© Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English The Bridge © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English By yourself Decide who was most responsible for the woman’s death and write this first under My list Decide who was second most responsible And so on down to the one who was least to blame (5th) © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English In groups Now share your list with your group and see if there are any differences. If there are, explain your reasons to each other Agree on a group list and write it down © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English Fable This story is a fable – a story to make us think about how people behave. A difficulty with a fable is that it doesn’t say why the people behaved as they did, their motive. What ‘good’ or acceptable reasons might there be for the woman to take a lover? © Let’s Think in English

Good reasons for the woman She was vulnerable; there is an army of unattached men in the town and she is alone Her husband hadn’t left her enough money to live on; during the American Civil War prices shot up because of scarcity If her husband has gone to fight in the war, he may be dead; very large numbers of men died in the American Civil War and the news of their death could take months to arrive Her relationship with her husband was unhappy; perhaps he has a lover Her husband treated her badly; perhaps he was abusive (her desperation to cross the bridge may show she fears him) She loved the lover before she was forced by her family to marry her husband © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English In groups Can you think of a ‘good’ or acceptable reason why the lover the boatman the soldier behaved as they did? © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English We don’t usually read fables like this one. We usually read longer stories – 5 pages, 10 pages, 100 pages, whole novels. Why do people read fiction? Why do you read stories? (It’s the most popular pastime.) © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English In groups Suppose you had to rewrite The Bridge as an is enjoyable story. What would you need to add to the story to make it enjoyable to read? © Let’s Think in English

What other students have said… what the characters look like; how they dress; how they behave description of where they live, of the bridge good descriptive language dialogue suspense a good beginning and end © Let’s Think in English

© Let’s Think in English Reflection If you were to tell the story from one character’s point of view, which would you choose and why? If you are going to rewrite the story for readers to enjoy, what is the most important change you would make? Why? © Let’s Think in English