ENGLISH 111
SHORT
STORIES
TERMS
 Review the terms listed in your resource packet: Elements of
Narrative
 Review the Short Story Introduction
 Open Book Test: Monday, September 17 th on term review
“Two Words” by
Isabel Allende
(Echoes)
“A Rose for Emily”
by William
Faulkner (Seagull
Reader)
“Tapka” from
Natasha and Other
Stories by David
Bezmozgis
An Excerpt from A
Visit From the
Goon Squad by
Jennifer Egan
Edgar Allen Poe
(various from
Project Gutenberg)
THE STORIES
POV
 In Objective Point of View the reader has access to nobody's
head.
 In Third Person Limited Point of View the reader has access to
one person's head at a time.
 In Omniscient Point of View the reader has access to
ever ybody's head at the same time.
Introduction to Magical
Realism/Read aloud: “A
Very Old Man with
Enormous Wings: A Tale for
Children”.
Two Words: The focus of
this story is the power of
language on multiple levels.
“T WO
WORDS” BY
ISABEL
ALLENDE
MAGICAL REALISM
 Magic Realism is a genre of fiction in which magical
elements are blended into a realistic atmosphere in order to
access a deeper understanding of reality.
 These magical elements are explained like normal
occurrences that are presented in a straightforward manner
which allows the "real" and the "fantastic" to be accepted in
the same stream of thought.
 Think of it as "what happens when a highly detailed,
realistic setting is invaded by something 'too strange to
believe'".
BUT ISN’T IT JUST FANTASY?!
 Prominent English-language fantasy writers have stated
that "magic realism" is only another name for fantasy
fiction.
 However, magical realism is dif ferent from fantasy
literature based on the perception of the fantastical
element:
 In fantasy, the presence of the supernatural is perceived as
odd or dif ferent, whereas in magical realism the presence
of the supernatural is accepted.
 In magical realism the author presents the supernatural as
being equally valid to the natural.
CHARACTERISTICS
 The extent to which the characteristics listed below apply to
any given magic realist text varies; every text is dif ferent
and will employ a smattering of those listed here. However,
they do serve as a good judge of what one might expect
from a magic realist text.
CHARACTERISTICS - FANTASTICAL
ELEMENTS
 As recently as 2008, magical realism in literature has been
defined as "a kind of modern fiction in which fabulous and
fantastical events are included in a narrative that otherwise
maintains the 'reliable' tone and draw upon the genres of
fable, folk tale, and myth while maintaining a strong
contemporary voice.
 The fantastic attributes given to characters in such novels —
levitation, flight, telepathy, telekinesis — are among the
means that magic realism uses in order to discuss the often
phantasmagorical realities of present day issues.
WAIT A MINUTE!
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Definition of PHANTASMAGORIA
1
: an exhibition of optical ef fects and illusions
2
a : a constantly shifting complex succession of things seen
or imagined b : a scene that constantly changes
3
: a bizarre or fantastic combination, collection, or
assemblage
Examples of PHANTASMAGORIA
He saw a phantasmagoria of shadowy creatures through the
fog.
CHARACTERISTICS - HYBRIDIT Y
 When the plot lines utilize multiple layers of reality taking
place at the same time. Such opposites as urban and rural,
and past and present.
CHARACTERISTICS - AUTHORIAL RETICENCE
 Authorial reticence is the "deliberate withholding of
information and explanations about the disconcerting
fictitious world". [
 The narrator does not provide explanations about the
accuracy or credibility of events described.
 Note that the act of explaining the supernatural would
immediately reduce the legitimacy of this world in
comparison to the natural world; the reader would
consequently disregard the supernatural as false.
CHARACTERISTICS - SENSE OF MYSTERY
 Something that most, if not all, critics agree on is this
major theme. Magic realist literature tends to read at a very
intensified level.
 You have to be open to the crazy, zany, and wacky stuf f
going on in these stories.
 "If you can explain it, then it's not magical realism."
CHARACTERISTICS - POLITICAL CRITIQUE
 Magic realism contains an "implicit criticism of society,
particularly the elite".
MAJOR AUTHORS AND WORKS
 Although there is much debate among critics and writers
regarding who and/or which works fall within the genre of
magical realism, the following authors tend to be regarded
as most representative of the narrative mode.
MAJOR AUTHORS AND WORKS
 Franz Kafka, writing in the 1920s, is arguably the founder
of the genre.
 Within the Latin American world, perhaps the most iconic of
magical realist novelist is Nobel Laureate Gabriel García
Márquez, whose novel One Hundred Years of Solitude was
an instant worldwide success.
 English Author Salman Rushdie, African American novelist
Toni Morrison, English author Louis de Bernières and
English feminist writer Angela Carter
MAJOR AUTHORS AND WORKS
 The first woman writer from Latin America to be recognized
outside the continent was Isabel Allende. Her most well known novel The House of the Spirits is arguably quite
similar to Marquez's style of magical realist writing.
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
LECTURE
 BEFORE READING: Back ground
 Until the 1960s, Latin American literature had a small, mostly
localized audience. Book publishers typically published only
3,000 copies of a novel. During the 1960s, however, Latin
American writers began to reach larger audiences, thanks to the
growth of Latin American literacy, advances in book publishing
and distribution, and the development of multinational
companies. Outstanding authors, such as Gabriel García
Márquez, Julio Cortázar, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Carlos Fuentes,
sold as many as 20,000 copies of their works. Then in 1968
García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude broke entirely
new ground, selling about 100,000 copies per year and creating
a viable international market for other Latin American authors.
Beginning in 1967, a series of Latin American authors won the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
LECTURE
 BEFORE Reading: Background
 In the 1980s Latin American women writers claimed an
international audience, too. Latin America already had several
well-known women authors. In the 1980s a feminist literary
movement began to develop that its chief proponent, Chilean
writer Isabel Allende, said was unified by a common
"dimension of emotion, passion, obsession, and dream."
Allende, an exemplar of the style of "magic realism," became
internationally famous with her best -selling first novel, House
of the Spirits (1982; tr. 1985).
 This selection, "Two Words," is one of Allende's short stories.
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
LECTURE
 About the Author
 Isabel Allende (b. 1942), is a Chilean novelist, short story
writer, and author of nonfiction who, with Mexico's Laura
Esquivel, has helped create an international audience for
Latin America's women writers.
 Allende was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Chile. As a
young woman, she worked as a journalist, married, and had
two children. When she was 31 , her uncle, Salvador Allende,
who was president of Chile, was assassinated in a military
takeover of the government. Allende and her family were
forced to flee to Venezuela.
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
LECTURE
 About the Author
 A painful divorce as well as the illness and death of her
grandfather prompted her to write her first novel, House of the
Spirits (1982; tr. 1985), which became an international best
seller and a film. Allende moved to San Francisco in 1987 with
her second husband. Her other novels include Of Love and
Shadows (1984; tr. 1987), Eva Luna (1987; tr. 1988), The Stories
of Eva Luna (1989; tr. 1991), and the U..S. -based The Infinite
Plan (1991; tr. 1993). Her first nonfiction work, Paula (1994; tr.
1995), was a series of letters to her dying daughter. She also
wrote Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses (1997; tr. 1998). In
1999 two new books appeared: a novel called Daughter of
For tune (1999; tr. 1999) and Conversations with Isabel Allende
(1998; tr. 1999), a collection of essays and interviews with the
author.
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
LECTURE
 About the Author:
 Allende's work is written in a style called "magic realism," which
links myth and fantasy with realistic portrayals of life and often
with politics. Previous writers of magic realism include Asturias
and Garcia Márquez. Writers of magic realism view Latin America
as a many -layered culture in which everyday activities and events
are colored by powerful underlying forces, such as religion,
superstition, passion, myth, and magic. As Allende's heroine Eva
explains it, "reality is not only what we see on the surface; it has
a magical dimension as well, and, if we so desire, it is legitimate
to enhance it and color it to make our journey through life less
trying."
 In the Foreword to Conversations with Isabel Allende , the author
writes that "Most of my writing is an attempt to bring an illusory
order to the natural chaos of life, to decode the mysteries of
memory, to search for my own identity."
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
 Read the story
 Complete the questions and vocabulary
 HANDOUT
“TWO WORDS” BY ISABEL ALLENDE
Journal Question:
 What do you think the author's goals and ideas were when
she wrote this story? What are her main themes? Defend your
answer.
SPEECH PREPARATION:
ADD IMPACT WITH
RHETORICAL DEVICES
THINKING ABOUT RHETORIC
 After discussing the following rhetorical devices, listen to the
speech by Michelle Obama at the DNC 2012. Take notes on the
devices she uses.
A Note on the Speech:
 Michelle Obama took center stage at the Democratic National
Convention on September 4. Her speech was widely anticipated.
 First Lady has a special ability to resonate with female voters. "She
just has a way of electrifying a crowd and relating to people. The
way she has been able to balance being a spokesperson and a first
lady and a great mom at the same time is something that a lot of
women admire”.
 The First Lady focused on her per sonal relationship with her
daughter s and her husband during her speech, and then bridged the
gap between the per sonal and the political.
Then, complete the activity in Echoes page 244 #5.
 You can present your speeches on Monday!
WRITING FOR IMPACT AND BEAUT Y
 The study of rhetoric provides speechwriters with numerous
rhetorical devices. When you use these devices, your
presentations will be more impactful (easier to remember) as
well as more beautiful (more pleasurable to listen to).
 Of the very large number of rhetorical devices, we’ll
investigate three types in this article:
 Devices which involve sounds (often with repetition)
e.g. alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia
 Devices which involve repetition of words, phrases, or ideas
(often with parallelism)
e.g. anaphora
 Devices which change the usual meaning of words
e.g. metaphors, similes
1. RHETORICAL DEVICES: SOUND
 Sound-based rhetorical devices add a poetic melody to
speeches. Not surprisingly, the net ef fect is that speeches are
more pleasurable to listen to. Three of the most common
forms are:
 alliteration — repetition of the same sound at the beginning of
nearby words
e.g. “what my wife wanted”, “her husband has had”
 assonance — repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby
words
e.g. “how now brown cow”
 onomatopoeia — a word which imitates the sound of itself
e.g. “buzz”, “whoosh”, “meow”
2. RHETORICAL DEVICES: REPETITION OF
WORDS OR IDEAS
 Two common forms involve repetition in successive clauses or
sentences.
 anaphora — repetition of a word or phrase at the start of
successive clauses or sentences
e.g. Winston Churchill
 “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall
fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, [...
many more ...] We shall never surrender.”
 epistrophe — repetition of a word or phrase a the end of
successive clauses or sentences
e.g. Emerson
 “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny
compared to what lies within us.”
2. RHETORICAL DEVICES: REPETITION OF
WORDS OR IDEAS
 Repetition is a powerful technique used in other ways as well.
 Repetition is commonly used for emphasis.
 Repeating a word or phrase in dif ferent parts of the speech
helps the audience make connections as if you were sewing
your speech elements together with a thread .
3. RHETORICAL DEVICES WHICH CHANGE
WORD MEANINGS
 Three common rhetorical devices by which words can take on
new meanings are:
 Personification — giving human qualities to abstract ideas,
inanimate objects, plants, or animals
e.g. “The trees called out to me.”
 Metaphor — a comparison of two seemingly unlike things
e.g. “Life is a highway.”
 Simile — same as metaphor, but using either “like” or “as”
e.g. “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
 These rhetorical devices, along with related concepts such as
symbolism and analogies, are often the essence of
storytelling as an ef fective means of communication.
TWO WORDS
 Assignment: Write an analysis of the power of language
through a demand writing activity. You will be given a quote
from the text as a prompt. This is a 60 minute timed
assignment.
 HANDOUT
 Faulkner on Hemingway:
"[Hemingway] has never been
known to use a word that might
send a reader to the dictionary."
 Hemingway on Faulkner:
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really
think big emotions come from big
words?"

A ROSE
FOR EMILY
B y W i l l i am
Fa u l k n e r
“A ROSE FOR EMILY”
BEFORE READING
 Read introductory notes before the story.
 “Aristocracy”: The aristocracy are people considered to be in
the highest social class.
 "A Rose for Emily" is a five -part short story narrated by the
townspeople of Jef ferson, Mississippi.
 "A Rose for Emily" is a short story by American author
William Faulkner first published in the April 30, 1930 issue
of Forum. This story takes place in Faulkner's fictional city,
Jef ferson, in his fictional county of Yoknapatawpha County,
Mississippi. It was Faulkner's first short story published in a
national magazine.
WHO IS WILLIAM FAULKNER?
 1897 – 1962
 American author of the 20 th century
 The majority of his works are based in his native state of
Mississippi.
 Faulkner is considered one of the most important writers of
Southern literature along with Mark Twain,, Truman Capote,
and Tennessee Williams.
 His work was published as early as 1919 and was largely
published during the 1920s and 1930s.
WHO IS WILLIAM FAULKNER?
 Faulkner was relatively unknown until receiving the 1949
Nobel Prize in Literature.
 Faulkner has often been cited as one of the most
important writers in the history of American literature.
 Heavily influenced by the south.
 Mississippi marked his sense of humor, his sense of the
tragic position of racism, his characterization of Southern
characters and timeless themes, including fiercely
intelligent people dwelling behind façades.
“A ROSE FOR EMILY”
BEFORE READING
Vocabulary
 remit
 mote
 gilt
 pallid
 hue
 temerity
 teeming
 diffident
 deprecation
 tableau
 cabal
 impervious
 acrid
 thwart
 august
 cuckold
“A ROSE FOR EMILY”
AFTER READING
Characters: Identify each of the following characters by writing
a brief description of each .





Emily Grierson
Colonel Sartoris
Tobe
Judge Stevens
Homer Barron
“A ROSE FOR EMILY”
AFTER READING
1 . What metaphor is used to describe Miss Emily in the first
paragraph?
2. How is the house personified in the second paragraph?
3. How does Faulkner describe Miss Emily in the sixth paragraph?
4. What did Miss Emily tell her visitors the day after her father’s
death?
5. Why did the townspeople not think she was crazy for this?
6. What does Miss Emily do that makes the townspeople think
that she and her boyfriend have wed?
7. How do the townspeople know what they know about Miss
Emily’s life? What is the source of their information?
8. What is the horrible revelation about Miss Emily that the story
ends with? How is this related to the overall meaning of the
story?
THE ROSE AS A SYMBOL OF LOVE
--AFTER READING
Roses, in literature and the general daily experience,
usually represent love. Roses are given as tokens of
affection, as a sign of devotion to the individual to whom
they are given. When viewed in this light, the rose seems
an odd choice for the title of this story: Emily’s story is
disturbing, the tale of a woman obsessed with her own
heritage who never understood the true meaning of love.
This makes the title ironic, which seems to be Faulkner’s
entire point. By using the classic symbol of love to
introduce the narrative, he is leading the reader to a
consideration of what the components of true love are.
Love is not the distorted narcissism that is Emily’s
perception; it is a selfless act of giving that builds
relationships, not destroys them like in the story.
THE ROSE AS A TRIBUTE
Another way to look at the rose in the title “A Rose for
Emily” is as a token, a tribute. The narrator tells her
story, the kind of person Emily was and the personal
actions that led to her demise. Again, Faulkner’s irony
is apparent. Tributes are usually something positive, a
way for onlookers and observers to understand a
person or event as it relates to their own lives. The
story of Emily is anything but positive; it is disgusting,
repulsive. So why a tribute? Perhaps it is to serve as a
reminder of the ugliness of self -absorption, of the
consequences of a life lived without love. The rose is
given as a tribute to a hideous person that the reader
might be reminded of the importance of self -giving and
true devotion.
THE ROSE AS A SYMBOL OF MEMORY
Roses are also often used as memories, as a way to preserve a
moment in time or to keep a person close to one’s heart. They
are dried and kept, not only because they are beautiful, but
usually because it is a way to retain a precious time in one’s
life. So why would Faulkner use such a symbol of beauty and
memory to present the horrific narrative of “A Rose for Emily”?
Firstly, the story is written in the form of a memory, the
narrator speaking in the first person about events that to him
and the community were very real. Secondly, however terrible
the tale may be, it serves as a reminder to the reader that
some integral things in a person’s life should never be
forgotten: love, devotion, and selflessness. By presenting a
woman who possessed none of these attributes, Faulkner calls
on his readers to remember the things that make life
beautiful, especially love. Hence the rose can be seen as a call
to memory.
A ROSE FOR EMILY
CONCLUSIONS DRAWN
As a symbol of love, as a tribute, or as a representative of
memory, the rose in the title “A Rose for Emily” presents a
variety of interpretations. Faulkner is not an author that can
be definitively defined by one theory. His writings are able to
be analyzed on multiple levels, because this calls the reader
to consider all aspects of the information provided and draw
one’s own conclusion. His choice of the rose is testimony to
this, as there is no one way to interpret its use. The reader
must decide Faulkner’s intention.
“A ROSE FOR EMILY”
AFTER READING
 MLA DIDLS Analysis Essay
 HANDOUT
Tapka by David Bezmozgis
TAPKA BY DAVID BEZMOZGIS
 David Bezmozgis (born 1973) is a Canadian writer and
filmmaker.
 Born in Riga, Latvia, he came to Canada with his family when
he was six. He graduated with a B.A . in English literature from
McGill University. Bezmozgis received an M.F.A. from the
University of Southern California's School of Cinema Television. In 1999, his first documentary, a 25 -minute film
called L.A . Mohel, won a major award for student filmmakers.
His first published book is Natasha and Other Stories (2004).
Stories from that collection first appeared in The New Yorker,
Harper's and Zoetrope All-Stor y. Natasha and Other Stories
was chosen for inclusion in Canada Reads 2007. Bezmozgis is
among The New Yorker magazine's 2010 top 20 fiction writers
under the age of 40.
TAPKA BY DAVID BEZMOZGIS
1 . How does Bezmozgis describe Goldfinch?
2. What do you notice right away about the language of this
text? How does the author arrange the sentences? Does it seem
conventional?
3. When does this story take place?
4. The narrator says that he would return from school “bearing
the germs of a new vocabulary”. What does this mean and why is
it significant? (3)
5. What does he mean by “linguistic bounty”? (3)
6. Describe the Nahumovsky’s.
7. Because the title of the story is “Tapka” we know that when
the narrator discusses the dog on page 5 that it is a very
important description. Paraphrase the information about Tapka’s
immigration to Canada and Rita’s devotion for the dog.
TAPKA BY DAVID BEZMOZGIS
8. What about lunchtime excites Mark? Why does he not relate to
other students in school (“effectively friendless” page 8)?
9. Choose a passage that best describes Mark’s love for the dog.
10. Describe Bezmozgis’s use of dialogue. What do you notice
about the format and why do you think he does this?
11 . What is significant about the line “television taught me to
say…” (9)?
12. What details does Mark relate about the accident? (12)
13. What is significant about Jana saying, “Mark, get Clonchik”
(13)?
14. Reread the passage where Rita, in desperation, attempts to
communicate with the doctor. What story does this remind you of
(that we’ve read in class) and why? Explain your answer with
evidence.
15. Explain the ending of this story. How does Mark first try to
rationalize what happened and then quickly succumb to guilt? (18)
TAPKA BY DAVID BEZMOZGIS
 Demand Writing 3 activity.
 HANDOUT
Sto r y by
Je n n i fer E g a n
[ exc e rpt fro m
A V i s i t fro m
the Goon
S q u a d ].
“GREAT ROCK AND
ROLL PAUSES
BY ALISON BLAKE”
EXCERPT:
GREAT ROCK AND ROLL PAUSES
 Alison Blake is a 12 -year-old American. She lives on the edge
of the desert in the near -future. Her brother, Lincoln, is
autistic and obsessed with the pauses in famous rock songs.
In this book, kids of the future don't write diaries in the
normal way but record what's happening in their lives in
PowerPoint slides.
GREAT ROCK AND ROLL PAUSES
1. Do you think it works to write a story in PowerPoint? Why?
2. In a recent interview Egan said, “I think anyone who’s writing
satirically about the future of America and life often looks
prophetic. . . . I think we’re all part of a zeitgeist [general
trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular
period of time] and we’re all listening to and absorbing the
same things, consciously or unconsciously….” Considering
current social trends and political realities, including fears of
war and environmental devastation, evaluate the future Egan
envisions in “Great Rock and Roll Pauses.”
3. The novel is about the passage of time. Why is music the
way to describe this theme? [see next slide].
GREAT ROCK AND ROLL
PAUSES
 Discussion: Egan was inspired by reading in the NY Times
that the Obama campaign had been turned around when
someone on staf f made a PowerPoint presentation
explaining where they were going wrong. She realized “a
PowerPoint” had become a genre, a recognizable mode of
thought and representation. So just as she might write a
chapter in the form of a magazine article, why not as a
PowerPoint?
 The novel is about time. Why was music the way to describe
her theme? Music lets us look at change, nostalgia.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZGXILewUSQ
GREAT ROCK AND ROLL PAUSES
 The second demand writing task for this unit.
 HANDOUT
 A 60 minute, timed discussion of theme. You can use the text
and must show a seamless use of quotes to support your
analysis.
MOOD AND MADNESS
Edgar Allen Poe
EDGAR ALLEN POE ESSAY ANALYSIS
 Your Task: Using the DIDLS model for essay analysis, analyze
Poe’s writing style through DIDLS. What devices does he use
to create setting and atmosphere?
 Prompt: Prove that Poe is the master of creating atmosphere.
 Think about the author’s use of narrative technique,
description and diction, and find examples from the text.
 Requirements:
 600—800 word MLA Essay
 Due: October 26, 2012




READ:
The Raven
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Fall of the House of Usher
WHAT IS MOOD?
 Mood is the atmosphere created by the setting, and
actions of people and characters in it. It also relates
to how the reader emotionally responds to these
elements like sadness for a tragedy.
WHAT WAYS CAN AN AUTHOR ESTABLISH
MOOD?
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THE MOOD WHEN
ANALYZING LITERATURE?
WHAT’S THE MOOD…?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c
 Tell Tale Heart
WHAT’S THE MOOD…?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6-1cvsuyRs
MADNESS IN LITERATURE
 The prevalence of depictions of
madness in nineteenth-century
literature paralleled the growth
of the scientific and medical
study of insanity. Increasingly
in the nineteenth century,
madness was seen more as a
social and medical problem,
compared to the eighteenth
century, when madness was
feared as the absence of
reason, and therefore, evil.
Some authors attempted to portray
mental "aberrations" in a realistic
manner, while others sensationalized
the symptoms of and reaction to a
character's insanity. Such sensation
fiction often portrayed characters who
were wrongfully accused of insanity.
The multitude of ways insanity was
treated in literature reflects nineteenthcentury society's fascination bordering
on obsession with madness.
 In fiction, there were two basic trends in the way
madness was represented: authors strove either for
psychological realism, or they sensationalized
madness, using it as a tool to bring about a certain
effect on characterization or plot.
 Edgar Allan Poe's depictions of madness are well
known. "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1840),
focuses in particular on the way in which Poe uses the
language and imagery of enclosure to follow the
narrator on his journey from reason to insanity.
JOURNAL
 How does Poe establish Mood?
 How does the theme of Madness come into play with Poe’s
stories?
 Why are people fascinated by madness?
THE RAVEN
THE RAVEN
 Read Aloud the Poem.
 Pay attention to mood and the diction Poe uses to reinforce
this: Dreary; Bleak; Ghost; Lost; Sorrow; Terrors; Darkness;
Melancholy; Stern; Dirges; Grave; Stillness .
THE RAVEN
 Pick out some of the other word(s) in the poem that
reinforce the feelings of bleakness and hopelessness.
THE RAVEN
1.What does Poe want the reader to believe has happened
to the narrator before events in the poem?
2. Why does Poe use a raven instead of another bird as the
major symbol of this work?
3. The universal appeal of the poem comes from its
expression of the feeling of loneliness we are all subject to
at some time in our lives due to separation from loved ones.
The narrator is feeling that his situation is inescapable and
hopeless. IS there any feeling of hope at the conclusion of
this narrative?
4. What devices does Poe utilize in order to create
suspense? Think of the repetition and rhyme. Is this
effective? Explain.
BONUS: Recreate your own version of The Raven.
You must use the same rhyme scheme, meter,
and mood as Poe.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
Summary:
 The narrator is sentenced to death by a tribunal during the
Spanish Inquisition. He faints. He awakes in a cell and is
unable to see. As he awaits his fate, the prisoner undergoes
physical and mental torment.
 The Spanish Inquisition: The Inquisition sought to rid the
church of heretical [sacrilegious or deviating] views. They
got a little carried away.
 The narrator decides to explore his surroundings by walking
along the wall, leaving a coarse piece of cloth as a
landmark. Before he is able to circumnavigate the cell, he
trips on his robe and falls asleep. He wakes up, devours
food left for him, and walks across the cell. He trips and
realizes he narrowly missed falling into a pit. He falls
asleep. He awakes. He eats. He falls asleep. He awakes and
finds the cell dimly lit and that he's been tied to a wooden
plank.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
Summary Cont.:
 A pendulum shaped like a scythe swings back and
forth above him, slowly making its way toward the
prisoner. Meanwhile, rats have come up from the pit
and eaten the prisoner's food. The prisoner rubs
food on his ropes and seconds before the
pendulum/scythe cuts him in half, the rats chew
through the ropes and the narrator escapes.
 The next torment involves the walls of the cell
heating up and moving inward, forcing the narrator
toward the pit. Moments before plummeting into the
abyss, the walls retract. General LaSalle's army has
emancipated the prison.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
Characters:
 Unnamed Narrator - A victim of the Inquisition. The
narrator maintains sanity that many of Poe’s other
narrators lack. He functions with Dupin -like
practicality despite the invisible enemy threatening
him with torture.
 General Lasalle - A leader of the French army.
General Lasalle is a real and positive presence of
authority in contrast to the shadowy and invisible
leaders of the Inquisition.
T H E P I T A N D T H E P E N D U L U M SY M B O L I S M
 Symbolism allows people to communicate beyond the limits of
language. Humans use symbolism all the time. Words themselves are
mere symbols for something else.
 A symbol is a per son, place, or object that stands for something beyond
itself. National, religious, and cultural symbols have standard
interpretations as well as a per sonal significance for each individual.
For example, the American flag symbolizes the United States of
America. The per sonal significance, however, varies. An army veteran
cherishes its meaning. A terrorist, on the other hand, finds it
despicable. A golden coloured coin with a loon on it symbolizes one
dollar. A billionaire consider s it chump change. A beggar considers it an
elusive treasure.
 A literar y symbol gains its meaning from the context of a literar y work
and of ten changes as the work develops.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
QUESTIONS
1. Symbolism: Although the events in the story create
suspense and interest, its the story's deeper meaning that
makes it so good. What do the following symbols represent:
the pit
the pendulum
the judges
2. Sensory Details: The description of rats on the narrator's lips
is Poe at his finest. Provide examples of sensory details:
Poe's description of the cell, the pit, and the judges.
Explain.
3. Suspense: Dangerous action, foreshadowing and pacing
combine to keep readers on the edge of their seat. Provide
an example of each.
4. Setting and Mood: Describe the setting and mood.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM ANSWERS
1. Symbolism: Although the events in the story create
suspense and interest, its the story's deeper meaning that
makes it so good. An analysis of the pit (death or hell), the
scythe/pendulum (time and death), and the angelic forms
of the Inquisitorial tribune (angels of death) are three of
many symbols in the novel.
2. Sensory Details: The description of rats on the narrator's
lips is Poe at his finest. Poe's description of the cell, the
pit, and the judges provide examples of sensory details.
3. Suspense: Dangerous action, foreshadowing and pacing
combine to keep readers on the edge of their seat.
4. Setting and Mood: The cell and the pit take on a life of
their own. The story's backdrop of the Inquisition adds to
the ominous mood.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM QUESTIONS
5. Discuss why this narrator is considered unreliable.
6. Prove the following statement as true using textual
references:
“’The Pit and the Pendulum’ is a traditional Poe story
that breaks from Poe’s conventions: violent yet
ultimately hopeful, graphic yet politically allusive.”
7. Poe claims that: “the ideal short story must be short
enough to be read at a single sitting. Moreover, he
argues that all elements of a work of fiction should
be crafted toward a single, intense effect.” Discuss
how he does this in “The Pit and the Pendulum”.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM ANSWERS
5. Discuss why this narrator is considered unreliable.
Narrator claims to lose the capacity of sensation
during the swoon that opens the story. He thus
highlights his own unreliability in ways that other
narrators resist or deny.
6 – 7: Proof for statements.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM FILM
 Watch the 1961 Vincent Price version of the
film.
 Hand in: A T chart comparing Story and Film.
Then…
 Discuss: How the genre of HORROR has changed
over time. Use examples from Poe and the notes
you have received on madness, and the incidents
of sensationalism in the 1961 film version.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM FILM
 Watch the video clip of the 1961 Vincent Price
version of the film. Time: 1:08 – 1:18
 Discuss: why the film is so dif ferent than the
text. Think of aspects the film added such as the
fight scene, the known enemy versus the
unknown judges, a romantic element, and the
ending.
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
Bonus Assignment:
Make a movie poster that includes a scene from the story
and a list of actors who would be ideal for the role of
narrator and Inquisitors. If you're really feeling creative,
make a soundtrack to go along with your poster.
This must be presented in order to receive ONE bonus % on
LOWEST ESSAY.
DUE OCTOBER 31 ST
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
QUESTIONS
1 . What mood does Poe create at the beginning of the story, and
how is that mood established? Note: Is there anything noteworthy
about the description of Usher’s house?
2. How would you characterize Roderick Usher and his life? What
does he consider to be the cause of his problems?
3. What is the narrator’s initial reaction to the sight of his friend
Usher, and how does he feel about the prospect of cheering him
up?
4. What is the nature of Usher’s art? Consider the significance of
the painting described, as well as of the ballad “The Haunted
Palace” in relation to the story as a whole.
5. Is there anything ironic about the narrator’s role in the story?
Although he is Roderick’s most intimate boyhood friend, the
narrator apparently does not know much about him —like the
basic fact that Roderick has a twin sister.
6. Is there any significance to Roderick and Madeline being
twins?
7. What do you think is the overall theme of the story?
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
ANSWERS
1. What mood does Poe create at the beginning of the story,
and how is that mood established? Note: Is there anything
noteworthy about the description of Usher’s house?
Detailed and dark, alliteration, site of the house ominous and
foreboding. House: so much detail gives us impression that
this is an important element.
2. How would you characterize Roderick Usher and his life?
What does he consider to be the cause of his problems?
Depressed, lonely, glum, mad, split personality.
Family = problems and a curse
3. What is the narrator’s initial reaction to the sight of his
friend Usher, and how does he feel about the prospect of
cheering him up?
Sad, wanted to cheer him up, uncomfortable, awkward.
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER
ANSWERS
4. What is the nature of Usher’s art? Consider the significance of the
painting described, as well as of the ballad “The Haunted Palace” in
relation to the story as a whole.
Art was grim, tomb, represents he is morbid, reflected in his artistic
ways. Balled = decent into sickness, acceptance.
5. Is there anything ironic about the narrator’s role in the story?
Although he is Roderick’s most intimate boyhood friend, the
narrator apparently does not know much about him —like the basic
fact that Roderick has a twin sister.
Narrator is to distract, but ends up descending into madness, Usher
considers narrator close friend but doesn’t share intimate details
of his life. Doesn’t protect Roderick, runs away.
6. Is there any significance to Roderick and Madeline being
twins?
Trope of the “evil” twin, mystery and myth of them. Mirrors of each
other. Adds to the story. Twins can replace each other.
7. What do you think is the overall theme of the story?
Mental deterioration, madness, and guilt. Question reality and
sanity.