Short Story Unit

1. Short Story Unit Thematic Focus: The search for identity

2. Today we are learning about American short stories thematic connections

3. Short Story Packet • There are seven major components or elements in most short stories: • plot • Character • setting • Theme • mood • Tone • narrative viewpoint

4. What is Identity? • the distinguishing character or personality of an individual • the relation established by psychological identification • Is “identity” a state of mind?

5. What types of identity exist? • Gender • Societal • Nationality • Cultural • Familial • ???

6. 8 Ways we Characterize ourselves & others • By our actions—”Actions speak louder than words.” • By our speech—colloquialism & dialects • By how we affect others—optimism vs. pessimism • By our reactions—fear, revenge, forgiveness • By what people say—gossip is as gossip does • By examining motives—why did I do that? • By descriptions—tall, dark and handsome • By our psychology—past experiences and attitude

7. How do people try to find their identity? • Clubs • Pastimes • identifiers

8. 8 ways to characterize Abigail? • By our actions • By our speech • By how we affect others • By our reactions • By what we say • By motives • By descriptions • By our psychology

9. Abigail can be characterized as….

10. Characterize yourself • Describe yourself using at least one example from each of the 8 descriptors. • By our actions • Something you do—a habit • By our speech • By how we affect others • By our reactions • By what we say • Something you say that others smile about or know it’s you! How you say it too • By motives • By descriptions • By our psychology

11. How would you characterize yourself? • I constantly leave cabinet doors open • I have a refined southern accent • I inspire others toward greatness • I frequently have panic attacks when I’m too stressed about something • I say “absolutely” a lot. • I am inspired by my faith • I am tall, average weight, have blonde hair, green eyes, and glasses • My parents are still together, but my extended family tends to be a little crazy—thus affecting my behaviors/emotions.

12. Flat Vs. Round • Flat characters are the stereotypes; people aren’t stereotypes!!! • Round characters are much more developed and realistic—people are round; they may appear to be in a stereotype, but people are rarely what the appear to be and never fit into just one characterization

13. Telling Tails by Tim O’Brien • The problem with unsuccessful stories is usually simple: they are boring, a consequence of the failure of imagination. To vividly imagine and to vividly render extraordinary human events, or sequences of events, is the hard-lifting, heavy-duty, day-by-day, unending labor of a fiction writer.

14. The authors… • Tim O’Brien • William Faulkner (extra credit) • Kate Chopin • Julia Alvarez • Maxine Hong Kingston Different time periodsSimilar message

15. Tim O’Brien • Contemporary/Postmodern Writer • Explores the psychological and moral effects of war on soldiers (similar to Hemmingway) • Did a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1969-1970 • Survived and returned to attend Harvard University • Became a journalist before turning to fiction writing • The Things They Carried

16. William Faulkner • Based Yoknapatawpha County (setting of nearly all of his stories) on this town. • Recall Louise Erdrich—“Little Spirit Sun”—greatly admired and imitated Faulkner’s style • Yoknapatawpha novels featured themes including the decay of traditional values as small communities became swept up in the changes of the modern age. • Uses stream-of-consciousness narration (creates the impression that the reader is eavesdropping on the flow of conscious experience in the character’s mind, gaining intimate access to their private “thoughts”). • Uses jumbled time sequences—doesn’t follow traditional pattern • Famous for page-long sentences, and other difficult techniques to show what he called “the human heart in conflict with itself.” • Uses southern dialect • “A Rose for Emily”—Necrophilia *Extra Credit Opportunity!!!* -Read “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner page 862 questions 1-5, 11-14 on the poop sheet. Turn in by next Wednesday for up to 40 points extra credit! This is your final chance for extra credit!!!!

17. Kate Chopin • Expresses the local color of Louisiana (setting) during realistism time period • Explores women’s roles in a time when ‘all MEN were created equal’ • the nature of marriage • racial prejudice • women’s desire for social, economic, and political equality. • “The artist must possess the courageous soul that dares and defies.” • The Awakening realistic portrayal caused heated debate

18. Julia Alvarez • Born in NYC • Raised in Dominican Republic until the age of 10—fled as political refugees • Used writing as a way to find her cultural identity being uprooted so young

19. Maxine Hong Kingston • Born in America • Chinese was her first language • Began English writing at age 10 • Chinese name of “Ting Ting” • Native to California

20. What makes up one’s identity? Explain your response; turn your response in as you leave.