"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger

Here is the short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger

"I.D." by Joyce Carol Oates

Here is the short story "I.D." by Joyce Carol Oates


In your groups, do/answer the following:

What are some of the “big ideas” in this story?  What is it really about? Come up with one statement that captures a theme based off of one of these big ideas.

Summarize the story in a maximum of five sentences.

Overall, how would you describe Lisette’s character?  Her mother?  Her father?  What are two key adjective you would use to describe each? For your adjective, come up with a piece of specific textual evidence that supports your adjective. This evidence may be from direct or indirect characterization.

Writing Scavenger Hunt:

Try to find examples of the following strategies in "I.D."

-a flashback

-a tangent/aside (when a character goes off on something that is seemingly unrelated to the present)

-an effectively used verb in dialogue

-an effectively used adverb in dialogue

-a sentence that discusses/establishes the setting and/or mood

-two effective uses of figurative language

Vocabulary Chart

Vocabulary Chart for Lesson 7

Theme Question

Consider the following ideas and how they play out in the story:  technology, morality, power, human nature.  Choose one and come up with a sentence that expresses a theme from the story.  If you are struggling, you may want to begin by thinking about possible lessons that Bradbury may be trying to teach us.

"The Veldt" Questions

In groups, complete the following questions on "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury.

"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury

Here is a link to a digital version of "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury.

Short Story Unit: Key Literary Terms

Theme -- the underlying meaning of a piece of literature

Summary -- a concise, accurate, and objective review of information presented surrounding the events that take place. A good summary only relays important material.

Inference -- An educated guess based on evidence and reasoning.

Characterization -- How an author reveals the personality of a character. This may come through dialogue, actions, descriptions, etc.

Allusion -- A reference to a person, event, thing, or another text.

Point of View -- The perspective a text takes when presenting its plot and narrative. For instance, an author might write a narrative from a specific character’s point of view, which means that that character is our narrative and readers experience events through his or her eyes.

First Person -- I

Second Person -- You

Third Person -- He, She, They, It, or a character’s name
Figurative Language - language that expresses meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. Ex: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole.