Class Zone: The Language of Literature

PART 2	Suspense and Surprise
W. H. Auden	O What Is That Sound Who could those soldiers be after?	A C T I V I T Y With a small group of classmates, write down on a piece of notebook paper a situation—real or imaginary—that your group thinks could be the basis of a story. Include at least one important conflict. For example, your situation might be that of a teenager who wants to be a jockey but is allergic to horses. Then pass your idea to another group. Take the idea that your group receives and agree on a surprise ending to the story. Try to make your solution to the conflict something unexpected, but effective. Jot down your ending at the bottom of the notebook page. With the other groups, take turns reading the story ideas and surprise endings aloud to the whole class and discuss which ones you think are the most intriguing.
Donald Justice	Incident in a Rose Garden The stranger's hand was a little cage of bone.
O. Henry	The Gift of the Magi What is the best gift you can give?
Nikki Giovanni	LITERARY LINK Luxury What is your definition of luxury?
Liam O'Flaherty	The Sniper A street fighter meets the enemy.
	REAL WORLD LINK A Respite From 'The Troubles' Kids of Northern Ireland learn the meaning of 'normal childhood.'
Shirley Jackson	The Possibility of Evil An old woman gets a taste of her own medicine.
Luisa Valenzuela	The Censors Repression can be addictive.
James Thurber	The Princess and the Tin Box What do princesses really want?
Edgar Allan Poe	AUTHOR STUDY
	Annabel Lee
	The Bells
	Letter to Maria Clemm
	The Cask of Amontillado A brilliant talent for depicting the dark side of the mind and heart
	LITERARY LINK The Story Behind "The Cask of Amontillado"