FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE PLOT DEVELOPMENT AND SYMBOLISM

THE FEATHER PILLOW BY HORACIO QUIROGA

TEKS 7.6B, 7.8A

“honeymoon…cold shudder”Metaphor transmits a sense of fear and introduces the conflict

“silent for the last hour” Foreshadowing creates a sense of suspense

“dreams froze”Personification reflects how Alicia internally and perhaps even subconsciously feels toward her marriage

Juxtaposition pushes the idea of internal imperfection to visible perfection of her setting and her marriage

“silent patio”=personification“whiteness, marble statues, autumn, bright whiteness, tall stucco walls, unscratched, implacable cold, echo,

footsteps”=imagery

The imagery in this paragraph supports the

previous juxtaposition of a beautiful but lonely home. Alicia is not

happy and feels gloomy

“It is not surprising that she grew thin”

signals the rising action of

the plot development. The music and scene in the stop-motion video helps

visualize this

The first five paragraphs incorporated the exposition of the story

The reader becomes acquainted with the characters and setting

Imagery continues to demonstrate Alicia’s internal pain through verbal and physical cues

(9)The following day, when she awoke, Alicia was worse. The doctor was called. Galloping anaemia was diagnosed, its origins completely inexplicable. Alicia fainted no more, but visibly she was heading for death. All day the lights stayed on in the silent bedroom. Hours went by without the slightest noise. Alicia dozed. Jordan lived in the drawing room, its lamps also lit. To and fro he would pace from one end to the other, tireless in his obstinacy. The carpet muffled his steps. From time to time he would come into the bedroom and continue his wordless pacing up and down the bedside, pausing an instant at each end to look at his wife.

 10. Soon Alicia began to hallucinate. The visions were confused and floating to start with, and then came down to ground level. With her eyes boundlessly wide, the girl stared constantly at the carpet on either side of her bedhead. One night in her staring she was suddenly transfixed. After a while she opened her mouth to scream, and her nostrils and lips were beaded with sweat. 11.“Jordan! Jordan!” she cried, rigid with fear, her eyes still fixed on the carpet. 12. Jordan ran into the bedroom. When she saw him, Alicia let out a yelp of horror. 13. “It‟s me, Alicia, it‟s me!” 14. Alicia stared blankly at him. She looked at the carpet again. Then her eyes returned to him and after a long, stupefied pause of confrontation, she grew calm. She smiled, taking her husband‟s hand between her own, caressing it for half an hour, trembling.  

Personification in this paragraph transmits not only the tension of Jordan and the helplessness of Alicia but

it also advances the plot as the reader moves along the rising action

Imagery transmits fear and desperation on Alicia’s part.

Rising Action continues as conflict continues to build. Scholars will get a

sense of the zig zag effect of rising action as additional conflict take place. This is a

chance for them differentiate from multiple conflicts in rising action to actual

CLIMAX

Conflict continues to build, we see what can be translated to sleeping paralysis. Alicia

begins to hallucinate and her strange illness worsens.

26.The servant went to lift it but no sooner had she done so than she dropped it and remained staring at it, pale and trembling. Without knowing why, Jordan felt his hair stand on end. 27.“What‟s the matter?” he croaked. 28.“It‟s so heavy,” the trembling servant stammered in reply. 29. Jordan lifted it up: it was extraordinarily heavy. They carried it out, and on the dining room table Jordan slashed the pillow open. The outer feathers blew away, and the servant‟s clenched fists flew to her mouth in a shriek of horror. In the bottom of the pillow, among the feathers, slowly moving its hairy legs, there was a monstrous animal: alive, round and viscous. It was so swollen that its mouth could barely be distinguished. 30.Night after night, ever since Alicia had taken to her bed, it had stealthily applied its mouth – its snout, rather – to her temples, sucking out her blood. The bite mark was almost imperceptible. At first, no doubt, the daily plumping of pillows had hindered its advance, but once the girl could no longer move, the suction of the beast was unrestrained. In five days, in five nights, it had emptied Alicia. 31.These parasites that live on birds are usually quite small, but can in certain conditions grow to enormous size. Human blood is something they particularly favour, and it is not unusual to find them in a feather pillow.

“In the bottom of the pillow, among the feathers, slowly moving its hairy legs, there was a monstrous animal: alive, round and viscous, It

was so swollen its mouth could barely be distinguished.”CLIMAX

Paragraph 30 marks the beginning of the falling action,

Paragraph 31 marks the resolution

The imagery of the animal creates great discomfort and a cringeworthily experience

• Quiroga introduces characters and events to move the plot forward. As the doctor is introduced in paragraph seven, for instance, he prescribes “complete bedrest and repose,” which makes it easier for the parasite to suck the blood out of Alicia. At the story’s climax, a servant is introduced who, while cleaning Alicia’s bed, finds stains which lead to Jordan discovering the parasite inside the pillow. The introduction of this character serves to resolve the problem of identifying Alicia’s illness. Moreover, the servant plays the role of a deus ex machina in resolving the issue.

“The Feather Pillow” , “El Almohadón de Plumas” Stop Motion / Chile / 

THE BLACK CAT BY EDGAR ALLAN POE Plot development is not always linear within each stage. As additional conflicts arise can have zig zag effect.

TEKS 7.6B, 7.8A, 7.6C

Point of View:First-

Person

Personification The dog has human

qualities which reflects the character’s unique

connection with the animal

“…find the hot breath of the thing

upon my face…”Imagery is creating an eerie effect with

the cat.

Rising Action

builds on the conflict Scholar can

see the follow the pattern of

rising action in order to

differentiate from Climax

• Much like Quiroga’s “Feather Pillow,” Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” relies on figurative language and plot development to present the reader with themes that are only evident when the whole story is read. Indeed, both stories use suspense as a plot development technique that captivates the reader while presenting a theme.

• That is, a clear parallel exists between the stories when considering that just like the parasite is found hidden in the feather pillow, the black cat is found interred in the plaster wall. In addition, as Edgar Allan Poe’s character grew “more regardless of the feelings of others,” he brought misery upon himself since he went as far as engaging in violence towards his wife and his pets.

• Likewise, Jordan’s inability to show affection towards Alicia led her to suffer in silence as her “maiden dreams froze before the hard character of her husband.” Moreover, Jordan’s stern disposition creates an impenetrable wall dividing any sort of open communication with his wife. Alicia, therefore, does not tell Jordan that she feels a certain “malaise” at being in their home, which only aggravates the situation by giving the parasite more time to suck the blood out of her.

• Only after seeing the seriousness of the situation does Jordan began to feel worried about Alicia as he brings in a doctor. Similarly, Poe’s character lack of regard for others but himself lead him to murder his wife and to try to conceal her body.

THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET Teleplay focuses on a particular TEKS that revolve around making inferences about characters through stage directions and thus this is an additional skill the scholar will exercise.

TEKS 7.5 TEKS 7.6A, 7.6B, 7.6C

Exposition initiates within the first Act. Background

information contributes to the exposition

“What was that? A meteor?”Foreshadowing is presented as the characters wonder what object is in

the sky.

Building on the Rising Action

stage directions build on

suspense and tension

The focus on the sky and the reiteration that there is nothing there further creates

foreshadowing

• “Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” relies on symbolism and plot development to explain a central theme which suggests that the real enemy capable of bringing total destruction lies within.

The above text displays the gradual degradation of society as the inhabitants of Maple Street transform into an unruly mob when faced with power outages.

• The neighbors turn on each other passing on blame from individual to individual rather than uniting. Poisoned by their hate and distrust, they go as far as committing murder.

Here we see evidence of a rising action.

• What’s more, they do not listen to Tommy as they ridicule him when he tries to identify the real culprits behind the abnormal issues haunting Maple Street.

• At the end, we realize that all the aliens had to do was set up a scheme that made it possible for humans to feed the cruelty, the prejudice, and the distrust that they already have hidden in their minds. The aliens made it possible for the monsters within the residents on Maple street to come out. Hence the title. “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.”

Resolution: the reader finds out what was truly behind the events in the story.

Similarly, on “The Feather Pillow” Jordan fails to comprehend that his actions, namely his lack of affection, continue to make Alicia miserable. Furthermore, when Alicia falls ill, Jordan cannot identify the case of their ailments. Indeed, he fails to see that the parasite, the enemy, sleeps with them nestled in Alicia’s pillow sucking her blood and, eventually, causing her death. His cold, reserved disposition, blind him from seeing what was happening to Alicia.

“CHICAGO SWEEP, PALMER RAIDS WEE THE APEX OF THE RED SCARE”

What similarities do we see between human interaction and action between the Red Scare and “Monsters are due on maple street”?

TEKS 7.10D

TEKS 7.10D

• In “Chicago Sweep, Palmer Raids Were the Apex of the Red Scare” we observe how the U.S. government failed to understand that they were the enemy, the treat to American democracy. Just like in “Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” U.S. authorities desperately wanted to find a scapegoat to justify their fears. Fearing potential ploys to overthrow democracy, the U.S. government accused and imprisoned thousands of individuals.

• In their attempt to satisfy their need to suffocate radical insurrections, real or otherwise, the United States government effectively became the biggest treat to American ideals and democracy. After all, during the Red Scare, “Police and Justice Department officials broke into homes for no other reason than those who lived there were foreign-born and held unpopular views.”

• Such a dramatic response to a perceived threat, mirrors the way the residents of Maple Street turned on each others. Additionally, it also displays a certain unwillingness to see that the enemy lies within.

“BLOODY SECRETS OF CHILE’S DARKEST DAYS SPILLING OUT”

Making a connection by the mere title of this information piece to the Feather Pillow

TEKS 7.10D

• The article published by the Associated Press, which denounces some of the atrocities committed under Augusto Pinochet’s regime in Chile, contains parallels to Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow.” After all, the article’s title “Bloody Secret of Chile’s Darkest Days Spilling Out” brings vivid images of the parasite sucking the blood out of Alicia.

• Additionally, those who chose to justify Pinochet’s actions claim that “The president was busy governing the country,” which seems to mirror Jordan’s actions. That is, Jordan could argue that he failed to recognize Alicia’s misery because he was busy providing for the household.

• The article also mentions the “pacts of silence” that have been used to cover up the many crimes and atrocities committed under Pinochet’s rule. Indeed, the victims have been left voiceless to express what they truly suffered under the dictator’s regime. Similarly, Alicia felt ignored as Jordan chose not to show his affection for her. What’s more, Alicia wanted to be heard, cared for but the “impassive countenance of her husband held her back.”

OPPRESSION POEM BY LANGSTON HUGHES

• Now dreamsAre not availableTo the dreamers,Nor songsTo the singers.

In some landsDark nightAnd cold steelPrevailBut the dreamWill come back,And the songBreakIts jail. 

• Langston Hughes

Similarities between the imagery in “Oppression” to “The Feather Pillow”

How are dreams presented in both pieces?

• Langston Hughes’s poem “Oppression” and Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow” both mention the theme of losing dreams to the harsh coldness of reality. As Hughes notes that “Now Dreams are not available/ To the dreamers” it is impossible not to relate such statement to Alicia’s acceptance that “her maiden dreams froze before the hard character of her husband.”

• Additionally, both authors use imagery to describe reality as cold and silent. Quiroga, for instance, mentions that Alicia’s “honeymoon was one long, cold shudder.” While Hughes notes that, when dreams are gone, “Dark nights/And cold Steel/Prevail”

• Another theme explored by both Hughes and Quiroga is the resilience of dreams and their ability to come back. Hughes, for instance, states that “the dream, Will come back,/ And the song/ Break/ Its jail.” Similarly, on her deathbed, Alicia finally finds that affection she longed for as she “smiled, taking her husband’s hand between her own, caressing it for half an hour, trembling.”

SILENCE BY THOMAS HOOD Silence

BY THOMAS HOOD

There is a silence where hath been no sound,  There is a silence where no sound may be,   In the cold grave—under the deep deep sea, Or in the wide desert where no life is found, Which hath been mute, and still must sleep profound;  No voice is hush’d—no life treads silently,  But clouds and cloudy shadows wander free, That never spoke, over the idle ground: But in green ruins, in the desolate walls Of antique palaces, where Man hath been, Though the dun fox, or wild hyena, calls,  And owls, that flit continually between, Shriek to the echo, and the low winds moan, There the true Silence is, self-conscious and alone. 

Personification, can be used to connect to how silence can be dangerous

Connection to “The Feather Pillow” How was Alicia’s silence deadly?

Using imagery, “cold grave” connects back to the imagery used in “The Feather Pillow” to depict Alicia’s gloomy state

• In “Silence” Thomas Hood uses imagery which could be used to reflect Alicia’s marriage to Jordan in “The Feather Pillow.” Hood claims, for instance, that there is silence in “the cold grave-under the deep sea/ Or in the wide desert where no life is found.” When considering that Quiroga repeatedly describes Alicia’s marriage as cold, rigid, and silent, it can be implied that the author is hinting at the fact that she died when she married Jordan.

• Furthermore, Hood uses imagery such as green ruins, desolate walls, and antique palaces to describe places where silence reigns. Following this pattern, Quiroga describes Alicia’s house with imagery better fit for a cemetery than a home. That is, Quiroga notes that the houses has “The whiteness of the silent patio – friezes, columns and marble statues” and “the bright whiteness of the tall stucco walls, immaculate and unscratched,” which reinforce “that feeling of implacable cold.”