Lesson 25 — Activity 3: Chapters 5 and 6 (pages 32 – 42)


These chapters begin the rising action section of the plot. You have begun to learn more about the problem or conflict present in the novel.




Conflict:

A story always presents a character who is involved in a conflict that must be resolved. Remember the main character is called the protagonist, and the person, environment, or force with which the main character is in conflict, is called the antagonist.

There are four different types of conflict:


1. Man versus Man:
  • This involves the main character battling with another character. In “Little Red Riding Hood,” Red had to battle the wolf.
  • This does not always have to be good versus evil. It could be a situation where two athletes compete with each other to win a race. It could be two young men in love with the same woman. Sometimes the main character may even be an animal.
2. Man versus Society:
  • This involves the struggle between characters and the outside world in which they live. This could be a character who does not fit in, or a character who goes against the beliefs, rules, or traditions of others.


3. Man versus the Environment:

  • This involves a character in conflict with his or her surroundings. This could be on a mountainside, in a war-torn country, within an urban community, or even within one’s own home.


4. Man versus Self:

  • This usually means that a character has to overcome something within him- or herself. It may be facing a fear, accepting responsibility for one’s actions, or understanding the importance of healthy relationships, just to identify a few.


Conflicts can be external or internal:

  • Man versus man, man versus the environment, and man versus society involve external conflicts.
  • Man versus self involves an internal conflict in which a character changes due to learning something about him- or herself. Remember, this may actually occur as a result of one of the external conflicts.



The chapter began with Serge returning home from work with the news that the Italians are not being allowed in to work. When Loretta explained to Rennie that the family will be in trouble without the money Serge earns at the mine, especially with their father in prison and customers suspicious of the Italians avoiding the bakery, Rennie became upset that Loretta was treating her like a baby and ran off.

Rennie returned and sat in her Papa's vegetable garden and thought about all the changes that were happening and tried to make sense of them. She tried to think of something she could do to make things the way they had been only two days ago. As Rennie was thinking, we see her fall asleep and not wake up until suppertime.

When she woke up and returned home, she found she was in trouble! Everyone had been looking for her, and her brother Robbie told her she would get "the switch" (a spanking with a thin tree branch). Mama, rather than punishing Rennie, listened to her explanation and asked Rennie and Robbie to do their best to make their Papa proud.

The chapter ended with the answer to Rennie's question, "Why did they take Papa?"

"Because," said Serge, who had just come in,"they think Papa wants our country to lose the war. Everyone in town hates us."

Mama said that Serge was wrong, but Rennie realized that her life has now changed.


Rennie's Mama told her that Julie's mother said some mean things about the Italians earlier that day, and that she doesn't think Rennie would be allowed to play with Julie that night. Rennie was unhappy about this because she had thought that the people of Whitney Pier would understand and be kind to the Tranis and other families in trouble.

After dinner, she went with her Mama to visit another family in the Italian community and to play with their daughter, Anna Scioppa. Anna told Rennie about her day at school. Rennie did not want to believe Anna when she said that the other children hate the Italians and that Julie was especially cruel to them.

Later, Rennie joined in playing war with Robbie, Anna, and Anna's brother Giorgio. Mr. MacLean, Julie's father, passed by. They tried to tell him they were the Canadians shooting the Germans, but he did not believe them. Rennie decided that she would make it clear to Julie that she was not her enemy by returning Julie's brother's ID bracelet in the morning at school.

The next morning, however, Rennie found that Julie would not speak to her and she was unable to return the bracelet.