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Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1

UNIT 1, Part 1Encountering the Unexpected

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Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 MAIN MENUMAIN MENU

Encountering the Unexpected (pages 9–49)

Click a selection title to go to the corresponding selection menu.

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 SELECTION MENUSELECTION MENU

Before You Read

Reading the Selection

After You Read

Selection Menu (pages 12–19)

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 BEFORE YOU READBEFORE YOU READ

Meet Saki

Click the picture to learn about the author.

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?

Connecting to the Story

“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.

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.

Building Background

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.

Setting Purposes for Reading

Encountering the Unexpected

BEFORE YOU READBEFORE YOU READ

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.

Flashback

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.

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.

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.

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.

Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.

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.

Flashback Read the text highlighted in purple on page 14. What background information does this flashback provide?

Literary Element

READING THE SELECTIONREADING THE SELECTION

Answer: Nuttel is in the country. His sister has encouraged him to visit people to help his nerves.

Flashback Read the text highlighted in purple on page 14. Based on this flashback, do you believe this visit will help Nuttel’s nerves?

Literary Element

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: This is after Framton’s arrival at their home. He is sitting with the niece, thinking about the conversation in the flashback.

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.

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 Strategy

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.”

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.

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 AFTER YOU READAFTER YOU READ

Answer: Answers will vary.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyRespond

1. What was your reaction to Vera and Framton Nuttel?

Responding and Thinking CriticallyRecall and Interpret

2. (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?

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

3. (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?

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.

Answer: (a) Vera stares in horror out the open window. (b) It makes her story more believable.

4. (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?

Responding and Thinking CriticallyAnalyze and Evaluate

5. (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?

Answer: (a) She probably seems mature and unlikely to tell childish tales. (b) She is mischievous, she is mean.

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.

6. Saki is often described as a master of wit and humor. Would you describe this story as witty or humorous? Explain.

Answer: Vera senses Nuttel’s weaknesses and attacks him.

7. The author subtly plays with the theme of hunting in this story. How is Vera like a hunter and Framton Nuttel like her prey?

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect

8. Would you like to be friends with Vera? Why or why not? Use details from the story to support your opinion?

9. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Flashback

Answer: Waiting for Mrs. Sappleton’s appearance

1. How does the setting provide an opportunity for the author to use flashback in the story?

Flashback

Answer: Visiting did not help Nuttel’s nerves

2. Explain how the flashback makes the outcome of the story ironic.

As you learned on page 10, plot refers to the sequence of events from the beginning to the end of a story.

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.

Review: Plot

“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.

1. Use your sequence chart to summarize the story.

Answer: He converses with his absent sister. The flashback explains why Nuttel is visiting Mrs. Sappleton; this must come before the actual visit.

2. When the author used a flashback at the beginning of the story, what helped you recognize that?

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.

Practice

1. The younger daughter was always self-possessed, unlike her nervous older sister.

A. The younger daughter

B. unlike her nervous

Practice

2. He always did the right thing, and he was duly polite in addressing the young woman.

A. always did the right thing

B. addressing the young woman

Practice

3. We stood at the edge of the moor and gazed out at the wide stretch of wet, marshy land.

A. stood at the edge

B. wet, marshy land

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 VocabularyPractice and Apply

Answer: Creative, spontaneous, mischievous

1. What can you deduce about Vera’s personality?

Answer: Nervous and gullible, he runs from the horror

2. How does Framton Nuttel’s mental state affect his behavior and the outcome of this story?

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.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

Revising Check: Parenthetical Phrases

Before You Read

After You Read

Meet Mark Twain

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?

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.

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.

Building Background

As you read “The Californian’s Tale,” examine how the unexpected affects the events of the story and the lives of the characters.

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.

Foreshadowing

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: People have moved away because there is no more gold to be mined there.

Look at the painting on page 22. How does Grant Wood’s regional painting compare to Twain’s writing style?

Viewing the Art

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 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 Strategy

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.

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?

Literary Element

Answer: This detail suggests that the home is almost too perfect and that the woman must be extremely fastidious.

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?

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.

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

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: He breaks into tears.

Encountering the Unexpected Read the text highlighted in tan on page 26. What questions do you have about this comment?

Identifying Sequence Read the text highlighted in blue on page 26. Why does Henry become uneasy in this situation?

Reading Strategy

Answer: Henry becomes uneasy because the narrator keeps looking at his watch.

Foreshadowing Read the text highlighted in purple on page 27. What hint does this image give you about what might happen?

Literary Element

Answer: This detail heightens the tension in the story and makes it seem more likely that the woman will not be coming home.

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.

1. Did the ending of the story surprise you? Why or why not?

2. (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 READAFTER YOU READ

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.

3. (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?

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.

4. (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.

5. 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.”

6. (a) Identify three or more ways that Twain builds suspense. (b) Which do you think was most effective?

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.

7. (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.

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.

8. (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.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect Encountering the Unexpected

9. 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.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect Encountering the Unexpected

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.

Foreshadowing

1. 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.

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.

Foreshadowing

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.

2. Which plot events help foreshadow the ending of the story? Explain how each event hints at this ending.

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.

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.

Review: Plot

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.

Analyzing Cause-and Effect Relationships

1. 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.

2. 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.

Practice

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

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”

Practice

1. predecessor

A. ancestor

B. offspring

C. superior

Practice

2. solace

A. sunshine

B. comfort

C. cruelty

Practice

3. sedate

A. anxious

B. calm

C. wise

Practice

4. imploring

A. arguing

B. desiring

C. begging

Practice

5. boding

A. warning

B. evidence

C. home

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

Answer: All of the preparations that Henry’s friends perform are annual events.

1. Which events of the story are annual?

Answer: They convene at his house to fool Henry into thinking that his wife is on her way home.

2. Why do Henry’s friends convene at his house?

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.

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.

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

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

After You Read

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.

Building Background

Read to discover the history of the short story and elements of fiction used by writers such as Mark Twain.

Set a Purpose for Reading

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.

Evaluating Historical Influences Read the second paragraph on page 31. How does the author support her claim that storytelling is “as old as mankind”?

Reading Strategy

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.

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.

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.

Evaluating Historical Influences Read the first column on page 33. Why do you think Mark Twain’s writing is still popular today?

Reading Strategy

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: It was very important. Writers had a chance to support themselves with their writing if they were paid for their stories.

1. Were you surprised to learn that contemporary short story writers most often begin their careers with magazine publications? Why or why not?

2. (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

3. (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

4. (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.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyAnalyze 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.

5. (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?

Answer: (a) She may think the short story form is superior. (b) Answers will vary. Her experience provides a writer’s insight.

6. (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

After You Read

Vocabulary Workshop

Meet Shirley Jackson

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?

“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.

Building Background

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.

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.

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.

Conflict

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?

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.

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.

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.

Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 37. What are your first impressions of the Allisons’ summer home?

Reading Strategy

Answer: Answers will vary. You may say the passage creates a sense of an idyllic rural home.

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.

Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 38. What is your response to the Allisons’ decision?

Reading Strategy

Answer: Answers will vary. You may say that good weather and nice surroundings would be good reasons to stay.

Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 38. What possible conflicts have you identified so far?

Literary Element

Answer: The Allisons experienced conflict about staying at the cottage longer; conflict between Mrs. Allison’s and Mr. Babcock’s point of view.

Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 38. What are some ways a writer shows conflict in a character?

Literary Element

Answer: Through conversation, actions, body language. Mrs. Allison’s movements show conflict.

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.

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.

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?

Writer’s Technique

Answer: The people are skeptical and do not easily trust other people or things they do not know.

Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 40. What sets newcomers apart from townspeople?

Literary Element

Answer: Townspeople have established routines and seem to share common viewpoints; newcomers are regarded suspiciously.

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?

Literary Element

Answer: A long time; Mrs. Martin is still considered a relative newcomer, and the Allisons have been summer visitors for 17 years.

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?

Reading Strategy

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: It may be that people had to return to jobs or children to school; or that people expected the weather to worsen.

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.

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?

Reading Strategy

Answer: You may react negatively to the slight disrespect that the Allisons exhibit for the townspeople.

Look at the painting on page 41. Does the painting reflect your idea of what the area surrounding the Allison’s cottage looks like?

Viewing the Art

Answer: This image is desolate and unfriendly, similar to the countryside after the summer is over.

Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 42. What is your reaction to the kerosene man’s words?

Reading Strategy

Answer: You may be surprised, or you may think that the Allisons’ unpleasant suspicions are being confirmed.

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

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.

Read the sentence containing the word placatingly on page 42. How do the context clues help you to understand the meaning of placatingly?

Vocabulary

Answer: Clearly Mrs. Allison was trying to make her husband feel better; therefore, placatingly must have something to do with making people feel better.

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?

Reading Strategy

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.

Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 43. How is Mrs. Allison’s attitude toward her problems beginning to shift?

Literary Element

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.

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.

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.

Responding to Plot Read the first text highlighted in blue on page 44. What aspects of this scene grab your attention?

Reading Strategy

Answer: You may notice the increasingly negative mood in the story.

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?

Reading Strategy

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.

Responding to Plot Read the second text highlighted in blue on page 44. What are your feelings about this detail?

Reading Strategy

Answer: Your answer should indicate your perception that Mr. Allison is growing older and his health is not as good as it once was.

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.

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.

Look at the painting on page 45. How does the mood in this painting reflect the mood of the story?

Viewing the Art

Answer: The lonely and empty mood in the painting is similar to the cool cruelty of the town.

Responding to Plot Read the text highlighted in blue on page 46. What is your response to this news?

Reading Strategy

Answer: You may be horrified to realize what is happening to the Allisons.

Conflict Read the text highlighted in purple on page 46. Who might want to tamper with the Allison’s car and phone wires?

Literary Element

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.

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.

Answer: Answers will vary. You may say the cruelty of townspeople.

1. In your opinion, what was the most frightening or disturbing moment of the story? Explain.

Answer: (a) They won’t return to the city; the weather is nice. (b) By having peaceful and pleasant time

2. (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?

3. (a) What happens when the Allisons go into town? (b) How do the townspeople learn of the Allisons’s decision? How do they react?

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.

4. (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?

Answer: (a) Heating fuel and food; Cottage lacks basic plumbing, electricity. (b) Townspeople refuse to help them.

Answer: (a) Children’s letters may help him feel he is in contact with outside world. (b) Letter seems insensitive.

5. (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) Townspeople have conspired against them. (b) They might be waiting for death or help.

6. (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 seem unfriendly and narrowminded. (b) They are hostile toward outsiders.

7. (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) Friendly but condescending (b) Answers will vary.

8. (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.

9. 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.

Answer: Answers will vary. You may cite townspeople’s eerie responses when Allisons first announced they were staying, the strange letters, etc.

10. (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.

Answers: (a) The townspeople seem unable to adjust to the unexpected presence of visitors after Labor Day. (b) People can cause great cruelty.

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.

Conflict

Answer: The Allisons’ staying and townspeople wanting them to leave.

1. What is the main external conflict in “The Summer People”?

Conflict

Answer: Broken car and cut phone lines. The Allisons decide to wait it out.

2. Identify another external conflict in the story. How does this conflict get resolved?

Conflict

Answer: Mrs. Allison might be struggling with feelings of uselessness and wondering if she caused people to turn against her.

3. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Responding to Plot

1. Summarize the story’s plot—the sequence of events in the story. What aspects of the plot did you find most disturbing or surprising?

Responding to Plot

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.

2. (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.

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.

Practice

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

Practice

1. Despite her precarious grip, she did not drop the vase.

A. uncertain

B. solid

C. mandatory

Practice

2. The politician’s answer was vague and unspecific.

A. exact

B. imprecise

C. unknowing

Practice

3. I can tell when my cat is acutely alert; her ears perk up.

A. intensely

B. intermittently

C. suddenly

Practice

4. My parents encourage me not to be an improvident spender.

A. ungrateful

B. careful

C. wasteful

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

Answer: She begins the story by creating a setting that appears warm and inviting and creates an increasingly threatening atmosphere.

1. How does Jackson vary the mood of the story?

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.

2. How does Mr. Babcock shift the burden of getting groceries to the Allisons after Labor Day?

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.

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.

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 townA 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 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

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.

Using a Semantic Chart

Denotation and Connotation

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 WORKSHOPVOCABULARY WORKSHOP

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.

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.

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.

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 Terms

The denotation of a word is its literal meaning.

The connotation of a word is the implied meaning.

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.

What are some synonyms for the word lying?

What is the difference between lying and tricking?

What is the difference between lying and storytelling?

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGERBELLRINGER

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?

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGERBELLRINGER

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Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 BELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCYBELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCY

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0%A. Mrs. Sappleton’s husband

B. Vera

C. his sister

D. his doctors

Who arranged Nuttel’s visit to Mrs. Sappleton’s home?

CHECKPOINT QUESTIONSCHECKPOINT QUESTIONS

0%A. the disappearance of her husband and

two young brothersB. the drowning of her two sons

C. a mysterious haunting that has shattered her nerves

D. the burning and destruction of part of her home

According to Vera, what is Mrs. Sappleton’s great tragedy?

0%A. He hides behind Vera.

B. He rushes out of the house to get away.

C. He shrieks in terror and passes out.

D. He closes the large open window.

What does Nuttel do when the three men approach the house?

0%A. They left because new mining

equipment was cheaper to use.B. They left because they had all become

wealthy.C. They left when the surface diggings

gave out.D. They left because of the numerous

earthquakes.

Why did the people vanish from the Stanislaus region?

0%A. having no children

B. their wasted lives

C. not striking it rich

D. not being married

According to the narrator, what do the “living dead men” of California regret?

0%A. to a school to finish her education

B. to visit a sick neighbor

C. shopping in the nearest village

D. to see her people

Where does Henry say his wife has gone?

0%A. They drug him.

B. They make him dance until he is exhausted.

C. They tell him stories.

D. They play soft, soothing music.

How do the old men get Henry to sleep?

0%A. She died of an illness.

B. She ran away from Henry.

C. She drowned in the Stanislaus River.

D. She was captured by Indians.

What happened to Henry’s wife?

0%A. verse tales from the Middle Ages

B. the printing press

C. the phenomenon of magazine publishing

D. Egyptian papyri

What brought rise to the “literary” short story?

0%A. new teachings from the Roman

Catholic ChurchB. new scientific discoveries that

stressed logical thinkingC. the spirit of the Renaissance

D. the rise in literacy

According to Oates, what marked the declining interest in old fairy tales and ballads?

0%A. a new form of the printing press

B. a great increase in the number of book publishers

C. mass-market newspapers and subscription book sales

D. the widespread use of the telegraph

What made Twain’s work’s so accessible in America?

0%A. Boccaccio

B. Dickens

C. Edgar Allan Poe

D. Chaucer

According to Oates, Twain is the American counterpart to what other writer?

0%A. They were no longer in love with

each other.B. They actually disliked living at the

cottage.C. There was nothing to bring them

back to New York.D. They were both very lonely at the

cottage.

What do the Allisons’ recognize each year?

0%A. The business deal was personal.

B. She knew the dishes were a bargain.

C. The dishes were well wrapped.

D. She was able to barter for an acceptable price.

What does Mrs. Allison find gratifying about purchasing the dishes?

0%A. a boat that depends on its sail

B. a man who depends on his right arm

C. a bird that depends on its wings

D. a tree that depends on its roots

To what does the narrator compare Mr. Allison’s dependence on his car?

0%A. an upbeat letter that bordered on

arroganceB. a long, rambling letter full of

depressing descriptionsC. a short letter full of insignificant

happeningsD. a pleasant, respectful letter full of

family doings

What kind of letter did Mrs. Allison expect from her son?

0%A. Someone had tampered with it.

B. It ran out of gas.

C. The tires were flat.

D. It had been stolen.

What does Mr. Allison say happened to the Allison’s car?

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Practice

Transparencies

Unit 1, Part 1Unit 1, Part 1 REFERENCEREFERENCE

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Workshop

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