Short Story Study: Beware of the Dog

Short Story Study: Beware of the Dog

Short Story Study:

Historical Background:The Invasion of France
Questions for Further Understanding
Elements of a Short Story

The Invasion of France

In May 1940 Germany struck with a series of Blitzkrieg attacks, entering through the tempting gap that had been guarded only by the declared neutrality of Belgium and the Netherlands. Both small countries surrendered within days, crushed by overwhelming military force. German formations dashed across Flanders, occupying the area of the old 1914-1918 War battlefields, separating the French and British armies and threatening Paris within days.
The British force was pushed back, turning to make a fighting stand at the French port of Dunkirk. There then occurred the most amazing mass military evacuation in history. In nine days over 200,000 British and 130,000 French troops were rescued by hundreds of ships of the Royal Navy and small craft manned largely by English civilian volunteers. When the BEF returned to England, it had left behind most of its equipment in France so that in the summer of 1940 the only fully equipped formation available in England was a single Canadian division, which had arrived too late to go to France. After the evacuation the remaining French armies collapsed and France capitulated on 22nd June 1940.
The Pace of the War
The war involved scores of nations; it ranged over every continent and sea, costing more than 15 million military dead and probably far in excess of that number in civilian lives.

Germany Attacks

Once France had fallen, the Germans turned their attention to the destruction of the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a precursor to their proposed invasion of Britain by sea (Operation 'Sealion'). But the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force) was defeated over south-east England by determined men flying Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires, armed with the then unusual armament of eight machine guns, and much helped by efficient radar. The Germans then turned to aerial bombardment of specific targets and built-up areas, and the 'Blitz' and subsequent bombing campaigns lasted months. Coventry, Plymouth, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and many other towns were bombed, but the main attacks were on London, where 20, 000 people died.

Questions for Further Understanding:

Read "Beware of the Dog" and answer the following questions.Explain the authors choice of title.

Discussion of Plot:

1. Events: List the main events of the story in sequence. (point form & be brief!)
2. Suspense: Discuss two places in the story where the author creates a feeling of suspense.

What are the events?
What thoughts/ fears come to mind as you read these parts of the story?

3. Climax: "For a moment he could think of nothing at all. He stood there looking at the sign, repeating the words over and over to himself, and then slowly he began to realize the full meaning of the thing. "

Explain why this is the turning point in the story.
Identify the two events previous to this point that lead the pilot to this point.

Discussion of Setting:

1. When does the story take place?

2. How do you know?

3. Where does the story take place? Why is this important?

4. What feelings or moods are created in the story? Support your answer with quotes from the story.

Discussion of Characters:

There are two main characters in the story: the pilot and the nurse.

1. Who does the pilot represent in the story? The hero or the villain?

2. How does the author make you feel about him? Support your answer with quotes.

3. Who does the nurse represent in the story? How does the author make you feel about her? Support your answer with quotes.

Elements of a Short Story:

A "short story" is anything that is prose (that is to say, not poetry) and often tells a made-up, or fictional, story. Short can mean anywhere from about a page and all the way up to ten or twelve pages, or even more. It focuses on one character (or a small group of characters) in a single situation and there may be only one setting.

3 Elements to the Short Story:

Plot:
The plot is the STORY! It includes the events; the suspense (how the events are arranged to keep you guessing about what happens next); and the climax (the turning point in the story, after which the ending is fairly clear)

Setting:
The setting is primarily the where and when of the story. But it also includes the mood of the story (ie. depression, exciting, light and humorous)

Characters:
These are the chief persons in the story, whether heroes, heroines, or villains.

Fiction or Non-fiction: Defintions:
For each of the following terms, copy a dictionary meaning and then translate this meaning in your own words.

* Fiction (dictionary meaning)
* Fiction (meaning in your own words)
* Non-fiction (dictionary meaning)
* Non-fiction (meaning in your own words)