The following is the list of short stories we would like you to read during the summer holidays. You don’t have to read all of them, although we advise you to. (The more you read, the better you’ll be prepared for your exam next year!)
To have access to the texts, all you need to do is click on the titles of the short stories:
– ‘The Oval Portrait’, Edgar Allan Poe, 1842 (first publication)
– ‘Eveline’, James Joyce, 1914
– ‘Counterparts’, James Joyce, 1914
– ‘Mr Loveday’s Little Outing’, Evelyn Waugh, 1935
– ‘The Pedestrian’, Ray Bradbury, 1951
– ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, Roald Dahl, 1953
– ‘The Dragon’, Ray Bradbury, 1955
– ‘Little Things’ (also entitled ‘Mine’ and ‘Popular Mechanics’), Raymond Carver, 1977
Once you have read the stories we would like you to give an account of your reading (one short story at least.)
Here are the different parts that your account should be composed of (the questions in brackets are here to guide you):
- Write a short presentation of the author (period when he or she wrote; nationality; the literary trend or movement that he or she took part in; the influence that he or she has had).
- Explain the setting of the story. (Where and when does it take place?)
- Give a summary of the story. (What happens?)
- Draw short portraits of the main characters. (What physical, social or psychological elements are important?)
- Give an account of the narrative techniques used. (What is the status of the narrator? What types of focalization are used? Is the chronological order of events respected? How does the narrator relate to his characters and to his readers?)
- Define the tone of the story and tell what literary genre and/or movement it could belong to. Justify.
- How did you react to the story? Did you like it or not? Why?
You are expected to hand in your work (typed, please!) during the week starting September 10th, 2012. This will be your first grade of the school year.
Enjoy the stories… and the summer holidays!
Mme Cierco & M. Hamel
