Literary Analysis & Close Reading Assignment

Literary Analysis & Close Reading Assignment

* Climax most exciting/suspenseful moment Complications new problems arise Falling Action Winding down Basic Situation/Exposition conflict is introduced Resolution problems are resolved

Did you know that each of these shows and /or movies has been influenced by the story we are about to read? Can you guess how? The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in another location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.

To understand the concept first let s start with something we already know like the domino effect. The Butterfly Effect 1) As the world runs out of oil gas prices will rise. 2) When this happens prices for specialized items of import and export (coffee) will eventually rise. 3) Food prices will then rise 4) The price of products that require oil to make them will also rise. (8 & ½ gallons of oil in each car tire)! The Butterfly Effect is similar, except that we cannot see what causes what. We know that small things can effect entire systems.

A Sound of Thunder The idea that one butterfly could eventually have a far-reaching ripple effect on subsequent historic events seems first to have appeared in A Sound of Thunder, a 1952 short story by Ray Bradbury about time travel. The Butterfly Effect is now a common clichéd plot device; however, Bradbury was the first to use the idea in fiction. Can you give any examples in stories when changing the past even if only in the smallest way alters the course of the future?

Literary Device Catalog Objectives: Students will practice identifying and critiquing literary elements in A Sound of Thunder. Students will improve their writing style through transferring what they have learned in the note taking processes to writing a short descriptive paragraph. Requirements: While reading, you must document 2 examples of literary devices per page in your journals. Pick one of the two literary device examples you wrote down and in a sentence explain why you think it is effective /good writing. ASOT LIT. Devices Catalog (p. 505) Imagery = oiled striding legs Simile = fence of teeth like daggers Metaphor = Each lower leg was a piston Bradbury s simile comparing a TREX s teeth to a fence of daggers is effective writing because it allows the reader to get a sense of how much danger the narrator is in.

Literary Device Review Imagery (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, & feelings) Simile A comparison using like or as Metaphor A comparison of two unalike things not using like or as. Ex. Juliet is the sun Onomatopoeia When words sound like what they mean. Ex. Boom! Pow! Personification Giving human characteristics to something not human. Ex. The wind screamed

Literary Device Class Practice Notice the ways Bradbury describes his time machine. (p. ) Find 3 similes or metaphors that help us to better imagine the essence of this machine? (p. ) What effect does the figurative language have on the mood of the story?

Special Note: In German the name (Deutscher) means German. This story was written right after WWII when Hitler s Germany was considered the ultimate example of evil, not only because of the holocaust, but in a political sense because they were so different from us. They had long had a dictatorship while we have had a democracy.

Critical Thinking What is the purpose of the antigravity path? (p. ) How then are they allowed to hunt if they can t step on the grass? If they do not want to kill a mouse, then why a TREX? Isn t this also problematic? What does the theme of this story seem to be so far? Make some predictions as to what might happen.

Elements of Style (Very Important!) Bradbury is extremely proud and with good cause of his description of the Tyrannasaur. Bradbury about this section has stated, I say to the audience I m going to stop you here okay?...and you know what I m going to do? I m going to describe a dinosaur as it has never been described. Now watch this. And then I sit down and write a prose poem about this wonderful creature that comes gliding out the jungle. What effect do the literary devices have on the reader? How do they give us insight as to what the narrator would be feeling?

Critical Thinking (p. ) How serious of a problem is it that Eckels jumps off the path? Why does he do it? (p. ) rather grotesque in what detail does the author describe the final moments of the beast? Is this good writing? Why or why not? (p. ) Why is Travis angry at Eckles? Is this thematic?

The Grand Finale Tyme SefarI Inc. The story concludes with an eerie, twilight zone type of ending not only for Eckles, but for the reader. How does Bradbury use his theme to shock his reader in the end of this story? Sefaris tu any yeer en the past. Yu naim the animall. Wee taektuthair. Yu shoot it.

Writing Assignment Observe with care the specific literary devices you paid attention to while reading this story. Remember what made you select these devices and why you thought these were effective. Now you are going to emulate Bradbury s style in a page length piece of fiction of your own. Writing prompt: Choose a specific place and time to travel back to on a safari. First, have your narrator introduce the time and place. After you set the scene, have your narrator encounter a specific creature, or event and describe it by using at least 5 literary devices.

* A Sound of Thunder Mini Quiz 1) The resolution of the story can be defined as A. When new problems arise B. the most exciting/suspenseful moment C. problems are resolved D. conflict is introduced 2) Describe in your own words the rising action of A Sound of Thunder. 3) Which country does Deutscher s last name come from? 4) Other than the death of Eckles, what is another way the author scares the reader into an agreement with the moral of his story. 5) Give one literary device or description the author uses to create his T-rex. Why is this good writing?

* Complete a plot Diagram For this story Climax most exciting/suspenseful moment Complications new problems arise Falling Action Winding down Basic Situation/Exposition conflict is introduced Resolution problems are resolved

* Write a paragraph about A Sound of Thunder using the Somebody, Wants, But, So model. Examples Somebody Harry Potter Wants But So wants to learn about his parents, be happy, and make friends but he must protect himself from the dangers he faces at Hogwarts so he learns how to use his powers for good and to protect himself and his friends

* somebody = who - the individual/character wants = what but = =complications/problems/conflict so = solution/outcome Examples Somebody Wants But So Peter Parker wants to learn about his parents, and A Sound of Thunder (Eckles)