Mrs. Maurin's School Site - HOMEmaurin.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/1/5/2515798/munro_stor…  · Web viewSettings : (bleak/wild landscapes ? Small country towns/ Cities) Sechelt Peninsular.

Title : Structure :

Climax ?Resolution ?Flashback ?Dream ?Unanswered questions ?

Voice : who tells the story ? how ? reliable ? Different voices ?

Elements of suspense : (foreshadowing, shady characters, red herrings, elements of a thriller…)

Characters : (often misfits)1

2

3

Settings : (bleak/wild landscapes ? Small country towns/ Cities)

Time :-structural device

-tense

-as theme

Intertextual references :

Major concerns :AgingDyingLoyaltyRelationships(disfunctional or difficult)LoveLossFamilyWomen’s place-statuts, marriage, worketcPowerGuiltLies and TruthClass/social statusChangeChanceSearch for identity/acceptance/belongingMoral dilemmasSexual tension

Minor details:/symbols/clues Minor Characters :

Imagery : Stylistic featuresDomestic imagery ? Pause ? Pace ? Sentencing ? Simlpe Register ?

CONNECTIONS/LINKS with other stories ?

For EACH story, complete this summary table in detail, using brief , relevant and accurate quotationsTitle : DIMENSIONSRefers to Lloyd’s letter and explanation ;

Title of collection : TOO MUCH HAPPINESS. (ironic)

Structure :Begins in past : flashbacks, time lapses, constant shiftsClimax ? in middle-child murdersResolution ? Final page : Doree breathes, says no, saves another ‘child’Flashback ? constant to D’s mother, meeting Lloyd, Mrs Sands,Dream ? Lloyd’s dream : sanity ? LETTERS D’s dream it was a jokeUnanswered questions ? Lloyd sane or not ? Aware of real guilt ?(past lovers ? has killed before ??, mothers’ past ?)

Voice : who tells the story ? how ? reliable ? Different voices ?3rd person limited-Doree’s viewpoint.Lloyd’s voice reported through letters.

Elements of suspense : (foreshadowing, shady characters, red herrings, elements of a thriller…)Foreshadowing from page 1 : photo in the papers, change of name.Reader drawn in by lloyd ?

Characters : (often misfits)1Doree : weak, passive, young, niave, orphaned, friendless, easily manipulated, indecisive, loyalName change-id but tenuous LONELY

2 Lloyd : older (father figure) controlling, agressive, assertive an orderly, manipulative, possessive, sane ? repetition of ‘he’Self-made philosopher ex-drugs and hippie

3 Mrs Sands : ‘not…’ also manipulates derives info from Doree ; resented by D negative description

4 Maggie educated, has career, home schools, prying ? supportive, honest practical

Settings : (bleak/wild landscapes ? Small country towns/ Cities)Sechelt PeninsularSmall town, hospital then Lloyd removes her little by little to isolate them from world. (Mildmay across countrycountryside, he changes job-change of id)Her re-entry into the world begins with Maggie (Lloyd resents this)Murder in their own homeD re-enters society as anonymous, hotel chamber maid, but Lloyd remembers name (lucid)

Time :-structural device : present and past.Time references. Pace increases with ‘it got worse, gradually…and slows as D adjusts to sitn and tries dealing with it.Journey to facility-beg and end-tense shifts constant (unannounced) past and present

-as theme

Intertextual references :Know thyself-PlatoBibleHamlet (ironic advice of Polonius)

Crown of yellow spikes (biblical ref –thorns of Christ)

Monster (Frankenstein type musings)

Major concerns :AgingDying Dealing with DEATH (most tragic of all-infanticide ?)Loyalty despite allRelationships(disfunctional or difficult) abusive, manipulationLove YESLoss YESFamily YESWomen’s place-statuts, marriage, worketc YES

Power YESGuilt YESLies and Truth YESClass/social status-D’s lack of ed and family supportChange YESChanceSearch for identity/acceptance/belonging YESMoral dilemmas YESSexual tension

Minor details:/symbols/cluesRep etition ‘waited’ ; BreatheSon –accident victimPast lovers (Lloyd’s ?)Yes-no ‘had two children whose whereabouts he was not certain of’

Minor Characters :MaggieMother hippie ‘whore’Mrs SandsMother’s friends

Imagery : Stylistic featuresDomestic imagery ? Pause ? Pace ? Sentencing ? Simple Register ?SpacingSimple register //Lloyd’s clarityLetter : ravings but quite lucid and prophetic-soundingBegins in passive voice ‘had to take three buses’ ; ends with (don’t have to) and assertive’ no’

CONNECTIONS/LINKS with other stories ?Similar description of blood ‘strawberry jam’ in love of a good womanOptometristsMaternal behaviour (breastfeeding-deep holes)Dreams and lettersYoung mother

For EACH story, complete this summary table in detail, using brief , relevant and accurate quotations

Alice MUNRO : common features in her stories.

Feminist issues : marriage, work, career, marital relationships, status, independence.

Echoes of ideas, characters, settings, themes : a patchwork that makes sense as a whole.

Strands are common : main character is often a misfit ; somehow alienated from the rest of family or society.

Relationships : mother-child ; wife-husband ; in-laws ; neighbours…Disfunctional or difficult, tense relationships.

Questions relevant to age : adolescents, middle-aged women

Love and loss

Acceptance

Search for identity

Sexual tension

Moral dilemmas

Death

Common stylistic features :

Element of mystery- some stories written as a thriller.Suspense, foreshadowing, shady characters, red herrings,

Narrative voice –first person or different voices

Simple register.

Some UNANSWERED questions.

Setting : Bleak or wild landscapes/small country towns.

Decide on your position in light of the following statements. Be prepared to argue your case with supporting evidence.AGREE/ DISAGREE/ UNDECIDEDMunro explores the terror and horror of a patriarchal world

Munro doesn’t underline

Echoes of ideas, characters, settings, themes : a patchwork that makes sense as a whole.