Vocabulary
a point where two or more things come together or meet
What is junction
Where did the story's setting begin?
Where was it scheduled to end?
Brooklyn, NY
and scheduled to end in California
Who is Orson Welles?
the radio broadcaster; he introduces the story
What is the mood of the story?
eerie, suspenseful, unsettling, or ominous
Which TWO topics from the list below can be applied to the story and used in a theme statement?
Topics: isolation, love, fear
isolation and fear
evil or threatening
What is sinister
Who is the main protagonist in "The Hitchhiker"?
Who is Ronald Adams
Is the hitchhiker's true identity revealed?
no
What literary device does the author use when Adams reflects on a memory from his past?
flashback
Draw or describe the hitchhiker as you picture him based on Fletcher’s descriptions.
dull, drab, not scary or sinister, think, nondescript or plain-looking
overnight bag, rain
a promise or guarantee
What is assurance
What happens in the climax of the story?
Adams decides to call his mother and learns that she is in the hospital because he [Adams] died in a car crash.
Who gets out the car for fear of the driver being crazy?
the girl hitchhiker
How does Lucille Fletcher build suspense and tension in the story?
foreshadowing and the unreliable narrator
What is the story's point of view?
1st person
a carefree adventure
What is a lark
What is the main conflict that drives the plot forward?
what is character vs. self
Ronald Adams vs. his fear and uncertainty about the hitchhiker's identity and intentions
Who warns Adams not to fall asleep, speed, or pick up anyone on the side of the road?
Adam's Mother
How does the author use the setting to create a suspenseful tone?
The story’s setting, primarily on isolated highways across different states, creates an atmosphere of loneliness and vulnerability. This sense of isolation heightens the suspense, as there are no other characters or places for Ronald to turn to for help, which reinforces the eerie presence of the hitchhiker following him.
What is the genre?
psychological thriller
a lack of variety or change; sameness
What is monotony
Part 1:
In the __________ of a story (a part of plot) the main conflict is resolved and the loose ends are tied up?
Part 2:
Does this story have one?
Part 1:
What is the Resolution
Part 2:
No, it's a cliffhanger.
What type of narrator is Ronald Adams?
An unreliable narrator, meaning that readers cannot fully trust the accuracy of his version of events
What is the text structure?
chronological order
Describe some of the techniques that were used to tell the story over the radio.
Sound effects
Voice variety
Realistic events