Vocabulary
Theme
The central unifying idea of a story
Describe Billy Weaver's obsession with doing things briskly. What does this say about his character?
Billy thinks that doing things briskly will help him be a successful businessman. This tells the reader that Billy is trying to imitate successful people.
What is the setting of the story? Provide a detailed explanation.
The setting of the story is a bed and breakfast in Bath, England.
What is the climax of "The Landlady"?
The climax of the landlady is when the landlady says, "I stuff all of my little pets when they pass away."
This marks a changing point in the story because Billy starts to catch on that the landlady may not be as she seems.
(Would also take the end when she says that he is the only person who has stayed with her in two years)
when the outcome of a situation is contrary to or different from what is expected
Describe how the landlady's description in the story affects the mood of the story.
Her description of being a sweet older lady makes the mood unsettling as the story progresses because we see that her actions might not be sweet.
What is a theme found in The Landlady?
Don't judge a book by its cover/Danger lies everywhere
Provide and example of a rising action in the story.
- When Billy rang the doorbell, and the landlady immediately opened the door (adds to creepy mood)
- The discussion of the two other guests (build suspense)
- The bitter almond taste of the tea
Dramatic Irony
when the audience knows something about the story that the characters don't know
How old is Billy? How does his age affect the story?
Billy is 17 years old. This adds to the "creepy" mood in the story because he is so young compared to the landlady. This makes her seem slightly predatory.
How does the landlady's word choice provide an example of irony in the story?
The landlady speaks using positive language even though she is often talking about dark subjects like stuffing dead pets and (potentially) killing people and stuffing them too.
Provide an example of falling action in the story.
- Billy learns that the two men who are in the registry are still in the bed and breakfast
- Billy learns that the landlady's hobbies include taxidermy
Verbal Irony
using words to convey a meaning that is opposite to or markedly different from their literal interpretation
Provide an example of foreshadowing in "The Landlady"
suspiciously low rent, absence of other guests' belongings, the landlady's peculiar interest in handsome young men, familiar names in the guest book, and the strange taste of the tea
Describe the resolution of the story.
There is no resolution! The conclusion of the story leaves the reader hanging.
Exposition
How the story is set up in the beginning of the plot