These Stories Will Appear On Exam 3: Jack London To Build A

These Stories Will Appear On Exam 3jack London To Build A Fire 849

These stories will appear on Exam 3: Jack London, “To Build a Fire”; Katherine Mansfield, “Miss Brill”; Margaret Atwood, “Happy Endings”; D. H. Lawrence, “The Rocking-Horse Winner”; Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried.” You need to know the literary terms setting, climax, and theme. These terms can be found in our textbook in the glossary of literary terms pages. For the exam, you will analyze a story focusing on a particular literary term. You are required to write four stories, each with descriptions above, and utilize two questions to support the ideas. Each story should be approximately two pages long.

Paper For Above instruction

Analyzing Literary Terms in Selected Short Stories

The upcoming exam will feature an analysis of four significant short stories, each exemplifying pivotal literary terms such as setting, climax, and theme. This exercise aims to deepen understanding of these terms within varied narrative contexts and enhance analytical skills crucial for literary examination. The stories include Jack London’s “To Build a Fire,” Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill,” Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings,” D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner,” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” For each story, a focused analysis centered on a particular literary term will be conducted, supported by two guiding questions that facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the story’s literary elements.

Story 1: Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” – Focus on Setting

Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” vividly exemplifies the importance of setting in shaping narrative outcome and mood. The story is set in the brutal, icy wilderness of the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, a remote and hostile environment that reflects the protagonist’s vulnerability and the unforgiving nature of nature itself. London’s meticulous descriptions of the icy landscape, the cold, and the extreme environment establish a stark setting that underscores themes of human fragility and survival.

The setting in this story is not merely a backdrop but a critical element influencing the character’s decisions and the story’s tension. London’s detailed imagery of the icy terrain, the frozen river, and the biting cold enhance the story’s mood, creating suspense and emphasizing the protagonist’s struggle against nature’s indifference.

Questions Supporting Analysis:

1. How does London’s detailed description of the setting contribute to the mood and foreshadowing in “To Build a Fire”?
2. In what ways does the harsh environment reflect the protagonist’s internal conflict and vulnerability?

Story 2: Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” – Focus on Theme

Katherine Mansfield’s “Miss Brill” explores themes of loneliness, illusion, and societal exclusion. The story’s central theme revolves around Miss Brill’s illusion of being an integral part of the life around her, which is shattered by a harsh reality at the story’s climax. Mansfield employs the theme of illusion versus reality to depict the human need for connection and the pain of social marginalization.

The theme is developed through the setting of a park where Miss Brill spends her Sundays, observing others and imagining herself as part of a vibrant community. Her idealized view of her own role in society clashes with the cold, unfulfilling reality revealed at the end, highlighting the fragility of human illusions.

Questions Supporting Analysis:

1. How does the theme of illusion versus reality manifest through Miss Brill’s perceptions and experiences?
2. What does the story reveal about societal attitudes toward aging and social marginalization?

Story 3: Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings” – Focus on Climax

Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings” employs a unique narrative structure to explore themes of life, storytelling, and existential Reflection. The climax of the story occurs at the point where the narrative reveals that the “happy endings” are merely variations of a story about life’s inevitable end: death. The story challenges traditional notions of narrative and conclusion, emphasizing that life is inherently transient and that finitude is unavoidable.

Atwood’s playful yet profound approach distances the reader from the traditional climactic moment, instead encouraging reflection on the importance of lived experiences over conventional story arcs. The climax, in this context, is less a single event and more a philosophical revelation about mortality and the nature of storytelling itself.

Questions Supporting Analysis:

1. How does Atwood’s narrative structure redefine the concept of climax within the story?
2. What philosophical messages does the story convey about life, death, and storytelling?

Story 4: D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner” – Focus on Theme

The central theme of D. H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is the destructive power of greed and materialism. The story examines how the obsession with wealth and social status corrupts moral values and leads to tragedy. The theme is embodied in the young boy’s desperate attempt to secure his family’s financial stability through supernatural means, highlighting the life-affirming or destructive consequences of greed.

The motif of the rocking horse as a symbol of obsession and the pursuit of luck enhances the story’s exploration of material desire. The story ultimately portrays the tragic results of valuing money over human relationships, emphasizing the moral that true happiness cannot be bought and that greed can have devastating consequences.

Questions Supporting Analysis:

1. How does the theme of greed influence the characters’ actions and the story’s outcome?
2. In what ways does the symbol of the rocking horse reinforce the central theme of materialism?

Summary

By analyzing these stories through the lens of specific literary terms—setting, climax, and theme—we can appreciate how each author crafts their narrative to engage readers and convey complex ideas. Understanding the interplay of these literary elements enhances our interpretive skills and deepens our appreciation of literature’s power to reflect human experience.

References

• London, J. (1908). To Build a Fire. In The Law of Life and Other Stories. Macmillan.
• Mansfield, K. (1917). Miss Brill. The Garden Party and Other Stories. Constable & Co.
• Atwood, M. (1973). Happy Endings. The New Yorker, 49(22), 37-44.
• Lawrence, D. H. (1933). The Rocking-Horse Winner. In The Complete Short Stories. Cambridge University Press.
• O’Brien, T. (1990). The Things They Carried. Houghton Mifflin.
• Fletcher, R. (2012). Literary Terms: A Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
• Barthes, R. (1977). Image, Music, Text. Hill and Wang.
• Genette, G. (1980). Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press.
• Culler, J. (2002). Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2010). The Western Canon. Riverhead Books.