Lesson 22 — Activity 4: Chapters 8 - 9
Completion requirements
Lesson 22 — Activity 4: Chapters 8 – 9
Before starting this activity, please read chapters 8 and 9 of the novel. Remember to think about the strategies you can use as you read.
Chapters 8 and 9 begin the rising action section of the plot. You have begun to learn more about the problem or conflict present in the novel. Remember, the rising action is when suspense builds because problems arise that make the conflict more difficult for the main characters to resolve.
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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.
In chapter 8, Noah sends an e-mail to his friend Chris back home, to tell him how unhappy he is living in George River. Noah also tells Chris about Lenny Etok, and how he is a bully just like Roland Ipkins back home in Montreal. The chapter ends when Noah packs up for his winter camping trip, including packing some of his dad's beer, which he took without permission.
In chapter 9, Noah has a dream of when he was in grade 3, and he was being bullied by Roland Ipkins, who was twice Noah's size. Roland had grabbed Noah's art project out of his hand and then Noah made a fist and aimed for Roland's belly. However, in the dream, the bully is not Roland anymore. Now Noah is looking into Lenny Etok's eyes. Lenny grabs the art project from Noah's hand and tosses it on the ground, laughing, and then he stomps on it. The paper mache masks breaks into a hundred pieces. When Noah tries to hit Lenny, Lenny moves away, and Noah misses him altogether.
Can you identify the rising action that is happening in this chapter? Is there suspense building because of problems arising that make the conflict more difficult for the main characters to
resolve? Think about the rising action, as you will answer a question about it in the assignment on the next page.