©Andreas Gradin/Shutterstock
COLLEC TION 2
The Thrill of Horror
There is a . . . horror story that is only two sentences long:
The last man on Earth sat alone in a room.
There was a knock at the door.
—Frederick Brown
87
COLLEC TION 2
The Thrill of Horror
In this collection, you
will examine why the
horror genre both terrifies
and fascinates.
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COLLECTION
PERFORMANCE TASK Preview
At the end of this collection, you will have the opportunity to complete two
performance tasks:
t*OPOFZPVXJMMQSFTFOUBTQFFDIBSHVJOHXIFUIFSBDMBTTJDIPSSPSTUPSZJT
appropriate for your age group to read.
t*OUIFTFDPOEZPVXJMMXSJUFBMJUFSBSZBOBMZTJTUIBUFYBNJOFTIPXUIFGJDUJPOJOUIF
collection meets the criteria for the horror genre.
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
Study the words and their definitions in the chart below. You will use these words
as you discuss and write about the texts in this collection.
88
Definition
Related Forms
convention
(k∂n-v≈n´sh∂n) n.
a practice or procedure widely used
by a group; a custom
conventional,
conventionally
predict
(prΔ-dΔkt´) v.
to tell about in advance, especially on
the basis of special knowledge
prediction, predictable,
predictive
psychology
(sπ-k≤l´∂-j∏) n.
the study of mental processes and
behaviors
psychological, psychologist
summary
(s≠m´∂-r∏) n.
a condensed, or shorter, report that
summarize, summation
includes the main points of a text or event
technique
(t≈k-n∏k´) n.
the systematic or orderly procedure
by which a task is accomplished
technical
©Andreas Gradin/Shutterstock
Word
Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was born in Boston to
parents who were traveling actors. Orphaned by the time he
was three, he moved to Virginia where friends of his family
raised him. As a young man, Poe worked as a journalist
while writing the stories and poems that would earn him
the title “father of the modern mystery.” After his young wife
died, Poe fell into despair. He passed away two years later.
His dark and sometimes horrifying works perhaps mirror
the darkness and sadness of his own short life.
The
Tell-Tale Heart
(tr) ©Bettmann/Corbis; 89 (cl) ©Alvor/Shutterstock; (cr) ©vadim nardin/Shutterstock; (c) ©vadim nardin/Shutterstock
Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe
SETTING A PURPOSE As you read, pay attention to the way
the narrator describes himself. What makes him unusual?
As you read, save new
words to myWordList.
T
10
rue!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been
and am! but why will you say that I am mad? The disease
had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them.
Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in
the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How,
then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how
calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain;
but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there
was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He
had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For
his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this!
He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over
it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by
degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life
of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know
nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen
conceive
(k∂n-s∏v´) v. When
you conceive an idea,
you think of it.
The Tell-Tale Heart
89
20
30
40
50
how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what
foresight—with what dissimulation1 I went to work!
I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole
week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight,
I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh, so gently!
And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my
head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no
light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would
have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it
slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old
man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within
the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his
bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this? And
then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern
cautiously—oh, so cautiously—cautiously (for the hinges
creaked)—I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell
upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights—
every night just at midnight—but I found the eye always
closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was
not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every
morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber,
and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a
hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So
you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed,
to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon
him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in
opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly
than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent
of my own powers—of my sagacity.2 I could scarcely contain
my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening
the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret
deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps
he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled.
Now you may think that I drew back—but no. His room was
as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were
close fastened, through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he
could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on
steadily, steadily.
1
2
90
dissimulation (dΔ-sΔm´y∂-l∑´sh∂n): a hiding of one’s true feelings.
sagacity (s∂-g√s´ Δ-t∏): sound judgment.
Collection 2
vex
(v≈ks) v. If you vex
someone, you annoy
that person.
60
70
80
90
I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when
my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man
sprang up in the bed, crying out—“Who’s there?”
I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did
not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him
lie down. He was still sitting up in the bed listening,—just
as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death
watches3 in the wall.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the
groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or grief—
oh, no!—it was the low, stifled sound that arises from the
bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the
sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the
world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening,
with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I
knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him,
although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying
awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned
in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him.
He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not.
He had been saying to himself—“It is nothing but the wind
in the chimney—it is only a mouse crossing the floor,” or “it
is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp.” Yes, he
has been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions;
but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in
approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before
him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful
influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel—
although he neither saw nor heard—to feel the presence of my
head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without
hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little—a very,
very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot
imagine how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length, a single
dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice
and fell full upon the vulture eye.
It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as
I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull
blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow
in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face
3
stifle
(stπ´ f∂l) v. If you
stifle something, you
smother it.
crevice
(kr≈v´ Δs) n. A crevice
is a narrow crack.
death watches: deathwatch beetles—insects that make a tapping sound with
their heads.
The Tell-Tale Heart
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110
120
4
92
hellish tattoo: awful drumming.
Collection 2
(tl) ©Jinx Photography RF/Alamy Images; (tl) ©Richard Laschon/Shutterstock
100
or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely
upon the damned spot.
And now have I not told you that what you mistake for
madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?—now, I say, there
came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch
makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too.
It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury,
as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed.
I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could
maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo4
of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder
and louder every instant. The old man’s terror must have been
extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment!—do you
mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And
now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence
of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to
uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained
and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought
the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me—the
sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man’s hour had
come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped
into the room. He shrieked once—once only. In an instant
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150
160
I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over
him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for
many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This,
however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the
wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed
the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone
dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many
minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye
would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer
when I describe the wise precautions I took for the
concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked
hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I
cut off the head and the arms and the legs.
I then took up three planks from the flooring of the
chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings.5 I then
replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human
eye—not even his—could have detected anything wrong.
There was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no
blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had
caught all—ha! ha!
When I made an end of these labors, it was four o’clock—
still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there
came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it
with a light heart,—for what had I now to fear? There entered
three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, 6
as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbor
during the night: suspicion of foul play had been aroused;
information had been lodged at the police office, and they
(the officers) had been deputed to search the premises.
I smiled,—for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen
welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The
old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took
my visitors all over the house. I bade them search—search
well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them
his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my
confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them
here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild
audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the
very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
5
6
audacity
(ô-d√s´ Δ-t∏) n.
Audacity is shameless
daring or boldness.
scantlings: small wooden beams supporting the floor.
suavity (swä´vΔ-t∏): graceful politeness.
The Tell-Tale Heart
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170
180
190
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced
them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered
cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt
myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached,
and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still
chatted. The ringing became more distinct:—it continued and
became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the
feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness—until at
length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.
No doubt I now grew very pale;—but I talked more
fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound
increased—and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick
sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped
in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it
not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise
steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high
key and with violent gesticulations,7 but the noise steadily
increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor
to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the
observation of the men—but the noise steadily increased.
What could I do? I foamed—I raved—I swore. I swung the
chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the
boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased.
It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted
pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not?—no,
no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!—they were
making a mockery of my horror!—this I thought, and this I
think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything
was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those
hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or
die!—and now—again!—hark! louder! louder! louder!—
“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble8 no more! I admit the
deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—it is the beating of
his hideous heart!”
COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION ”The Tell-Tale Heart” is a wellknown classic. With a partner, discuss what makes the story—and
its narrator—so thought provoking. Cite specific evidence from the
text to support your ideas.
7
8
94
gesticulations (j≈-stΔk´y∂-l∑´sh∂ns): energetic gestures of the hands or arms.
dissemble: pretend.
Collection 2
vehemently
(v∏´∂-m∂nt-l∏) adv.
If you do something
vehemently, you do it
with intense emotion.
derision
(dΔ-rΔzh´∂n) n.
Derision is jeering
laughter or ridicule.
hypocritical
(hΔp´∂-krΔt´Δ-k∂l) adj.
If someone is
hypocritical, the
person is false or
deceptive.
EL A RL.8.1, RL.8.6
ELD PI.8.6
Analyze Point of View
Point of view is the method of narration used in a short story, novel,
narrative poem, or work of nonfiction. In a story told from the third-person
point of view, the narrator, or the voice that tells the story, is an outside
observer. In a story told from first-person point of view, the narrator is a
character in the story and uses the pronouns I and me.
Just as you can’t believe everything everyone tells you, you can’t always
believe everything you learn from a first-person narrator. An unreliable
narrator is a narrator whose assessment of events cannot be trusted for
some reason—he or she might be purposefully lying, mentally unstable,
or too young or unsophisticated to fully understand events. In order to
determine whether or not a narrator is reliable, consider his or her actions,
attitudes, and statements, and then decide whether he or she is generally
trustworthy.
Do you think the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” is reliable? Review the
story and identify the lines that help you decide.
EL A RL.8.6
ELD PI.8.7
Analyze Suspense
Suspense is the sense of growing tension, fear, and excitement felt by the
reader. When a story is suspenseful, the reader becomes increasingly curious
about what will happen next. Writers use different techniques to create
suspense in fiction. Notice these examples from “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
Technique
Example
Describing a character’s
anxiety or fear
“. . . groan of mortal terror . . . it was the low, stifled
sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when
overcharged with awe.”
Using vivid words to describe
dramatic sights, sounds, or
feelings
“He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye with a film
over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold.”
Repeating words, phrases, or
characters’ actions
the actions the narrator repeated as he entered the old
man’s room each night
As you analyze “The Tell-Tale Heart,” look for additional examples of each
technique.
The Tell-Tale Heart
95
eBook
EL A RL.8.1, RL.8.3, RL.8.4,
RL.8.6, W.8.3, W.8.9a, SL.8.1a,
SL.8.4, SL.8.6 ELD PI.8.6,
PI.8.7, PI.8.9, PI.8.10, PI.8.11
Analyzing the Text
Cite Text Evidence
Support your responses with evidence from the text.
1.
Infer Does the narrator’s opinion of himself in lines 1–16 make him seem
more or less reliable? Explain your choice.
2.
Analyze What prevents the narrator from killing the old man during the
first seven nights? Explain how his inaction contributes to the suspense.
3.
Interpret In what way does the author’s repeated image of the “eye of a
vulture” help to create suspense?
4.
Draw Conclusions Reread lines 88–105. What do readers learn
from this first-person narration about the narrator’s subjective, or
personal, experience?
5.
Analyze In lines 151–160, the narrator makes his case to the police and
thinks he has convinced them of his innocence. What happens next that
leads the narrator to finally confess? Tell what this suggests about his
mental state.
6.
Evaluate Do you think the reader’s ability to trust the narrator increases
the suspense in this story? Explain your answer.
Speaking and Listening
Working alone or with one or more partners, act out a scene from “The TellTale Heart” that you consider especially suspenseful. Be prepared to identify
the techniques or conventions that create suspense in the scene.
PERFORMANCE TASK
Writing Activity: Narrative Criminals
sometimes undergo a psychiatric
evaluation during which their mental
health is reviewed by a psychologist.
Based on details from the story, write
a narrative about the evaluation of the
narrator by a mental health expert.
Consider the following questions:
t What crime did the narrator
commit?
96
Collection 2
t What was his motive? Was he
insane, enraged, seeking revenge,,
or something else?
t Would the narrator take
responsibility for his crimes?
t Why or why not?
t What might a mental health
expert say about the narrator’s
state of mind?
EL A L.8.4c
ELD PI.8.6, PI.8.12
Critical Vocabulary
conceive
vex
stifle
crevice
audacity
vehemently
derision
hypocritical
Practice and Apply Use what you know about the Vocabulary words to
answer these questions.
1.
Would it vex you if someone were hypocritical? Why?
2.
Why does it take audacity to vehemently deny that you told a lie?
3.
What method can you conceive to get something out of a crevice?
4.
What can you do to stifle derision of another student?
Vocabulary Strategy: Use a Thesaurus
A thesaurus is a reference source that provides synonyms for many words.
Writers use synonyms, or words that have a similar meaning as another
word, to make writing precise and to avoid repeating the same word.
A good writer does not simply choose the first synonym provided in the
thesaurus. He or she chooses the synonym that conveys the precise, or exact,
meaning intended for a sentence. Look at the synonyms a thesaurus provides
for the word terror:
fear, horror, fright, dread, shock, panic, alarm
Think about how each synonym might fit in this sentence from “The Tell-Tale
Heart.”
I knew it was a groan of mortal terror.
Does a groan of terror mean exactly the same as a groan of alarm? Which
word conveys the idea of concern? Which conveys the idea of complete and
total fear?
Practice and Apply Read these sentences. Use a print or digital thesaurus
to replace the underlined words. Check that the synonym you chose fits the
precise meaning of the sentence.
1.
The narrator at first appears calm. By the end of the story, he is no
longer calm.
2.
As the story continues the narrator becomes increasingly nervous. His
inability to stop talking shows how nervous he is.
3.
“The Tell-Tale Heart” is a suspense-filled story. The narrator builds suspense
as he reveals his carefully constructed plan to kill an old man.
The Tell-Tale Heart
97
Language Conventions: Using Dashes
A writer’s use of punctuation not only helps readers understand the writer’s
message, it can also signal how the writer wants the text to be read. A dash
(—) is a horizontal line that is longer than a hyphen. Writers may use a dash
for different purposes, as noted in the following chart.
Purpose
Example
to signal a sudden break in thought
“I did so for seven long nights—every
night just after midnight—but found the
eye always closed . . . “
to signal the reader to pause and pay
attention
“I resolved to open a little—a very, very
little crevice in the lantern. “
to let the reader better hear a narrator’s
thoughts
“I went down to open it with a light
heart—for what had I now to fear?”
Notice that when the interrupting thought appears in the middle of the
sentence, one dash appears at the beginning of the thought and one dash
appears at the end. Look at this example from “The Tell-Tale Heart”:
He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over
it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by
degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life
of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
The dash after “vulture,” signals the reader to pause and pay attention. The
two dashes surrounding “very gradually” emphasize the slow, gradual process
the narrator went through before deciding to kill the old man. Poe uses
dashes not only to indicate pauses, but also to let the reader hear the excited,
irrational voice of the narrator.
Practice and Apply Working with a partner, write a paragraph in which your
narrator tells readers about him- or herself. Use dashes to
t set off a sudden break in thought.
t signal the reader to pause and pay attention.
t let the reader better hear your narrator’s voice.
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Collection 2
EL A L.8.2a
ELD PII.8.2
Jackie Torrence (1944–2004) spent much of her childhood
on a North Carolina farm, where she grew up listening to
traditional stories told by her grandfather. Years later, while
working as a librarian, she was asked to read stories to some
young children. She agreed, and the children were instantly
captivated. Before long, Torrence was invited to tell stories
in local and neighboring communities. Torrence, who was
later dubbed “The Story Lady,” went on to gain national
prominence as a storyteller.
SCARY
TALES
Essay by Jackie Torrence
SETTING A PURPOSE As you read, pay attention to the points
the author makes about scary tales. Would most people agree
with her ideas?
I
99 ©Danomyte/Shutterstock
10
guess I like scary tales so much because my granddaddy
liked scary tales. He’d have to tell one if it killed him. He
was sick a lot, but if visitors came, he’d prop himself up in an
armchair and put a quilt on his lap. So nobody could see his
nightshirt. Then he’d put his derby hat on, he loved that derby,
and somebody would say, “Mr. Jim, tell us about that time
when the fire dog followed you down through the wheat field.”
And my grandma would say, “Hold it, let me leave the room,
lightning’s going to strike.” She always said Granddaddy was
the biggest liar God ever blew breath into. So she’d leave, but
not me. I’d get closer to Pa ’cause I wanted to watch the people
listening to him.
There used to be an old man who came to our house
named Hall. I would hear people say, “Mr. Hall wears a rug.”
I didn’t know what a rug was. I’d lay down on the floor and
Grandma would say, “What are you doing?” “I’m trying to
Scary Tales
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20
(b) ©Sunrise Illustration/Shutterstock; (b) ©Nicemonkey/Shutterstock
30
find Mr. Hall’s rug.” And Grandma would say, “Get up, get
up! That ain’t nice.” Well, one day Mr. Hall was there and
Grandpa started into one of his scary stories. There was a
piece of wood burning in the fireplace, sort of sticking out,
and Pa spotted it. I watched him put his tobacco way back in
his mouth so he could get a good long shot. At just the right
moment in the story, he threw his head forward and that
tobacco came out and hit that wood just right; it fell off on the
floor and the fire sparked up. Somebody threw a baby on the
floor, men ran out, and Mr. Hall ran out too. When he passed
us, Mr. Hall’s scalp was as naked as the palm of my hand.
Jesus have mercy! Granddaddy scared the hair right off Mr.
Hall’s head! Well, I went over to his chair, and there in Mr.
Hall’s hat was his scalp! I picked it up. “Grandma! Is this Mr.
Hall’s rug?” Grandma said, “Put that thing down and go wash
your hands.” Oh, I loved those days when Grandpa told his
scary stories.
So when I started telling stories in school, that’s what
I chose, scary tales. I’ve got storytelling friends who’d rather
be killed than go to junior high. But not me, I love junior high.
100 Collection 2
40
50
60
70
That’s sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, and those kids can’t
believe they’re going to have to sit there and listen to me tell
a story. So I do just what Grandpa said, “If you want to get the
attention of a mule who’s too stubborn to listen, you take the
branch off a tree and come right down across the top of his
head.” What is my branch? A good scary story. When I tell
those kids, “I’m going to scare you,” when I start to give them
a little bit of fear, well, they’re ready to listen.
A lot of people have told me I really shouldn’t tell children
scary things. Well, children can frighten themselves without
your help. When they’re alone in bed they hear things and
they see things. So I just help them along. “It’s daaaaaaark,”
I say. And there’s a strange voice, “Where’s Myy Haaairy
Toe…” That’s all they need. They remember the dark and
they’re scared again and that’s good.
Children need to be frightened. We all do. It’s an emotion
that was given to all of us and it should be exercised. When
you don’t exercise it, you lose your sense of fear. That’s why my
granddaddy told me scary stories. He wanted me to know that
only fools rush in where angels fear to tread. You should be a
little hesitant sometimes, his stories were saying, you should
think twice before you go into the woods, there just might be a
hairy man and you need to be cautious.
My grandfather scared me to death. Grandma would say,
“Get up on your granddaddy’s lap and kiss him good night.”
I’d throw my arms around him and say, “I’m going to bed.”
And he’d say, “It’s dark up there.” And I’d say, “I know.” “You
know what’s in the dark?” “Nooooo.” “Monsters,” he’d say.
“What do monsters do?” “They’ll drag you off the bed and
put you in the keyhole,” he’d say. Well, I yelled and screamed
going up the stairs. My grandmother would say to me on the
way up, “Would you stop crying? There’s not a keyhole big
enough to put you in.” So I remained fat for the rest of my life.
That’s why no monsters have ever bothered me.
COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION With a partner, discuss whether
you agree with Torrence’s ideas about scary tales. Cite specific
evidence from the text to support your ideas.
Scary Tales
101
EL A RI.8.6
ELD PI.8.7
Determine Author’s Viewpoint
Why does Jackie Torrence feel the way she does about scary tales? In order to
answer, you have to determine her viewpoint. An author’s viewpoint is the
unique combination of ideas, values, feelings, and beliefs that influence the
way the writer looks at a topic. To determine an author’s viewpoint, consider
t the opinions an author holds about a topic
t the details that suggest why he or she thinks a certain way
t the reasons offered in support of a certain view
t the way the author’s background might affect his or her outlook
A good writer anticipates and acknowledges opposing views and
responds to them. A counterargument is an argument made to oppose an
alternative view. In “Scary Tales,” Jackie Torrence includes this counterargument
when discussing whether or not it’s a good idea for children to experience fear:
It’s an emotion that was given to all of us and it should
be exercised.
Review “Scary Tales” and identify at least two more counterarguments.
EL A RI.8.4
ELD PI.8.8
Analyze the Meanings
of Words and Phrases
Style is a manner of writing. It involves how something is said rather
than what is said. Writers show style through the choices they make about
the following elements:
Elements of Style
Examples
Word choice and imagery are the use of specific words.
Writers might choose elegant, specialized words or vivid,
blunt language.
“. . . there in Mr. Hall’s hat was
his scalp!”
Syntax refers to the way words are put together to form
phrases and sentences. The length of a writer’s sentences and
the use of formal or informal grammar all contribute to style.
“And Grandma would say,
‘Get up, get up! That ain’t
nice.’ “
Figurative language is language used imaginatively in ways
that go beyond literal definitions. The kinds and amount of
images writers use can help define his or her style.
“My grandfather scared me
to death.”
Style can be described with words such as formal, conversational,
sophisticated, and humorous. How would you describe the style in which
“Scary Tales” is written? Review the selections and find examples to support
your answer.
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eBook
EL A RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4,
RI.8.6, SL.8.1a, SL.8.1c, SL.8.3,
SL.8.4 ELD PI.8.3, PI.8.6, PI.8.7,
PI.8.8, PI.8.9, PI.8.10, PI.8.11
Analyzing the Text
Cite Text Evidence
Support your responses with evidence from the text.
1.
Interpret What does the author’s grandma mean in lines 8–9 when she
says, “Hold it, let me leave the room, lightning’s going to strike”?
2.
Summarize Tell what happens when Mr. Hall comes to visit.
3.
Analyze An analogy is an extended comparison of two things that are
alike in some way. Examine lines 39–42. What two things is the author
comparing? Explain what this comparison reveals about the author’s tone,
or attitude, toward storytelling.
4.
Interpret What does Grandpa Jim mean when he tells his granddaughter
that “only fools rush in where angels fear to tread” ? Explain what lesson
scary stories can help teach.
5.
Analyze Use a chart like the one shown to record examples of the word
choice, syntax, and figurative language that contribute to Torrence’s style.
Elements of Style
Examples
Word choice
Syntax
Figurative language
6.
Draw Conclusions How would you describe Torrence’s viewpoint on
scary tales? Explain how her values, beliefs, and background contribute to
the way she thinks about this topic.
7.
Evaluate Are the author’s counterarguments effective in proving her own
view? Explain why or why not.
PERFORMANCE TASK
Speaking Activity: Debate Is it a
good idea for middle school students
to hear scary stories? Have a debate
about this topic.
t Working with a partner, decide
which viewpoint you will argue: Is
it a good idea for young people to
hear scary stories, or is it a bad idea?
t List reasons that support your
viewpoint. Include evidence from
“Scary Tales.”
t Prepare for counterarguments.
t Practice your arguments orally. Then
debate another pair of students
who have chosen the opposite
position.
Scary Tales
103
EL A L.8.1
ELD PII.8.3
Language Conventions:
Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject and verb in a sentence or clause must agree in number.
Agreement means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be
singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. In this sentence
from “Scary Tales,” both the subject and the verb are plural.
Children need to be frightened.
Notice how the verb changes when the subject is singular:
A child needs to be frightened.
Add -s or -es to most verbs in the present tense to agree with a singular
subject. Do not add -s if the subject is I or you.
Singular Subjects and Verbs
Plural Subjects and Verbs
I scream.
We scream.
You scream.
You scream.
He/She/It screams.
They scream.
Jacob screams.
My cousins scream.
Sometimes, other words in a sentence come between the subject and
the verb. When this happens, first identify the subject, and then make sure
the verb agrees with it.
My friends in the neighborhood like scary stories.
Use a plural verb with most compound subjects joined by the
coordinating conjunction and.
The students and their teacher watch a horror movie.
When the parts of a compound subject are joined by or, nor, or the
correlative conjunctions either . . . or or neither . . . nor, the verb should agree
with the noun or pronoun nearest the verb.
Neither the pupils nor Ms. Chen believes that the house is
really haunted.
Practice and Apply Choose the correct verb in parentheses to agree with
its subject.
1.
Grandma and friends (listen, listens) to Grandpa Jim’s stories.
2.
Visitors, who come to the house to visit, (see, sees) the image.
3.
People not far from the author (run, runs) out of the room.
4.
She (watch, watches) the commotion with interest.
5.
Neither the grandmother nor the guests (love, loves) the scary tales.
104 Collection 2
VIDEO
William Wymark Jacobs (1863–1943) grew up in
London near the waterfront wharfs. As a boy, Jacobs
absorbed the tales of strange, distant lands told by passing
sailors. As a young man, Jacobs worked at a bank—a job
that he hated—and wrote stories in his spare time. He
eventually became a popular writer of humor. Ironically,
his best-known work, “The Monkey’s Paw,” became a
classic of the horror genre.
Short Story by W. W. Jacobs
SETTING A PURPOSE As you read, pay attention to the
relationships among the members of the White family. How
does the appearance of the monkey’s paw affect those
relationships?
(tr) ©Bettmann/Corbis; 105 (c) ©andreiuc88/Shutterstock
Part I
W
10
ithout, the night was cold and wet, but in the small
parlor of Laburnum Villa the blinds were drawn and
the fire burned brightly. Father and son were at chess; the
former, who possessed ideas about the game involving radical
changes, putting his king into such sharp and unnecessary
perils that it even provoked comment from the white-haired
old lady knitting placidly by the fire.
“Hark at the wind,” said Mr. White, who, having seen a
fatal mistake after it was too late, was amiably desirous of
preventing his son from seeing it.
“I’m listening,” said the latter, grimly surveying the board
as he stretched out his hand. “Check.”
peril
(p≈r´∂l) n. A peril is
something that is
dangerous.
The Monkey’s Paw
105
20
30
40
“I should hardly think that he’d come tonight,” said his
father, with his hand poised over the board.
“Mate,” replied the son.
“That’s the worst of living so far out,” bawled Mr. White,
with sudden and unlooked-for violence; “of all the beastly,
slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst.
Pathway’s a bog,1 and the road’s a torrent.2 I don’t know what
people are thinking about. I suppose because only two houses
in the road are let, 3 they think it doesn’t matter.”
“Never mind, dear,” said his wife soothingly; “perhaps
you’ll win the next one.”
Mr. White looked up sharply, just in time to intercept a
knowing glance between mother and son. The words died away
on his lips, and he hid a guilty grin in his thin gray beard.
“There he is,” said Herbert White, as the gate banged
loudly and heavy footsteps came toward the door.
The old man rose with hospitable haste, and opening the
door, was heard condoling with the new arrival. The new
arrival also condoled with himself, so that Mrs. White said,
“Tut, tut!” and coughed gently as her husband entered the
room, followed by a tall, burly man, beady of eye and rubicund
of visage.4
“Sergeant-Major Morris,” he said, introducing him.
The sergeant-major shook hands, and taking the proffered
seat by the fire, watched contentedly while his host brought
out drinks and stood a small copper kettle on the fire.
He began to talk, the little family circle regarding with
eager interest this visitor from distant parts, as he squared
his broad shoulders in the chair and spoke of wild scenes and
doughty5 deeds; of wars and plagues and strange peoples.
“Twenty-one years of it,” said Mr. White, nodding at his
wife and son. “When he went away, he was a slip of a youth in
the warehouse. Now look at him.”
“He don’t look to have taken much harm,” said Mrs. White
politely.
“I’d like to go to India myself,” said the old man, “just to
look round a bit, you know.”
1
2
3
4
5
bog: a swamp.
torrent (tôr´∂nt): a swift-flowing stream.
let: rented.
rubicund (roo´bΔ-k∂nd) of visage (vΔz´Δj): with a ruddy complexion.
doughty (dou´t∏): brave.
106 Collection 2
condole
(k∂n-d∫l´) v. If
you condole with
someone, you
express sympathy or
sorrow.
50
60
70
80
“Better where you are,” said the sergeant-major, shaking
his head. He put down the empty glass, and sighing softly,
shook it again.
“I should like to see those old temples and fakirs and
jugglers,” said the old man. “What was that you started
telling me the other day about a monkey’s paw or something,
Morris?”
“Nothing,” said the soldier hastily. “Leastways nothing
worth hearing.”
“Monkey’s paw?” said Mrs. White curiously.
“Well, it’s just a bit of what you might call magic, perhaps,”
said the sergeant-major off-handedly.
His three listeners leaned forward eagerly. The visitor
absent-mindedly put his empty glass to his lips and then set it
down again. His host filled it for him.
“To look at,” said the sergeant-major, fumbling in his
pocket, “it’s just an ordinary little paw, dried to a mummy.”
He took something out of his pocket and proffered it.
Mrs. White drew back with a grimace, but her son, taking it,
examined it curiously.
“And what is there special about it?” inquired Mr. White
as he took it from his son, and having examined it, placed it
upon the table.
“It had a spell put on it by an old fakir,” said the sergeantmajor, “a very holy man. He wanted to show that fate ruled
people’s lives, and that those who interfered with it did so to
their sorrow. He put a spell on it so that three separate men
could each have three wishes from it.”
His manner was so impressive that his hearers were
conscious that their light laughter jarred somewhat.
“Well, why don’t you have three, sir?” said Herbert White
cleverly.
The soldier regarded him in the way that middle age is
wont to regard presumptuous youth. “I have,” he said quietly,
and his blotchy face whitened.
“And did you really have the three wishes granted?” asked
Mrs. White.
“I did,” said the sergeant-major, and his glass tapped
against his strong teeth.
“And has anybody else wished?” persisted the old lady.
grimace
(grΔm´Δs) n. A grimace
is a facial expression
of pain or disgust.
fate
(f∑t) n. Fate is a
power that is thought
to determine the
course of events.
The Monkey’s Paw
107
90
100
110
“The first man had his three wishes. Yes,” was the reply;
“I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for
death. That’s how I got the paw.”
His tones were so grave that a hush fell upon the group.
“If you’ve had your three wishes, it’s no good to you now,
then,
th
hen,, Morris,”
M is,” said
Morri
Mo
sai
sa d the old man at last. “What do you keep it for?”
The soldier shook his head. “Fancy,
suppose,”
said
cyy, I su
uppos
upp
pos
ose
see,” he
he sa
id
slowly. “I did have some idea of selling it
it, b
butt I d
don’t’t thi
tthink
hi k I
will. It has caused enough mischief already. Besides, people
won’t buy. They think it’s a fairy tale, some of them; and those
who do think anything of it want to try it first and pay me
afterward.”
“If you could have another three wishes,” said the old man,
eyeing him keenly, “would you have them?”
“I don’t know,” said the other. “I don’t know.”
He took the paw, and dangling it between his forefinger
and thumb, suddenly threw it upon the fire. White, with a
slight cry, stooped down and snatched it off.
“Better let it burn,” said the soldier solemnly.
“If you don’t want it, Morris,” said the other, “give it to me.”
“I won’t,” said his friend doggedly. “I threw it on the fire. If
you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the
fire again like a sensible man.”
The other shook his head and examined his new
possession closely. “How do you do it?” he inquired.
“Hold it up in your right hand and wish aloud,” said the
sergeant-major, “but I warn you of the consequences.”
“Sounds like the Arabian Nights,” 6 said Mrs. White, as she
rose and began to set the supper. “Don’t you think you might
wish for four pairs of hands for me?”
6
Arabian Nights: a famous collection of Asian stories.
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Her husband drew the talisman7 from his pocket, and then
all three burst into laughter as the sergeant-major, with a look
of alarm on his face, caught him by the arm.
“If you must wish,” he said gruffly, “wish for something
sensible.”
Mr. White dropped it back in his pocket, and placing
chairs, motioned his friend to the table. In the business of
supper the talisman was partly forgotten, and afterward
the three sat listening in an enthralled fashion to a second
installment of the soldier’s adventures in India.
“If the tale about the monkey’s paw is not more truthful
than those he has been telling us,” said Herbert, as the door
closed behind their guest, just in time for him to catch the last
train, “we shan’t make much out of it.”
“Did you give him anything for it, Father?” inquired
Mrs. White, regarding her husband closely.
“A trifle,” said he, coloring slightly. “He didn’t want it, but
I made him take it. And he pressed me again to throw it away.”
“Likely,” said Herbert, with pretended horror. “Why,
we’re going to be rich, and famous, and happy. Wish to be an
emperor, Father, to begin with; then you can’t be henpecked.”
He darted round the table, pursued by the maligned
Mrs. White armed with an antimacassar.8
Mr. White took the paw from his pocket and eyed it
dubiously. “I don’t know what to wish for, and that’s a fact,”
he said slowly. “It seems to me I’ve got all I want.”
“If you only cleared the house, you’d be quite happy,
wouldn’t you?” said Herbert, with his hand on his shoulder.
“Well, wish for two hundred pounds, then; that’ll just do it.”
His father, smiling shamefacedly at his own credulity,
held up the talisman, as his son, with a solemn face, somewhat
marred by a wink at his mother, sat down at the piano and
struck a few impressive chords.
“I wish for two hundred pounds,” said the old man
distinctly.
A fine crash from the piano greeted the words, interrupted
by a shuddering cry from the old man. His wife and son ran
toward him.
7
8
credulity
(krΔ-d◊´ lΔ-t∏) n.
Credulity is a
tendency to believe
too readily.
talisman (t√l´Δs-m∂n): an object thought to have magical powers.
antimacassar (√n´tΔ-m∂-k√s´∂r): a cloth placed over an arm or the back of a
chair.
The Monkey’s Paw
109
160
170
180
“It moved,” he cried, with a glance of disgust at the object
as it lay on the floor. “As I wished, it twisted in my hand like a
snake.”
“Well, I don’t see the money,” said his son, as he picked it
up and placed it on the table, “and I bet I never shall.”
“It must have been your fancy, father,” said his wife,
regarding him anxiously.
He shook his head. “Never mind, though; there’s no harm
done, but it gave me a shock all the same.”
They sat down by the fire again. Outside, the wind was
higher than ever, and the old man started nervously at the
sound of a door banging upstairs. A silence unusual and
depressing settled upon all three, which lasted until the old
couple rose to retire for the night.
“I expect you’ll find the cash tied up in a big bag in the
middle of your bed,” said Herbert, as he bade them goodnight, “and something horrible squatting up on top of the
wardrobe watching you as you pocket your ill-gotten gains.”
He sat alone in the darkness, gazing at the dying fire, and
seeing faces in it. The last face was so horrible and so simian9
that he gazed at it in amazement. It got so vivid that, with a
little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing
a little water to throw over it. His hand grasped the monkey’s
paw, and with a little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and
went up to bed.
Part II
I
190
n the brightness of the wintry sun next morning as it
streamed over the breakfast table he laughed at his fears.
There was an air of prosaic wholesomeness about the room
which it had lacked on the previous night, and the dirty,
shriveled little paw was pitched on the sideboard10 with a
carelessness which betokened no great belief in its virtues.11
“I suppose all old soldiers are the same,” said Mrs. White.
“The idea of our listening to such nonsense! How could wishes
be granted in these days? And if they could, how could two
hundred pounds hurt you, father?”
9
simian (sΔm´∏-∂n): monkey- or ape-like.
sideboard: a piece of furniture used to store linens and dishes.
11
virtues: powers.
10
110 Collection 2
prosaic
(pr∫-z∑´Δk) adj. If
something is prosaic,
it is dull or ordinary.
200
210
220
230
“Might drop on his head from the sky,” said the frivolous12
Herbert.
“Morris said the things happened so naturally,” said
his father, “that you might if you so wished attribute it to
coincidence.”
“Well, don’t break into the money before I come back,” said
Herbert as he rose from the table. “I’m afraid it’ll turn you into a
mean, avaricious13 man, and we shall have to disown you.”
His mother laughed, and following him to the door,
watched him down the road; and returning to the breakfast
table, was very happy at the expense of her husband’s
credulity. All of which did not prevent her from scurrying to
the door at the postman’s knock, when she found that the post
brought a tailor’s bill.
“Herbert will have some more of his funny remarks,
I expect, when he comes home,” she said, as they sat at dinner.
“I dare say,” said Mr. White, “but for all that, the thing
moved in my hand; that I’ll swear to.”
“You thought it did,” said the old lady soothingly.
“I say it did,” replied the other. “There was no thought
about it; I had just—What’s the matter?”
His wife made no reply. She was watching the mysterious
movements of a man outside, who, peering in an undecided
fashion at the house, appeared to be trying to make up his
mind to enter. In mental connection with the two hundred
pounds, she noticed that the stranger was well dressed, and
wore a silk hat of glossy newness. Three times he paused at the
gate, and then walked on again. The fourth time he stood with
his hand upon it, and then with sudden resolution flung it
open and walked up the path. Mrs. White at the same moment
placed her hands behind her, and hurriedly unfastening the
strings of her apron, put that useful article of apparel beneath
the cushion of her chair.
She brought the stranger, who seemed ill at ease, into the
room. He gazed at her furtively, and listened in a preoccupied
fashion as the old lady apologized for the appearance of the
room, and her husband’s coat, a garment which he usually
reserved for the garden. She then waited patiently for him to
broach his business, but he was at first strangely silent.
12
13
frivolous (frΔv´∂-l∂s): inappropriately silly.
avaricious (√v´∂-rΔsh´∂s): greedy.
The Monkey’s Paw
111
240
250
260
270
“I—was asked to call,” he said at last, and stooped and
picked a piece of cotton from his trousers. “I come from Maw
and Meggins.”
The old lady started. “Is anything the matter?” she asked
breathlessly. “Has anything happened to Herbert? What is it?
What is it?”
Her husband interposed. “There, there, mother,” he said
hastily. “Sit down, and don’t jump to conclusions. You’ve
not brought bad news, I’m sure, sir;” and he eyed the other
wistfully.
“I’m sorry—” began the visitor.
“Is he hurt?” demanded the mother wildly.
The visitor bowed in assent. “Badly hurt,” he said quietly,
“but he is not in any pain.”
“Oh!” said the old woman, clasping her hands. “Thank
goodness for that! Thank—”
She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of
the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful
confirmation of her fears in the other’s averted face. She
caught her breath, and turning to her slower-witted husband,
laid her trembling old hand upon his. There was a long silence.
“He was caught in the machinery,” said the visitor at
length in a low voice.
“Caught in the machinery,” repeated Mr. White, in a dazed
fashion, “yes.”
He sat staring blankly out at the window, and taking his
wife’s hand between his own, pressed it as he had been wont to
do in their old courting days nearly forty years before.
“He was the only one left to us,” he said, turning gently to
the visitor. “It is hard.”
The other coughed, and rising, walked slowly to the
window. “The firm wished me to convey their sincere
sympathy with you in your great loss,” he said, without
looking round. “I beg that you will understand I am only their
servant and merely obeying orders.”
There was no reply; the old woman’s face was white, her
eyes staring, and her breath inaudible; on the husband’s face
was a look such as his friend the sergeant might have carried
into his first action.
“I was to say that Maw and Meggins disclaim all
responsibility,” continued the other. “They admit no liability
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at all, but in consideration of your son’s services, they wish to
present you with a certain sum as compensation.”
Mr. White dropped his wife’s hand, and rising to his feet,
gazed with a look of horror at his visitor. His dry lips shaped
the words, “How much?”
“Two hundred pounds,” was the answer.
Unconscious of his wife’s shriek, the old man smiled
faintly, put out his hands like a sightless man, and dropped,
a senseless heap, to the floor.
compensation
(k≤m´ p∂n-s∑´ sh∂n) n.
Compensation is
something, such
as money, that is
received as payment.
Part III
I
resignation
(r≈z´Δg-n∑´sh∂n) n.
Resignation is the
acceptance of
something that is
inescapable.
©Corbis
©Co
Corrbiis RF
R
290
n the huge new cemetery, some two miles distant, the
old people buried their dead, and came back to a house
steeped in shadow and silence. It was all over so quickly that
at first they could hardly realize it, and remained in a state
of expectation as though of something else to happen—
something else which was to lighten this load, too heavy for
old hearts to bear.
But the days passed, and expectation gave place to
resignation—the hopeless resignation of the old, sometimes
miscalled apathy. Sometimes they hardly exchanged a word,
for now they had nothing to talk about, and their days were
long to weariness.
It was about a week after that the old man, waking
suddenly in the night, stretched out his hand and found
himself alone. The room was in darkness, and the sound of
subdued weeping came from the window. He raised himself
in bed and listened.
The Monkey’s Paw
113
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310
320
330
340
“Come back,” he said tenderly. “You will be cold.”
“It is colder for my son,” said the old woman, and wept
afresh.
The sound of her sobs died away on his ears. The bed was
warm, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He dozed fitfully, and
then slept until a sudden wild cry from his wife awoke him
with a start.
“The paw!” she cried wildly. “The monkey’s paw!”
He started up in alarm. “Where? Where is it? What’s the
matter?”
She came stumbling across the room toward him. “I want
it,” she said quietly. “You’ve not destroyed it?”
“It’s in the parlor, on the bracket,” he replied, marveling.
“Why?”
She cried and laughed together, and bending over, kissed
his cheek.
“I only just thought of it,” she said hysterically. “Why
didn’t I think of it before? Why didn’t you think of it?”
“Think of what?” he questioned.
“The other two wishes,” she replied rapidly. “We’ve only
had one.”
“Was not that enough?” he demanded fiercely.
“No,” she cried triumphantly; “we’ll have one more.
Go down and get it quickly, and wish our boy alive again.”
The man sat up in bed and flung the bedclothes from his
quaking limbs. “You are mad!” he cried, aghast.
“Get it,” she panted; “get it quickly, and wish—Oh, my boy,
my boy!”
Her husband struck a match and lit the candle. “Get back
to bed,” he said unsteadily. “You don’t know what you are
saying.”
“We had the first wish granted,” said the old woman
feverishly; “why not the second?”
“A coincidence,” stammered the old man.
“Go and get it and wish,” cried his wife, quivering with
excitement.
He went down in the darkness, and felt his way to the
parlor, and then to the mantelpiece. The talisman was in its
place, and a horrible fear that the unspoken wish might bring
his mutilated son before him ere he could escape from the
room seized upon him, and he caught his breath as he found
that he had lost the direction of the door. His brow cold with
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sweat, he felt his way round the table, and groped along the
wall until he found himself in the small passage with the
unwholesome thing in his hand.
Even his wife’s face seemed changed as he entered the
room. It was white and expectant, and to his fears seemed to
have an unnatural look upon it. He was afraid of her.
“Wish! ” she cried, in a strong voice.
“It is foolish and wicked,” he faltered.
“Wish! ” repeated his wife.
He raised his hand. “I wish my son alive again.”
The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it fearfully.
Then he sank trembling into a chair as the old woman, with
burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.
He sat until he was chilled with the cold, glancing
occasionally at the figure of the old woman peering through
the window. The candle-end, which had burned below the
rim of the china candlestick, was throwing pulsating shadows
on the ceiling and walls, until, with a flicker larger than the
rest, it expired. The old man, with an unspeakable sense of
relief at the failure of the talisman, crept back to his bed, and
a minute or two afterward the old woman came silently and
apathetically beside him.
Neither spoke, but lay silently listening to the ticking of
the clock. A stair creaked, and a squeaky mouse scurried
noisily through the wall. The darkness was oppressive, and
after lying for some time gathering up his courage, he took
the box of matches, and striking one, went downstairs for a
candle.
At the foot of the stairs the match went out, and he paused
to strike another; and at the same moment a knock, so quiet
and stealthy as to be scarcely audible, sounded on the front
door.
The matches fell from his hand. He stood motionless,
his breath suspended until the knock was repeated. Then he
turned and fled swiftly back to his room, and closed the door
behind him. A third knock sounded through the house.
“What’s that? ” cried the old woman, starting up.
“A rat,” said the old man in shaking tones—“a rat. It
passed me on the stairs.”
His wife sat up in bed listening. A loud knock resounded
through the house.
“It’s Herbert!” she screamed. “It’s Herbert!”
The Monkey’s Paw
115
390
400
410
She ran to the door, but her husband was before her, and
catching her by the arm, held her tightly.
“What are you going to do?” he whispered hoarsely.
“It’s my boy; it’s Herbert!” she cried, struggling
mechanically. “I forgot it was two miles away. What are you
holding me for? Let go. I must open the door.”
“Don’t let it in,” cried the old man, trembling.
“You’re afraid of your own son,” she cried, struggling.
“Let me go. I’m coming, Herbert; I’m coming.”
There was another knock, and another. The old woman
with a sudden wrench broke free and ran from the room.
Her husband followed to the landing, and called after her
appealingly as she hurried downstairs. He heard the chain
rattle back and the bottom bolt drawn slowly and stiffly from
the socket. Then the old woman’s voice, strained and panting.
“The bolt,” she cried loudly. “Come down. I can’t reach it.”
But her husband was on his hands and knees groping
wildly on the floor in search of the paw. If he could only find it
before the thing outside got in. A perfect fusillade14 of knocks
reverberated through the house, and he heard the scraping
of a chair as his wife put it down in the passage against the
door. He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back,
and at the same moment he found the monkey’s paw, and
frantically breathed his third and last wish.
The knocking ceased suddenly, although the echoes of it
were still in the house. He heard the chair drawn back, and
the door opened. A cold wind rushed up the staircase, and a
long loud wail of disappointment and misery from his wife
gave him courage to run down to her side, and then to the gate
beyond. The streetlamp flickering opposite shone on a quiet
and deserted road.
COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION Mr. White decides to make a wish,
even though he says he already has everything he wants. Discuss
with a partner whether his wish is more for himself or for his family.
Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.
14
fusillade (fyoo´s∂-läd´): discharge from many guns; a rapid outburst.
116 Collection 2
EL A RL.8.2, RL.8.9
ELD PI.8.6, PII.8.1
Determine Theme
One reason people read literature is to learn how to avoid or understand
common problems. Literature conveys these lessons through themes, the
messages about life or human nature that writers share with readers.
t In some stories, the theme is stated directly in the text.
t In most cases, readers must infer, or make an educated guess about,
the theme based on clues in the text.
t One way to determine a story’s theme is to ask, “What lesson does the
main character learn that applies to real people’s lives?”
Contemporary literature often draws on the themes and patterns of
events that have been expressed in myths and traditional stories passed down
through the centuries. For example, you’ve probably been told many stories in
which a theme about greed is revealed through the granting of three wishes.
When the same message can be found in the literature of different cultures
and in different time periods like this, it’s called a universal theme.
Review “The Monkey’s Paw” and identify the traditional pattern of events
that reveals a universal theme.
EL A RL.8.3
ELD PI.8.6
Analyze Stories: Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest future
events in a story. Writers use this technique to create suspense and propel the
action by making readers eager to find out what happens next.
Clues about future events may appear in dialogue, descriptions of events,
or imagery. Think about how these examples from “The Monkey’s Paw”
foreshadow what will occur later in the story.
Dialogue
(lines 97–98)
“I did have some idea of selling it, but I don’t think I will. It has caused
enough mischief already.”
Event
(lines 106–107)
“He took the paw, and dangling it between his forefinger and thumb,
suddenly threw it upon the fire.”
Imagery
(lines 176–182)
“He sat . . . at the dying fire . . . seeing faces in it. The last face was so
horrible . . . that he gazed at it in amazement. It got so vivid that, with
a little uneasy laugh, he felt on the table for a glass containing a little
water to throw over it. His hand grasped the monkey’s paw and with a
little shiver he wiped his hand on his coat and went to up to bed.”
As you analyze “The Monkey’s Paw,” look for an additional example of
each kind of foreshadowing.
The Monkey’s Paw
117
eBook
Analyzing the Text
Cite Text Evidence
EL A RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.6,
RL.8.9, W.8.2b, W.8.7, W.8.8, W.8.9a
ELD PI.8.6, PI.8.7, PI.8.10
Support your responses with evidence from the text.
1.
Infer In what way does the setting described in lines 1–21 suggest or
foreshadow later events?
2.
Analyze Reread lines 110–119 and identify the allusion, or reference to
a well-known work that Mrs. White makes. What does the allusion suggest
about Mrs. White’s view of the paw?
3.
Compare and Analyze Complete the chart to identify how Morris’s and
Mr. White’s views about the monkey’s paw are different. Then explain how
these differing points of view add to the suspense in the story.
Sergeant-Major Morris’s View
Mr. White’s View
4.
Draw Conclusions Examine lines 271–281 to review the Whites’ reaction
as they realize what has happened to their son. What do they assume
about the two hundred pounds they will receive “as compensation”?
5.
Compare What do the actions of Mr. and Mrs. White at the end of the
story reveal about their different expectations for wishes made on the
monkey’s paw? Identify what hopes or fears these expectations reveal.
6.
Analyze What is the theme of “The Monkey’s Paw”? Give examples of how
the author develops the theme through the characters and plot.
7.
Connect There are many traditional stories in which characters are
granted three wishes. What theme do many of them share? Tell what
makes “The Monkey’s Paw” different from the others.
PERFORMANCE TASK
Writing Activity: Report Review lines
39–56. What ideas and attitudes about
India are expressed here? Do research
to learn more about the historical
relationship between Britain and India.
Write a short report in which you
t explain how Britain came to rule
India, including the role of the
British East India Company
118 Collection 2
t describe the attitudes the two
peoples had toward one another
during British rule
Then share your findings with the
class. Be prepared to discuss the ways
the attitudes in the story reflect the
historical context.
EL A L.8.4a, L.8.4b, L.8.4c,
L.8.4d ELD PI.8.6, PI.8.12
Critical Vocabulary
peril
condole
grimace
fate
credulity
prosaic
compensation
resignation
Practice and Apply Explain what is alike and different about the meanings
of the words in each pair.
1.
peril/risk
5.
credulity/trust
2.
grimace/frown
6.
resignation/acceptance
3.
compensation/wages
7.
condole/encourage
4.
fate/outcome
8.
prosaic/dull
Vocabulary Strategy: Latin Roots
A word root is a word part that contains the core meaning of a word. A root
is combined with other word parts, such as a prefix or a suffix, to form a word.
The root of many English words comes from Latin. Read this sentence from
“The Monkey’s Paw.”
His mother laughed, and following him to the door, watched
him down the road; and returning to the breakfast table, was
very happy at the expense of her husband’s credulity.
The word credulity includes the Latin root cred, which means “believe” or “trust.”
You can use the meaning of the root cred as a clue to figure out that credulity
means “a disposition to believe too readily.”
Practice and Apply Find the word in each sentence that includes the
Latin root cred. Use context and the meaning of the root to help you write
a definition of the word. Then verify each of your definitions by finding the
word’s precise meaning in a print or digital dictionary.
1.
Herbert was incredulous when he heard the sergeant-major’s tale.
2.
A person must have the proper credentials to enter a foreign country.
3.
Mrs. White didn’t give any credence to the notion that the monkey’s
paw moved.
4.
Were the sergeant-major’s stories about India credible?
5.
One witness may discredit the story that another person tells.
The Monkey’s Paw
119
Language Conventions:
Subjunctive Mood
EL A L.8.1c, L.8.3a
ELD PII.8.3
The mood of a verb shows a writer’s judgment or attitude about a
statement he or she makes. The subjunctive mood is used to express
a recommendation, a requirement, a wish or hypothetical situation, or a
condition that is contrary to fact. The subjunctive mood is generally used only
in very formal English.
t Use the subjunctive, present-tense singular form of a verb in clauses
beginning with that to express a recommendation or a requirement.
Morris suggests that Mr. White let the monkey’s paw burn.
(let not lets)
It is important that he think carefully before making a wish.
(think not thinks)
t Use the subjunctive be in clauses beginning with that to express a
recommendation or a requirement.
Mrs. White insists that another wish be made.
(be not is)
I recommend that all students be required to read this story.
(be not are)
t Use the subjunctive were to express a wish or hypothetical situation, or
to state a condition that is contrary to fact.
I wish Herbert were here with us.
(were not was)
The monkey’s paw moved, as though it were alive.
(were not was)
Practice and Apply One verb in each sentence is not correct. Rewrite each
sentence correctly, using the subjunctive mood.
The Whites recommend that Morris is seated by the fire.
My teacher suggests that the class predicts what will happen next in
the story.
Mrs. White acted as though she was mad.
Mr. White insists that his wife keeps the door closed.
If Mrs. White was taller, she could reach the bolt on the door.
I move that each student is required to write a story summary
after reading.
120 Collection 2
Background The film The Monkey’s Paw is an adaptation of the short
story of the same name. The film’s writer and director, Ricky Lewis Jr. had read
the story as a child. He decided to make it into a movie because his “morbid
curiosity wanted to see it.” While other film adaptations of the story had
modernized it, Lewis thought it was important that the film be set in the past,
“when odd things were sure to happen.” He chose to “let a little darkness” into
his film to create its gloomy, sometimes spooky mood.
MEDIA ANALYSIS
from
Film by Ricky Lewis Jr.
©Lewisworks Studio
SETTING A PURPOSE The film clip you will view deals with the ending
of the short story “The Monkey’s Paw.” Keep your reading of the short
story in mind as you view the film, and pay attention to any differences
you notice between the content of the text version of the story and the
content of the film. Think about how any differences affect the story
being told. Also consider your own reaction to each version and how the
choices made by the author of the short story and the director of the film
helped bring about your reaction. Write down any questions you have
during viewing.
The Monkey’s Paw
121
MEDIA
Format: Film
Running Time: 6:02
AS YOU VIEW Directors use many different techniques to
make stories come alive on the screen. As you view The
Monkey’s Paw, notice the lighting and camera angles the
director uses. Notice how they vary or change as the scenes
change. Think about the techniques being used and why Ricky
Lewis Jr. chose those particular techniques to tell the story.
©Lewisworks Studio
COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION Review the ending of the
print version of the short story. Then consider the ending of the
film clip. With a partner, compare and contrast the two endings
and decide how the film ending differs from the ending of the
short story. Discuss why the director might have chosen to tell
parts of the story in a different way. Cite specific evidence from
the text and the film to support your ideas.
122 Collection 2
EL A RL.8.7, RI.8.7,
SL.8.2 ELD PI.8.6
Evaluate Media
Like many movies, the film clip of The Monkey’s Paw is based on a written
story. When a film director decides to make a movie, he or she must make
choices about how closely to follow the written work. Will the film
t include all of the same characters?
t have the same setting?
t show all of the same events?
Think about how the director’s choices affect the content of the film clip
of The Monkey’s Paw.
Writers and directors use different techniques to create suspense and to
tell the story.
t Writers use words to describe the rising action or the
characters’ struggles.
t Directors use a combination of visual and sound techniques.
For example, directors may use different camera shots to convey ideas, to
track characters’ emotions, or to show a situation from a character’s viewpoint.
Directors also use other techniques to build suspense.
Camera
Shot
What
It Is
Why It
Is Used
Close-up shot
a shot that focuses on a
character’s face
to convey a character’s emotions
or thoughts
Low-angle
shot
a shot in which the
camera looks up at
a subject
to create the impression of height
or distance; to make a subject look
more menacing
High-angle
shot
a shot in which the
camera looks down on
a subject
to show a character in relation to
his or her surroundings; to make a
subject look unprotected or exposed
Point-of-view
shot
a shot that shows what a
character sees
to let viewers see what is happening
from a character’s point of view
t Lighting can create moods that are gloomy, mysterious, or scary.
Suspenseful movies often use minimal lighting with frequent use of
shadows.
t Camera filters are glass or plastic disks that are inserted in front of
a camera lens. These filters can change the way that images appear,
making them clearer, brighter, darker, or fuzzier.
t Music can signal dramatic events or tense moments. Music sometimes
foreshadows, or hints at, what is going to happen.
As you analyze the film clip, evaluate, or make judgments about the
different film techniques the director uses in The Monkey’s Paw.
The Monkey’s Paw
123
Analyzing the Media
Cite Text Evidence
EL A RL.8.2, RL.8.7, RI.8.7, SL.8.2,
SL.8.4, SL.8.5 ELD PI.8.6, PI.8.10
Support your responses with evidence from the media.
1.
Summarize The film clip shows several scenes from the short story “The
Monkey’s Paw.” Summarize the events shown and described in the film.
2.
Compare Has the director remained faithful to the written story? Name
some of the ways that the story you read and the film clip are the same.
Then name some of the ways that they are different.
3.
Evaluate Complete a chart like the one shown to identify three of the
techniques the director used. Then explain which one you found most
effective and why.
Technique
Part in the Film
1.
2.
3.
4.
Analyze Consider the ways the director uses lighting in the film. What is
the effect of the lighting in the scene where Herbert returns to the house?
5.
Analyze How do the camera angles and camera filters that the director
uses affect the mood of the film? How do they affect the impact of the
final scenes at the cemetery?
6.
Compare and Evaluate You have read a story and viewed a film clip of
that story. What are some of the advantages of the written version of the
story? What are some of the advantages of the film version?
PERFORMANCE TASK
Media Activity: Storyboard Work
with a partner to create a storyboard
for your own film retelling of a scene
from “The Monkey’s Paw.” A storyboard
is a device filmmakers use to plan the
shooting of a movie. It serves as a map
that includes images and descriptions.
t Decide whether you will stay
faithful to the short story or depart
from the text.
124 Collection 2
t Draw a series of at least 12 separate
frames. Sketch the characters and
scene for each frame.
t Underneath each frame, write
descriptions of shots—such as
close-up, medium, or distance
shots—and write a line of dialogue
or describe what characters will say.
t Consider what kind of music you
will add and write where you’ll
include it.
Sharon A. Russell (b. 1941) is a retired professor
of Communication and Women’s Studies at Indiana
State University, where she taught courses on film and
television. Russell has published extensively on horror
film and literature and detective fiction. She is the
author of Stephen King: A Critical Companion, a book
that analyzes several of King’s famous horror novels and
in which this essay appears.
What Is the
Horror Genre?
Literary Criticism by Sharon A. Russell
SETTING A PURPOSE As you read, pay attention to the points
the author makes about horror stories. Do her ideas make you
think about horror stories in new ways?
(tr) ©Lightspring/Shutterstock; (c) ©Mario7/Shutterstock
M
10
any people define horror by its subjects. We all think of
creatures like Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and the
wolfman1 as monsters in the horror genre. Each one of these
creatures has a history and developed over a period of time.
But we also know that horror covers more than just these
monsters. We could all make long lists of the kind of creatures
we identify with horror, especially when we think of films as
well as literature. The minute we would start to make such a
list we would also realize that not all monsters are alike and
that not all horror deals with monsters. The subject approach
is not the clearest way to define this genre.
1
Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and the wolfman: legendary monsters.
“Frankenstein’s monster” is the creature created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein
in Mary Shelley’s novel; “Dracula” is the vampire in Bram Stoker’s novel; in
folklore, the wolfman is a man who can become a wolf.
What Is the Horror Genre?
125
20
30
40
50
Some students of this genre find that the best way to
examine it is to deal with the way horror fiction is organized
or structured. Examining the organization of a horror story
shows that it shares certain traits with other types of fiction.
Horror stories share the use of suspense as a tactic with many
other kinds of literature. The tension we feel when a character
goes into the attic, down into the basement, or just into the
abandoned house is partially a result of suspense. We don’t
know what is going to happen. But that suspense is intensified
by our knowledge of the genre. We know that characters
involved in the world of horror always meet something awful
when they go where they shouldn’t. Part of the tension is
created because they are doing something we know is going
to get them in trouble. Stephen King refers directly to our
anticipation of horror. In Salem’s Lot2 Susan approaches the
house which is the source of evil. “She found herself thinking
of those drive-in horror movie epics where the heroine goes
venturing up the narrow attic stairs…or down into some dark,
cobwebby cellar…and she…thinking: …I’d never do that!” Of
course Susan’s fears are justified. She does end up dead in the
basement, a victim of the vampire.
If the horror genre uses the character’s search for
information to create suspense, it controls when and where
we get our knowledge. Because we are outside of the situation
we usually know more than the characters. Our advance
knowledge creates suspense because we can anticipate what is
going to happen. The author can play with those expectations
by either confirming them or surprising us with a different
outcome. When suspense is an important element in fiction
we may often find that the plot is the most critical part of
the story. We care more about what happens next than about
who the characters are or where the story is set. But setting is
often considered a part of the horror genre. If the genre has
traditional monsters, it also has traditional settings. Only
authors who want to challenge the tradition place events in
bright, beautiful parks. We expect a connection between the
setting and the events in this genre. We are not surprised to
find old houses, abandoned castles, damp cellars, or dark
forests as important elements in the horror story.
2
Salem’s Lot: a horror fiction novel written by Stephen A. King.
126 Collection 2
intensify
(Δn-t≈n´s∂-fπ´) v. If you
intensify something,
you make it grow in
strength.
justify
(j≠s´t∂-fπ´) v. If you
justify something,
you prove it is right
or valid.
(tr) ©Bettmann/ CORBIS; 127 (tl) ©Bettmann/Corbis; 127 (tc) Bettmann/ Corbis
The actor Boris Karloff as
the monster in the 1931 film
Frankenstein, based on the novel
60
The actor Lon Chaney as a
werewolf in the 1941 film The
Wolf Man
The actor Bela Lugosi as Dracula
in the 1931 film by the same
name
Some people make further distinctions based on how the
stories are organized. We can divide stories into different
categories based on how we come to believe in the events
related and how they are explained to us. Stories that deal
with parallel worlds expect us to accept those worlds without
question. We just believe Dorothy is in Oz; we accept Oz as
a parallel world separate from ours. Other times events seem
to be supernatural but turn out to have natural explanations:
the ghosts turn out to be squirrels in the attic, or things that
move mysteriously are part of a plot to drive someone crazy.
Sometimes the supernatural is the result of the way the central
character sees the world, as in stories told from the point
of view of a crazy person. But at times we are not sure, and
hesitate about believing in the possibility of the supernatural.
When I first read Dracula I seriously considered hanging
garlic on my windows because I believed that vampires could
exist. This type of hesitation, when we almost believe, falls
into the general category of the “fantastic” (Todorov 25).3
Often horror has its greatest effect on us because we almost
3
parallel
(p√r´∂-l≈l´) adj.
If things are
parallel, they have
comparable or similar
parts.
Todorov 25: the author is following MLA style to cite her source for the
information just stated: page 25 of a work by an author named Todorov.
What Is the Horror Genre?
127
70
80
90
believe, or believe while we are reading the book or watching
the film, that the events are possible.
Yet another way of categorizing works of horror is by the
source of the horror. Some horror comes from inside the
characters. Something goes wrong inside, and a person turns
into a monster. Dr. Frankenstein’s need for knowledge turns
him into the kind of person who creates a monster. Dr. Jekyll
also values his desire for information above all else, and
creates Mr. Hyde.4 In another kind of horror story the threat
to the central character or characters comes from outside. An
outside force may invade the character and then force the evil
out again. The vampire attacks the victim, but then the victim
becomes a vampire and attacks others. Stories of ghosts or
demonic possession also fall into this category.
We can also look at the kinds of themes common to
horror. Many works concentrate on the conflict between
good and evil. Works about the fantastic may deal with the
search for forbidden knowledge that appears in much horror
literature. Such quests are used as a way of examining our
attitude toward knowledge. While society may believe that
new knowledge is always good, the horror genre may question
this assumption, examining how such advances affect the
individual and society.
COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION With a partner, discuss how
Russell’s ideas about horror stories compare with your own
knowledge of this genre.
4
Dr. Jekyll . . . and . . . Mr. Hyde: the good and evil sides of the same character
in a novella by Robert Louis Stevenson.
128 Collection 2
quest
(kw≈st) n. A quest is a
search.
EL A RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.6
ELD PI.8.6, PI.8.7
Analyze Text: Literary Criticism
One of the pleasures of reading literature is thinking about it afterward.
Literary criticism is writing that examines, analyzes, and interprets a piece of
literature or a general aspect of literature.
In literary criticism, the author’s purpose—or the reason he or she is
writing—is often to inform or to persuade other readers to view a text in a
certain way. The chart shows some specific purposes an author might have
when writing literary criticism.
Purpose
What the Author Does
To define a genre
explains the characteristics of a type of writing using
specific examples as evidence
To categorize works of
literature
defines and classifies works of literature based on certain
criteria, or standards
To examine the structure
of a work of literature
analyzes the organization of a piece of literature
To analyze an author’s
technique
explains and evaluates the effectiveness of literary
techniques, such as using an unreliable narrator, recurring
imagery, or flashbacks
What is the purpose of the work of literary criticism you have just read?
EL A RI.8.2
ELD PI.8.10
Summarize Text
A good way to check your comprehension and remember what you read is
to summarize the text. When you summarize, you briefly retell the central
ideas and most important details of a piece of writing in your own words. You
can summarize a section of a text or an entire work.
t Begin with a clear, brief statement of the central idea of the section or
work.
t Present the most important details that support the idea in the order in
which they appear in the text.
t Write in your own words, but be careful not to change the
author’s meaning.
Summarize the first paragraph of “What Is the Horror Genre?”
What Is the Horror Genre?
129
eBook
Analyzing the Text
Cite Text Evidence
EL A RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4,
RI.8.6, SL.8.1a, SL.8.4 ELD PI.8.1,
PI.8.6, PI.8.7, PI.8.10
Support your responses with evidence from the text.
1.
Identify Reread the first paragraph, lines 1–11. Why does the author reject
characters or subjects as a way to categorize the horror genre?
2.
Infer Reread the first two paragraphs of the essay, lines 1–32. What does
the opening suggest about the author’s purpose in writing this essay?
3.
Cause/Effect In lines 20–21, the author says that in horror stories
“suspense is intensified by our knowledge of the genre.” What knowledge
is the author referring to? Explain why it increases suspense.
4.
Analyze Events described in the horror genre often defy everyday reality.
According to Russell, what are three different reactions the reader might
have to supernatural events depicted in horror stories?
5.
Interpret In line 87, what does the author mean by “the search for
forbidden knowledge”?
6.
Summarize After reading this essay, what is your response to its title:
“What Is the Horror Genre?” To answer, summarize the text.
7.
Synthesize Consider your own knowledge of the horror genre. Which of
Russell’s proposed categories do you consider the most useful for gaining
new understanding about these stories? Explain your answer by referring
to horror stories with which you’re familiar.
PERFORMANCE TASK
Speaking Activity: Discussion Use
the characteristics of the horror genre
described in the essay to categorize
the horror stories you have read and
the horror films you have seen.
t Work with a small group to create a
list of stories and films.
t Review the characters, setting,
events, structure, and organization
of the stories and films.
130 Collection 2
t Decide how to categorize the
stories and films. What creates the
suspense in each one? Do they
have similar themes or settings?
Are the sources of horror alike in
some way?
t Be prepared to explain your
categories as you share your final list
with the class or a small group.
EL A L.8.4b
ELD PI.8.6 , PI.8.12
Critical Vocabulary
intensify
justify
parallel
quest
1.
Which Vocabulary word goes with similar? Why?
2.
Which Vocabulary word goes with strengthen? Why?
3.
Which Vocabulary word goes with search? Why?
4.
Which Vocabulary word goes with defend? Why?
Vocabulary Strategy: Using Suffixes
A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a word. The suffix -ied is
added to verbs that end in the letter -y and are preceded by a consonant.
Adding -ied to such verbs changes the verb from the present to the past
tense.
Present Tense
identify
Consonant
Past Tense
identified
Verb that ends in y
Suffix -ied
For example, to change a verb like identify to the past tense, you drop the
-y and add -ied. Look at the sentences from “What Is the Horror Genre?” that
show how the author uses the verbs intensify and justify in the past tense.
But that suspense is intensified by our knowledge of the genre.
Of course, Susan’s fears are justified.
In the case of both justify and intensify, the author dropped the -y and
added -ied to show the past tense.
Practice and Apply Read the sentences. Change the verbs in parentheses to
the past tense by adding the suffix -ied.
1.
In the horror story, the main character (rely) on her brother for help.
2.
She was (mystify) when her calls to him were not answered.
3.
She (hurry) to check that all her house doors were securely locked.
4.
She was (petrify) when she thought she saw someone looking in
the window.
5.
Now she was (worry) that her brother would not show up to help her.
What Is the Horror Genre?
131
Language Conventions: Using Commas
A writer’s use of punctuation not only helps readers understand the writer’s
message, but also signals how the writer wants the text to be read. In your
writing, you can use commas to signal a break or a pause to the reader. When
you write, read your sentences out loud, noticing where you pause. The parts
where you pause probably need to be punctuated by a comma. Look at these
examples from “What Is the Horror Genre?”
So, she does end up dead in the basement, a victim of
the vampire.
This type of hesitation, when we almost believe, falls into the
general category of the “fantastic.”
Read the two sentences out loud, noticing where you pause. The commas
after “So” and “basement” in the first sentence signal the reader to pause. The
commas before and after “when we almost believe” do the same thing. They
also signal a break in thought and make the sentence easier to understand.
Additional examples are shown in the following chart.
Purpose of Comma
Example
to signal a break in thought
“Often horror has its greatest effect on us because
we almost believe, or believe while we are reading
the book or watching the film, that the events are
possible.”
to signal the reader to pause
“If a genre has traditional monsters, it also has
traditional settings.”
Practice and Apply These sentences include words, phrases, and clauses
that need to be punctuated with commas. Rewrite the sentences, inserting
the needed punctuation. If you get stuck, try reading the sentence out loud.
1.
Yes I absolutely love horror stories.
2.
You know of course that the main purpose of horror stories is to inspire
fear and dread.
3.
If Frankenstein is frightening he is also sympathetic.
4.
The long movie was terrifying so much so that several times I just closed
my eyes and blocked my ears.
5.
Writing a horror story a big dream of mine will take a lot of thought and
hard work.
132 Collection 2
EL A L.8.2a
ELD PII.8.2
Interactive Lessons
COLLEC TION 2
To help you complete this
task, use
t Writing Arguments
t Delivering a Presentation
PERFORMANCE TASK A
Present an Argument
The horror genre is intended to inspire terror. In this activity, you
will give a speech arguing whether a classic of the horror genre,
“The Tell-Tale Heart,” is appropriate for your age group to read.
EL A W.8.1a–e, W.8.4,
W.8.5, W.8.8, SL.8.4,
SL.8.5, SL.8.6
ELD PI.8.3, PI.8.4, PI.8.9,
PII.8.2
A successful argument
t contains an engaging introduction that establishes the claim
t supports the claim with reasons and relevant evidence from a
variety of credible sources
t emphasizes key points in a focused, coherent manner
t uses language that effectively conveys ideas and adds interest
t concludes by leaving the audience with a lasting impression
Mentor Text
Note how this section from “Scary Tales” argues
that students should read scary stories.
hmhfyi.com
hm
om
Visit hmhfyi.com to
explore your topic and
enhance your research.
need to be frightened. We all do. It’s an emotion
“thatChildren
was given to all of us and it should be exercised. When
you don’t exercise it, you lose your sense of fear. That’s why
my granddaddy told me scary stories…You should be a little
hesitant sometimes, his stories were saying, you should think
twice before you go into the woods, there just might be a hairy
man and you need to be cautious.
”
Use the annotation
tools in your eBook to
find text evidence that
supports your claim.
PLAN
Choose Your Position
Reread “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and
think about its effects on you as a reader. What kind of lasting
impression does it create? Decide whether the story is appropriate
reading for students your age. Choose a position and write out
your claim in a statement.
Gather Information
Focus on “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Jot down
details that provide reasons and evidence that support your claim.
t Identify quotations from the story that you can use as
examples to support your claim.
t What might others say to oppose your claim?
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
As you take notes,
be sure to use the
academic vocabulary
words.
conventions
predict
psychology
summary
technique
Collection Performance Task A
133
Do Further Research
Use additional print and digital sources
to find solid, credible evidence for your argument.
t Search for facts, quotations, and statistics about the horror
genre that support your claim.
t Anticipate arguments against your claim and develop
counterclaims to refute them.
Organize Your Ideas
Use a graphic organizer, such as a
hierarchy chart, to help you present your ideas logically.
Claim
Reason
Evidence
Evidence
Interactive Lessons
For help in organizing
your ideas, use
tWriting Arguments:
Building Effective
Support
Reason
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
Consider Your Purpose and Audience
Who will listen to
your speech? Decide which specific ideas will be most convincing.
Your tone and word choices should be appealing and targeted
toward your listeners.
PRODUCE
Draft Your Speech
As you draft your speech, keep the
following in mind:
t
t
t
t
Introduce your claim in an attention-grabbing way.
Organize your reasons and evidence logically.
Include facts, details, and examples from your sources.
Use transitional words and phrases to clarify relationships
among your claim, reasons, and evidence.
t Vary the length and type of sentences in your speech to create
a lively flow of ideas.
t Summarize your main points in a concluding statement.
Prepare Visuals
Think about using multimedia resources to
create pictures or charts to clarify and strengthen your claims. Plan
how you will integrate these visuals into your speech.
134 Collection 2
Write your
rough draft in
myWriteSmart.
Focus on getting
your ideas down,
rather than on
perfecting your
language.
Practice Your Speech
Present your speech aloud. Try
speaking in front of a mirror or recording your speech and
listening to it. Use your voice effectively, varying your pitch and
tone. Maintain eye contact with the members of your audience.
Evaluate Your Speech
Use the following chart to revise
your draft.
Questions
Tips
Revision Techniques
Does the
introduction grab
the audience’s
attention?
Underline questions
or statements that
would interest the
audience.
If needed, add an
attention-grabber to
your introduction.
Do at least two
reasons support my
opinion statement?
Highlight the reasons
that support your
opinion.
Add reasons that
support the opinion
statement.
Does at least one
piece of evidence
support each
reason?
Highlight evidence
that supports each
reason.
Elaborate on pieces
of evidence by adding
details.
Does the conclusion
restate my position?
Underline your
conclusion.
Add a restatement of
your position.
Have your partner
or a group of peers
review your draft in
myWriteSmart. Ask
your reviewers whether
your claim, reasons,
and evidence are clear.
Interactive Lessons
For tips on giving a
presentation, use
tGiving a Presentation:
Delivering Your
Presentation
Language Conventions: Using Transitions
To clarify relationships among your claim, reasons, and evidence, use transitions.
These words and phrases will help make your argument stronger and more
cohesive. See the following examples from “What Is the Horror Genre?” Transitions
can be used to
show cause and effect Part of the tension is created because they are doing
something we know is going to get them in trouble.
to reinforce ideas Yet another way of categorizing works of horror is by the source
of the horror.
PRESENT
Deliver your Speech
Finalize your argument and present it to
the class. Consider these additional options:
t Debate someone who makes an opposing argument.
t Publish your speech as a podcast and share it with classmates.
Collection Performance Task A
135
P E R F O R M A N C E TA S K A R U B R I C
ARGUMENT
Ideas and Evidence
Organization
Language
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1
136 Collection 2
Interactive Lessons
COLLEC TION 2
To help you complete this
task, use
t Writing as a Process
t Using Textual Evidence
PERFORMANCE TASK B
Write a Literary Analysis
In this activity, you will write a literary analysis of one or both
of the fictional horror stories in this collection. Use the criteria
for horror explained in “What Is the Horror Genre?” by Sharon
A. Russell to support your analysis. Think about the structure of
horror fiction and the tools its authors use, such as suspense and
plot. As you analyze the story or stories, pay attention to setting,
events, and details that make the work both believable and
entertaining.
EL A W.8.2a–f, W.8.5,
W.8.9, W.8.9a, W.8.10
ELD PI.8.1, PI.8.4, PI.8.10,
PI.8.11, PII.8.1, PII.8.2,
PII.8.7
A successful literary analysis
t provides an introduction that captures the reader’s attention
and clearly states the topic
t
t
t
t
cites textual evidence that strongly supports the writer’s ideas
clearly organizes ideas and concepts
conveys key points through the analysis of relevant content
provides a strong conclusion that summarizes the analysis
Mentor Text In this selection from “What Is the Horror Genre?”
the writer includes a specific example to support her idea.
horror comes from inside the characters. Something
“goesSome
wrong inside, and the person turns into a monster. Dr.
Frankenstein’s need for knowledge turns him into the kind of
person who creates a monster.
”
PLAN
Choose a Story for Analysis
Refresh your memory of
“What Is the Horror Genre?” as well as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and
“The Monkey’s Paw.”
t Take notes about the criteria for horror that are explained in
“What Is the Horror Genre?”
t Reread “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Monkey’s Paw.” Identify
aspects of the stories that impress—and horrify—you.
t Decide whether you will analyze one or both stories.
Use the annotation
tools in your eBook
to note the criteria
in Sharon A. Russell’s
piece and to apply it to
the story or stories you
will analyze.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
As you share what you
have learned about the
horror genre, be sure
to use the academic
vocabulary words.
conventions
predict
psychology
summary
technique
Collection Performance Task B
137
Consider Audience and Purpose
Think about what your
readers need to know to understand your literary analysis.
t Determine if you need to provide information about the
Interactive Lessons
For help in planning
your essay, use
tWriting as a Process:
Task, Purpose, and
Audience
techniques related to horror storytelling, such as suspense.
t Decide what you want your audience to know about the
horror genre, and about the story or stories you are analyzing.
Identify Your Criteria Use your notes about “What Is the
Horror Genre?” to plan your analysis.
t Decide what your thesis statement will be. This statement
contains the main point you want to make, so the criteria and
textual evidence you discuss should relate to it.
t Create a graphic organizer for each of the criteria you identify.
t List story details that are relevant for each of your criteria.
Criteria
Story Detail
Story Detail
Story Detail
PRODUCE
Write Your Literary Analysis
Use your notes and your
graphic organizers to draft your literary analysis.
t You may wish to discuss each of your chosen criteria with
examples from the story or stories. Another option would be
to organize around the sequence of events in the story.
t Include a brief summary of the story or stories you will discuss.
t Include concrete details and quotations to support your ideas.
Use precise language to explain key concepts.
t Use transitions to show relationships between your ideas and
the textual evidence that supports them.
t Condense related ideas into a single sentence when possible.
t Conclude your analysis with a summary of your main points
and your own insights about the appeal of the horror genre.
138 Collection 2
Write your
rough draft in
myWriteSmart.
Concentrate on
getting your ideas
down rather than
on crafting perfect
sentences.
Interactive Lessons
For help in drafting
your essay, use
tUsing Textual
Evidence:
Summarizing,
Paraphrasing, and
Quoting
Language Conventions: Condensing Ideas
Look for places where you can condense ideas by combining them into one
sentence. Read this sentence from “What Is the Horror Genre?”
“ In Salem’s Lot Susan approaches the house which is the source of evil.”
The writer condenses ideas about Susan and the house in a precise, detailed
sentence. Condensing ideas helps communicate clearly with your audience.
Review Your Draft
Have your partner or group of peers
review your draft. Use the following chart to revise your draft.
Questions
Tips
Revision Techniques
Have I written a
clear, coherent thesis
statement?
Highlight your thesis
statement.
Rewrite your
statement to make it
more clear, if needed.
Have I supported my
points with details
from the text?
Underline each detail
or quotation from the
text.
Add details or
quotations wherever
support is needed.
Have I organized
the information in a
logical way?
Highlight transitions
between ideas.
Add transitions that
show the relationships
between your ideas.
Have I condensed
ideas to create
precise, detailed
sentences?
Underline sentences
that combine two
or more clauses to
condense ideas.
Combine related
sentences to
condense related
ideas.
Does the conclusion
include a summary
of my analysis and
an original insight?
Highlight the
summary of your
analysis. Underline
your original insight.
Add a summary of
your analysis and
an original insight, if
needed.
Ask your reviewers to
note any points that
need clarification or
better support from
the texts.
Interactive Lessons
For help in revising
your essay, use
tWriting as a Process:
Revising and Editing
PRESENT
Create a Finished Copy
Choose a way to share your literary
analysis with your audience. Consider these options:
t Combine your analysis with those of your classmates to create
a “Literary Review: Horror Edition” for your school’s library.
t Present your analysis as an advertisement for the horror genre.
t Organize a panel discussion on the horror genre.
Collection Performance Task B
139
P E R F O R M A N C E TA S K B R U B R I C
L I T E R A R Y A N A LY S I S
Ideas and Evidence
4
3
2
1
Organization
Language
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140 Collection 2