The Way Up to Heaven

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

If you were reborn in a new life, would you rather be alive in the past or future?

What literary term is applicable to these situations?

IRONY

 a situation that is strange or funny because actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected. 

Lesson goals

At the end of this class, you can

• recognize and explain ironic elements in the story "The Way Up to Heaven"
• explain how the plot structure of a short story, and apply this knowledge to the short story "The Way up to Heaven"

What are ironic elements in "The Way Up to Heaven", and why?

Homework questions

• Summarize the short story in 150 words. 
• Explain the title of the short story. 
• Expain the ending of the story, and explain how the story sets up this conclusion. 
• What is the symbolic function of Mr Foster's gift?
• Who do you think is the more cruel character, Mr Foster or Mrs Foster? Why?

1

2

3

4

5

Introduction

Initial incident

Rising action

A series of events that complicates matters for your characters, and results in increased drama or suspense.

Climax

Resolution of the main conflict of the story and is the moment the main character reaches—or fails to reach—their goal.

Falling action

A series of events that follow the biggest conflict and show the fallout, whether good or bad. 

The opening of the story, in which you get to know the characters and the setting. 

The event that gets the story going one way instead of another.

Exercise

• Make a plot diagram for "The Way Up to Heaven"
• Use the document that I shared with you (Office 365) 
• 15 minutes
• You can use your reader and the story
• Afterwards, one person will be asked to share their work. The rest of the class will comment on it. 

Lesson goals

At the end of this class, you can

• recognize and explain ironic elements in the story "The Way Up to Heaven"
• explain how the plot structure of a short story, and apply this knowledge to the short story "The Way up to Heaven"

Introduction

Initial incident

Climax

Downgoing action

Rising action

Mr. Eugene Foster, who was nearly seventy years old, lived with his wife in a large
six story house in New York City, on East Sixty-second Street, and they had four 

servants.

Mr Foster finds ways to keep his wife waiting for her appointments. 

Mrs Foster gets to the airport, but her flight is cancelled. 

Mr Foster has forgotten his present for his daughter.

Mrs Foster finds her husband's present in the car. 

Mrs Foster listens at the door for her husband, waits, and runs back to the car which takes her to the airport. 

Mrs Foster returns from France, and enters her house. 

Mrs Foster calls someone to repair the lift. 

Pick one of the ironic elements from "The Way Up to Heaven" and explain it in a few words: the title, the ending, Mr Foster's dismissal of his servants, Mr Foster's gift, or something else.