1. “Stolen Day”
By Sherwood Anderson

2. New Vocabulary inflammatory- adj. characterized by pain and swelling
solemn- adj. serious; somber
rheumatism- n. painful condition of the joints and muscles

3. New Vocabulary pitch- v. to plunge headlong; to throw
whopper- n. something exceptionally big or remarkable
grand- adj. impressive in size, appearance, or general effect

4. Literary Elements- Point of View
Point of View- the vantage point from which a story is told.
First-person- narrator is a character who participates in action of story (through character’s eyes), I/me

5. Literary Elements- Point of View
Third-person- narrator is not a character who participates in action of story (outside observer), he/she/they, etc.
Limited- narrator’s knowledge is limited to what one of the characters knows
Omniscient- narrator knows more than any one single character can know

6. Literary Elements- Theme
Theme- central message or insight into life
implied or stated directly
or can be determined by what character learns from his/her experiences
Think about these questions as you read:
What are the narrator’s thoughts and feelings about his experiences?
What lesson does he learn about a “stolen day”?

7. Reading Strategy- Author’s Purpose
Fiction writers write for a variety of purposes:
To entertain
To teach
To call to action
To reflect on experiences
As you read, think about author’s purpose to help you better understand the story

8. You Need To Know Who wrote “Stolen Day?”
What stole the narrator’s day?
When did the narrator first experience the symptoms of his "disease"?
What was the first indication that the narrator is creating his symptoms?
What’s the relationship between the narrator and his mother?
Why does the narrator have a death fantasy?
What makes his worst fear come true at the end of the story?
Did the narrator have the disease or not?
Why is the story called, "Stolen Day?"

9. Review and Assess Thinking About the Selection
Respond: What do you think the mother will say to her son after the end of the story? Explain your answer.
(a) Recall: What does the narrator criticize about his mother? (b) Connect: How does he take advantage of her situation at home? (c) Generalize: Describe the narrator's household.
Recall: How does the narrator's father learn that he left school that day?
Recall: What makes the boy feel like a hero? (b) Analyze: What happens to the boy when his family laughs at him? (c) Speculate: What might the boy eventually learn from this experience?

10. Literary Analysis Point of View
Describe how the story would be different if it was told from the mother's point of view?
How would the narrator's personal feelings be revealed if the story was told from third-person omniscient point of view? In your opinion, which would be more effective?

11. Connecting Literary Elements
What is the theme of the story? How can you relate this to experiences that you have had?

12. Reading Strategy Understanding Author's Purpose
Find two hints that show the author meant to reveal how children think and reason.
What evidence indicates that the author wants to entertain his audience?

13. Test What You Know! Jot down the answers to these questions…