(Advanced) First Person - Raymond Carver's monologues

Lead in:

What is a monologue?

Do you know any plays or books or films that use monologues?

Which do you think is harder to write, monologue or dialogue?

Do you tend to think in monologue or dialogue?

A monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their mental thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or an audience. Monologue, like dialogue, is a Greek word. Early Greek theatre began as a single performer delivering a monologue. Gradually more performers were introduced to the form and thus dialogue was born.

Father's Monologue Short Cuts


1. Where are the two men?

2. What happened to the son as a boy?

3. Why is the father telling this story?

4. Who is Olga?

5. "It's a long time ago Pop" - why does the son say this?

6. Who is Howard?

7. How does Howard feel towards his father?

8. How do you feel towards him?



I Could See the Smallest Things


How do these figure in the story?

Clifford

The gate

Sam

Nancy

The fence

Millie

The slugs


Discussion

1. Talk about Sam's appearance

2. How old are the characters?

3. What is Nancy like as a person? What does the title tell you?

4. "I don't have much to do with it anymore" - what is "it"?

5. How did the gate get unlatched?

6. Would the story be the same if it was told in the third person? Why do you think the author chose the first person?



Mr. Coffee and Mr. Fixit

What is "putting out"?


1. True or false?

Ross is Mr. Fixit

Ross works as an aerospace engineer

The narrator hates Ross

Ross's second wife shot him

Ross is very short



2. Who is Melody?

"Ross was on Melody's list" (what was Melody's list?)

Who is Myrna? How did she meet Ross?

 What kind of relationship do the narrator and Myrna have?


3. What do these mean?

"I had his number"

"Nobody lifted a hand"

"A little something on the side"

"Went under"

"Took up the bottle"
 


4. What is a Mr. Coffee?

5. "God bless you Mr. Fixit" Why does the narrator say this?

6. What do the characters have in common?

7. Why does the narrator start and finish the story talking about his parents?


Task - write a short story in monologue form