Background notes

 Tales based on real life  Hometown was Mysore in Southern India  That is the setting of most of his fictitious stories  His father was a school teacher  He studied music  Wrote his stories in English, his second language

 The effect created when a writer sets up contrasts between readers’ or characters’ expectations and reality  May involve a discrepancy between appearance and reality, between expectation and outcome, or between stated meaning and intended meaning  Adds emotional intensity or creates a sense of surprise when readers learn the truth

 Verbal  Situational  Dramatic

 Verbal- where you say the opposite of what you mean (When I say “Thanks” for something being snatched out of my hand)  Situational- what happens is the opposite of what you expect (When I search everywhere for my glasses and they are on my head)  Dramatic- where the audience knows more than the characters in a plot (Cartoon character strikes a match to see why a room smells like gas)

 Paradox – A statement that seems contradictory but actually reveals a deeper truth  EX: “One must sometimes be cruel to be kind.”  At first , the statement seems impossible – how can cruelty be kind?

 However, the statement makes sense when you consider that seemingly unkind words or actions can actually help someone face a painful truth or develop stronger skills.

 Is there a difference between reality and truth?

 Characters plan reasonable goals, but the outcomes are far from what they expect.  Think about a time when things did not turn out as you had planned.

 Use these sentence starters to develop your ideas.

 My perception of the situation was that ______ In reality, though, _____

 This story will allow you to watch the adventures of a man who decides to do just that.

 Tempering – Changing to make more suitable, usually by mixing with something  Ingratiating – Acting in a way intended to win someone’s favor  Scrutinized – Examined carefully  Endeavored – Tried to achieve a set goal  Falteringly – Spoken hesitatingly or with a wavering voice  Delusion – An erroneous belief that is held despite evidence to the contrary