February by Lisa Moore
From Amazon.ca: Winner of Canada Reads 2013 and longlisted for the
Man Booker Prize
In 1982, the oil rig Ocean Ranger sank off the coast of Newfoundland
during a Valentine's Day storm. All eighty-four men aboard died. February
is the story of Helen O'Mara, one of those left behind when her husband,
Cal, drowns on the rig. It begins in the present-day, more than twenty-five
years later, but spirals back again and again to the "February" that persists
in Helen's mind and heart.
Writing at the peak of her form, her steadfast refusal to sentimentalize
coupled with an almost shocking ability to render the precise details of her
characters' physical and emotional worlds, Lisa Moore gives us her
strongest work yet. Here is a novel about complex love and cauterizing
grief, about past and present and how memory knits them together, about a fiercely close
community and its universal struggles, and finally about our need to imagine a future, no matter
how fragile, before we truly come home. This is a profound, gorgeous, heart-stopping work from
one of our best writers.
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Excerpt “There’s a Baby Coming, November 2008”
Moore, Lisa. February. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2010. Print. p. 24-34.
Vocabulary
Innocuous – harmless
Sibilant – sounded with a hissing effect – ex. “Shh”
Crescendo – gradual increase in loudness
Cloy – to cause distaste or disgust because of an excess of something usually pleasant
Mewl – to cry weakly, whimper
Austere – severe, strict in manner
Vertigo – feeling that you or your environment is spinning
Wallaby – small or medium-sized kangaroos
February Group Work
In groups of 3, you are going to analyze one of the following topics in the February excerpt. You
must determine the theme(s) as a group. Then, you must provide direct evidence from the story (at
least 2 quotes/quotations) that highlights how your topic contributes to theme and other elements
of character and plot. You will present your findings to the class.
Group 1 – The setting (use of time and place) and how it contributes to our understanding of
character and plot.
Group 2 – The Japanese family – the parents and the daughter (symbolism)
Group 3 – The relationship between John and his mother (and other examples of mothers and kids)
Group 4 – Literary devices – foreshadowing and irony (at least 2 examples of each)
Group 5 – Literary devices – imagery and onomatopoeia (at least 2 examples of each)
Group 6 – Literary devices – personification and simile (at least 2 examples of each)
You will be writing a paragraph analysis on the story next class. You will get the topic next class, but
it will be based on the topics discussed in this class. If you miss the assessment, you will need to
make it up at one of the 7:30 a.m. sessions.
What do I mean by Elements of Plot?
- Story structure – ie. Use of flashback, cycles, repetition, climax, time, etc.
- Character development – how do the characters change throughout the text? What do
their actions and dialogue tell us about their relationship to the conflict in the story?
- What is the conflict in the story? Is it an inner or outer conflict? Are there several conflicts?
How is the conflict resolved, if at all?
- Use of figurative language (literary devices) – how are these used in the story to
highlight the development of characters and/or the theme?
- What is the theme in the story? What is the commentary being made on the human
condition?
- Setting – how does it contribute to the story? Is it symbolic? Does the character need to
interact with their environment in order to resolve the conflict?
THEME WORK
Definition of theme: Theme is the central controlling idea in a story or piece of literature. It is
usually a commentary on the human condition (what it means to be human and be alive – struggles,
conflicts, triumphs, injustices, etc.).
How do we figure out the theme?
1. Look at the TITLE – it will often give you a clue to the theme. Think about why the author chose
the title, and how it relates to the characters and storyline. Consider the title both before and after
you read the story.
2. Think about the SETTING – when and where is the story set? What can the setting tell us about
how the characters must function in their particular situation or society? What challenges do they
come across because of the setting?
3. Consider the CONFLICT – what is the central conflict in the story? How does the protagonist
overcome this conflict? Often the answer to theme is in the resolution (or answer) to the conflict.
You should also consider the climax in this.
4. Consider the CHARACTERS – what are their traits? What struggles do they go through? Look at
the protagonist’s dialogue and actions, in addition to the dialogue and actions of the antagonist.
What do they tell us about theme?
5. Think about the author’s use of LITERARY DEVICES, such as metaphor, simile, imagery,
symbolism, etc. The use of specific images or comparisons can give us a clue about theme.
6. Reread the ENDING to the story – we can often find clues about theme at the end of the story.
Often there is a twist at the end of a short story, and in this twist, we can find the theme.
Examples of theme statements:
1. In the short story “Two Words” by Isabel Allende, the author explores how knowledge and
literacy are more powerfully appealing than brute force and terror.
2. Michael Dorris’ “Groom Service” is an ironic look at courtship in a female-dominated society; the
protagonist learns that patience, determination, and abiding by social rules can be more rewarding
than easily achieved conquests.