make widespread use of helicopters. They could rapidly carry troops to isolated areas and land in clearings too small for airplanes. Their unique mobility allowed for additional firepower to troop reinforcements in a moment's notice.

Verisimilitude in "The Lottery:" Is the setting believable or unrealistic? Why or why not?

The setting is believable (a small town on a warm summer's day). The verisimilitude makes the end all the more surprising, as it is strange for such seemingly quiet villagers to annually stone one of their own.

What separates a short story from a novel?

The stuff in parentheses are about short stories, not novels. 1. Length (usually under 5,000 words) 2. Setting (usually one or two places) 3. Time (shorter time frame; sometimes snapshot of life) 4. Character (fewer characters) 5. Plot (usually less exposition, smaller number of complications, and a very short time between the climax and the end)

The main idea the author is trying to express about life or human nature. It reveals the writer's personal attitude toward the world.

Theme

In which point of view is "Lamb to the Slaughter" written?

Third-Person Limited Point of View (The reader only knows that which Mary knows.)

What is the spell on the monkey's paw?

Three men can each have three wishes from it. The spell was put on the paw by a very holy fakir who wanted to show people what happens when one interferes with fate, as he believed fate ruled one's life.

Agent Orange

To eliminate the thick tropical vegetation and to make it easier to track enemy movement, the military used herbicides. These defoliants were named after the color of stripes on their containers and contained the active ingredient tetrachlorodibenzopara-dioxin (TCDD), more commonly known as Agent Orange. The impact it had on plants, animals, citizens, and soldiers, particularly the ones that handled the herbicides, resulted in health problems such as respiratory problems, persistent skin rashes, forms of skin cancer, and birth defects in their children.

The attitude a writer takes toward the reader, a subject, or a character. It is conveyed through the writer's choice of words and details.

Tone

The writer or speaker says one thing and means something entirely different.

Verbal Irony

Setting can give the story a kind of truth or believability. The word means "the appearance of being true to life."

Verisimilitude

What was the average age of the fighting man, compared with that of WWI and WWII?

Vietnam: 19 Past Wars: 26

Why did America first become involved?

We had given aid to the French colonial rulers in 1950 and believed France's rule provided better stability than communism.

What is the climax of "The Monkey's Paw?"

When Mr. White is frantically trying to find the paw before his wife lets their undead son in the house.

How could Mr. White have re-stated his first two wishes so he could have gotten what he really wanted?

Wish One: I wish to have two hundred pounds unencumbered by any hardship. Wish Two: I wish to have my son back, alive and in the condition he was in before his death.

Is "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?" a realistic story?

Yes because when a new soldier comes he doesn't know many people, and the story shows how hard it is to adjust. The story portrays how hard and scary war can be. O'Brien creates verisimilitude through tone, diction, and imagery.

The Vietnam War was a ____ war, as much ____ as it was military.

civil, political