Lit Elements
Characters speaking in a story
What is dialogue?
Introduces background information about events, settings, and characters
What is exposition?
The inciting event of "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"
What is the "meteor" flashing across the sky over Maple Street?
The event in the story that causes the neighbors to accuse Les Goodman of being the monster.
What is Les's car turning on seemingly on its own?
The figure that is shot by Charlie.
Who is Pete Van Horn?
When and where a story takes place
What is setting?
A related series of incidents that build toward the point of greatest interest.
What is rising action?
Identify the type of conflict: The strange flash of light and the loss of power are caused by aliens testing how humans react under stress.
What is character vs supernatural?
The character who is the voice of reason throughout the story.
Who is Steve Brand?
This type of conflict is defined by a character facing a struggle within themselves.
What is character vs self?
The sequence of events that happen in a story.
What is plot?
The point at which the forces of the conflict meet; greatest interest point.
What is climax?
Identify the type of conflict: Les Goodman faces suspicion and judgement from the entire neighborhood for how he is seemingly different from the rest of them.
What is character vs. society?
What is his wife reveals that he uses a radio set in his basement?
One of the tools used by the aliens performing the test to "show" a neighbor's guilt.
What is giving their house or items at their house electricity or power? (Car starting, lights turning on in a house)
The main problem or struggle a character(s) faces in a story.
What is conflict?
Shows the consequences of the climax and their affect on characters.
What is falling action?
Identify the type of conflict: Sally has known Ethel Goodman since they moved in five years ago and doesn’t feel good about keeping watch on them.
What is character vs. self?
The excuse/reason Charlie uses to defend himself when he is accused of being the monster.
What is he blames Tommy?
Describe what is revealed about Charlie in the second act of the story. What do his actions and dialogue reveal about his character?
Answers will vary.
The lesson or message of a story. This is what the author wants us to take away and apply to our own lives.
What is theme?
The event that sets a conflict in motion.
What is inciting event/incident?
Identify the type of conflict: The neighbors of Maple Street are searching for a monster among them, but in the end, their actions toward one another show that they are the real monsters of the neighborhood.
True or false: In the end, we discover that it really was Tommy all along- he was an alien sent out to look like a human and cause all these events on Maple Street. EXPLAIN!
What is false- there were no actual aliens or monsters on Maple Street. The neighbors were being manipulated by the aliens who were in the field observing what happened. The real monsters ended up being the neighbors themselves.
Discuss a theme that develops in "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street" and explain how we see it in the story.
Answers will vary.