Unraveling the Elements of Short Story in Roald Dahl's Parson's Pleasure

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Unraveling the Elements of Short Story in 

Roald Dahl's Short Stories

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to identify and apply the elements of a short story in Roald Dahl's short stories.

Emphasize the importance of understanding the elements of a short story and their relevance in analyzing literary works.

What do you already know about the elements of a short story?

Introduction

Roald Dahl's short stories are masterpieces that showcases the different elements of a short story. But before we dive into the story, let's refresh our memory of the elements of a short story.

Review the basic elements of a short story such as plot, setting, characters, point of view, theme, and conflict. Encourage students to share their own understanding of the elements.

Plot

The plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. 

Ask students to identify the different events that make up the plot of the story. Encourage them to share their insights on how the plot contributes to the overall theme of the story.

In Parson's Pleasure, the plot revolves around a young man who sells antique furniture to a wealthy but cunning landowner.

Setting

The setting is the time and place where the story takes place. 

Ask students to describe the setting of the story and its significance in the development of the plot and characters.

In Parson's Pleasure, the setting is a rural English countryside during the 1950s.

Characters

Characters are the people or animals that the story revolves around.

Ask students to analyze the different characters in the story and their motivations. Encourage them to share their insights on how the characters interact with each other to move the plot forward.

In Parson's Pleasure, the main characters are a young man and a wealthy landowner.

Point of View

The point of view refers to the perspective from which the story is told. 

Ask students to identify the point of view of the story and its significance in the development of the plot and characters. Encourage them to share their insights on how the point of view affects the reader's perception of the story.

In Parson's Pleasure, the story is told from a third-person point of view.

Theme

The theme is the underlying message or meaning of the story.

In Parson's Pleasure, the theme revolves around the consequences of greed and deception.

Conflict

Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot of the story. 

Ask students to identify the different types of conflict in the story and their significance in the plot and character development. In Parson's Pleasure, the conflict is between the young man and the landowner.

Now, read the story!

• You are going to read the story. 
• Finished? Write some keywords down which describe the story

Interactive Activity

Divide the students into groups and ask them to create a storyboard that illustrates the different elements of a short story in Parson's Pleasure.

Provide the students with the necessary materials such as markers, paper, and reference materials. Encourage them to be creative and to present their storyboard to the class.

Conclusion

The elements of a short story are important in analyzing and understanding literary works. By identifying and applying these elements in one of the short stories, we are able to appreciate the richness and complexity of Roald Dahl's masterpiece.

Sum up the main points of the lesson and emphasize the importance of understanding the elements of a short story. Encourage students to read more short stories and apply what they have learned in their analysis.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.