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UNIT 1, Part 1 Encountering the Unexpected Click the mouse button or press the space bar to continue

Click a selection title to go to the corresponding selection menu.
Unit 1, Part 1 MAIN MENU Encountering the Unexpected (pages 9–49) Click a selection title to go to the corresponding selection menu.

Selection Menu (pages 12–19)
Before You Read Reading the Selection After You Read

Click the picture to learn about the author.
BEFORE YOU READ Meet Saki Click the picture to learn about the author.

Connecting to the Story
BEFORE YOU READ Connecting to the Story In Saki’s “The Open Window,” two characters act on their first impressions of each other. Before you read the short story, think about the following questions: Think about the first time you met someone. What assumptions did you make about him or her? Has your first impression of someone ever turned out to be wrong?

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background “The Open Window” takes place at the country manor of the Sappletons, a typical upper-class English family. Wealthy families such as the Sappletons often lived in the city but maintained a second residence in the English countryside, where the pace of life was less stressful It was not unusual for upper-class families to welcome into their homes strangers who brought with them a letter of introduction from a mutual acquaintance.

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background At the time of this story, hunting was a popular amusement among the upper classes. In “The Open Window,” the men are hunting snipe, which are wetland game birds. Bird dogs, such as spaniels, were brought along on a hunt to flush out birds resting in the brush and then retrieve the felled birds.

Setting Purposes for Reading
BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Encountering the Unexpected As you read, pay attention to how Saki uses the twists and turns in the story to manipulate not only the story characters, but his readers as well.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Flashback A flashback is an interruption of the chronological order of the story to show an event that happened earlier. Authors use flashback to give readers information that may help explain the main events of the story.

BEFORE YOU READ Identifying Sequence To identify sequence is to recognize the order in which the most important events in a literary work happen. In a fictional story such as “The Open Window,” we can look for clues or signal words that point to the chronological, or time, order of events.

BEFORE YOU READ Identifying Sequence Reading Tip: Organize Events Use a sequence chart like the one on the next slide to put important events in the story in chronological order.

BEFORE YOU READ

Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.
BEFORE YOU READ self-possessed adj. in control of oneself; composed (p. 14) Many people were nervous, but she was completely self-possessed. duly adv. rightfully; suitably (p. 14) He was duly impressed with the grand house. moor n. a tract of open, rolling, wild land, often having marshes (p. 15) He pulled on a good pair of boots before hiking across the moor. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

BEFORE YOU READ infirmity n. a weakness or ailment (p. 16) He once was a vibrant, energetic man, but age and infirmity had slowed him down. imminent adj. likely to happen soon (p.16) Dark, thick clouds are gathering, and rain seems imminent. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Flashback Read the text highlighted in purple on page 14. What background information does this flashback provide? Answer: Nuttel is in the country. His sister has encouraged him to visit people to help his nerves.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Flashback Read the text highlighted in purple on page 14. Based on this flashback, do you believe this visit will help Nuttel’s nerves? Answer: Answers will vary. Some will say that it is better to be around people; others will say that it will make him more nervous.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Identifying Sequence Read the text highlighted in blue on page 14. Is this taking place before or after Framton Nuttel’s arrival at the Sappleton’s home? Answer: This is after Framton’s arrival at their home. He is sitting with the niece, thinking about the conversation in the flashback.

Answer: First meetings rarely reveal such drama.
READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 15. Why might the reader be as surprised by the mention of tragedy as Nuttel is? Answer: First meetings rarely reveal such drama.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Identifying Sequence Read the text in the second column on page 15. What is the sequence of events that leads up to Nuttel wanting to change the topic? Answer: Vera tells Nuttel about “the tragedy.” Mrs. Sappleton arrives and speaks as if nothing bad has ever happened.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the first text highlighted in tan on page 16. Why is this exclamation unexpected? Answer: If the husband and brothers are dead, no one should be “here at last.”

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the second text highlighted in tan on page 16. Why does Saki wait until the last line of the story to tell readers that telling tales was Vera’s specialty? Answer: If the readers knew ahead of time that she made up tales, there would be no surprises in the story. The story becomes entertaining when the reader does not quite know what is going on until the end.

Responding and Thinking Critically
AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Respond What was your reaction to Vera and Framton Nuttel? Answer: Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) Why does Framton Nuttel visit Mrs. Sappleton? (b) What do you think Vera notices as they sit in silence and wait for Mrs. Sappleton?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) Nuttel is taking a vacation to improve his nerves. His sister gives him a letter of introduction encouraging him. (b) Nuttel’s discomfort and nervousness

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What does Vera ask Framton Nuttel to break the silence? (b) Do you think that she asks this question because she is curious, or do you think she has another motive?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) If Nuttel knows anyone in the area (b) She has another motive. She must make sure that Nuttel doesn’t know about her uncle or her brothers, or he will know that the story is not true.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What is Vera’s reaction to the appearance of the three men returning from the moor? (b) How do you think this contributed to Nuttel’s reaction? Answer: (a) Vera stares in horror out the open window. (b) It makes her story more believable.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate (a) How might Vera’s poise and self-confidence contribute to her being believed? (b) In analyzing Vera’s behavior, what might you conclude about Vera’s motives?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Answer: (a) She probably seems mature and unlikely to tell childish tales. (b) She is mischievous, she is mean.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Saki is often described as a master of wit and humor. Would you describe this story as witty or humorous? Explain. Answer: Mr. Nuttel’s quick exit and Mrs. Sappleton’s response to it are told in an amused tone, and Vera’s final tale is so absurd as to be humorous.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate The author subtly plays with the theme of hunting in this story. How is Vera like a hunter and Framton Nuttel like her prey? Answer: Vera senses Nuttel’s weaknesses and attacks him.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected Would you like to be friends with Vera? Why or why not? Use details from the story to support your opinion? Answer: Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected A surprise reversal of events is a common theme in Saki’s stories. (a) How does Saki employ this theme in “The Open Window”? (b) What was your reaction to this reversal? Explain.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected Answer: (a) There are several reversals: from humor (nervous Nuttel) to tragedy (the three deaths) to horror (the “ghosts” appear) to humor (Nuttel departs and Vera tells an outrageous story. (b) Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Flashback Authors frequently use flashback to help readers understand a character’s current attitude and behavior. It gives the reader more information than would be gained from simply watching the events of the story unfold.

AFTER YOU READ Flashback In literature, the reader must rely on elements in the story for clues, such as a change of scene or someone talking who is not present before the flashback begins. Flashback allows a writer to explain the past in a dramatic, creative fashion.

Answer: Waiting for Mrs. Sappleton’s appearance
AFTER YOU READ Flashback How does the setting provide an opportunity for the author to use flashback in the story? Answer: Waiting for Mrs. Sappleton’s appearance

Explain how the flashback makes the outcome of the story ironic.
AFTER YOU READ Flashback Explain how the flashback makes the outcome of the story ironic. Answer: Visiting did not help Nuttel’s nerves

AFTER YOU READ Review: Plot As you learned on page 10, plot refers to the sequence of events from the beginning to the end of a story.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Plot Partner Activity Meet with another classmate and work together to identify the plot elements of “The Open Window.” Working with your partner, create a plot diagram like the one pictured. Then fill it in with specific events from the story.

AFTER YOU READ Identifying Sequence “The Open Window” tells the story of what happens when Framton Nuttel pays a visit to the country home of the Sappletons. Within this story is a second narrative. That is the story that Vera tells Nuttel about her uncle’s death while hunting on the moors. Review the sequence chart you created to recall how the main events in the story are connected.

Use your sequence chart to summarize the story.
AFTER YOU READ Identifying Sequence Use your sequence chart to summarize the story.

AFTER YOU READ Identifying Sequence When the author used a flashback at the beginning of the story, what helped you recognize that? Answer: He converses with his absent sister. The flashback explains why Nuttel is visiting Mrs. Sappleton; this must come before the actual visit.

AFTER YOU READ Practice Practice with Context Clues Read each of the following sentences and identify the word or words that provide a context clue for the word in bold.

AFTER YOU READ Practice The younger daughter was always self-possessed, unlike her nervous older sister. The younger daughter unlike her nervous

always did the right thing addressing the young woman
AFTER YOU READ Practice He always did the right thing, and he was duly polite in addressing the young woman. always did the right thing addressing the young woman

AFTER YOU READ Practice We stood at the edge of the moor and gazed out at the wide stretch of wet, marshy land. stood at the edge wet, marshy land

These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection.
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection. deduce v. to use logic to draw a conclusion about someone or something mental adj. related to the mind; often used to describe disorders of the mind

Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply What can you deduce about Vera’s personality? Answer: Creative, spontaneous, mischievous

AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply How does Framton Nuttel’s mental state affect his behavior and the outcome of this story? Answer: Nervous and gullible, he runs from the horror

Writing About Literature
AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature Analyze Setting and Plot Think about the setting for “The Open Window.” Could this story have taken place at any other time or in any other place? Write a brief essay in which you analyze Saki’s choice of setting and explain how the setting impacts the main events in the plot. Use evidence from the story to support your analysis.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature As you draft, write from start to finish. Follow the writing pattern shown on the next slide to help you organize your essay and keep you on track.

AFTER YOU READ Describe the setting. Tell where the action takes place, the time of day, and the social status of the characters. Explain how different elements of the setting affect the development of the plot. Briefly summarize your analysis of the setting and its impact on the plot.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature After you complete your draft, meet with a peer reviewer to evaluate each other’s work and to suggest revisions. Then proofread and edit your draft for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

AFTER YOU READ Literary Criticism Group Activity “The cruelty is certainly there,” writes critic Elizabeth Drew about Saki’s stories, “but it has nothing perverted or pathological about it It is the genial heartlessness of the normal child, whose fantasies take no account of adult standards of human behavior.”

AFTER YOU READ Literary Criticism Write a short response in which you state whether you agree or disagree that this statement applies to “The Open Window” and to Vera. Include evidence from the story to support your opinion. Then use your response to debate this issue with your group.

Saki’s Language and Style
AFTER YOU READ Saki’s Language and Style Using Parenthetical Phrases In “The Open Window,” Saki makes use of parenthetical phrases to expand, explain, or digress from a thought within a sentence and within the narrative. Most people’s thought patterns follow this style, so by using parenthetical phrases Saki creates more natural, casual sounding dialogue and prose.

AFTER YOU READ Saki’s Language and Style Notice how the use of the parenthetical phrase, set off by commas in the following sentence, makes Nuttel’s sister sound like a real person. “Some of them, as far as I can remember, were quite nice.”

AFTER YOU READ Saki’s Language and Style Consider the use of parenthetical phrases in these other sentences from the story and the information that they add. “Framton wondered whether Mrs. Sappleton, the lady to whom he was presenting one of the letters of introduction, came into the nice division.” “My sister was staying here, at the rectory, you know, some four years ago, and she gave me letters of introduction to some of the people here.”

AFTER YOU READ Saki’s Language and Style Activity Find two other examples of sentences with parenthetical phrases in the story, and think about whether they expand, explain, or digress from the thoughts in the sentence. Then write two sentences of your own with parenthetical phrases. Remember to use commas to set off the parenthetical phrases in the sentences.

Revising Check: Parenthetical Phrases
AFTER YOU READ Revising Check: Parenthetical Phrases Adding information through the use of parenthetical phrases is something to consider when revising your own writing. With a partner, go through your setting and plot analysis and note places where you could expand or explain an idea more clearly with a parenthetical phrase. Revise your draft to include parenthetical phrases, and check that you have used commas correctly to set them off.

BEFORE YOU READ Meet Mark Twain Click the picture to learn about the author.

BEFORE YOU READ Connecting to the Story What makes a dwelling feel like home? In Twain’s short story “The Californian’s Tale,” the narrator visits a dwelling that gives him great comfort. Before you read the story, think about the following questions: What kinds of things make a home a comfortable place? How important is it to have people that care about you, whether they are relatives, friends, or neighbors, live near you?

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background This story takes place in central California. Gold was first discovered there in 1848 near what is now Sacramento. Within the next year, almost 100,000 people, most of them young men, had moved to California, trying to strike it rich by prospecting for gold. They were called the “forty-niners,” referring to the year that they came to California.

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background Only a few of the forty-niners made a fortune during the gold rush. Most of them had little luck finding gold. In many places where gold was discovered in the early 1850s, the mineral was not very plentiful. Such areas underwent a quick boom and a just-as-rapid bust; Twain’s story takes place in one such deserted mining area in the late 1860s or the early 1870s.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Encountering the Unexpected As you read “The Californian’s Tale,” examine how the unexpected affects the events of the story and the lives of the characters.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a writer’s use of clues to hint at events that will happen later in a story. As you read, look for clues that suggest that all is not necessarily as it seems.

BEFORE YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships A cause is something that makes something else happen; an effect is what happens as a result of a cause. Fiction writers include cause-and-effect relationships to further the action of a plot.

BEFORE YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships Reading Tip: Taking Notes Use diagrams like the one on the next slide to analyze some of the causes and effects in this short story.

Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
BEFORE YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships

BEFORE YOU READ predecessor n. one who comes, or has come before in another time (p. 23) Groups of Native Americans were the predecessors of the miners who settled in central California. solace n. relief from sorrow or disappointment; comfort (p. 23) Homey touches in a hotel room may give solace to weary travelers. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

BEFORE YOU READ sedate adj. quiet and restrained in style or manner; calm (p. 25) Dominique felt so sedate while reading that she promptly fell asleep. imploring adj. asking earnestly; begging (p. 26) He gave an imploring glance, as if to ask, “Did you bring me a gift for my birthday?” boding n. a warning or indication, especially of evil (p. 27) Their boding about the theft was a result of the disorder. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

Answer: Similar cottages were abandoned.
READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Keep this question in mind as you read. Why does Henry’s house seem unusual to the narrator? Answer: Similar cottages were abandoned.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Keep this question in mind as you read. How does the house affect the narrator? Answer: First he wants to run away; later he anticipates Henry’s wife’s return.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships Read the text highlighted in blue on page 22. Why are there no longer many people living along the Stanislaus River in this part of California? Answer: People have moved away because there is no more gold to be mined there.

READING THE SELECTION Viewing the Art Look at the painting on page 22. How does Grant Wood’s regional painting compare to Twain’s writing style? Answer: Answers will vary.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause-and-Effect Relationships Read the text highlighted in blue on page 23. Summarize the circumstances that have caused these men to end up pride-smitten, poor, and alone.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Answer: The men came to California early during the gold rush and either had made money and spent it all, had lost it for some other reason, or had not made any money. Their pride prevented them from going back to their original homes, and they ended up alone.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 23. How does the mood of the story here differ from the mood evoked in the first paragraph? Answer: The emphasis is on the loneliness of the land rather than on its beauty.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Foreshadowing Read the text highlighted in purple on page 24. What idea or feeling does this detail give you about the home? About the woman? Answer: This detail suggests that the home is almost too perfect and that the woman must be extremely fastidious.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 24. What do you think the man hopes the narrator will discover? What mood does this guessing game help create?

READING THE SELECTION Answer: The man hopes that the narrator will find his beloved’s picture. The guessing game creates mystery, intrigue, and fun, but it makes the narrator uncomfortable.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Identifying Sequence Read the first text highlighted in blue on page 25. In staying, what risk does the narrator decide he will face?

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Answer: The narrator decides he will face the risk of falling in love with the woman and having his heart broken. There is also the subtle implication that the narrator fears that the woman will fall in love with him, and that he will destroy a marriage, another man, and a beautiful home.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Identifying Sequence Read the second text highlighted in blue on page 25. What does Tom do when he hears the woman’s letter read aloud? Answer: He breaks into tears.

Answer: Answers will vary.
READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 26. What questions do you have about this comment? Answer: Answers will vary.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Identifying Sequence Read the text highlighted in blue on page 26. Why does Henry become uneasy in this situation? Answer: Henry becomes uneasy because the narrator keeps looking at his watch.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Foreshadowing Read the text highlighted in purple on page 27. What hint does this image give you about what might happen? Answer: This detail heightens the tension in the story and makes it seem more likely that the woman will not be coming home.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 27. Why do you think Joe says this to the narrator? Answer: The drink is spiked with a drug and is intended only for Henry.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Respond Did the ending of the story surprise you? Why or why not? Answer: Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) Describe how the narrator comes upon Henry’s cottage. How is his cottage different from other dwellings that the narrator has seen in the area so far? (b) Why is this difference surprising?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) He is prospecting when he finds Henry’s cozy, well-kept cottage. Miners’ cottages are dirty and uncomfortable. (b) Other cottages are deserted and overgrown.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) Summarize what happens at the cottage on Saturday night before Henry falls asleep. (b) What might Henry’s state of mind indicate about him and about the action of the story?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) Henry worries that something has happened to his wife. Friends arrive and decorate the house, play music, toast his wife’s health, and give Henry a sedating drink. (b) Henry’s nervous and frantic behavior foreshadow the tragic ending and indicate that Henry may know his wife is not coming home.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) Explain what the narrator learns at the end of the story about the woman. (b) Why do Henry’s friends wait so long to reveal the truth to the narrator? Answer: (a) Henry’s wife is dead. (b) They may be afraid that the narrator will tell Henry and upset him.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate What is the narrator’s attitude toward the men who live in the log cabins? Support your answer with evidence from the story. Answer: The narrator pities them, calling them “living dead men” and “poor fellows.”

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate (a) Identify three or more ways that Twain builds suspense. (b) Which do you think was most effective?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Answer: (a) Descriptions of the cottage, the woman, and Henry; the narrator’s desire to see her; Henry’s awaiting; and Tom’s statement, “One more drink and she’ll be here.” (b) Students should give one example of suspense.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate (a) Why do you think Twain decided not to reveal Henry’s wife’s name? (b) Do you think this made the story more effective? Explain.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Answer: (a) To increase the suspense, or to make her a symbol for women (b) Students may respond to her universality, or say that a named character would make Henry’s grief more poignant.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected (a) In what ways does the final twist in the plot change the way you think about the characters? (b) Do you think Twain intended you to change your ideas about the characters? Why or why not? Answer: (a) The miners are kind and sensitive. (b) Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected Do you think Henry’s friends have been doing the right thing? Explain your answer. Answer: You may think that it is right because it is done out of kindness. Others may think that the lack of truth harms Henry.

AFTER YOU READ Foreshadowing Although the ending of the story “The Californian’s Tale” proves to be a surprise for most readers, Twain uses foreshadowing to hint at the ending. Foreshadowing can be conveyed by mood or mood shifts, by details of the setting or the characters that are strange or jarring, or by plot events that serve as clues as to how the story will be resolved.

AFTER YOU READ Foreshadowing Which details related to the setting and the characters foreshadow the ending of the story? Explain how each detail you mention provides a hint about the ending.

AFTER YOU READ Foreshadowing Answer: The miners are in their forties, and Henry’s wife is nineteen, which is unlikely. The immaculate cleanliness of the home seems too perfect. The region is both peaceful and desolate, raising questions about what a woman might face on a journey home.

AFTER YOU READ Foreshadowing Which plot events help foreshadow the ending of the story? Explain how each event hints at this ending. Answer: Answers will vary. You may mention Tom’s and Joe’s weeping when they hear the letters or the rising tension as Henry’s wife does not arrive.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Plot As you learned on page 10–11, writers use exposition to introduce the setting, the characters, and the plot of a story. In “The Californian’s Tale,” the exposition helps readers picture the land along the Stanislaus River, the cottage, and Henry. The exposition also helps readers enter into the events witnessed by the narrator once he enters the cottage. Turn to the beginning of “The Californian’s Tale” and reread Twain’s exposition.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Plot Partner Activity Work with another classmate to fill in a graphic organizer like the one shown on the next slide. In the graphic organizer, record details of the story that help readers gain their first impressions of the setting, characters, and plot. Share your organizer with the class.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Plot

AFTER YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and Effect Relationships The ending of “The Californian’s Tale” is a series of events that form a cause-and-effect chain. Review the diagrams you made as you read the story, and add additional causes and effects that you notice.

AFTER YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and Effect Relationships What questions do you have about the ending of the story and the cause-and-effect chains that you made? Answer: Answers will vary. You should discuss questions raised by the surprise ending and whether the causes presented in the story have multiple effects.

AFTER YOU READ Analyzing Cause-and Effect Relationships Based on the ending and the questions you came up with, how believable is this story? Explain. Answer: Answers will vary. You may find it implausible that Henry’s friends have maintained their deception for nineteen years.

AFTER YOU READ Practice Practice Word Parts Read the roots and definitions on the next slide. Then choose the best definition for each vocabulary word.

Latin root: decedere—“to depart” Latin root: solari—“to console”
AFTER YOU READ Practice Latin root: decedere—“to depart” Latin root: solari—“to console” Latin root: sedere—“to sit” Latin root: implorare—“to call for help” Old English: bodain—“to proclaim”

AFTER YOU READ Practice predecessor ancestor offspring superior

AFTER YOU READ Practice solace sunshine comfort cruelty

AFTER YOU READ Practice sedate anxious calm wise

AFTER YOU READ Practice imploring arguing desiring begging

AFTER YOU READ Practice boding warning evidence home

These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection.
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection. annual adj. occurring once a year convene v. to assemble or to cause to assemble

Which events of the story are annual?
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply Which events of the story are annual? Answer: All of the preparations that Henry’s friends perform are annual events.

Why do Henry’s friends convene at his house?
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply Why do Henry’s friends convene at his house? Answer: They convene at his house to fool Henry into thinking that his wife is on her way home.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature Evaluate Author’s Craft Although Henry’s wife is absent from the story, a detailed image of her emerges. Write a five-paragraph essay in which you explain how Twain is able to create such a clear image of a character who never appears in the story.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature Begin by going back through the story and finding specific ways in which Twain characterizes Henry’s wife. Record these details on a web like the one shown on the next slide.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature In your essay, discuss specific details of the story and explain how they help to create a clear image of the wife. Refer to your graphic organizer as you write your essay. After you complete your draft, meet with a peer reviewer to evaluate each other’s work and to suggest revisions. Then proofread and edit your draft for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Interdisciplinary Activity
AFTER YOU READ Interdisciplinary Activity Research the gold deposits that lured forty-niners to California in the mid-1800s. You might focus on what geological forces created such gold deposits or on how miners extracted the gold from the land. Make a model or a drawing to illustrate your findings and share it with the class.

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background Author Joyce Carol Oates won the National Book Award in 1969 for her novel Them. A contemporary short story is a fictional narrative in prose containing the elements of plot, character, setting, theme, and point of view. In this excerpt from the introduction to the Oxford Book of American Short Stories, Oates traces the history of the short story and how it has evolved with the voices of such writers as Mark Twain.

Set a Purpose for Reading
BEFORE YOU READ Set a Purpose for Reading Read to discover the history of the short story and elements of fiction used by writers such as Mark Twain.

Evaluating Historical Influences
BEFORE YOU READ Evaluating Historical Influences When you examine the social influences of a historical period on a literary work or genre, you are evaluating historical influences. As you read, take notes on how history has influenced the short story. Use a timeline like the one below.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Evaluating Historical Influences Read the second paragraph on page 31. How does the author support her claim that storytelling is “as old as mankind”? Answer: Oates argues that the human imagination demands that reality be embellished with stories. Human cultural history is filled with folktales and stories written thousands of years ago.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Keep the following question in mind as you read. What assumptions does the author make about the short story? Answer: It is an ancient form that comes naturally with language and once existed mainly as a folktale or ballad. The “flavor” of the oral tale makes a written story better.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Keep the following question in mind as you read. What characteristics make Mark Twain’s writing unique in American literature, according to the author? Answer: He brought the vernacular flavor to written stories. His stories were read by people at all levels of culture.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Evaluating Historical Influences Read the first column on page 33. Why do you think Mark Twain’s writing is still popular today? Answer: His writing is clear and has a distinctive voice. His characters seem to act, speak, and think like real people. Such characteristics appeal to readers across time.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Evaluating Historical Influences Read the second column on page 33. How important do you think it was that popular magazines like Harper’s Monthly paid writers for their short stories? Answer: It was very important. Writers had a chance to support themselves with their writing if they were paid for their stories.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Respond Were you surprised to learn that contemporary short story writers most often begin their careers with magazine publications? Why or why not? Answer: Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What is the earliest “ancestor” of the contemporary short story? (b) How is this heritage apparent in modern short stories you have read? Answer: (a) An oral tale (b) Narrator, dialect, and vernacular

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What are some facets of Mark Twain’s writing that recapture, as Oates writes, “that lost flavor” of American writing? (b) What do you think these elements of writing add to a literary work? Answer: (a) Regional dialect and comic vernacular (b) A conversational, humorous tone

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Extend (a) Why do you think short stories became popular selections for contemporary magazines? (b) Do you think that literature printed in magazines is any less significant than literature printed in books? Explain.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Extend Answer: (a) Short stories can be read quickly, and often complement a magazine’s theme. (b) Answers will vary. Literature in magazines is not less significant, but it may be perceived as less valuable.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Extend (a) Joyce Carol Oates is a prolific writer of fiction, including novels and short stories. What biases might she have about the craft of short story writing? (b) Do you think her biases affect her point of view in this excerpt? Why or why not?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Extend Answer: (a) She may think the short story form is superior. (b) Answers will vary. Her experience provides a writer’s insight.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected (a) What did Oates claim made Mark Twain a “uniquely American writer”? (b) How is this trait represented in “The Californian’s Tale”? Answer: (a) His use of vernacular (b) A casual, conversational tone, with many contractions, fragments, and interjections

Before You Read Reading the Selection After You Read Vocabulary Workshop

BEFORE YOU READ Meet Shirley Jackson Click the picture to learn about the author.

BEFORE YOU READ Connecting to the Story We all have places where we feel that we belong. Sometimes, however, it is good to vary our routine a little and get to know other people and places better. Before you read the story, think about these questions: What makes you feel like you belong in a place? How do you treat outsiders—people who come from somewhere else?

BEFORE YOU READ Building Background “The Summer People” takes place during the late 1940s or 1950s in rural New England. It tells the story of a couple that lives in New York City during the winter and in a cabin near a small country town during the summer. The couple’s home in the country lacks modern conveniences such as central heat, electricity, and indoor plumbing. The couple normally leaves the country for the city around Labor Day, a holiday that occurs on the first Monday of September. At the time the story is set in, cellular phones did not exist.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Encountering the Unexpected Have you ever heard the saying “expect the unexpected”? Everyone responds differently to surprises. As you read, notice how the characters in the story respond to unexpected events.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Conflict Most stories revolve around a conflict, or struggle between opposing forces. A conflict can be external or internal. An external conflict is one between a character and an outside force, such as another character, nature, society, or fate.

BEFORE YOU READ Setting Purposes for Reading Conflict An internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between different courses of action. As you read, try to determine what conflicts lie at the heart of the story.

BEFORE YOU READ Responding to Plot Responding is identifying and expressing what you like, dislike, or find surprising in a selection. When you react in a personal way to what you read, you enjoy your reading more and remember it better. As you read the story, think about your reactions. How do you feel about what is happening? What attracts your attention as you read?

BEFORE YOU READ Responding to Plot Reading Tip: Making a Chart Use a chart like the one shown below to record notable or striking details of the story’s plot and the responses you have to those details.

BEFORE YOU READ precarious adj. uncertain or unpredictable (p. 37) Due to problems with this year’s crops, the store’s supply of vegetables is precarious. vague adj. unclear or undetermined (p. 38) When she questioned Robert, he was vague; his mind seemed to be somewhere else. acutely adv. very perceptively or discerningly (p. 39) The expert was acutely aware of the differences between the two species. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

BEFORE YOU READ erratically adv. in an irregular or unpredictable way (p. 40) I don’t see my aged aunt very often; I visit her part of the country erratically. improvident adj. wasteful or unthrifty (p. 41) His refusal to recycle bottles or cardboard was improvident. Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 37. What are your first impressions of the Allisons’ summer home? Answer: Answers will vary. You may say the passage creates a sense of an idyllic rural home.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the first paragraph on page 38. Observations help us form ideas about what will happen. Sometimes, though, we encounter the unexpected. Think of an event you would not expect to happen at the Allisons’ summer cottage. Answer: Possible answer: Wild parties and violence are things that would seem extraordinary in this setting.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 38. What is your response to the Allisons’ decision? Answer: Answers will vary. You may say that good weather and nice surroundings would be good reasons to stay.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 38. What possible conflicts have you identified so far? Answer: The Allisons experienced conflict about staying at the cottage longer; conflict between Mrs. Allison’s and Mr. Babcock’s point of view.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 38. What are some ways a writer shows conflict in a character? Answer: Through conversation, actions, body language. Mrs. Allison’s movements show conflict.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 39. How does Mr. Walpole respond to the Allisons’ unexpected news? Answer: Mr. Walpole is not encouraging and is reserved about the news that the couple is staying.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 39. How do Mr. Walpole’s actions indicate his reaction to the news? Answer: Mr. Walpole seemed distracted or preoccupied by the news. He fumbled with the sheets of paper and appeared to be concentrating on the string, taking a long time to wrap Mrs. Allison’s package.

READING THE SELECTION Writer’s Technique Description The author describes the country people as having an “instinctive distrust” of things that do not seem permanent. What does this tell you about the people of the town? Answer: The people are skeptical and do not easily trust other people or things they do not know.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 40. What sets newcomers apart from townspeople? Answer: Townspeople have established routines and seem to share common viewpoints; newcomers are regarded suspiciously.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 40. How long does it seem to take to become accepted as a citizen of the town? Answer: A long time; Mrs. Martin is still considered a relative newcomer, and the Allisons have been summer visitors for 17 years.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 40. What do you find most striking about the townspeople’s responses to the Allisons? Answer: You may be struck by how townspeople repeat the point that summer people do not extend their stays; their lack of encouragement for Allisons’ plans.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 40. Why do you think summer visitors in this town have never stayed past Labor Day? Answer: It may be that people had to return to jobs or children to school; or that people expected the weather to worsen.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 40. What are Mrs. Allison’s expectations about the coming weeks? Answer: She plans to decorate the cabin, possibly bake, and continue to enjoy the rural lifestyle.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 41. What is your reaction to the Allisons’ attitudes about the townspeople and country living? Answer: You may react negatively to the slight disrespect that the Allisons exhibit for the townspeople.

READING THE SELECTION Viewing the Art Look at the painting on page 41. Does the painting reflect your idea of what the area surrounding the Allison’s cottage looks like? Answer: This image is desolate and unfriendly, similar to the countryside after the summer is over.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 42. What is your reaction to the kerosene man’s words? Answer: You may be surprised, or you may think that the Allisons’ unpleasant suspicions are being confirmed.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 42. What conflict occurs between Mrs. Allison and the kerosene man?

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Answer: Mrs. Allison needs to have kerosene delivered so she and her husband can stay in their cottage past Labor Day, while the kerosene man says he cannot provide something for which he has not planned. Both parties cannot meet their goals.

READING THE SELECTION Vocabulary Read the sentence containing the word placatingly on page 42. How do the context clues help you to understand the meaning of placatingly? Answer: Clearly Mrs. Allison was trying to make her husband feel better; therefore, placatingly must have something to do with making people feel better.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 43. Are you surprised by Mr. Babcock’s refusal to deliver groceries? What are your inferences about the townspeople? Answer: You may not be surprised because of Mrs. Allison’s conflict with the Kerosene man. You may infer that the townspeople do not want the Allisons to stay in the town.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 43. How is Mrs. Allison’s attitude toward her problems beginning to shift? Answer: Mrs. Allison is beginning to be worried by her transactions with the townspeople. She suspects that they do not want her in the town.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 43. How well-prepared for the unexpected are the Allisons? Answer: The Allisons are unprepared for the problems besetting them. They lack basic provisions and friends whom they can call on for help.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the second paragraph on page 44. Do you think it is unexpected that the Allison’s car will not start? Why or why not? Answer: You may say it is not unexpected, since the can is old. You also may cite the many other things that seem to be going wrong in the Allison’s life, so therefore the car trouble is expected.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the first text highlighted in blue on page 44. What aspects of this scene grab your attention? Answer: You may notice the increasingly negative mood in the story.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the first text highlighted in blue on page 44. Do you think this story could have taken place in another setting? Why? Answer: Your answer should reflect the idea that the plot depends on an isolated setting; however, the events could have taken place in many other remote areas.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the second text highlighted in blue on page 44. What are your feelings about this detail? Answer: Your answer should indicate your perception that Mr. Allison is growing older and his health is not as good as it once was.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 45. What is unexpected or unusual about Jerry’s letter? Answer: Jerry’s letter is later than expected, and the letter itself seems insensitive, even cruel. The Allisons are used to receiving pleasant letters from their children.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 45. How do you think Mr. and Mrs. Allison feel after reading Jerry’s letter? Answer: The letter appeared to be unsettling for them. Their actions suggest that they may be feeling apprehensive.

READING THE SELECTION Viewing the Art Look at the painting on page 45. How does the mood in this painting reflect the mood of the story? Answer: The lonely and empty mood in the painting is similar to the cool cruelty of the town.

READING THE SELECTION Reading Strategy Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 46. What is your response to this news? Answer: You may be horrified to realize what is happening to the Allisons.

READING THE SELECTION Literary Element Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 46. Who might want to tamper with the Allison’s car and phone wires? Answer: Someone who wants to do harm to the Allisons would do such things. This could be anyone in the town who does not want the summer visitors to stay past Labor Day.

READING THE SELECTION Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 46. Why was the light at the Hall place unexpected? Answer: The light at the Hall was unexpected because Mr. Babcock, the grocer, had claimed that the Halls had left town to visit relatives.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Respond In your opinion, what was the most frightening or disturbing moment of the story? Explain. Answer: Answers will vary. You may say the cruelty of townspeople.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What decision do the Allisons make at the beginning of the story? Why? (b) How do they expect to spend autumn as a result of their decision? Answer: (a) They won’t return to the city; the weather is nice. (b) By having peaceful and pleasant time

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) What happens when the Allisons go into town? (b) How do the townspeople learn of the Allisons’s decision? How do they react?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) They buy provisions, discuss decision with townspeople. (b) They tell Mr. Babcock; news travels fast throughout town. Townspeople tell Allisons summer people never stay past Labor Day.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) For what goods and services do the Allisons rely on the townspeople? Why? (b) What happens when they try to obtain these goods and services after Labor Day?

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret Answer: (a) Heating fuel and food; Cottage lacks basic plumbing, electricity. (b) Townspeople refuse to help them.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) Why is Mr. Allison anxious about the mail? (b) How would you describe the letter the Allisons receive from their son Jerry? Answer: (a) Children’s letters may help him feel he is in contact with outside world. (b) Letter seems insensitive.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Recall and Interpret (a) At the end of the story, what do the Allisons realize? (b) In the closing scene, what do you think the Allisons are waiting for? Explain. Answer: (a) Townspeople have conspired against them. (b) They might be waiting for death or help.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate (a) From the story, what ideas did you form about the town and its inhabitants? (b) What do you infer about the townspeoples’ attitudes toward outsiders? Answer: (a) Townspeople seem unfriendly and narrowminded. (b) They are hostile toward outsiders.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate (a) What attitudes does Mrs. Allison display toward the townspeople? (b) Were there points in the story when you felt sympathy for the townspeople? Explain. Answer: (a) Friendly but condescending (b) Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Suspense is the increasing feeling of interest and excitement that readers experience as the plot of a story builds. In your opinion, what elements—such as descriptions of character, setting, or plot—helped make this story suspenseful? Support your answer with examples from the story.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Analyze and Evaluate Answer: Answers will vary. You may cite townspeople’s eerie responses when Allisons first announced they were staying, the strange letters, etc.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected (a) How do the townspeople seem to react to the unexpected? (b) In your opinion, what theme, or overall message, about human nature does Shirley Jackson express in this story? Explain.

AFTER YOU READ Responding and Thinking Critically Connect Encountering the Unexpected Answers: (a) The townspeople seem unable to adjust to the unexpected presence of visitors after Labor Day. (b) People can cause great cruelty.

AFTER YOU READ Conflict Most stories are based on a problem, or conflict, that gets resolved over the course of the story. External conflicts exist when a character struggles with an outside force, such as another person, society, fate, or nature. An internal conflict exists in a character’s mind, when he or she is torn between different feelings and goals. Many stories have more than one conflict. Typically, the conflicts are related in some way.

What is the main external conflict in “The Summer People”?
AFTER YOU READ Conflict What is the main external conflict in “The Summer People”? Answer: The Allisons’ staying and townspeople wanting them to leave.

AFTER YOU READ Conflict Identify another external conflict in the story. How does this conflict get resolved? Answer: Broken car and cut phone lines. The Allisons decide to wait it out.

AFTER YOU READ Conflict Describe an internal conflict that Mr. Allison or Mrs. Allison might have. How does it relate to the main conflict you identified in question 1? Explain. Answer: Mrs. Allison might be struggling with feelings of uselessness and wondering if she caused people to turn against her.

Review: Foreshadowing
AFTER YOU READ Review: Foreshadowing As you learned on page 21, foreshadowing is the author’s use of clues to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Foreshadowing Partner Activity Meet with a partner to discuss Jackson’s use of foreshadowing. What details throughout the story provide clues that the Allisons are in trouble? With your partner, go back and review the story, looking for clues that help suggest what will happen to the Allisons. Use a chart like the one shown on the next slide to list the clues and to explain their significance.

AFTER YOU READ Review: Foreshadowing

AFTER YOU READ Responding to Plot By responding to the events of a story as you read, you build awareness of the story’s meaning. You also enjoy your reading more.

AFTER YOU READ Responding to Plot Summarize the story’s plot—the sequence of events in the story. What aspects of the plot did you find most disturbing or surprising? Answer: Students should provide a brief summary of the main events of the story, support their answers, and explain what parts they found surprising or disturbing.

AFTER YOU READ Responding to Plot (a) At what point in the story did you begin to realize what might happen to the Allisons? (b) What was your reaction to the ending of the story? Explain.

AFTER YOU READ Responding to Plot Answer: (a) Answers will vary. You may say you began to realize the Allisons’ fate when the can wouldn’t start and they didn’t have the necessary oil. (b) Answers will vary.

AFTER YOU READ Practice Practice with Context Clues Use context clues to choose the correct definitions for the boldfaced vocabulary words on the following slides.

Despite her precarious grip, she did not drop the vase.
AFTER YOU READ Practice Despite her precarious grip, she did not drop the vase. uncertain solid mandatory

The politician’s answer was vague and unspecific.
AFTER YOU READ Practice The politician’s answer was vague and unspecific. exact imprecise unknowing

I can tell when my cat is acutely alert; her ears perk up.
AFTER YOU READ Practice I can tell when my cat is acutely alert; her ears perk up. intensely intermittently suddenly

My parents encourage me not to be an improvident spender.
AFTER YOU READ Practice My parents encourage me not to be an improvident spender. ungrateful careful wasteful

vary v. to change in form or appearance; alter
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Here are two words that will help you think, write, and talk about the selection. vary v. to change in form or appearance; alter shift v. to move or transfer something from one place or person to another

How does Jackson vary the mood of the story?
AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply How does Jackson vary the mood of the story? Answer: She begins the story by creating a setting that appears warm and inviting and creates an increasingly threatening atmosphere.

AFTER YOU READ Academic Vocabulary Practice and Apply How does Mr. Babcock shift the burden of getting groceries to the Allisons after Labor Day? Answer: He tells Mrs. Allison that the boy he hires for delivery only works during the summer; therefore, the Allisons will need to pick up their groceries themselves.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature Analyze Setting Authors use local color when they use specific details in their writing to evoke a particular region. For example, details about the way people speak, the traditions they keep, and the way in which they live and work may help authors to suggest truths about characters and to create a strong feeling of place.

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature How does Shirley Jackson use local color to create a convincing portrait of her story’s setting—a small New England town during the 1940s or 1950s? Write a brief essay discussing the details of local color that help characterize the people in the town. Follow the writing pattern shown on the next slide to help you organize your essay and keep you on track.

AFTER YOU READ A brief statement of your main idea about what local color contributes to the story’s setting and overall meaning A discussion of at least three specific examples of local color in the story, along with an explanation of what the examples suggest about the characters and the town A brief summary of your ideas about local color in the story, a recap of the evidence you presented, and a final thought about how local color contributed to the story’s overall effect

AFTER YOU READ Writing About Literature After you complete your draft, meet with a peer reviewer to evaluate each other’s work and to suggest revisions. Then proofread and edit your draft for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Listening and Speaking
AFTER YOU READ Listening and Speaking Think about Mr. and Mrs. Allison sitting in their cottage, waiting for something to happen. What might they discuss as they wait? With a partner, role-play a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Allison. In your conversation, review what has happened so far, why it happened, and what you think might happen next. Share your conversation with the class.

Denotation and Connotation
VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart Connecting to Literature In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Summer People,” the local residents never say or do anything overtly mean to the Allisons. However, Jackson uses the connotations of the words she selects to suggest the residents’ rather sinister reaction to the Allisons’ decision to stay. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart When Mrs. Allison says that they are simply giving it a try, “Mr. Babcock replie[s] gravely, ‘Never know till you try.’” Jackson could have used seriously, or ominously, but she chooses gravely to hint at disturbing implications in Mr. Babcock’s words. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart A chart like the one below can help you analyze, or look more closely at, words—at their similarities, their differences, and their shades of meaning. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart Follow these instructions to create a semantic chart: In the left-hand column of the chart, place the words you will analyze. Consult a dictionary to find definitions, or denotations, for them. In the second column of the chart, enter the definition for each term. In the third column of the chart, record ideas, images, or feelings that you associate with each word. Such associations are the word’s connotations. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart Exercise On a separate sheet of paper, copy and complete the chart. With your classmates, discuss the denotations and the connotations of the words you have chosen. Below the chart, explain briefly how words such as gravely contribute to the mood of the story and foreshadow its ending. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart Vocabulary Terms The denotation of a word is its literal meaning. The connotation of a word is the implied meaning. Vocabulary Workshop

VOCABULARY WORKSHOP Denotation and Connotation Using a Semantic Chart Test-Taking Tip If, during a test, you are asked about the denotation of a word, think about how you would define the word for someone else. To describe the word’s connotation, think about the images and ideas the word brings to mind. Vocabulary Workshop

What are some synonyms for the word lying?
Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGER What are some synonyms for the word lying? What is the difference between lying and tricking? What is the difference between lying and storytelling? The Open Window Bellringer

Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGER Do you or your family have stories you tell over and over? Invite several students to share their stories. What characteristics make these stories worth telling repeatedly? The Californian’s Tale Bellringer

Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCY Click on the image to see a full version of the Bellringer Option Transparency. The Open Window Bellringer Option

Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCY Click on the image to see a full version of the Bellringer Option Transparency. The Californian’s Tale Bellringer Option

Who arranged Nuttel’s visit to Mrs. Sappleton’s home?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS Who arranged Nuttel’s visit to Mrs. Sappleton’s home? Mrs. Sappleton’s husband Vera his sister his doctors

According to Vera, what is Mrs. Sappleton’s great tragedy?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS According to Vera, what is Mrs. Sappleton’s great tragedy? the disappearance of her husband and two young brothers the drowning of her two sons a mysterious haunting that has shattered her nerves the burning and destruction of part of her home

What does Nuttel do when the three men approach the house?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What does Nuttel do when the three men approach the house? He hides behind Vera. He rushes out of the house to get away. He shrieks in terror and passes out. He closes the large open window.

Why did the people vanish from the Stanislaus region?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS Why did the people vanish from the Stanislaus region? They left because new mining equipment was cheaper to use. They left because they had all become wealthy. They left when the surface diggings gave out. They left because of the numerous earthquakes.

CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS According to the narrator, what do the “living dead men” of California regret? having no children their wasted lives not striking it rich not being married

Where does Henry say his wife has gone?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS Where does Henry say his wife has gone? to a school to finish her education to visit a sick neighbor shopping in the nearest village to see her people

How do the old men get Henry to sleep?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS How do the old men get Henry to sleep? They drug him. They make him dance until he is exhausted. They tell him stories. They play soft, soothing music.

What happened to Henry’s wife?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What happened to Henry’s wife? She died of an illness. She ran away from Henry. She drowned in the Stanislaus River. She was captured by Indians.

What brought rise to the “literary” short story?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What brought rise to the “literary” short story? verse tales from the Middle Ages the printing press the phenomenon of magazine publishing Egyptian papyri

CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS According to Oates, what marked the declining interest in old fairy tales and ballads? new teachings from the Roman Catholic Church new scientific discoveries that stressed logical thinking the spirit of the Renaissance the rise in literacy

What made Twain’s work’s so accessible in America?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What made Twain’s work’s so accessible in America? a new form of the printing press a great increase in the number of book publishers mass-market newspapers and subscription book sales the widespread use of the telegraph

CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS According to Oates, Twain is the American counterpart to what other writer? Boccaccio Dickens Edgar Allan Poe Chaucer

What do the Allisons’ recognize each year?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What do the Allisons’ recognize each year? They were no longer in love with each other. They actually disliked living at the cottage. There was nothing to bring them back to New York. They were both very lonely at the cottage.

What does Mrs. Allison find gratifying about purchasing the dishes?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What does Mrs. Allison find gratifying about purchasing the dishes? The business deal was personal. She knew the dishes were a bargain. The dishes were well wrapped. She was able to barter for an acceptable price.

To what does the narrator compare Mr. Allison’s dependence on his car?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS To what does the narrator compare Mr. Allison’s dependence on his car? a boat that depends on its sail a man who depends on his right arm a bird that depends on its wings a tree that depends on its roots

What kind of letter did Mrs. Allison expect from her son?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What kind of letter did Mrs. Allison expect from her son? an upbeat letter that bordered on arrogance a long, rambling letter full of depressing descriptions a short letter full of insignificant happenings a pleasant, respectful letter full of family doings

What does Mr. Allison say happened to the Allison’s car?
CHECKPOINT QUESTIONS What does Mr. Allison say happened to the Allison’s car? Someone had tampered with it. It ran out of gas. The tires were flat. It had been stolen.

Unit 1, Part 1 Literary Terms Handbook Test-Taking Skills Handbook
REFERENCE Literary Terms Handbook Test-Taking Skills Handbook Reading Handbook Daily Language Practice Transparencies Foldables Writing Handbook Grammar and Writing Workshop Transparencies Business Writing Language Handbook

Unit 1, Part 1 To navigate within this Presentation Plus! product:
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