A Unicorn in the Garden

By
James
Thurber
Biography: James Thurber
Author, Illustrator
(18941961)

Born in Columbus, Ohio on

December 8, 1894

Thurber died of
complications from
pneumonia on November 2,
1961.
Buried in Columbus'
Greenlawn Cemetery.
 His background:
Father was a civil clerk, and his mother,
Mame, was an eccentric woman
He had two brothers, William and
Robert. One day while playing "William
Tell" with them as youngsters, Thurber
lost the sight in one eye when an arrow
pierced it.
In 1952, Thurber had to give up
drawing when he became blind in both
eyes.
 His background: (contd.)
An American cartoonist and humorist
of the 20th century- best known for his
contributions to The New Yorker
magazine (1927-1933).
His contributions spanned a breadth of
genres from cartoons, short stories,
childrens fables, commentaries, to
letters.
 Achievements
Author of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Creator of numerous New Yorker
magazine cover cartoons
Thurber wrote nearly 40 books, and won
a Tony Award for the Broadway play, A
Thurber Carnival, in which he often
starred as himself.
 "The Unicorn in the Garden"
The most famous of Thurber's
humorous modern fables-it first
appeared in The New Yorker on
October 31, 1939; and was first
collected in his book Fables for Our
Time and Famous Poems
Illustrated (Harper and Brothers, 1940).
 The fable has since been reprinted
in The Thurber Carnival(Harper and
Brothers, 1945), James Thurber: Writings
and Drawings (The Library of America,
1996, ISBN 1-883011-22-1), The Oxford
Book of Modern Fairy Tales, and other
publications.
It is taught in literature and rhetoric
courses.
 Discussion:
1. Who are the characters in the story?
2. What is the story about?
3. Where is the setting? Support with
textual evidence.
4. Whose point of view is the story
told? Support with textual evidence.
5. What is your opinion of the story?
 Discussion:
6. Which character is telling the truth?
Justify your answer with textual
evidence.
7. What are some possible themes
conveyed by the author of this
story?
8. Do you think children will like this
story? Give reasons to support your
answer.
 Tutorial tasks:
Identify and circle all the adjectives in the story. What
images or ideas do these adjectives suggest?
Look at the word choice in the conversation between
the man and his wife. What can you infer of the
relationship between them?
Do a quick write of about 15 mins on what you think
the author is trying to convey in the statement: Dont
count your boobies until they are hatched. Share
your thoughts with others in the class.
 References:
http://www.thurberhouse.org/james-thurber.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unicorn_in_the_G
arden#Plot_summary
http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/unicorn1.html