SHORT STORIES
10 ENGLISH 2016
Ms Paine
Name:_________________
Ms Paine - Yr 10 English
SHORT STORIES & GENRE – SCIENCE FICTION
SHORT STORIES:
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
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“Flowers for Algernon” – Daniel Keyes
“By Fools Like Me” – Nancy Kress
“Almost the End of the World” – Ray Bradbury
DEFINITIONS OF “SCIENCE-FICTION” FROM THE INTERNET.

Imaginary writing based on current or projected scientific and technological developments, as
Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
www.nde.state.ne.us/READ/FRAMEWORK/glossary/general_p-t.html

This fiction deals with the influence of real or imagined science on society or individuals.
library.thinkquest.org/J0110782/genre/definitions.html

Prose writing in which a writer explores unexpected possibilities of the past or the future by using
scientific data and theories as well as his or her imagination.
www.allkillcsd.k12.ny.us/glt.htm

Fantastic stories in which scientific discoveries, space travel, life on other planets, or
environmental changes form part of the plot. They are fiction.
www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/mul_esl_glossary.jsp
IN SUMMARY:
Science fiction…is a broad genre of fiction that often involves speculations based on current or future
science or technology.
Science fiction differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are
largely possible within established or postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might
still be pure imaginative speculation).
(from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction> accessed 2/11/07)
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VOCABULARLY LIST
To help develop both your confidence as writers and critical thinkers, during this unit we will
be keeping a vocabulary list. For each new word, note down the definition next to it.
WORD
Genre
DEFINITION
A style or category of art, music or literature
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SHORT STORY 1: “FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON” BY DANIEL KEYES
SECTION 1: COMPREHENSION
1. Who is Charlie Gordon? How would you describe him
at the beginning of the story? What is about to happen
to Charlie?
2. What does Charlie initially think of Ms Kinnian, Dr Strauss
and Dr Nemur?
3. Who is Algernon? Why does Charlie feel a connection
to him?
4. Who are Joe Carp and Frank Reilly? What is Charlie’s
initial attitude to them?
How might the reader’s
opinion of Frank and Joe be different to Charlie’s?
Why?
5. In “PROGRESS REPORT 13” what has dramatically
changed for Algernon? What does this mean for Charlie?
6. What signs of deterioration does Charlie notice in himself? How are these similar to
Algernon’s symptoms?”
7. Why does Charlie go back to Miss Kinnian’s class for remedial reading and writing?
Why is this a sign of the old Charlie Gordon?
SECTION 2: KEY IDEAS AND SCIENCE FICTION
8. Looking at the definitions of science fiction listed earlier, why would “Flowers for
Algernon” be considered science fiction? What elements of the story make it science
fiction?
9. What would you consider to be the key ideas (themes) of “Flowers for Algernon”?
(Make a list of at least three and give examples from the text to support your point of
view)
10. How does Keyes use the conventions of the science fiction genre to explore such key
ideas?
SECTION 3: WRITING TECHNIQUES
 Now draw up tables like these in your workbooks to examine the writing, narrative and
structural techniques used by Daniel Keyes in “Flowers for Algernon”.
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
Remember to write down relevant short quotations.
(A) WRITING TECHNIQUES
Charlie
Spelling & Grammar
Mentally-retarded
Genius
(mistakes, complexity,
accuracy)
What Charlie describes:
 Literal: the events that
happen

Imaginative/ emotional/
analytical: able to imagine
and analyse things
Charlie as a narrator
 Unreliable: the reader
understands more than Charlie
does.

Reliable: Charlie now fully
understands what is happening
and why.
(B) ALGERNON AS A SYMBOL FOR CHARLIE
Definition – a “motif” is a reoccurring symbol in a text that has
important significance.
 Set out a table like this to highlight when Charlie
mentions Algernon.
Reference to Algernon
(including pg. no./ quotation/ description)
Why is Algernon important to Charlie at this stage
in the story? What is the reader’s reaction to this?
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(C) NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

Another table to guide your note-taking
Narrative Feature
Orientation

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

Textual References
Which characters are we introduced too?
Why?
What is about to happen?
What is the setting for this story?
Complications

faced by Charlie
Climax

Emotional highpoint of the story
Resolution & Denouement


What happens to Charlie and why?
What is the reader’s response?
APPENDIX FOR “FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON”
RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST
The Rorschach inkblot test is a method of psychological
evaluation. Psychologists use this test to try to examine the
personality characteristics and emotional functioning of their
patients. ….It has been employed in diagnosing underlying
thought disorder and differentiating psychotic from nonpsychotic thinking in cases where the patient is reluctant to
openly admit to psychotic thinking.
METHODS
There are ten official inkblots. Five inkblots are black ink on white paper. Two are black and red ink on
white paper. Three are multicolored. After the individual has seen and responded to all the inkblots, the
tester then gives them to him again one at a time to study. The patient is asked to note where he sees
what he originally saw and what makes it look like that. The blot can also be rotated. As the patient is
examining the inkblots, the psychologist writes down everything the patient says or does, no matter
how trivial
(from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_inkblot_test> accessed 04/10/07)
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SHORT STORY 2: “BY FOOLS LIKE ME” BY NANCY KRESS
A QUICK REVISION:
Science fiction as a genre has many subgenres that fit within its central premise.

Prose writing in which a writer explores unexpected possibilities of the past or the future by
using scientific data and theories as well as his or her imagination.
www.allkillcsd.k12.ny.us/glt.htm
THE SUB-GENRE OF APOCALYPTIC AND POST-APOCALYPTIC FICTION.
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction (or, in some cases, the more general category
speculative fiction) that is concerned with the end of civilization through nuclear war, plague, or some
other general disaster. Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after such a disaster.
The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of
survivors, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe
civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in an
agrarian, non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered elements of technology
remain.
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction> accessed 08/11/07)
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SECTION 1: COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Who is the narrator of this story? What information is revealed to the reader about her
identity?
2. Where is this story set? How would you describe this place? What is life like for the
people who live here?
3. What details are given about the “Crash”? From these clues what do you think has
happened?
4. How does the narrator describe the personalities of Hope, Gloria and Robert?
5. What is “see-oh-too”? Why is it seen as being dangerous?
6. Why are trees so valuable to these people? How are the few remaining trees treated?
7. Why is it a sin to have a book or even to read one?
8. What does the narrator remember from the time before?
technology and environment.)
(Especially in terms of
9. Why does Alice in Wonderland and the other books so engage the narrator and her
grandaughter? What is particularly wonderful for the narrator about the Birds of India
and Asia?
10. Why does the narrator refuse to go to the religious services anymore?
11. What happens when the sacred trees are burnt? How does the narrator feel?
SECTION 2: KEY IDEAS AND SCIENCE FICTION
(Please refer to earlier list of definitions)
12. How could this short story be classified as post-apocalyptic science fiction? What plot
devices and other chosen elements by the author help it fit the conventions of this
genre and subgenre?
13. What do you think are the key ideas that the author of the short story, Nancy Kress, is
trying to communicate to reader? Do you think a story in this style is a good way of
raising such ideas?
14. Does a story like this seem particularly relevant at this time, considering it was only
published in September 2007? What kind of contemporary global issues is it asking us
to look at?
15. Do you think this short story is being used as a vehicle for social commentary? How
and in what ways?
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SECTION 3: WRITING TECHNIQUES AND POST-APOCALYPTIC FICTION
(A) STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF NARRATIVE WRITING
NARRATIVE FEATURE
ORIENTATION




TEXTUAL REFERENCES
Which characters are we introduced too?
Why?
What is about to happen?
What is the setting for this story?
COMPLICATIONS

Faced by narrator and family
CLIMAX

Emotional highpoint of the story
RESOLUTION & DENOUEMENT
 What happens to the narrator and her
family? Why?
 What is the reader’s response?
(B) UNIQUE FEATURES TO POST-APOCALYPTIC FICTION
NARRATIVE FEATURE
TEXTUAL REFERENCES
CONTEXT
 This is a narrative feature often used in this
type of subgenre to reveal previous history
(often long ago) that has led to the story and
events occurring now.
 Does the writer explain what has
happened in the past or just offer clues as
descriptive details?
 Do you think the story would be more
effective if she just offered the reader a
straight exposition about the events?
(C) NARRATION AND LANGUAGE STYLE
LANGUAGE/ NARRATION FEATURE
NARRATOR’S ROLE
 What type of narration is used? Is this
narrator reliable or unreliable? What
evidence do we have to support their world
view?
TEXTUAL REFERENCES
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TONE/ MOOD OF THE SHORT STORY
 How would you describe the tone/ mood
of this short story? Find 3 quotations that to
you highlight the overall tone of the short
story and explain why?
LANGUAGE STYLE AND CHOICES
 Look closely at the last paragraph on p.
220 and the end of that section on p. 221.
What do you notice about Kress’s writing
style? What specific and effective
techniques does she use?
SHORT STORY 3: “ALMOST THE END OF THE WORLD”
BY RAY BRADBURY
SECTION 1: COMPREHENSION
1. Who are Willy and Samuel? Where have they been for the last
month?
2. How does Willy describe the wilderness?
3. What does Willy notice first that is odd about the town of Rock
Junction, Arizona? What other strange happenings do Willy and
Samuel notice?
4. What does Antonelli, the barber, explain happened while Willy and Samuel were
away?
5. What do people now do instead of watching television and listening to the radio?
6. Why are do the miners feel unsafe and town’s folk like Antonelli see them as potentially
dangerous?
7. What is the significance of the wilderness?
SECTION 2: KEY IDEAS AND SCIENCE FICTION
8. Make a list of what you would consider are the key ideas are social comments in this
short story?
9. What do you think is the science (or speculative) fiction element of this short story?
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10. How does the employing of science fiction conventions enable the key ideas of this
short story to be explored?
11. Do you think this short story still has relevance today? What would you do if suddenly
there was no electricity?
SECTION 3: WRITING TECHNIQUES
(A) STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF NARRATIVE WRITING
NARRATIVE FEATURE
ORIENTATION




TEXTUAL REFERENCES
Which characters are we introduced too?
Why?
What is about to happen?
What is the setting for this story?
COMPLICATIONS

Faced by the main characters
CLIMAX

Emotional highpoint of the story
RESOLUTION & DENOUEMENT
 What happens to the main characters?
Why?
 What is the reader’s response?
(B) CHARACTERIZATION
Characterization is the process of conveying information about characters in fiction. Characters are
usually presented through their actions, dialect, and thoughts, as well as by description.
(from <www.wikipedia.org> accessed 12/11/07)
INSTRUCTIONS


Describe how Bradbury characterizes the following characters
Fill in the table below and use the following questions to guide your notes
o How is the character initially described?
o What kind of spoken language do they use?
o Are we given any other details?
CHARACTERS
DESCRIPTION & TEXT REFERENCES
(PG. NO. & QUOTATIONS)
Willy & Samuel
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Antonelli, the barber
Townsfolk
(C) SETTING
i. Why is the setting crucial to understanding this story? Explain and give at least two
examples to substantiate your answer.
ii. Why would the idea of contrast be important to understanding the short story? (The
setting is an important part of this).
(D) WRITING STYLE & LANGUAGE USE
Bradbury is seen by many literary critics as being a leading writer of science (or speculative)
fiction due to the high quality craftsmanship of his prose.
In this short story, he uses a number of metaphors, similes and other forms of imagery to
develop the narrative.
INSTRUCTIONS
Using the table below, find three quotations that feature at least one of these language
elements, and then explain how the writing technique used in this quotation contributes to
the reader’s understanding.
QUOTATION (PG. NO. ETC)
WRITING TECHNIQUE
1.
2.
3.
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CONTRIBUTION TO THE
READER’S UNDERSTANDING