Week 2
Lost and Found: Discovering the Self through Perspective

• First-person (I, me) – A character narrates.

• Second-person (you) – Puts the reader directly into the story, making them the main character.

• Third-person (he, she, they) – An outside narrator tells the story.

Omniscient (all knowing): The narrator knows everything.

Limited: The narrator only knows one character’s thoughts.

Objective: The narrator only describes what happens, without thoughts.

Tone is the emotion or attitude the narrator conveys toward the story and its characters. It shapes how the reader experiences the events. Some common tones include:

• Serious: Formal and weighty, often used in tragedies or deep themes.

• Playful: Lighthearted and fun, sometimes humorous or whimsical.

• Sarcastic: Mocking or ironic, saying the opposite of what is meant.

• Melancholic: Sad or reflective, often found in emotional narratives.

• Detached: Neutral and unemotional, just reporting events.

• Suspenseful: Keeps the reader on edge, building tension.

Prompt #1 starter

Dear younger, annoying me,

I know that this problem with [insert problem younger you cared about or dealt with] seems to be everything, but...

Prompt #2 starter

In the picture, I'm smiling, hugging my then-best friend Nick. It seemed peaceful, but what the picture doesn't show is...

Prompt #3 starter

(Just jump into the dialogue, no need to set up the how you are talking to yourself, but you may if you want!)

"So did you end up admitting to Jessica from history class that you liked her?" younger me asked, stumbling on his untied laces.

"No," I said, laughing at the thought, "But you will meet..."

Prompt #4 starter

To younger me, this moment was everything because...

...

To who I am now, it's all a lie.

Prompt #5 starter

If I had to now caption this photo, I'd title it "The reason I hate fake people," but if younger me would have titled it, "My best friends from middle school." 

It's funny how time changes people and adds clarity where clarity often is expected or needed. Throughout middle school, these guys were... 

Definition: Diaspora refers to the movement, migration, or scattering of a group of people from their original homeland to other parts of the world. This displacement can be voluntary (seeking better opportunities) or forced (due to war, persecution, slavery, or natural disasters). Despite being away from their homeland, diasporic communities often maintain cultural, linguistic, and social ties to their origins. 

Dionne Irving is a Canadian-born author of Jamaican heritage whose work explores themes of migration, diaspora, and identity, particularly focusing on the experiences of Jamaican women across the globe. Originally from Toronto, she now resides in the United States, where she teaches in the Creative Writing Program and the Initiative on Race and Resilience at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of Quint (2021) and the critically acclaimed short story collection The Islands (2022). 

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. "Shopgirl" is written in the second person. How does this choice affect your connection to the protagonist? Does it create intimacy, distance, or something else? 

2. How does the story explore the tension, challenge, or struggle between one's cultural expectations (her memory of the shop and work in Jamaica) and adaptation to a new environment? 

Definition: A narrator whose credibility is compromised, making their version of events suspect. This can be due to intentional deception, personal bias, limited knowledge, or psychological instability. Readers must actively analyze the text to determine the truth, often questioning the narrator’s motives and perspective. 

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, and literary critic best known for his gothic tales that delve into themes of madness, death, and the supernatural. A master of psychological horror and the inventor of the modern detective story, Poe’s works, including "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Black Cat," and "The Raven" a known for their suspense and poetic melancholy. His life, marked by tragedy and personal struggles, deeply influenced his dark, atmospheric storytelling. Despite financial hardship during his lifetime, Poe’s influence on literature, horror, and mystery remains profound, inspiring generations of writers and filmmakers. 

Requirement: At least 5 sentences per question for full credit. 

1. What evidence suggests that the narrator is unreliable? Does he knowingly deceive the reader, or is he deceiving himself? 

2. Choose one symbol from the story and analyze its significance. What might this symbol represent, and how does it contribute to the overall story?

Suggestions for Interpretation

• The black cat(s)

• The white spot (gallows shape)

• The missing eye(s)

• The noose

• The cellar

• The wall

• The fire and/or the burned house