Fiction originally meant anything made
up or shaped.
 Today, it refers to short or long prose
stories- and it has retained this meaning
since 1599, the first year for which we
had a record for it in print.
 The essence of fiction, as opposed to
drama, is narration, the recounting or
telling of a sequence of events or
actions.
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Fiction is rooted in ancient legends and
myths.
 Myth- : an idea or story that is believed
by many people but that is not true: a
story that was told in an ancient culture
to explain a practice, belief, or natural
occurrence
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An especially long tale, an epic, was
recited during a period of days. To aid their
memories and to impress and entertain
their listeners, the storytellers chanted their
tales in poetry, often accompanying
themselves on a stringed instrument.
 Epic- a long poem, typically one derived
from ancient oral tradition, narrating the
deeds and adventures of heroic or
legendary figures or the history of a nation.
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Perhaps nowhere is the moralisticargumentative aspect of ancient
storytelling better illustrated than in the
fables of Aesop, a Greek who wrote in the
sixth century B.C.E., and in the parables of
Jesus as told in the Gospels of the New
Testament. In these works, a short narrative
provides an illustration of a religious,
philosophic, or psychological conclusion.
 Fable- a short story, typically with animals as
characters, conveying a moral.

Because novels were long, they took a
long time to read-hours, days, even
weeks.
 A short, concentrated story was ideal to
produce a strong impression on readers.
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A character may be defined as a
reasonable facsimile of a human being,
with all good and bad traits of being
human.
 Most stories are concerned with characters
who are facing a major problem that
develops from misunderstandinding,
misinformation, unfocused ideas and goals,
difficult situations, troubled relationships,
and generally challenging situations.
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Think about the objects in your home.
Which objects have been passed down
from other family members?
Why do they continue to have a place in
your home? If you were to move away to
live on your own, which objects in your
home would you want to take with you?
Explain why for each object selected.
How would your parent/guardian feel
about you taking each item? Explain your
response.
What point of view is “Everyday Use”
 Who is the narrator?
 How do we know this?
 What happened to the first house?
 What happened to Maggie?
 Where is Dee?
 Why did she leave and why did she
return?

How are Maggie and Dee different?
 What type of literary device is used in the
story and specifically comes to light
towards the end of the story?
 Quick write discussion…
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Share your quick write.
 What is heritage to you?
 Which character(s) can you relate to in
the story?
 Discuss with your partner.
 Share as a class.
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