Welcome back. Great to see everyone and as a group, you read over 50 books during the break! Congratulations. Did you know that if you read just 21 minutes per day, you expose yourself to 1, 823,000 words? The world's words are a lot less lonely because of English 9 students like you.
BUT did you know that if you read just 65 minutes per day, you read 4, 358,000 words per year?
Go, readers, go!
Tonight: Finish reading Arthur Gordon's story, "The Sea Devil" on page 32 in your short story texts. Be sure to note all the instances of personification you can find. Arrive, next class, prepared to discuss the effects of personification for this particular story. How do we persuade effectively? One great way is empathy. Get your reader to step inside the body of your character. In this case, inside a FISH!! How does Gordon create empathy for the fish?
Next class, you will begin writing your short story. One of the key tasks in this story will be to create empathy for your character so you'll pick someone that doesn't always get the understanding that you think they deserve. It could be based on a family member--grandparent, uptight uncle, hyperactive cousin etc. It could be based on a stereotype that you wish to uncover--a murderer, a politician, a teenage boy, a monster under the bed, an insect. Stories are the "art of the glimpse". You will need to narrow the situation down to one key incident, ie, the loss of a penny, one event of fishing, a scout banquet, a day in the life of a family, etc. Re-read the stories in your text book for ideas regarding structure. "Penny in the Dust" is a flashback, for example. "The Veldt" uses a few key elements of science fiction--a technologically sound house. "The Father" uses a few flashbacks but the actual event is one evening. Amazing!!
Study for your test and keep reading. Words will thank you for it.
