short stories

man vs man

a conflict between characters or groups in a story (external)

What is the symbolism of the avocado tree? Think about what different parts of the tree represent (trunk, branches, avocado fruit, and the tree as a whole.)

- avocado tree symbolizes the grandfather's family - each branch representing a member of the family - grandfather is the trunk

man vs nature

a conflict that takes place between a character and the outside world (external)

man vs society

a conflict that takes place between a character and the society that he lives in; may be frustrated by social rules, laws and morals of his society (external)

situational irony

a contrast between what is expected to happen and what really happens ex: Fortunato's name

verbal irony

a contrast between what is said and what is really meant Note: must be intentional ex: toast to Fortunato's long life

dramatic irony

a contrast between what the audience knows (more) and what the characters know (less) ex: cough won't kill Fortunato

An example of a metaphor in Fish Cheeks:

a figure of speech that compares two things without using the words like or as - compares the appearance of squid to bicycle tires "A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires." - creates an image for the readers that don't know what a squid dish is or anything about her culture - portrays how she feels ashamed of her culture's food

An example of a personification in Fish Cheeks:

a figure of speech that gives a non-human thing human-like characteristics "A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil." - emphasizes the strangeness of the dishes and the dinner - the fish is "begging", but it is non-human, and it's dead

gesticulation

a gesture, especially dramatic, used to emphasize one's words

palazzo

a large imposing building for the wealthy (as a museum or place of residence especially in Italy)

masons

a member of the fraternity of free masons (worldwide fraternal organization) --> believe in brotherhood, charity, help, etc occupation is to build with stone of brick --> prepares stone for building purposes

An example of a simile in Fish Cheeks:

a metaphor that uses the words like or as - author describes Robert's appearance and highlights his white skin "he was not Chinese, but as white as Mary in the manger." - emphasizes the difference between her and her crush, especially when it comes to cultural differences. - his christian culture - puts him and his culture on a pedestal while degrading her own culture

inciting moment

a single incident in the story without which there would be no story; sets the remainder of the story in motion

conflict

a struggle between opposing forces in a story

cask amontillado

a wooden container for wine a type of sherry/wine

connossieur

an expert in a specific area

man vs himself

an internal conflict that takes place in the mind of a character in a story; usually involves the character having mixed feelings and emotions (internal)

aperture

an opening or hole

catacombs

an underground cemetery with recesses for tombs (cool climate: ideal for storing wine)

impunity

exemption from punishment

Plot Diagram of Cinderella: exposition: inciting moment: rising action (3): climax: falling action: resolution:

exposition: a girl named Cinderella lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. She is forced to work as their servant and do all the work in the house. inciting moment: an invitation to a royal ball rising action (3): - Cinderella's dress is torn by her stepmother and stepsisters. - Cinderella meets her godmother, who gives her a beautiful dress, a coach, horses, and coachmen. - Cinderella dances with the prince all night before she has to leave at midnight. But she loses a glass slipper, which the prince picks up and declares that he will marry the owner of the shoe. climax: Cinderella tries on the shoe and finds out that it fits her perfectly. falling action: The prince and Cinderella get married. resolution: They live happily ever after.

exposition

gives the background information that is needed to understand the story; includes the protagonist, antagonist, the basic conflict and setting

trowel

hand tool used by brick masons

Tone of Fish Cheeks:

initial tone: bitter ungrateful uneasy uncomfortable anxious ending tone: thankful/grateful appreciative - ashamed of her own culture and family traditions "When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas?" - reflective and learns a lesson "It wasn't until many years later - long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert - that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu" - ironic that her favorite foods were disgusting "For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods"

preclude

prevent from happening; make impossible

retribution

punishment on someone as revenge; repayment

"The Grandfather" contains a lot of imagery (language that appeals to our senses). Find an example of imagery in the form of a quote for each of the following: sight: sound: touch: smell: taste:

sight: "I drank long and deep, and later ate the smile from an ice cold watermelon" (2). sound: "Birds nested in the tree, quarreling jays with liquid eyes and cool, pulsating throats" (2). touch: "He tucked it into the sofa, his shoes and slippers, and into the tight-lipped pockets of his suits" (1). smell: "He‌ ‌said‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌wind's‌ ‌fault,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌mayor's,‌ ‌who‌ ‌allowed‌ ‌office‌ ‌buildings‌ ‌so‌ ‌high‌ ‌that‌ ‌the‌ ‌haze‌ ‌of‌ ‌pollen‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌countryside‌ ‌could‌ ‌never‌ ‌find‌ ‌its‌ ‌way‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌city" (1). taste: "Grandfather sprinkled it with salt and laced it with a river of chile" (2).

What is an example of symbolism in the Scarlet Ibis?

"Doodle's father builds Doodle a go-cart so that he can join Brother outside, and soon it becomes Brother's responsibility to take him outside whenever he wants to go out and play." And "Doodle's walking improves, and his go-cart is put in the loft next to his coffin." The go-cart symbolizes the narrator's responsibility to look after Doodle - emphasizes the narrator's frustration towards Doodle - Doodle's limitations - location, next to coffin, foreshadows that his growth and development would cause his death

3 cited quotes that demonstrate why Montresor is an unreliable narrator:

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (1). - hyperbole - lack of knowledge, psychological instability, prejudice "I continued, as was my in to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of his immolation" (1). - deliberate desire to deceive "For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!" (12). - lack of knowledge (long time) - psychological instability (rest in peace) - prejudice and deception

theme

the main idea of the story

According to Soto's Grandfather, how are Mexico and California different? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

- California is dirty compared to Mexico - the wind always reached him, even from the sea "which was blue and clean" (1) - "oily water sloshing against a San Francisco pier" (1). - the moon was always visible and the stars could be seen from the horizon - Mexico is more pure and clean whereas California is murky

What do you know about the setting of "The Grandfather"? Describe as many details as possible.

- Fresno, California - moved from Mexico to Fresno - worked at Sun-Maid Raisin for thirty years

Why might a narrator be unreliable?

- Psychological instability - A powerful bias (prejudice) - Lack of knowledge (they just don't have all of the information/facts or they may misinterpret events and situations.) - A deliberate desire to deceive the reader or audience

Speaker of Fish Cheeks:

- a younger Amy Tan - 14-year-old teenage girl - had a crush on a white guy, Robert - Chinese immigrant - ashamed of her culture - religious (Christian) - high school education - middle class

Describe the mood of the Scarlet Ibis. Does the mood change at all during the story? Explain any changes in mood that you take note of.

- begins melancholy, gloomy, and depressing tone as the narrator recalls the past - the narrator is nostalgic - mood slightly changes at some parts of the story (ex: the narrator takes Doodle to Old Woman Swamp for the first time) but continues to remain a guilty and remorseful tone

Describe two examples of foreshadowing from the Scarlet Ibis. Why do you think the author decided to use this literary device in his work?

- coffin - "Don't leave me. Don't leave me" (2) - foreshadow that the narrator would leave him behind, potentially causing harm to Doodle and maybe even his death - pride is a double-edged sword that "bears two vines, life and death" (3) - foreshadow that the narrator's pride would lead him to push Doodle on the verge of life and death

How does Amy Tan use imagery to describe food in the third paragraph? (examples) What does it say about her opinion towards her culture at the beginning of the story?

- compares the food to non-edible objects makes the dishes seem unappetizing - portrays her shame and disgust towards her culture and traditions - described the kitchen filled with "A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires." - looking at the food through the lens of Robert and his family.

Subject of Fish Cheeks:

- culture - teenage years - crushes/love - identity - uniqueness

Do you think the narrator makes any kind of discovery at the story's end, as he cradles Doodle's little body? Explain the discovery.

- discovers the consequences of his pride - realizes that he pushed Doodle too far - shouldn't have been embarrassed of Doodle - discovers how delicate, different, and unique Doodle was - finally understands the beauty of Doodle's innocence and the ugly consequences of pride - realizes that he loves Doodle and should have protected, supported, and loved him more

Characterize Montresor. What kind of person is he? What connections do you see between Poe and the persona of Montresor? (Think back to the biography of Poe's life.)

- extreme and highly values revenge - deceptive and manipulative - does whatever it takes to take revenge - insane but restrained and patient - Montresor's insanity, vengefulness, and cunningness show that he is not in his right mind --> Poe seems to be in a constant state of intoxication where he is almost never fully conscious --> he imagines himself taking revenge on others in place of Montresor

What is the theme/main idea of The Grandfather? Write a theme statement and then give a brief explanation of how the story establishes this theme.

- families grow and stick together - even though the storms might try to break them apart, families stand firm like trees planted in the soil - avocado tree symbolizes the grandfather's family - each branch representing a member of the family - the grandfather took great care of his tree and family which both grew together throughout the story - although "the wind could move the branches", the stability of the trunk, which represents the grandfather, continued to stand firm

To whom could Montresor be talking to fifty years after the murder and for what reasons? Cite specific details from the story to support your answer.

- family members or descendants - retells the story in a prideful way - his motivation for revenge was mainly influenced by his family values - family motto is "No one provokes me with impunity" "You, who so well know the nature of my soul" (1). - someone close to him

Why does Tan cry when she finds out that the boy she is in love with is coming to dinner? Explain what the main conflicts (internal, external etc.) of the story are.

- feels ashamed of her Chinese culture and traditions - doesn't want to disappoint the boy she is in love with internal conflict: she feels torn between the two different cultures and feels embarrassed about her culture - worried that Robert would be disappointed with their "shabby Chinese Christmas". external conflict: having to obey her parents and accept her tradition

What point of view is used to tell this story? Why do you think Poe used this perspective as opposed to another perspective in the telling of "Cask"?

- first-person narration from the perspective of the main character, Montresor - to create dramatic irony and a suspenseful story - follows his principle that every word must contribute to its purpose - if the story was told in third-person narration, the readers wouldn't be able to see the true colors of Montresor's personality, nor discern his act.

Explain what type of point of view is used to tell the Scarlet Ibis. (1st, 2nd, 3rd person) Why do you think the author decided to tell the story from this perspective?

- first-person point of view from the bother's perspective - it carries out the message he wants to say: pride can hurt the ones you love most - if the story was from Doodle's point of view, the readers wouldn't realize the brother's attitude towards Doodle - we realize that the brother had selfish motives from shame and embarrassment He felt guilty because they didn't know his selfish motives, "that pride, whose slave I was" (3). He realized, "Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother" (3) - allows us to understand what the brother is thinking about and introduces the theme that pride is a double-edged sword

What are some characteristics of the Grandfather? Were they directly or indirectly described? Cite evidence from the text to support your assessment of the grandfather's character.

- makes money off of trees - saving money by growing his own plants - finds a way to make money off of something other people see as ordinary - obsessed with (saving) money - traditional (doesn't put it in the bank) - values family and culture "grandfather believed a well-rooted tree is the color of money" (1).

Describe in your own words the catacombs that Fortunato is led through. What type of mood does this create for the story?

- moldy and damp - one must pass through a long, winding staircase to enter - contains the skeletons of the Montersors - creates a suspenseful mood and dramatic irony

Describe Fortunato. How does Montresor manipulate Fortunato? What character traits make Fortunato easy prey for Montresor?

- naive and gullible - easy for Montresor to deceive and manipulate him - egotistic - takes advantage of his trust and challenges his pride in expertise in wine with the mention of Luchresi - strokes his ego with compliments to ensure his presence in the catacombs

Explain your opinion of the narrator's behavior at the end of the story. Is he in some way responsible for Doodle's death? Is his emotion at the very end sorrow, guilt or something else?

- partially responsible for Doodle's death - it seems like his health condition would have led to his death anyways (mahogany coffin) - but Doodle was pushed because of the development program (the narrator pushed forward Doodle's death) - the narrator feels guilty, regretful and responsible

Audience of Fish Cheeks:

- people who are ashamed of their own culture - teenage girls (who wish to impress others) - anyone who has something to hide - people who can relate to her experience - immigrants - people feeling insecure and ashamed (trying to fit in)

Re-read what the narrator says on page 3 about pride. (After the narrator takes Doodle to Old Woman Swamp for the first time.) Describe the narrator's views on pride. Do you agree with him? Explain why or why not.

- pride is a "wonderful, terrible thing" that "bears two vines, life and death" (3) - believes that pride is a double-edged sword in which it can be both helpful and harmful - agree with the narrator's views on pride because pride can harm the people we love most - too much pride can become harmful to ourselves and others around us

How would you describe the tone of The Grandfather? Use examples from the text to support your ideas.

- prideful and affectionate tone as the author reminisces about his grandfather - by the time the tree grew tall enough to climb he was "too old for that kind of thing" - the long journey of the avocado tree from just a small seed to a gigantic tree over the years - the author's pride in the avocado tree that his grandfather took care of, but also the author leaving behind his childhood

Is this just a gripping horror story told only for entertainment, or do you think it reveals some truth about people who are consumed by a desire for revenge? Give reasons for your opinion.

- reveals some truth about people consumed by the desire for revenge - Montresor is an unreliable narrator that was consumed by the desire for revenge - teaches us that one shouldn't be completely consumed by the desire for revenge, as it could lead to us becoming like Montresor

What is the setting of the "Scarlet Ibis"? Why do you think the author selected this setting? How might it compliment what is going on in the story?

- southern part of the U.S. under the reign of President Wilson (1914-1918) - World War I was taking place - describes the internal conflict about the narrator's feelings towards Doodle - feels embarrassed, yet regretful - emphasizes the long journey of the scarlet ibis

The "miniskirt in beige tweed" is an example of a symbol. What does it represent in the story and to the author?

- symbolizes how the author wishes to fit in with the rest of society as an American girl - represents that her mother supports her choice, but also wishes her to accept her culture/tradition and to be proud of it - "you want to be the same as American girls on the outside. But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame." - represents love and understanding from her mom - beige is a neutral color that symbolizes blending in - mask and cover up her identity with the skirt - symbolizes American culture.

Review the definition of "irony" in Fish Cheeks. Then, read the last sentence of the story. What is the irony of that statement? What is the significance of ending the story with this sentence?

- the disgust she expresses towards her culture's food ended up being her favorite food - society changed her emotions in a negative way to even her favorite things - accepting her culture and her uniqueness - you shouldn't change who you are to impress someone else

What are two themes for "The Cask of Amontillado"? Write out two themes and then provide evidence to explain why you selected each theme.

- the importance family values and morals have on the influence of a person - the consequences of the strong desire for revenge

By the end of the story, whom do you pity more-the narrator or Doodle? Explain why.

- the narrator more because of the guilt and regret that follows - Doodle's death freed him from his physical limitations and the fear that follows him every day - Doodle's death will continue to fill the narrator's life with guilt, regret, and self-condemnation

Occasion of Fish Cheeks:

- winter, during Christmas Eve - the minister's family and the speaker's family are eating Christmas Eve dinner together at the Tan's house - Tan's culture is different from Robert's culture - the late 60s

Purpose of Fish Cheeks:

- you shouldn't change who you are to impress someone else - accept your culture and your uniqueness - you don't have to fit in with society - respect your own culture/heritage - it's ok to have the desire to fit in, but deep down remember your culture and roots

What are the symbols: "When Peter was ready to go to sleep, the peacock spread his magnificent tail, enfolding the boy gently like a closing go-to sleep flower, burying him in the gloriously iridescent, rustling vortex."

Peter represents Doodle - receives love, affection, and protection from the peacock - Doodle looks up to his brother and thinks that he does everything in his best interest The peacock represents the narrator - takes care of Peter (Doodle)

Both the Grandfather and the avocado tree achieve specific milestones in their lives. Record the milestones:

The Grandfather Born in Mexico, moved to Fresno Worked at Sun Maid Raisin for 30 years as a packer, and later a watchman Planted an avocado tree The Avocado Tree Planted by Grandfather First fruit at 10 years old Tall enough to see the neighbor's yard when climbing

What are the symbols: "Sadly, we all looked back at the bird. A scarlet ibis! How many miles it had traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree."

The scarlet ibis represents Doodle - he didn't belong there - foreshadows his death after a storm - color of the scarlet ibis = Doodle's blood - storm represents the development program - they both go on a long journey just to be pushed too far beyond their limits The bleeding tree symbolizes the death of both the scarlet ibis and Doodle - both die under the bleeding tree

What are the symbols: "That winter we didn't make much progress, for I was in school and Doodle suffered from one bad cold after another. But when spring came, rich and warm, we raised our sights again."

Winter represents cold, darkness, and hopelessness - brothers have (temporarily) given up on Doodle's development program The coming of spring represents the hope in starting anew - to continue their plan in helping Doodle grow

rampart

defensive wall or barrier, usually used to protect a castle; barricade

explicit

definite, clearly stated

immolation

destruction/death

motley

multi-colored costume worn by a clown

unredressed

not set right; unfixed

nitre

potassium nitrate salt known as saltpeter literally means salt of the rock

rising action

the basic conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, and various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist's attempt to reach their goal

resolution/denouement

the conclusion of the final outcome of the story

falling action

the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist either winning or losing against the antagonist; might contain a moment of final suspense, during which the final outcome of the conflict is in doubt

mood

the overall feeling of the story

point of view

the perspective from which the story is told or narrated

setting

the time and location where the story takes place

climax

the turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonist's affairs

Where is there evidence of comedy and irony in "The Cask of Amontillado"? Point to several examples. Things to consider include: the setting, names of characters etc. Also consider the three different types of irony in your answer.

verbal irony: "I drink," "to the buried that repose around us." "And I to your long life." dramatic irony: the readers know Montresor's deceptions and manipulations to kill Fortunato when Fortunato willingly falls into his trap situational irony: Montresor claims he is a mason before burying Fortunato - comedy and irony contribute to the suspense and fun to readers reading