Everyday Use
1. Who is the protagonist? Explain your choice. As before, you should judge this based on several factors: Which character do we spend the most time with? Which character is telling the story (probably it is her story, then)? Which character changes, if one does? Which character are we left to focus on at the end of the story? When the same character is the answer to most or all of the above questions, that character is probably the protagonist.
2. Unlike "Cathedral," this story has an antagonist. Who? How is she antagonistic? This character has many admirable traits--a rounded character--but seems to use them only for selfish purposes.
3. Is there a catalyst in this story? If so, who? When, and in what way? Remember that a catalyst may do something to cause a change in the protagonist, usually a positive change. You can name this character just by a process of elimination (she is not the protagonist nor the antagonist), but you may have to reread the climactic scene to notice what she says that shows her to be a catalyst.
4. There are two main types of social conflict in this story. But they are quite different types. Tip: One type is shown by a big difference in standards of living. It has a readymade label, and is one of the types we have already mentioned in the course. What is this type of social conflict? The other type of social conflict has to do with family--mothers and daughters--so what is this other type of social conflict called? Again, it has a readymade label we have already mentioned in the course.
5 . Working from your answers to the first four questions, now you will try to describe the sort of inner conflict the protagonist feels. Tip: A good way to do this is to list several emotions the protagonist seems to feel. Another useful way to understand the main character’s inner conflict is to see how it becomes more severe, in stages. I am asking you to do some of both things in this question. The inner conflict is in fact visible even before Dee
2. Unlike "Cathedral," this story has an antagonist. Who? How is she antagonistic? This character has many admirable traits--a rounded character--but seems to use them only for selfish purposes.
3. Is there a catalyst in this story? If so, who? When, and in what way? Remember that a catalyst may do something to cause a change in the protagonist, usually a positive change. You can name this character just by a process of elimination (she is not the protagonist nor the antagonist), but you may have to reread the climactic scene to notice what she says that shows her to be a catalyst.
4. There are two main types of social conflict in this story. But they are quite different types. Tip: One type is shown by a big difference in standards of living. It has a readymade label, and is one of the types we have already mentioned in the course. What is this type of social conflict? The other type of social conflict has to do with family--mothers and daughters--so what is this other type of social conflict called? Again, it has a readymade label we have already mentioned in the course.
5 . Working from your answers to the first four questions, now you will try to describe the sort of inner conflict the protagonist feels. Tip: A good way to do this is to list several emotions the protagonist seems to feel. Another useful way to understand the main character’s inner conflict is to see how it becomes more severe, in stages. I am asking you to do some of both things in this question. The inner conflict is in fact visible even before Dee