The+Portable+Phonograph

__ Short Stories - Literary Devises __ __ Title: The Portable Phonograph __

Point of View: 3rd Person.

Protagonist: Dr. Jenkins

What type of character is the Protagonist? Dynamic and round.

Antagonist: The musician.

Describe the setting: In the future after a devastating world war. It is in the evening with the sun setting. "The air was still and cold, and in it settled the mute darkness and greater cold of night." They are in a small dugout area listening to this music because Dr. Jenkins house had probably been annihilated.

Type of Conflict: Man vs. Man.

Describe the main conflict: The main conflict is between Dr. Jenkins and the musician. The musician acts very rude while listening to this beautiful music and makes Dr. Jenkins feel nervous. He hides all his books and the portable phonograph because he doesn't feel safe. He goes to sleep with a lead pipe in his hand just in case the musician tries to steal or destroy the music and because he hears a faint coughing noise in the distance and presumes its the musician he grabs the lead pipe for protection.

Describe the Climax of the Story: Right at the end of the book when Dr. Jenkins hears a coughing noise coming from outside. He knows that Dr. Jenkins had a horrible cough while he was playing the music.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? Dr. Jenkins starts the story off feeling happy and excited to show off his books and portable phonograph that he has saved for centuries. Once the men have heard the music he feels really nervous because he thinks that the musician will vandalize the music.

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme: The theme of this story is above how one piece of music can change the way a man believes in things. The only way they could play music years ago was with a portable phonograph.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? The conflict between Dr. Jenkins and the musician relates to the theme because the two men have different points of view. Dr. Jenkins believes that music can change the world while the musician disagrees.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? The climax of when Dr. Jenkins hears the coughing illustrates the theme because he completely changes point of view that being peaceful and friendly is the way of life. He changes to the violent manner and grabs his lead pipe to attack.

__ Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes): __

Simile: "He was like a prehistoric priest performing a fateful ceremonial rite."

Metaphor: "From the remote distance, towards the red sky, came faintly the protracted howl and quick yap-yap of a prairie wolf." You know by this sentence that they are somewhere away from civilization such as a desert or forest.

Personification: "The red sunset, with narrow, black cloud strips like threats across it, __lay__ on the curved horizon of the prairie."

Symbol: "They were the scars of gigantic bombs, their rawness already made a little natural by rain, seed, and time." This is a symbol that you know that this area they are in is a massive war zone.

Foreshadowing (give both elements): "after a devastating world war." I know that the stories setting isn't going to be in the nicest mansion ever created.

Irony: It was very ironic that the musician was the only one that felt uncomfortable by this music. "It's no good; no earthly good."

Imagery: "Out of the sunset, through the dead, matted grass and isolated weed stalks of the prairie, crept the narrow and deeply rutted remains of a road."

Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story: Humanity relates to this story because this music has changed the way the musician sees this music and it changes his life. It changed all four of these men's lives. If the musician had never heard this music he would have thought it was beautiful, but he was thinking about the music too much. He wasn't listening to the beauty of the music, he was trying to hear all the different flaws.

__ Responding Questions: __

__ When is this story set? What has recently happened? Support your opinion with details from the story. __ This story is set in the future after a devastating world war. "Time: the future, after a devastating world war."

__ What is the purpose of the men's meeting? Why does the author compare the unwrapping of the book bundle to a ceremonial rite? __ The purpose of the men's meeting is for Dr. Jenkins to show these men that he has preserved a collection of books and records. He wants to show them how beautiful music really is being played from a portable phonograph. He compares the unwrapping of the books to a ceremonial rite because it is a privilege for these men to actually listen to music.

__ What is the significance of the books that were saved? Why are there no recent works of fiction included? __ There were only a couple books that had been saved from this massive world war. There maybe no works of fiction because Dr. Jenkins was not interested in that kind of story.

__What do you think is the significance of Dr. Jenkins clutching the lead pipe at the end of the story?__ I think that he clutched his lead pipe in case the musician breaks into his house he can kill or hurt him severely. He presumes the musician is outside because he hears a faint coughing outside.

__What do you think might happen next? Discuss, using references from the story.__ I think that the musician is going to try and break into Dr. Jenkins house and take the portable phonograph and the books and ruin them. "On the inside of the bed, next to the wall, he could feel with his hands, the comfortable piece of lead pipe." "Then quickly and quietly, looking at the piece of canvas frequently, he slipped the records into the case, snapped the lid shut, and carried the phonograph to his couch. COMPLETION 5/5 EFFORT 5/5 CONTENT 5/5 QUESTIONS 8/8 TOTAL 23/23 Link to mine and Chase's presentation: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ARS3-VYIGSAzZGg2cHJ4Yl8zM2hmNTNtbXpt&hl=en_US