1. “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury: Reviewing Literary Elements
For each of the multiple choice questions, circle all the responses that are true.
The setting is the where the story takes place. It can include either the location or the time, or both the location and time where a story takes place. What is the setting of this story? Circle all that are true:
Earth
Venus
A school
The future
The protagonist is the main character in a story. Who is the protagonist in this story?
William
Margot
The teacher
The antagonist is the bad guy or the character who comes into conflict with the protagonist. Who is the antagonist in this story?
The theme in a story is a main subject or idea that is examined in a literary piece. What could be a theme in this story?
Good verses evil
Jealousy
Bullying
Friendship
Homesickness
5. The plot in a story is the sequence of events and happenings that make up a story. The plot basically refers to the main events and the order of the events in a story. Which of the following could be elements of the plot in this story?
____ The children locked Margot in a room.
____ The teacher took the students outside into the sun.
____ The rain stopped.
____ William made fun of Margot.
____ The children let Margot out of the closet.
____ Margot’s parents took her back to Earth.
Conflict is a struggle between two or more forces that creates a tension that must be resolved (although in some stories, as in real life, it isn't). The traditional breakdown of conflict is:
Man vs. man (external) Man vs. nature (external) Man vs. self (internal)
Conflict is important to literature because it provides the basic materials for the construction of the plot. Without conflict nothing would happen. Also, the conflict within a piece may be central to the author's view of life or the point he or she is trying to make.
What kind of conflict happens in this story?
Man vs. man (external)
Man vs. nature (external)
Man vs. self (internal)
7. One way to understand the structure of a story is to follow the model of Freitag's triangle.
Exposition (A-B): the exposition introduces the central character and provides background or dramatic context.
Introduction of the conflict (B), which leads to the complication or rising action (B-C): this part of the story offers a series of events that complicates the central character's situation. At some point, something forces the character to make a decision or take a course of action. That point is known as the deciding factor. It causes the action to reverse itself.
Climax (C): this is the actual moment when the deciding factor takes place. What happens at this point determines the outcome of the piece.
Falling action (C-D): the conflict begins to resolve itself.
Resolution (D)
In this story, what was the climax of the story?
When the rain stopped.
When the children go outside.
When the children lock Margot in the closet.
When the children let Margot out of the closet.
What do you think the children were feeling during the rising action? ________
How do you think the children were feeling during the falling action?
____________________________________________________________________
10. Did you like this story? ______ Yes ______ No Why or why not?