““All Summer in a Day”All Summer in a Day”

By Ray BradburyBy Ray Bradbury

First published in 1959First published in 1959

Lesson developed by Andrea ShanafeltLesson developed by Andrea Shanafelt

Write About It:Write About It:

What makes What makes “All Summer in a “All Summer in a Day”Day” a a science fictionscience fiction story? story?

Record all of the Record all of the scientific scientific detailsdetails on your worksheet. on your worksheet.

Talk About It:Talk About It:

Have you ever been Have you ever been jealousjealous of one of your peers? How of one of your peers? How did these feelings make you did these feelings make you act toward that person? act toward that person?

Talk About It:Talk About It:

Have you ever known Have you ever known somebody who just somebody who just didn’t fit didn’t fit inin? Have you ever been ? Have you ever been that person? that person? WhyWhy do you do you think this happens? think this happens?

Write About It:Write About It:

Who is the Who is the protagonistprotagonist of of “All “All Summer in a Day”Summer in a Day”? ?

Here’s a hint: The Here’s a hint: The protagonistprotagonist is is the the main character. main character.

Getting to knowGetting to know MargotMargot

Authors use a variety of techniques Authors use a variety of techniques to develop their main characters: to develop their main characters: Description (including metaphors!)Description (including metaphors!)

Dialogue and thoughtsDialogue and thoughts

ActionsActions

ReactionsReactions

With a partner…With a partner… Skim the story, looking for all the different ways that Skim the story, looking for all the different ways that

Bradbury characterizes Bradbury characterizes MargotMargot

Descriptions Dialogue (says) Margot’s actions

How the other kids react to her

frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years

She stands alone

For ExampleFor Example

“ Margot stood alone. She was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes and the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair.”

Yellow = Margot’s actionsGreen = description

Now write Now write five five adjectivesadjectives to describe to describe MargotMargot that that ARE NOT ARE NOT

USEDUSED in the story! in the story!

How do authors do that?How do authors do that?

Authors often develop their Authors often develop their characters through characters through INDIRECT INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION.CHARACTERIZATION.

This means that they This means that they SHOWSHOW us who us who the character is, rather than the character is, rather than TELLINGTELLING us.us.

The opposite of The opposite of INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONINDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION

is is DIRECT DIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONCHARACTERIZATION

This is when This is when the author the author explicitly tells us explicitly tells us what the what the character is like. character is like.

With A Partner:With A Partner:

Find a place in the story where Find a place in the story where Bradbury uses Bradbury uses DIRECT DIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONCHARACTERIZATION

Here’s a hint: This method is often Here’s a hint: This method is often used to describe a used to describe a character’s character’s appearanceappearance. .

Talk About It:Talk About It:

Which Which method of characterizationmethod of characterization do you do you think is best? think is best?

Which method is Which method is most interestingmost interesting to you to you as a reader? as a reader?

Which method is Which method is most challengingmost challenging for you for you as a writer? as a writer?

Writing Practice:Writing Practice:

Choose one of the following sentences and Choose one of the following sentences and change it from change it from DIRECTDIRECT to to INDIRECT INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION: CHARACTERIZATION:

Fred Fred is nervousis nervous around women. around women.

Janie Janie is depressedis depressed about her parents’ divorce. about her parents’ divorce.

My brother My brother loves to eatloves to eat..

Stacy Stacy has a lot of confidencehas a lot of confidence in her athletic in her athletic ability.ability.

For Example:For Example:

Fred Fred is nervousis nervous around women. around women.

- OR - - OR -

Beads of sweatBeads of sweat start to form on Fred’s start to form on Fred’s temples whenever he talks to the temples whenever he talks to the pretty pretty brunettebrunette teller at the bank, and often teller at the bank, and often his his hands shakehands shake so badly that he struggles to so badly that he struggles to put his cash into his wallet. put his cash into his wallet.

Talk About It:Talk About It:

WhyWhy is is characterizationcharacterization important to a important to a story? story?

What messageWhat message does Bradbury send with does Bradbury send with the story the story “All Summer in a Day?”“All Summer in a Day?” (In other (In other words, what is hiswords, what is his THEME?) THEME?)

How is How is Margot’s characterMargot’s character an important an important part of the story’s part of the story’s theme?theme?

Fun FactsFun Facts

Ray Bradbury was born in 1920, and is still Ray Bradbury was born in 1920, and is still alive and writing today.alive and writing today.

In 1950 he published In 1950 he published The Martian The Martian ChroniclesChronicles, which established his , which established his reputation as a science fiction writer. reputation as a science fiction writer.

In 1953 he published In 1953 he published Fahrenheit 451Fahrenheit 451, , which is considered his masterpiece. which is considered his masterpiece.

In his own words…In his own words…

“ “People call me People call me a science fiction writera science fiction writer, but , but I don't think that's quite true. I think that I don't think that's quite true. I think that I'm I'm a magiciana magician who is capable of making who is capable of making things appear and disappear right in front things appear and disappear right in front of you and you don't know how it of you and you don't know how it happened.” happened.”

-from -from www.raybradbury.com