Transcript The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
Who are the real monsters?!?
Who Believes in Aliens?
60% of people believe
that aliens exist!!
A recent CNN poll
showed that almost 80%
of Americans thought
that the government was
hiding information about
aliens.
What would aliens look like? 35%
of those polled think aliens would
look like humans.
Would aliens be like you and
me….or would they be monsters?
Aliens??? Really?
Who in this class believes aliens are:
Real
Possible
Not Possible
Play Synopsis
Synopsis: The screenplay explores the effects of prejudice
and suspicion. After a bright, unknown object flashes across
the sky, the neighbors of Maple Street discover that their
electricity is gone, their cars have stopped working, and the
telephones are out of order.
A boy, Tommy, tells the neighbors stories he has read about
aliens from outer space.
He tells the neighbors that there is always a family that is
“sent ahead” who appears to be human…but really isn’t.
Teleplay Terms
Not on Test
Fade In: The picture gradually appears on the screen.
Pan: A swiveling movement of the camera from one side
to another.
Fade to Black: The picture gradually disappears
until all that remains is a blank screen.
Cut To: A sudden change from one scene or character to another.
Teleplay Terms
Not on Test
Outside Shot: A camera shot of an exterior.
Long Shot: A camera shot from far off.
Close-Up: A camera shot that is very close to its subject.
Vocabulary
Notes
Prejudice: An unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand
or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
Suspicion: The feeling of mistrust of a person; to view unfavorably,
to believe that someone is guilty of an act without proof.
Foreshadowing: A hint or clue at what will happen later in
a story.
Vocabulary Act I
No
Notes
Meteor:
A meteoroid that has entered Earth's
atmosphere.
Sunspots:
Dark spots on the surface of the sun caused by
magnetic storms.
Metamorphosis: Any complete change in form, appearance, character,
circumstances.
Fifth Columnists:
Insomnia:
People who help the enemy from within their own
country. (Traitors.)
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Conflict
Conflict is a struggle between
opposing forces.
Conflict
Notes
Man vs. Man: A character struggles with another
character.
Man vs. Nature: A character struggles with a force
of nature (natural disaster or animal, for example).
Man vs. Society: A struggle between a person and
the expectations, traditions, or rules of their
community.
Man vs. Self: An internal struggle where a person
must make a choice or overcome emotions.
Conflict
Man vs. Man:
Man vs. Nature:
Man vs. Society:
Man vs. Self:
Mob Mentality
Mob mentality is sometimes called herd mentality. It refers
to the way that people behave when they are part of a
group.
Often, people tend to go along with their group- even if
they don’t agree. Sometimes they end up taking part in
situations they would normally avoid.
This trend becomes even stronger when the group fears or
faces an outside threat.
Is this a behavior that we see anywhere in our lives? In the
world today?
Act I Review Questions, Pg. 68
1. Do you believe that aliens are involved in the events on Maple
Street? Explain the reason for your prediction
2. What future events could Tommy’s words foreshadow?
(Remember that foreshadow means to suggest an event to come
in the future.)
3. What is the group’s reaction when Les Goodman’s car starts?
What inference do they make about the cause of the car’s
behavior? (Remember that inference means a conclusion that is
made from what information is available.)
Act I Review Questions, Pg. 68
4. At the end of Act One, Les Goodman warns the residents that
they are starting something that should frighten them and he
goes on to call it a nightmare. What could he mean?
5. A scapegoat is someone whom people blame for their
troubles. How has Les Goodman become a scapegoat?
6. What is the difference between a crowd and a mob?
Act I Review Questions, Pg. 68
Reading Check
A. A dramatic event triggers the action on Maple
Street. What do the residents believe has caused
the power failure?
B. Find three incidents that show this is NOT a normal
power failure.
C. How do the adults first react to Tommy’s
suggestion that “they” are aliens who do not want
Steve and Charlie to leave the area?
Act I Review Questions, Pg. 68
Reading Check
D.What does Tommy then say that causes the adults to
become increasingly uncomfortable?
E. What is Tommy’s source of information about alien
life form and their habits?
Refresh Your Memory
Types of Conflict
Conflict
Man vs. Man: A character struggles with another
character.
Man vs. Nature: A character struggles with a force
of nature (natural disaster or animal, for example).
Man vs. Society: A struggle between a person and
the expectations, traditions, or rules of their
community.
Man vs. Self: An internal struggle where a person
must make a choice or overcome emotions.
Conflict Act I
Describe an example of man vs. society conflict
from Act I.
Conflict Act I
Describe an example of man vs. man conflict from
Act I.
Act II
Vocabulary Act II
Hanging Judge:
A judge who sentences people to death without
real evidence.
Idiosyncrasy:
Any quirk or peculiarity.
Kangaroo Court:
An unauthorized court, usually one that does
NOT follow legal procedures.
Scapegoat:
A person who is wrongly blamed.
Act II Review Questions, Pg. 78
4. Symbols in literature are persons, places, or
things that function as themselves, but that can also
stand for larger ideals such as love, glory, or honor.
When Maple Street loses power and is plunged into
darkness, terrible events occur. What personal
power, or ability, do the residents of Maple Street
lose that plunges them further into darkness?
Act II Review Questions, Pg. 78
5. According to the aliens, who is the most
dangerous enemy? Who do you think are the real
“monsters” in this story?
6. This teleplay was written in 1960. Is its message
still important today? Explain why or why not.
Updating the Teleplay
Suppose you are a television producer and you want to update
the teleplay so that it takes place in 2013. In a paragraph, tell how
you would change the details of the play to set it in the new time
frame. Consider these details:
•What do people now know about aliens and space travel?
•What electronic equipment would be affected by the blackout?
•Where would the aliens land?
•What would Tommy be reading today?
Updating the Teleplay
Would you still use aliens as a fear? Or
something else?
Act II Review Questions, Pg. 78
2. Writers often speak through a particular
character to voice their own opinions. Which
character do you think reflects Sterling’s point
of view? Find two examples of what this
character has said that would reveal that point
of view.
3. In light of Les Goodman’s behavior throughout
the plot, what inference can you make about
the significance of his name?
Conflict Act II
Give an example of man vs. man conflict in Act
II.
Give an example of man vs. society conflict in
Act II.
Plot Diagram
Exposition
Rising Action
Falling Action
Resolution