Background notes Tales based on real life Hometown was Mysore in Southern India That is the setting of most of his fictitious stories His father was a school teacher He studied music Wrote his stories in English, his second language The effect created when a writer sets up contrasts between readers or characters expectations and reality May involve a discrepancy between appearance and reality, between expectation and outcome, or between stated meaning and intended meaning Adds emotional intensity or creates a sense of surprise when readers learn the truth Verbal Situational Dramatic Verbal- where you say the opposite of what you mean (When I say Thanks for something being snatched out of my hand) Situational- what happens is the opposite of what you expect (When I search everywhere for my glasses and they are on my head) Dramatic- where the audience knows more than the characters in a plot (Cartoon character strikes a match to see why a room smells like gas) Paradox A statement that seems contradictory but actually reveals a deeper truth EX: One must sometimes be cruel to be kind. At first, the statement seems impossible how can cruelty be kind? However, the statement makes sense when you consider that seemingly unkind words or actions can actually help someone face a painful truth or develop stronger skills. Is there a difference between reality and truth? Characters plan reasonable goals, but the outcomes are far from what they expect. Think about a time when things did not turn out as you had planned. Use these sentence starters to develop your ideas. My perception of the situation was that ______ In reality, though, _____ This story will allow you to watch the adventures of a man who decides to do just that. Tempering Changing to make more suitable, usually by mixing with something Ingratiating Acting in a way intended to win someones favor Scrutinized Examined carefully Endeavored Tried to achieve a set goal Falteringly Spoken hesitatingly or with a wavering voice Delusion An erroneous belief that is held despite evidence to the contrary