The Landlady: Analyzing, Writing and Changing the Story

The Landlady: Analyzing, Writing and Changing the Story

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to analyze 'The Landlady' by Roald Dahl, write an alternate ending, and give feedback on your peers' writing.

Introduce the learning objective to the students.

What do you remember about the short story 'The Landlady' by Roald Dahl?

Introduction to 'The Landlady'

Published in 1959, 'The Landlady' is a short story by Roald Dahl that follows a young man named Billy Weaver who stays at a bed and breakfast owned by a strange woman, the landlady.

Provide some background information about the short story.

Setting

The story takes place in Bath, England in the late 1950s.

Discuss the importance of setting in the story and how it contributes to the overall mood and tone.

Characters

The main characters are Billy Weaver, the landlady, and the two previous lodgers, Christopher Mulholland and Gregory Temple.

Introduce the main characters and their roles in the story.

Plot

Billy Weaver arrives in Bath and decides to stay at a bed and breakfast owned by a quirky and peculiar landlady. As the story progresses, Billy begins to realize that something is not quite right with the landlady, however he does not figure out what the problem is.

For the reader this is more obvious.

Discuss the plot of the story and how it builds suspense.

Themes

Some of the themes present in 'The Landlady' include appearance vs. reality, the dangers of blind trust, and the consequences of naivety.

Discuss the themes of the story and how they relate to the overall message.

Writing Prompt

'The Landlady' has an open ending, write your own ending to make it closed

Have students write their own alternate endings to the story.

Feedback

Exchange papers with a partner and provide feedback on their alternate ending.

Have students provide constructive criticism on their peer's writing.

Revisions

Revise your alternate ending based on the feedback you received.

Have students revise their writing based on the feedback they received.