The Bully by Paul Langan Chapters 4-6

Warm Up PERSONAL RESPONSE Write a personal response in your notebook. Using one of the following prompts. Which character do you identify with the most and why? Is there something that has happened to you that is similar to what has happened to Darrell? If so write about it and tell what you did. How would you feel and what would you do if you were: Darrell? Mom? Tyray? Uncle Jason?

When you read a story, the narrator—the person telling the story—controls everything you know about the characters and events. The Narrator

A writer’s choice of a narrator determines the point of view of the story—the vantage point from which the story is told. The three main points of view are omniscient first person third person limited The Narrator

When the omniscient point of view is used, the narrator is not a character in the story knows all can tell us everything about every character Omniscient Point of View

How can you tell this is an omniscient narrator? Omniscient Point of View Quick Check One day a young woman looked out her apartment window and saw a man playing a saxophone. “Cool,” she thought as she swayed to his tune. A big brown dog joined the man and howled along with the music. Then a man in pajamas yelled from another window, complaining that the noise woke him up and he was going to call the police. This man, who worked the night shift and had to sleep all day, liked cats better than dogs anyway. The young saxophonist left.

The narrator isn’t a character in the story. The narrator knows what multiple characters are doing, thinking, and feeling. How can you tell this is an omniscient narrator? Omniscient Point of View Quick Check One day a young woman looked out her apartment window and saw a man playing a saxophone. “Cool,” she thought as she swayed to his tune. A big brown dog joined the man and howled along with the music. Then a man in pajamas yelled from another window, complaining that the noise woke him up and he was going to call the police. This man, who worked the night shift and had to sleep all day, liked cats better than dogs anyway. The young saxophonist left.

A first-person narrator is a character in the story uses first-person pronouns such as I and me tells us only what he or she thinks and experiences A first-person narrator is sometimes called a persona. First-Person Point of View

Always question whether a first-person narrator is credible, or can be trusted. An unreliable narrator is biased and does not (or cannot) tell the truth. First-Person Point of View

How can you tell this is a first- person narrator? Do you think this narrator’s opinion of the music is reliable? Why or why not? First-Person Point of View Quick Check Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. I’ve already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now it’s going to happen again. I don’t know which sounds worse, that tone-deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. I’m going to call the police.

Do you think this narrator’s opinion of the music is reliable? Why or why not? No. He’s probably too concerned about getting sleep to enjoy music. First-Person Point of View Quick Check Oh, man! Just as I was finally dozing off, he starts playing that stupid saxophone. I’ve already been fired from one job because I fell asleep on the night shift. Now it’s going to happen again. I don’t know which sounds worse, that tone-deaf saxophonist or that yowling dog. I’m going to call the police.

When the third-person-limited point of view is used, the narrator uses third-person pronouns (he, she, they) Third-Person-Limited Point of View gives one character’s thoughts and reactions tells little about other characters

How can you tell this is a third-person- limited narrator? What is this narrator’s reaction to the dog? to the yelling man? Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the police— clearly not a music lover.

How can you tell this is a third-person- limited narrator? The story is told from the sax player’s vantage point using the pronoun he. We don’t know what other characters are thinking. Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the police— clearly not a music lover.

What is this narrator’s reaction to the dog? to the yelling man? He thinks the dog can help him. He thinks the man hates music. Third-Person-Limited Point of View Quick Check He found a good spot in front of Park View Apartments and started playing soulfully on his sax. He wanted an audience and needed money. After one song, he spotted a cute girl at a window, applauding madly. A dog howled with the music, but the sax player let him stay, hoping the dog might attract some donations. Then he heard a man yelling about calling the police— clearly not a music lover.

From whose point of view is The Bully told? How would the book be different if it were told from another point of view? Amberlynn? Tyray? Mom Uncle Jason

Point of View and Perspective Just as a story can be told from different points of view, it can also be told from many different perspectives. Perspective is how we see or feel about something. It could mean that people describing the same event have differing opinions because they were physically located in different places and actually saw the event differently.

Point of View and Perspective Example of perspective: In The Bully, Mrs. Davis offers Darrell a bag for all the oranges he is trying to carry in the bag that Tyray cut with his knife. What is her perspective on Darrell’s struggle with the oranges? Is her perspective the same as Darrell’s?

Perspective Two people may have a different perspective on the same event depending upon where they are each positioned or how each feels about what is happening. Example: If I am sitting in the back of class and I accidentally flick my eraser up front where it hits a boy, then the teacher may ask us both what happened.

Perspective Continued I know it was an accident and that I would not hurt anyone purposefully. On the other hand the boys knows that something hit him and since I never speak to him I must not like him and must have thrown my eraser at him as a mean joke.

Perspective Continued My story: “I didn’t mean to hit him. I was playing with my eraser and before I knew it the thing flew out of my hand and I didn’t see where it landed. I am sorry.” His story: “She is always looking mean and so she must have done it on purpose. She never has liked me and now she is throwing her things.”

Create Vocabulary Maps for words from Chapters 4-6 scolded lurking deliberately sullen scowled frantic

Vocabulary Preview Chapters 7-9 transformed p.100 endurance p. 109 frail p112 hindering p134 resented p.144 perspective

Transform (v.) to change

Endurance (n.) ability or strength to go on throughout continuous hardship or pain

Frail (adj.) weak; easy to break

Hinder (v.) to prevent; to get in the way of

Resentment (n.) negative feelings because of mistreatment by another

Perspective (n.) personal evaluation of something based upon one’s beliefs and experiences