Flowers for Algernon: Part 1

Transcription

1 Flowers for Algernon: Part 1 Focus: Text Structure and Irony Analyzing Text Structure Analyzing text structure helps you in the following ways: o Understand the organization of the text o Makes it easier to locate the author s main points o Makes it easier to understand how ideas relate to each other. To help you identify text structures, do the following: o Look for signal words and phrases that indicate the structure o Think about how the structure works to give meaning to the story 1. (P. 204) What do the headings suggest about the structure of the story? 2. (P. 204) What word keeps the events in this entry in order? 3. What kind of text structure is this? 4. (P. 212) How does the structure of the text help you see that Charlie s intelligence is increasing? 5. (P. 213) What chronological signal words does Charlie use in the his April 20 th entry? How has Charlie s use of signal words improved since the beginning of the story?

2 Identifying Irony Irony occurs when there is a difference between what is expected and what actually happens in a short story, poem, or play. irony o An author creates situational irony when a character expects a particular outcome, but the opposite occurs. irony o An author creates dramatic irony when the reader or audience has important information that the character or characters do not have. For example, dramatic irony may result when a character lacks selfawareness and acts according to false ideas. Situation Type of Irony Why is it ironic? (Usually, what is expected to happen?) The only things Charlie sees in the inkblots are inkblots. Other workers at the factory use the phrase pulling a Charlie Gordon. Dr. Strauss gives Charlie the TV to listen to at night. Charlie wants to be smart like his friends, Joe Carp and Frank Reilly. Charlie believes Miss Kinnian gets something in her eye and has to leave the room. At the end of Part 1, Charlie is realizing that there are negative aspects to becoming smarter. 2

3 Flowers for Algernon: Part 2 Focus: Point of View, & Character Inferences Characterizing Charlie & Making Inferences Method of Characterization Charlie s Actions & Reactions What do you learn about Charlie, based on how he acts or reacts to others? Inference (It is clear that or I know that ) Example from story (In the text, it says that ) Charlie s Words (Dialogue) What do you learn about Charlie, based on the things he says? What Others Say about Charlie (Dialogue) What do you learn about Charlie, based on the things that other people say? Charlie s Thoughts and Emotions What do we learn about Charley based on his dreams, wishes, hopes, fears and feelings? 3

4 Identifying Point of View Point of view is the vantage point from which a story is told. First Person Point of View o The narrator is one of the characters in the story. o First person pronouns, such as I, me, my, and mine are used in telling the story. o Since the narrator is a character in the story, he/she may not be completely reliable. o We find out only what this character knows, thinks, and witnesses. Third Person Limited o The narrator is not a character in the story. o Third person pronouns, such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. o The narrator tells the story from the vantage point of one character. o The narrator can see into this character s mind, but not any of the other characters. o We find out only what this character does, knows, thinks, and witnesses Third Person Omniscient o The narrator is not a character in the story. o Third person pronouns, such as he, his, she, hers, it, its, they, and them are used in telling the story. o The narrator is all-knowing, and can see into the minds of all the characters. The narrator can also report what is said and done. o We find out what all the characters do, feel, think, and witness. Second Point of View o Second person pronouns such as you, your, and yours are used. o Most stories are NOT told in second person. It is reserved for items of personal address, such as letters and editorials. Stories are usually told from the first-person or third-person point of view. Directions: On the lines provided below, indicate whether the sentence is an example of first, second or third-person narration. 1. I don t know what eating has to do with getting smart. 2. I realize that Dr. Nemur is not at all a genius. 3. Charlie hates competing with Algernon. 4. You ve got to be a little patient. 5. I lost my reader that we were using. 6. And you remember every single thing you read? 7. Once again now I have this feeling of shame burning inside of me. 8. You ll see how the different branches of learning are related. 9. The test still doesn t make sense to me. 10. Fanny explains to Charlie why he was rejected at work. 11. From which point of view was Flowers for Algernon narrated? 4

5 Analyzing Conflict Directions: Identify four conflicts that characters face in the story and fill in the following chart with as much information as possible. Character vs. Self Character vs. Character Character vs. Nature Character vs. Group 5

6 Name Date Block Flowers for Algernon What is theme? Theme is an observation about life that the author shares with the reader. A theme should not be confused with the subject of the story, which is what the story is about. The theme is usually more important and usually harder to figure out. It is the central message of the story and the main point the author is trying to make. For example, in Edgar Allan Poe s story The Tell-Tale Heart, the subject of the story is murder, but the theme is that you can never escape your crimes. Directions: Think for a moment about what the most important word in Flowers for Algernon might be. Brainstorm a list in the box below. After you have made your list, circle the word you think is the most important of all. Directions: Now that you have chosen the most important word, go back through the story and look for what the author and narrator (Charlie) have to say about that word. These passages will give you clues to what the author s message, or theme, is. You should find at least FIVE good quotes from the story. PAGE # QUOTE OR PASSAGE 6

7 Directions: Now, based on the information you have gathered, decide what you think the author is saying about the word you circled on at the beginning of this lesson. THIS IS YOUR THEME! Write it below. Directions: Use the information you have gathered above to fill in the following paragraph frame to answer the following question. Be sure to use the quotes you wrote down from the story. In your opinion, what is the major theme in Daniel Keyes s story, Flowers for Algernon? I think the theme of Daniel Keyes s story Flowers for Algernon is I believe this is the theme because The theme is present in the story when I think the author s message was because 7