Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket by Jack Finney Feature Menu Introducing the Story Literary Focus: Time and Sequence Reading Skills: Understanding Cause and Effect

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket by Jack Finney

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Introducing the Story . . . he stood on the ledge outside in the slight, chill breeze, eleven stories above the street, staring into his own lighted apartment, odd and different-seeming now . . . .

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Introducing the Story What kind of person would risk his life to advance his career? Tom Benecke is an ambitious young man who does just that. Tom puts his life on the line to retrieve an important paper that has blown out the window of his high-rise apartment. Will he make it back inside alive?

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Literary Focus: Time and Sequence In “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” slows the action down so you can feel the seconds It takes the same time to read the story as the action in the story happens. As each event is described in detail, the reader’s tension increases. You feel as though you are experiencing everything at the same speed as Tom This type of pacing creates lots of suspense and drama. [End of Section]

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Reading Skills: Understanding Cause and Effect Often the plot of a short story involves a series of causes and effects. Cause—the reason something happens Effect—the result of some event or action Many suspense-filled stories use edge-of-your- seat causes and effects to keep readers guessing.

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Reading Skills: Understanding Cause and Effect In a cause and effect chain, one cause leads to an effect, which causes another effect, and so on. Cause Tony breaks his leg playing basketball. Effect He cannot ask Tasha to the school dance. Cause He cannot ask Tasha to the school dance Effect Tasha goes to the dance with Ernesto.

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Reading Skills: Understanding Cause and Effect As you read this story, notice how each chain of causes and effects grips your attention and builds suspense. Cause Door is closed while window is open. Effect Draft is created. Cause Draft is created. Effect Draft blows paper out the window. [End of Section]

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Quickwrite Make the Connection In the story you’re about to read, the main character finds himself in a hair-raising situation. Think of a time when you or someone you know felt almost paralyzed by fear. Where were you or the other person, and what happened? In your notebook, jot down some details about the tense situation. [End of Section]

Vocabulary

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Vocabulary Previewing the Vocabulary projection n.: something that juts out from a surface. discarding v. used as adj.: abandoning; getting rid of. confirmation n.: proof. exhalation n.: something breathed out; breath. imperceptibly adv.: in such a slight way as to be almost unnoticeable.

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Vocabulary Previewing the Vocabulary rebounded v.: bounced back. interminable adj.: endless. irrelevantly adv.: in a way not relating to the point or situation. incomprehensible adj.: not understandable. unimpeded adj.: not blocked; unobstructed.

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Vocabulary Vocabulary Activity Fill in the blanks with the correct Word Bank words. rebounded discarding projection exhalation unimpeded 1. The ___________ of the tent blocked an otherwise ___________ view of the stars. 2. The patient’s ___________ became gradually louder. 3. Business ___________ after the slump, but ___________ excess inventory was costly. projection unimpeded exhalation rebounded discarding [End of Section]

Meet the Writer

Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket Meet the Writer Jack Finney was born in Milwaukee in 1911. By the 1940s he had made his way to New York City, where he worked as an advertising copywriter. Finney became bored with advertising and began writing short stories in his free time. His stories were published in such popular magazines as The Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s. Eventually Finney was able to quit his advertising job and focus on his fiction writing. [End of Section]