Unit 13 Christmas Contents I Background ·‖ Questions Il Text structure Ⅳ The Writing style V Language points VI Discussion Vl Homework
Unit 13 Christmas • Contents • I Background • II Questions • III Text structure • IV The Writing style • V Language points • VI Discussion • VII Homework
I Background About the author Floyd Del‖(1887 1969),∪S. versatile and prolific writer and an editor for several newspapers and magazines “ Christmas”isan excerpt from his Homecoming- An Autobiography (1933)
I Background • About the author: Floyd Dell (1887— 1969 ), U.S. versatile and prolific writer and an editor for several newspapers and magazines. “Christmas” is an excerpt from his Homecoming— An Autobiography (1933)
About the author Floyd Dell was born on 28th June, 1887 in Pike County, Missouri. His father, Anthony Dell, found it difficult to find reqular work and the family experienced a great deal of poverty. At school Dell developed a love of reading He later claimed that it was books by william Morris and Frank Norris helped convert him to socialism. At sixteen, he joined the Socialist Party and gave speeches on street-corners about his political beliefs. He also produced material for a small Socialist monthly, Tri-City Workers' Magazine
About the author • Floyd Dell was born on 28th June, 1887 in Pike County, Missouri. His father, Anthony Dell, found it difficult to find regular work and the family experienced a great deal of poverty. At school Dell developed a love of reading. He later claimed that it was books by William Morris and Frank Norris helped convert him to socialism. At sixteen, he joined the Socialist Party and gave speeches on street-corners about his political beliefs. He also produced material for a small Socialist monthly, Tri-City Workers' Magazine
About the author Dell believed that the everyday life of the middle and working classes provided subjects worthy of serious literary treatment. Dell valued authenticity and accuracy of detail and welcomed those like Russell and phillips who wanted to use literature to bring about social reform Dell, like most of the people working with The Masses, was opposed to USA involvement in the Wwl. After the usa declared war on the central powers in 1917 The Masses came under government pressure to change its policy. When it refused to do this, the journal lost its mailing privileges
About the author • Dell believed that the everyday life of the middle and working classes provided subjects worthy of serious literary treatment. Dell valued authenticity and accuracy of detail and welcomed those like Russell and Phillips who wanted to use literature to bring about social reform. • Dell, like most of the people working with The Masses, was opposed to USA involvement in the WWW I. After the USA declared war on the Central Powers in 1917, The Masses came under government pressure to change its policy. When it refused to do this, the journal lost its mailing privileges
About the author After the war Dell published the best-selling autobiographical novel, Moon-Calf (1920).Other novels such as The Briary-Bush(1921), Janet Marsh(1923)and Runaway(1925), were less successful As well as writing for the left-wing magazines such as the New Masses(1924-39)Dell produced several non-fictional works including Upton Sinclair(1927), Love in the Machine Age 1930) and an autobiography, Homecoming 1933). Floyd Dell died in 1969
About the author • After the war Dell published the best-selling autobiographical novel, Moon-Calf (1920). Other novels such as The Briary-Bush (1921), Janet Marsh (1923) and Runaway (1925), were less successful. As well as writing for the left-wing magazines such as the New Masses (1924-39) Dell produced several non-fictional works including Upton Sinclair (1927), Love in the Machine Age (1930) and an autobiography, Homecoming (1933). Floyd Dell died in 1969
lI Questions 1. What association of ideas does the word bring to you? 2. How do people in the West usually celebrate Christmas? 3. How did the child react to what the sunday Scholl superintendent said? 4. Why wouldn't the childs mother look distressed when she learned that he had written his name on the envelope? 5. What are your impressions of the child?
II Questions • 1. What association of ideas does the word bring to you? • 2. How do people in the West usually celebrate Christmas? • 3. How did the child react to what the Sunday Scholl superintendent said? • 4. Why wouldn’t the child’s mother look distressed when she learned that he had written his name on the envelope? • 5. What are your impressions of the child?
Il Text Structure The text can be divided into six parts art one (Line 1-30): Those were hard times, poor children did not have enough to eat. The boy brought food and money to Sunday school as he was told Part two( Line31-46): The boy left school. He was anxious and frightened when Christmas is approaching Part three(Line 47-58): On Christmas Eve, the family was in the queer mood. Part four(Line 59-74): The boy began to be aware of the family's plight Part five(Line 75-84): The boy felt the cold emotion of renunciation Part six (Line 85-89): The second morning the boy received the present, but he no longer desired anything
III Text Structure • The text can be divided into six parts: • Part one(Line1—30 ): Those were hard times, poor children did not have enough to eat. The boy brought food and money to Sunday school as he was told. • Part two (Line31—46):The boy left school. He was anxious and frightened when Christmas is approaching. • Part three (Line 47—58): On Christmas Eve, the family was in the queer mood. • Part four (Line 59—74): The boy began to be aware of the family’s plight. • Part five (Line 75—84): The boy felt the cold emotion of renunciation. • Part six (Line 85—89): The second morning the boy received the present, but he no longer desired anything
Ⅳ The Writing Style is informal in style and reflects a childs thinking and /t The story is told in the first person by the child himsel manner of expression 1)The writer uses plain words, simple, unadorned sentences, short paragraphs, simple grammatical structures an clear and straightforward statements. He concentrates on narrating events with a minimum amount of comment and description 2)The style is distinctly conversational in tone 3)Aconsiderable number of sentences begin with And or But to show the boy's attempts at narrative 4)The writer produces a certain tension in the narrative by keeping the boy in the dark about his own plight while the reader is all the time being told the truth about it
IV The Writing Style • The story is told in the first person by the child himself, It is informal in style and reflects a child’s thinking and manner of expression. • 1) The writer uses plain words, simple, unadorned sentences, short paragraphs, simple grammatical structures an clear and straightforward statements. He concentrates on narrating events with a minimum amount of comment and description. • 2) The style is distinctly conversational in tone. • 3) A considerable number of sentences begin with And or But to show the boy’s attempts at narrative. • 4) The writer produces a certain tension in the narrative by keeping the boy in the dark about his own plight while the reader is all the time being told the truth about it
V Language points 1. Hard times: times of money shortage, unemployment and times when the poor suffer a great deal. Times, ne when plural, is used to refer to the conditions of life, the circumstances of a period characterized by certain qualities, or a period of time, more or less definite associated with certain events, circumstances, etc., e.g terrible times, bad times, prehistoric times, the good, old times. The hard times mentioned in this excerpt most robably refer to 1893, when the United States suffered from a severe and prolonged depression 2. I supposed the poor childrens mothers would make potato soup out of them out of--with(a material)/from(a material)
V Language points • 1. Hard times: times of money shortage, unemployment and times when the poor suffer a great deal. Times, when plural, is used to refer to the conditions of life, the circumstances of a period characterized by certain qualities, or a period of time, more or less definite, associated with certain events, circumstances, etc., e.g., terrible times, bad times, prehistoric times, the good, old times. The hard times mentioned in this excerpt most probably refer to 1893, when the United States suffered from a severe and prolonged depression. • 2. I supposed the poor children’s mothers would make potato soup out of them. • …out of—with (a material)/from (a material)
Language points ° More examples Scarlet made herself a pretty dress out of the curtain material The stool was made out of the bits of wood the furniture factory had disposed of My father was out of work and we hadn 't any money e.g: The enemy surrendered as they ran out of rice, water and ammunition He was out of breath when he climbed to the top of the mountain without stopping
Language points • More examples: • Scarlet made herself a pretty dress out of the curtain material. • The stool was made out of the bits of wood the furniture factory had disposed of. My father was out of work and we hadn’t any money. e.g: The enemy surrendered as they ran out of rice, water and ammunition. He was out of breath when he climbed to the top of the mountain without stopping
