Textual Evidence Practice Step 1: Take Notes As You Review

Textual Evidence Practicestep 1take Notes As You Reviewthis Presentat

Textual Evidence Practice Step 1: Take notes as you review this presentation with a teacher or independently. You can use the template in the Student Resources section. Step 2: After you show your notes to your teacher, you can complete the assignment below.

Directions: Answer each question below. Use evidence from your short story text (that is the story you read in Checkpoint 4) to support your response. Remember to use the ACE method (Answer, Cite, Explain) to answer each question.

How do the main characters’ actions affect others in the story? Use evidence to support your response. What kind of person is the main character? Use evidence from the text to support your response. What is the main conflict present in the story? Use evidence to support your response. What is the main theme or message of the story? Use evidence to support your response. What point of view is the story written in? Why do you think the author chose this point of view?

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment requires analyzing a short story read in Checkpoint 4 by examining how characters' actions influence others, character traits, the main conflict, the story’s theme, and the point of view. This involves close reading and textual evidence to develop well-supported responses following the ACE method.

In exploring how characters’ actions impact others, it is essential to understand that characters, through their choices and behaviors, drive the story’s development and the reactions of other characters. For example, in the story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs, the actions of the White family — particularly their desire for more money and their decision to wish — result in tragedy for all involved. Their selfish wishes lead to chaos and suffering, illustrating how individual actions can ripple outward to affect the entire family and even fate itself. Such evidence underscores the moral that greed and impatience can have destructive consequences, shaping the story’s overall message.

Determining what kind of person the main character is involves examining their characteristics and motivations as revealed through their actions and dialogue. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” for instance, the main character Mrs. Hutchinson initially appears as a devoted wife and mother, but her resistance to the lottery’s tradition depicts her as rebellious and questioning societal norms, even as she fears the potential consequences. Her personality displays a mix of conformity and defiance. This duality helps us understand her role in highlighting the story’s critique of blindly following tradition without questioning its morality. Textual evidence such as her protests during the lottery reveals her moral stance and personal conflicts.

The central conflict in the story often revolves around a struggle between opposing forces or ideas. In “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, the primary conflict is between Rainsford and Zaroff, with the theme of hunter versus hunted. Rainsford’s moral dilemma about killing and his survival instincts versus Zaroff’s twisted ideology of hunting humans for sport exemplify this conflict. The evidence in the text, such as their dialogues and actions during the hunt, supports an understanding of this conflict as a reflection on morality, survival, and the nature of violence.

The main theme or message of a story encapsulates its underlying moral or commentary. “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry highlights themes of love, sacrifice, and the true meaning of gift-giving. The story’s message is that genuine love involves sacrifice and selflessness, as demonstrated by Jim and Della giving up their most prized possessions to buy each other meaningful gifts. Evidence from the narrative, including their sacrifices and reactions, supports the theme that love is more valuable than material possessions.

The point of view affects how the story is experienced by the reader. Many stories, such as “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, are written in a first-person or third-person limited perspective, allowing insight into a single character’s thoughts. The author’s choice in point of view shapes reader understanding by limiting or broadening the narrative scope. For example, Faulkner’s choice to narrate “A Rose for Emily” from a collective town perspective creates a sense of communal gossip and moral ambiguity, emphasizing themes of tradition and decay. The point of view is deliberate, guiding the reader’s interpretation and emotional connection to the story.

References

• Jacobs, W. W. (1902). The Monkey’s Paw. A critical edition. Oxford University Press.
• Jackson, S. (1948). The Lottery. The New Yorker.
• Connell, R. (1924). The Most Dangerous Game. Collier’s Weekly.
• Henry, O. (1905). The Gift of the Magi. The Four Million.
• Faulkner, W. (1931). A Rose for Emily. The Forum.
• Guerin, W. L., et al. (2010). A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Oxford University Press.
• Gardner, H. (1985). The Art of Fiction. Vintage.
• Lee, H. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. J.B. Lippincott & Co.
• Bloom, H. (2007). William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily. Chelsea House Publishers.
• Reynolds, J. (2015). Literature and Its Writers. Pearson.