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Carlier 09
Stories of Ourselves
Study Questions
Below are study questions to help you understand and analyse the short stories in Stories
of Ourselves. Always answer in complete sentences, and use examples from the stories
where relevant. I would also like to encourage you to write detailed, complete answers;
dont be too easily satisfied with what you have written.
The Lemon Orchard by Alex la Guma
See Wikipedia Alex la Guma.
1.
Underline all the words in Afrikaans and find out what they mean. How effective
is the writers use of local language?
2.
Find examples of la Gumas use of leitmotif(s). What is the function of these
motifs in the story?
3.
What can you say about the point of view in The Lemon Orchard? Is it fixed?
Give examples to support your ideas. Point of view determines what the reader sees in
a story. How important is this in The Lemon Orchard?
4.
Consider the title. How important in the lemon orchard in this story? Is it an
effective title? Can you think of an alternative title?
2.
3.
In this short story, the narrator often refers to himself. Find examples of such
references and discuss the importance of this.
4.
How does Arthur Conan Doyle create the characters in his story? Look for
specific techniques. Does he rely mostly on dialogue, character description, narration?
What is the effect of Conan Doyles method of characterisation? Is it intended to make
the reader laugh? Create suspense?
5.
Did you think the story had a good ending? Why or why not?
noun
Piazza
1.
2.
3.
Arabesquenoun
1.
(dictionary.com)
1.
Copy out three different descriptions of the wallpaper, and comment on each.
This story is an example of authors telling stories through imagery. How effective do you
find this technique? Explain your answer.
2.
And dear John gathered me up in his arms(39). Find the references to the
narrators husband. Copy out a few significant ones. What can you say about the role of
John in this story? Think about what he says, his profession, his relationships with others
and how he is described.
3.
4.
Why is the story called The Yellow Wallpaper? Do you think it is an
appropriate title? Is it misleading? Why or why not?
5.
A great deal of this story takes place in the narrators mind. Find instances in the
story that really occur. How are these relayed to the reader? What can you say about the
authors story telling technique?
6.
Do you agree? How can this be perceived as a piece of feminist literature? Give
examples.
7.
Write a short pastiche (a creative piece of writing in the style of an author) based
on this story. You can either continue the story, write a new paragraph to be inserted in
the story, or write a different story with the same style. Create a characters state of mind
through showing not telling.
8.
If you had to put this story to music, which piece of music would you choose?
Explain your choice.
Also read Why I wrote The Yellow Wallpaper at
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/whyyw.html
What is the role of the narrator? Give examples to support your ideas.
4.
Find references to work. What is Dickens saying about work and working
conditions? What can you say about the date of publication in relation to this?
5.
Reread the last paragraph. What can you say about the tone of the ending?
What is the function of the poem in the story? Also comment on the title.
1.
Reread the speech transcribed in Onns journal entry on page 172. What is the
purpose of this speech? Does it work? Are there any flaws with this method of
informing the reader?
2.
Discovery is crucial to this story. In your textbooks, mark each place where you
make a new discovery essential to your understanding of the story (example: page 173
blue pearl is earth). How successfully does the author build up suspense?
3.
Discuss the effects of the changing point of view. Firstly, describe using the
correct terminology how the writer uses point of view in this story. Then try to come up
with several ideas about the effect of the point of view and support each idea with
relevant examples.
4.
1.
Find and copy out three examples of imagery and comment on each.
2.
Using details from the text, discuss the different methods the author uses to
characterise Mary and the boy. Organise your answers in a chart. For example:
Mary
Boy (Protagonist)
Example
P293 letter-she was
a school teacher
Comments/notes
-background
information-how
does this influence
my understanding of
Mary?
-perhaps she is strict
because of her
professional
background
Example
p294 He folded the
paper carefully into
its original
creases
Comments/notes
-has an eye for
detail
-meticulously covers
his tracks
-
p 293 He
pretended
1.
This story was published in 2004, later than the other stories you have read. In
what ways does it feel like a modern story? In what ways does it not?
2.
Study the writers use of characterization. Make a chart and fully address the
points below:
-How the son sees his mother
-How the mother and son characters come to life through their dialogue
-How the son is characterized through his observations of the house
-How the character of the employer is created
3.
Analyse the writers use of narrative voice. Referring to the text in detail, explore
how the main character is created through the use of first person point of view
storytelling. Break your answer down into 3-5 different subcategories and find
examples for each. For example, the protagonist has an eye for detail, as can be
seen in his descriptions of the old woman. Breaking down ideas into
subcategories is preparation for your essay and your exam. It is important you
come up with the ideas and subdivisions yourself.
2.
(Optional) Write a pastiche of the story, with particular focus on the narrative
voice.
Paragraph Checklist:
1.
2.
3.
4.