Setting or the time and place of the action in a short story has a definite impact on the character development and plot. The setting is often found in the exposition of the plot and readily establishes time and place. Frequently it plays an important role in the conflict giving credence to the rising action as a climax or turning point is approached. Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”, is a story that focuses on the external conflict of individual versus individual (Zaroff and Rainsford) and an individual’s struggle with nature (Rainsford’s struggle with the setting namely, Ship Trap Island).
The element of setting in a short story quite readily lends itself to writing activities that focus on figurative language and effective use of adjectives to create vivid, exact sense images and impressions.
We believe that the study of setting in the short story not only enables the students to analyze the importance of this element to the whole but will allow them to reflect upon the importance of time and place in their own life and understand how it contributes to their own character development and conflicts.
To illustrate the element of setting we have chosen the story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London The gripping story of a man’s battle for his life in the frozen North.
This story can be found in the following books:
Counterpoint in Literature
Scott, Foresman and Co., Reading Level 8-9
Spotlight on Literature
Random House 3, Reading Level 4
Reading Lesson Plan #1
Objective:
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To determine whether or not students have an understanding of “To Build a Fire.”
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Procedure:
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The following questions can be used to lead an oral discussion of the story. The questions can be used either by the teacher to lead the entire group or may be used by students in smaller groups.
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1. Where did this story take place?
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2. When did this story take place?
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3. Would the story have been as interesting if it had taken place in Florida? Why do you think as you do?
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4. Who had better instincts about traveling in the cold; the man or the dog? Why do you think as you do?
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5. Once the man’s feet were wet, what was his most serious mistake? Why?
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6. Why wasn’t the man in the story at the camp with the other men?
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Evaluation:
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Students’ understanding of the story can be determined by their participation in the oral discussion.
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Reading Lesson Plan #2
Objective:
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To check students’ understanding of sequence.
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Procedure:
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Students are to rewrite the following statements in the order they happened.
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1. The man fell through the ice.
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2. The man burned himself.
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3. The man decided he would eat his lunch when he got to the fork at 12:30.
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4. The man thawed the ice from his face so that he could eat his lunch.
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5. The snow put his fire out.
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6. The man used the dog to test the ice and its feet got wet.
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7. The man used the entire pack of matches.
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8. The man started a fire under the trees.
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Answers: 1) 4, 2) 8, 3) 1, 4) 3, 5) 6, 6) 2, 7) 7, 8) 5.
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Evaluation:
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Students’ correct responses to exercise.
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Writing Lesson Plan #1
Objective:
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To introduce or reinforce the concept of figurative language using Personification in writing.
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Procedure:
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When reading the story, “To Build a Fire,” make students aware of the figurative language in the story.
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1. Finally the fire was growing strong. His toes and face had already been touched by the frost.
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2. The main thing was the fire. The flames were dancing high.
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3. He struggled to his feet. He could feel the frost creeping into his body from every side.
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4. Suddenly, the dog caught the smell of death.
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Be certain students have a workable definition of personification. Personification is giving human traits to non-human things. For example:
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1. The leaves danced proudly.
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2. The island felt lonely.
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3. The wind sang a tune.
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4. The surf swallowed the rocks.
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5. The engine sneezed and coughed.
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Have students choose five non-human objects and give the objects a human characteristic or trait.
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or
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Have students choose one object and write five human traits for the object.
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Evaluation:
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Check students’ writing for correct responses or have them read the responses aloud to the class.
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Writing Lesson Plan #2
Objective:
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To identify comparisons in figurative language, distinguishing between metaphors and similes and utilizing such in writing.
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Procedure:
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Make certain students have an understanding of metaphors and similes.
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1. If the comparison uses the words “like”, “as”, “such as”, the comparison is a
simile
.
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2. If the comparison says one thing is the other and does not use the words “like”, “as”, “such as”, the comparison is a
metaphor
.
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Ask the students to read carefully the following comparisons from the story, “The Most Dangerous Game.”
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1. . . . but even you can’t see four miles or so through a moonless night.” “Nor four yards,” admitted Rainsford. Ugh? “It’s like moist black velvet.”
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Comparison:
night
velvet
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____
(Simile)
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2. “It’s so dark,” he thought, “that I could sleep without closing my eyes; the night would be my eyelids.”
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Comparison:
night
eyelids
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(Metaphor)
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3. He struggles up to the surface and tried to cry out, but the wash from the speeding yacht slapped him in the face.
(Personification)
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4. Ten minutes of determined effort brought another sound to his ears—the most welcome he had ever heard—the muttering and growling of the sea.
(Personification)
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5. The revolver pointed rigidly as if the giant was a statue.
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Comparison:
giant
statue
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(Simile)
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6. Rainsford’s impulse was to hurl himself down like a panther.
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Comparison:
Rainsford
panther
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(Simile)
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7. Zaroff was the cat; he was the mouse.
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Comparison:
Zaroff
cat
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(Metaphor)
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Comparison:
Rainsford
mouse
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(metaphor)
Evaluation:
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Correct students’ responses accordingly. The number of correct responses will indicate students’ understanding of figurative language: Metaphors, Similes, and Personification.
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Related Activities
Tape Recordings
Play a tape recording of different everyday sounds:
1. doorbell ringing
2. running water in a sink
3. window fan
4. pouring soda in a glass
5. door closing
Ask students to identify the sound on a sheet of notebook paper.
When they have finished, write the actual sounds on the board.
Ask students to compare their list to that on the board.
Ask for volunteers to make their own recordings and play for the class. Students can work individually or in groups of two or three students.
Sense lmages
Show students pictures of:
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1. Festive occasion (Thanksgiving, anniversary party, wedding, etc.)
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2. Ask students to look carefully at the picture and identify those things that appeal to the senses.
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3. On a sheet of notebook paper label five columns:
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Sight
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Taste
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Touch
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Smell
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Hearing
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4. Write under the appropriate column those things in the picture that appeal to a particular sense. Two or more responses may be acceptable. Emphasize dominant sense.
Creative Writing
Ask students to choose one subject from the following list:
1. A special pet
2. A unique object
3. A tranquil place to go
4. An important person in my life
5. Themself
6. Anything they choose
7. A favorite food
Write a descriptive paragraph on the topic chosen. Be certain to use descriptive language that appeals to the senses. Utilize figurative language (similes, metaphors and personification) in their description.
Pair students and have each read the other’s descriptive paragraph making suggestions for improvement on an index card.
Return paper and index card with comments for possible rewriting.
Teacher should also give positive feedback before final writing is completed in journal.
Vocabulary
The following terms should be familiar to the students after focusing on the element of
setting
.
Setting
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Figurative Language
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time
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metaphor
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place
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simile
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Imagery
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personification
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Symbol
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Senses
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Connotation
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auditory (hearing)
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Denotation
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gustatory (taste)
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olfactory (smell)
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tactile (touch)
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visual (sight)
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Vocabulary Worksheet
The setting of the short story tells the
Time
and
Place
of the action. To make a setting or background for the main character to come alive, we often use descriptive language which is not meant to be taken in its literal sense called
Figurative Language
.
Some examples of such descriptive language are:
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1.
Simile
: A comparison between two unlike things that uses the words like or as; for example, This bread is as hard as a rock.
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2.
Metaphor
: A comparison between two dissimilar things that does not use the words like or as; for example, Life is a short story of conflicts and compromise.
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3.
Personification
: That which give human traits to non-human things; for example, The waves danced on the jagged rocks.
Using language that appeals to any sense or any combination of senses is called
Ima
gery. These senses are
Sight
,
Hearing
,
Taste
,
Touch
or
Smell
. Sometimes using an object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and stands for something larger than itself; an idea, belief, or value called
Symbol
helps to improve our writing of a short story. It is important that we can differentiate between the literal meaning of a word
Denotation
and the emotion or association that a word may arouse
Connotation.