Unit 3 A Dill Pickle 教案.docx

Unit 3 A Dill Pickle 教案Role playDramatize the scene of their rccncountcr-pay attention to the subtlety of tone, look, and action.1. Objectives Understand the story: theme & character. Appreciate literature: read between the lines;, read (he story from a particular perspective: feminism;, interpret the symbols Learn to describe a scene or object with accuracy: verbs.2. AuthorKatherine Mansfield (1888-1923) rebellious, dangerously witty, and lonelycreative years burdened with loneliness, illness, jealousy and alienation: bitter depiction of marital and family relationships,died of TBthe romantic disease”Her works:, In a German Pension?( 1911), The Garden Party: and Other Stories?( 1922), The Doves Nest: and Other Stories?( 1923), Bliss: and Other Stories?( 1923) Stream of consciousness Characters psychological activities with detailed descriptions and symbolismHer influence:, Revolutionized the English short story; Marked the maturity of English short story; Was often compared to Dickens and Chekhov.ThemeQuestions for thinking:1) Do you think the character of the two lovers plays an important role in their relationshipWhat do you think results in the failure of their love and communication2) How would you describe the two characters relationship as presented in the story Do you think (his is a typical love story If not, why does (he writer choose to tell it this way Or what is her real purpose in writing such a story Womens condition at the time:Women were advocated to cultivate such qualities as “tenderness of understanding, unworldliness and innocence, domestic affection, and above all, submissiveness in various degrees.” “The Woman Question”：rising wave of feminist movement (late Victorian age to the early 20(h century) Man-Woman relationship:sexual politics (ideas and activities that are concerned with how power is shared between men and women, and how this affects their relationships) Feminist concern: What does a woman wantIt was her “born duty to reckon everything subordinate to his comfort and pleasure, and to let him neither see nor feel anything coming from her, except what is agreeable to him.”J. S. Mill, The Subjection of WomenSexual politics:1) The man talks while the woman listens.2) The man controls the conversation, demanding attention.3) The man is tantalizing, offering hopes that he withdraws at wish.4) The womans reaction:contradiction ? compromise ? rebellion5) The womans desire to be heard and understoodStyle:1. Characteristics of modernist writing: symbolic imagesfragmented plot, trivial subjectspsychological insight-internal monologues, stream of consciousness”2. Many of the images in (he story are deliberately symbolic. For example, the flowers. Can you find out the implication of the flowers Do they take on a second meaning in the storyWhy is the story titled A Dill Pickle” How is it relevant to a love story What might it represent symbolically, if it does5. Character analysisVeraQuestions for thinking:1) How did Vera feel when she saw her former lover Was she still attached to him2) Why did Vera break up with the man six years earlier3) Do you think Vera left the man again for the same reasons as (he first timeWhat indeed did Vera want Why had she been so lonely Was it because, as the man said, she was an egoist4) What does the “strange beast” stand fbr Why does the author describe it as a “strange beast” Is this image conventionally associated with women5) How do you understand that Vera was “bom out of herThe manQuestions for thinking:6) What is the mans name Why isnt he given a nameWas the man still in love with Vera If not, why did he seem so happy talking to her and ask her to stay7) Why did he let it go at that” when Vera told him she had sold her pianoIn what tone did he mention the break-up letter Do you think he really understood now what Vera had written about him8) Do you agree with what (he man said about Vera Did he understand her to some extentStructureQuestions for thinking:1) How does the story begin and end How is it different from a traditional storyWhy isnt the story told in the original time order What kind of effect does it create on the readers mind2) Wc know little of what really happened between the characters. Instead we arc provided with only scattered memories and feelings. Why does (he writer withhold the information Do you find it more intriguing to work out the puzzle than to have a direct and full pictureDetailed AnalysisPart One1. How differently did Vera and the man read to their chance reencounter Why2. Do you think the man meant it when he said that Vera looked “so well Why did he say soWhat details in this part have you noticed that might help us understand better the characters and the problem in their relationshipPart TwoEpisode 1 (13-15): first date1. How did Veras memory differ from the mans recollection of their first date2. Why did she later admit that His was the truer.”Episode 2 (16-21): on a lawn1. Why did Vera at (he moment think of this particular incident in their love affair What might it tell of her feelings for the manHow did the mans words at that time contrast with his at the present Do you find this contrast ironic WhyEpisode 3 (22-43): the Russian tripIn what way had the man changed in the six years And the woman What influence would it have on their relationship1. Why did the man “let it go“ when he knew that the woman had sold her piano Was it strange for him to do soHow did the man describe his experience of the river life What picture did it provoke in Veras mindEpisode 4 (44-51): the night of the Christmas treeWhat did the man suggest when he praised the woman as a marvelous listener”? Why did Vera find “a hint of mockery in his voice1. What did it show that the man did not remember his dogs name whereas Vera did2. What did it imply when the man “snapped the cigarette case toMPart Three1. Why did Vera want to leave when the man mentioned their breakup six years ago Why did she then change her mind and stayedDo you think Vera and the man were lonely fbr the same reasons Was she an egoist as he was2. Why did she leave again, and so abruptly9. Discussion1) We find Veras impression or memory very diflerent from the mans. Why does the author present us with these contradictory stories2) Whose version is probably more reliable3) For most of the time, it was the man that spoke while Vera remained silent in her thought.Why is it so Did she not want to speak Or was it for any other reason4) What did the man want from Vera by asking her to stay What did Vera want from himWhat docs this story tell of the womens condition in the beginning of the 20th century In what way is Veras decision to leave uneasy and thus admirable5) Do you enjoy reading this story If so, what makes it so interesting or powerfulWhat important elements of the modernist short story have you learned about by studying this text