Teaching Story Setting

Drama and Theater > American
Education > Reading
Education > Teaching Methods

Discusses the importance of teaching story setting using Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" and Willa Cather's "My Antonia" as examples.

2,885 words () | 17 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how to teach students the critical impact that a setting holds within a story. The paper does this by analyzing two traditional picks for the high school classroom, Tennessee William's "The Glass Menagerie" and Willa Cather's "My Antonia". Both of these works require an in-depth understanding of the setting in order for students to grasp the full situations within the story.
This paper analyzes two aspects for each work. The first is looking at the eminent connection the setting has to the plot for each creation. The second is constructing a basic plan as to how to help students visualize the setting and how it effects the character's action within the piece.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Story Setting
Tennessee William's "The Glass Menagerie"
"My Antonia" by Willa Cather
Conclusion
Appendix: Website to Aide Setting Comprehension in "The Glass Menagerie"

From the Paper:

"The third layer of the setting for students to consider is the fact that "The Glass Menagerie" is a play meant to be performed on the stage. Drama invites a creative collaboration with the playwright as the student enters imaginative worlds created by scenery, lighting, costumes, make-up, gestures, and dialogue. In this play student not only come in contact with traditional dramatic aspects, but also with Williams creative play writing touches. For example, throughout the play reference is frequently given to the screen that is meant "to give accent to certain values in each scene.""

Sample of Sources Used:

Albert, Berg, and Harold Bloom. Tennesse Williams Bloom's Major Dramatists Research & Study Guide. New York: New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2000
Curtice, Carolyn. "SCORE Teacher Guide: The Glass Menagerie." San Diego County Office of Education: SDCOE. 23 Aug. 2008 <http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/glass/glasstg.html>.
Curtice, Carolyn. "SCORE: MY ANTONIA Teacher's Guide." San Diego County Office of Education: SDCOE. 14 Aug. 2008 <http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cather/tgcather.html>.
"EDSITEment - Lesson Plan." EDSITEment - The Best of the Humanities on the Web. 27 Nov. 2002. 22 Aug. 2008 <http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=443>.
Foster, Harold . Crossing Over: Teaching Meaning Centered Secondary English Language Arts. Mahaw, New Jersey: Lawerence Erlbaun, 2001.