Creative Writing

Description

Respond to the prompt below in this unit’s Dialogue/Group Discussion area in Blackboard by clicking on the link above.

This week we read a powerful short story by Flannery O’Connor. I want you now to consider this story technically in the context of a plot diagram, and examine how the parts of story contribute to its overall theme or message. You need not draw the partial triangle (as presented in lecture notes) but carefully list and discuss the following points as you feel they apply to this story:

Exposition–in the opening scenes, what information do we find out about the setting & main characters? Does the author hint at the theme or develop the mood/atmosphere of the story? What details does she use to do these things?

Initial Conflict—what was it and what characters were involved? What does it mean to story development and reader interest?

Rising Action—which scenes (or parts thereof) do you consider the most important contributors to character development and to the building tension before the climax, and why? Remember to discuss character involvement concretely and to use specific references and quotes from the story.

Climax—when does it occur and precisely, why do you think it is the true climax to this story? What is the significance of this moment? What do we find out and how does it relate to the overall message or worldview conveyed by the story? Was anything surprising, ironic, or unexpected about the climax?

Denouement—identify falling action and story ending/resolution. Is the ending tragic, comic, satirical, romantic, etc.? Do the characters learn anything? Do they change? Is it hopeful or bleak? Again, what theme or message is implied by the ending?

Do not hesitate to weigh into this discussion even if you disagree with your peers. Support your choices with evidence from the text, using page number references in MLA style