Block, 4-24, 25 - Pair-o-normal Stories . . . and a Third

• P&P

• Oh yah! Let's read some funky-fresh short stories today and then wash 'em down with a journal



D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

• "The Open Window" - H. H. "Saki" Munro (1870-1916), from his book of short stories Beasts and Super-Beasts. Dig the link if you dig the story. "Sredni Vashtar" is another really enjoyable one. Brutal. 

• "The Rocking-Horse Winner" - D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

• "The Monkey's Paw" or if that link doesn't work, try this one - W. W. Jacobs (1863-1943)

HW: (due Tuesday) J13 - Pair-o-normal Stories and a Third

1. In another one of his stories ("Sredni Vashtar") Saki writes, "One of these days [the little boy] supposed he would succumb to the mastering pressure of wearisome necessary things--such as illnesses and coddling restrictions and drawn-out dullness. Without his imagination, which was rampant under the  spur of loneliness, he would have succumbed long ago." How does this quote provide a key to understanding "The Open Window" (OW)? Explain your answer by supporting it with details from the text.
2. How is Lawrence's "Rocking-Horse Winner" (RHW) like a fairy tale? How is it quite different?
3. What produces the voices in the house?
4. How would you characterize Paul's father? How does he, as a character, affect Paul's relationship with his mother?
5. What does the final sentence of the story mean? 
6. How is RHW like OW? 
7. Consider a common theme they both develop.  
8. Are the respective tones (attitudes) of each story very different? Answer by selecting two adjectives to describe the tone of each story (Choosing two descriptive words will allow you to to nuance your answer, such as a story that might be both ironic and spiteful, rather than ironic and humorous).
9. How would you characterize the tone of "The Monkey's Paw"? Support your answer with details from the text.
10. Modernist literature is often reactionary, protest literature. Considering your historical background reading on the Twentieth century, explain how each story is "Modern" by considering what it is reacting against in society.
11. Finally, what ties these three stories together?