Dramatic Irony
Are the characters in a story smarter or dumber than the audience when there is dramatic irony?
The characters are dumber. We are smart!!!!
Characterization: What is the job of the main character?
A priest
The water was purified, so I drank it.
Purfied means: Cleaned by removing harmful or unwanted materials or qualities
At the end of the story, what does John realize about the gods?
They were men.
Why is the word "forbidden" used 6x in the 1st paragraph?
This is an example of repetition and it is to emphasize that the society is strict and has many rules.
What was the Great Burning where there "was fire falling out of the sky and a mist that poisoned"?
A nuclear war
Who is the first-person narrator in this story?
John, son of John (John Jr.)
When I failed my class, my mother became very stern with me.
Stern means: strict; severe
How is John's society different from the society that he discovered?
John's society is more primative. The society he discovers is much more technologically advanced.
What is John seeing when he has a vision of the past?
New York City in the past and the nuclear bomb being dropped.
What do we know about the things in the apartment building that John doesn't?
He is seeing appliances and plumbing (sinks, showers).
Setting: Where is The Dead Place (big city)?
New York City
My mom summoned me to the kitchen.
Summoned means: Ordered someone or something to come to a place.
Why does the main character go on this journey?
To gain knowledge
What are two important themes of the story?
True wisdom may reveal painful truths.
That knowledge should be gained slowly.
What is the "magic" that has left the apartment building?
Electricity and plumbing
Setting: Where does the very end of the story take place?
Back at the main character's tribe.
The rich and entitled man bade the butler to clean up after him.
Bade means: past tense of bid; requested
Why does John and his people think the dead places were places of the gods?
They had more advanced technology that they couldn't understand, so they thought they must be gods.
What was the image of a man in white stone with the letters "Ashing" below it?
A statue of George Washington
What does dramatic irony do for the story?
It creates suspense
Writing style: Why does the author use (em dashes) "—" when the main character is recounting his story to us?
It is a hard pause in his thinking when he is speaking to us.
At the start of Ramadan she began fasting, this is a custom Muslims follow.
Fasting means: intentionally not eating, often for religious or spiritual reasons
Custom means: traditions; actions that are commonly done by a group of people
In John's society/culture, who holds the most power and are the most educated (hint: John is one)
Priests
What is the moral of the story?
Too much new information can be bad for society.