Man From the South

Literary terms:

Atmosphere: physical setting for a story

Question: What atmosphere is present in the story? How is it described?

Characterisation: actions, personalities, and motivations of the characters that are revealed through their physical descriptions, speech, and observations of the writer or other characters
Question: What is your impression of the main characters of the story: the old man and the American cadet? What details helped you imagine these characters and understand their personalities and motivations?

Dialogue: conversation between characters which helps to create realistic setting and add to characterisation
Question: What role does dialogue play in this story? Do you think the story would be more interesting or less interesting without the dialogue of the main characters?

Local colour: the use of specific details such as dialect, accent, dress, or scenery
Question: What details of local colour did you find in the story? Are they important for your understanding of the characters?

Surprise ending: unexpected ending

Question: What ending did you expect to find in the story? Did your impression of the old man change in the end? In what way?

Discussion questions:

1. What do you think the author wanted to share in this story?

2. In what part of the story did you begin to feel that the bet was going too far?

3. What do you think about betting and people who like to bet? Have you or anyone you know ever been in a difficult situation because of a bet?

Writing task: Write a four-paragraph narrative essay (introduction, two body paragraphs, and conclusion) on one of the following topics:

Topic 1: Retell the story “Man from the South” from the point of view of one of the characters. Do not use dialogue.

Topic 2: Write about an unusual personal experience.