"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