“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other
minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to
the far side of the universe and still be back in time for
dinner.”
― Neil Gaiman
Name:
Date:
Class:
1. "Signs and Symbols" by Vladimir Nabokov: First published in
The New Yorker, this short story tells the sad tale of an elderly
couple and their mentally ill son.
2. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" by Flannery O’Connor: A
manipulative grandmother is at the center of this tragic and shocking
story about coming to terms with who you really are.
3. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway: A writer on
safari in Africa is close to death and looks back on his life regrettably
in this short tale.
4. "The Fly" by Katherine Mansfield: This short story deals with
some heavy themes, like death, truth and the horrors of war.
5. "In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka: An elaborate torture and
execution device that carves a sentence into a prisoner’s skin before
death is at the center of this famous short story by Kafka.
6. "A Hunger Artist" by Franz Kafka: Exploring themes like death,
art, isolation and personal failure, this work is one of Kafka’s best
and, sadly, most autobiographical.
7. "The Lame Shall Enter First" by Flannery O’Connor: In this
tragic story, a man’s idealism and self-interest cause him to ignore
the needs of his grieving son– with sad consequences.
8. "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson: First published in 1948, this
short has been ranked as one of the most famous short stories in
American literature– despite its negative reception in some places.
9. "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams: This story asks
readers to consider whether or not it is ethical to hurt someone for
their own good and, more importantly, whether one should be
ashamed to enjoy the experience.
10. "The Rockinghorse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence: This twisted tale
will stick with you long after you’ve read it, documenting the strange
relationship between a spendthrift mother and her son, who only
longs to make her happy.
11. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: An early
work of feminist literature, this story follows a young woman as she
descends into psychosis, becoming obsessed with the pattern and
color of the wallpaper.
12. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol
Oates: This short story was inspired by the murders committed in
Tucson, Arizona, by serial killer Charles Schmid.
protagonist
antagonist
plotline
exposition
rising action
climax
falling action
denouement
resolution
setting
characterization
Yes, I can
do it well.
Okay, I can
do it
somewhat.
Help! I
cannot do
it.
Learning Targets
I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves
matters uncertain.
I can determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and
analyze their development over the course of the text, including
how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex
account; provide an objective summary of the text.
I can analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are
introduced and developed).
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings;
analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone,
including words with multiple meanings or language that is
particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful (Including Shakespeare
as well as other authors).
I can analyze how an author's choices concerning how to
structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin
or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic
resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well
as its aesthetic impact.
I can analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem
(e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
(Including at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an
American dramatist.)
I can draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
I can apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
"Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and earlytwentieth-century foundational works of American literature,
including how two or more texts from the same period treat
similar themes or topics").
I can demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
I can interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in
context and analyze their role in the text.
Unit overview: Read some short stories: “DP” by Kurt Vonnegut; “The Yellow
Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman; “The Rockinghorse Winner” by D.H.
Lawrence; “The Bet” by Anton Chekov; “The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank
Stockton; “Little Things are Big” by Jesus Colon; “Little Brother™” by Bruce
Holland Rogers; “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
1. “DP” is used to teach evidence from text and to have class discussions about
short story endings. (actually part of Persuasive Essay/ Proficiency).
2. “Little Brother™” is used to explore the craft of short story reading and writing.
3. “The Lady or the Tiger” is used to teach satire/ also link it to the paradox miniunit; explore and author’s choices, and figures of speech
4. “Little Things are Big” is used to teach prediction, tone, and moral dilemmas.
5. “Harrison Bergeron” is used to teach perspective and satire.
6. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is used to teach perspective, voice, analyzing two
interpretations of the story (print and tape) and plot structure.
7. “The Rockinghorse Winner” is used to teach figurative language, tone,
characterization, and plot structure, as well as comparing two works of literature
and how they treat the same subject (gambling/ betting your own life).
8. “The Bet” is use to compare two works of literature and how they treat the same
subject (gambling/ betting your own life), moral dilemmas, characterization, and
plot structure.
To Do: pick out words/phrases from short stories and
make an analysis page for figurative language/
reflection paper, structure.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“The Rockinghorse Winner” by
D.H. Lawrence
Thank you to Mrs Sumpter’s Language Arts for the creative plotline diagram
“The Bet” by Anton Chekov
“The Lady or the Tiger” by Frank
Stockton
“Little Brother™” by Bruce
Holland Rogers MY ENDING
“Little Brother™” by Bruce
Holland Rogers ORIGINAL
ENDING