Comparing Literary Works

Comparing Literary Works:

“One Thousand Dollars” by O. Henry, pp. 307-313

“By the Waters of Babylon” by Stephen Vincent Benét, pp. 314-326

Name______Hour ______Date______

Writing About the Big Question

The Big Question: Can progress be made without conflict?

Big Question Vocabulary

adversity change compromise concession confrontation

debate motive negotiate oppose progress

radical reconciliation resolve struggle unify

A. Use one or more words from the list above to complete each sentence. There may be more than one right answer.

1.Bobby had an unselfish______for his actions.

2.After the disaster, people had to______to survive.

3.Even though they suffered great______, they built a new life.

4.The disaster caused a dramatic______from the previous civilization to the new way of life.

5.Bobby’s uncle hoped that Bobby would make a______change in behavior.

B. Follow the directions in responding to each of the items below.

6.In several sentences, describe an internal conflict that you experienced in the past. Use one or two Big Question vocabulary words.

7.Write a sentence or two describing how you were able to resolve the conflict.

C. Complete the sentence below. Then, write a short paragraph in which you connect this experience to the big question.

8.In each of these stories, the main character finds himself challenged by unusual

circumstances. By dealing with such conflicts, the characters learn and grow. Think

about strategies you might recommend for dealing with unexpected situations and

complete this sentence: To deal with life's challenges, you should . ..

Vocabulary Builder

Word List (pp. 309-315)

nevertheless prudence prudent purification purified stipulates

A. DIRECTIONS: Each sentence below features a word from the Word List. Explain whether each sentence makes sense, given the meaning of the underlined word. If it does not make sense, write a new sentence using the word correctly.

1.Lake water should be purified before it is consumed.

2.It was prudent of James to rollerblade without a helmet.

3.Greta is sleepy; nevertheless, she wants to go to bed.

4.The entry form stipulates that all contestants must be under 18 years of age.

5.Jack exercised prudence in refusing to spend his savings to go to the movies.

6.When the water purification plant closed, the water tasted fresher.

B. DIRECTIONS: Write each word from the Word List after its correct definition.

7.exercising sound judgment; cautious ______

8.in spite of that; however ______

9.cleansed; made pure ______

10.includes specifically as part of an agreement ______

11.the process of getting rid of impurities ______

12.good judgment? ______

Literary Analysis: Point of View

Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. Most stories are told from either first-person point of view or third-person point of view.

In first-person point of view, the narrator is one of the characters and refers to himself or herself with the pronouns I or me. In “By the Waters of Babylon,” for example, the story’s

narrator is also its main character, John.

In third-person point of view, the narrator does not participate in the action. Instead, the

narrator refers to characters by the third-person pronouns he, she, him, her, they, and them.

“One Thousand Dollars” is told in third-person point of view. A narrator outside the story tells

about the actions and experiences of the main character, Bob Gillian.

Sometimes, a writer gives the reader more information than the narrator or a character has. By doing so, the writer creates dramatic irony, a forceful contrast between what the reader knows to be true and what the narrator or character believes.

DIRECTIONS: Write your answers to the following questions.

1. How can you tell that “One Thousand Dollars” is told in third-person point of view?

2. At the end of “One Thousand Dollars,” what do Gillian and the reader know that the lawyers do not know?

3.Reread the last sentence of “One Thousand Dollars.” How does this sentence create dramatic irony?

4.Does this dramatic irony make you see other people in a new light? Why or why not?

5.A. Give one quote from “By the Waters of Babylon” that helps you identify John as the story’s first-person narrator.

B. Then, circle the word or words in the quote that reveal the point of view.

6.What does John know that the reader does not know?

7.Give one detail from “By the Waters of Babylon” about which the reader has more knowledge than John does.

8.What mood is created by the story’s dramatic irony?

Writing to Compare and Contrast Literary Works

Before you draft your essay comparing how each author uses point of view to create irony, complete the graphic organizers below.

One Thousand Dollars
What truth is revealed at the end of the story?
Who sees the truth? (Consider the narrator, the story’s characters, and the reader.)
Who does not?
What is ironic about the story’s ending? (Do the reader, the characters, or the narrator continue to hold any wrong assumptions?)
How does the ironic ending affect the way you see yourself, the world, or others?
By the Waters of Babylon
What truth is revealed at the end of the story?
Who sees the truth? (Consider the narrator, the story’s characters, and the reader.)
Who does not?
What is ironic about the story’s ending? (Do the reader, the characters, or the narrator continue to hold any wrong assumptions?)
How does the ironic ending affect the way you see yourself, the world, or others?

Now, use your notes to write a five paragraph essay comparing how point of view creates irony in each story. In your essay, explain which use of irony you found more effective, and why.

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Grade 10, Unit 2