Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Magical Realism in Latin American Literature

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 4

10th Grade

Lesson 5 of 22

Objective


Analyze how Cortázer uses diction and narrative perspective to establish an eerie mood.

Readings and Materials


  • Short Story: “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortázar 

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How does the first-person narration contribute to the atmosphere of the story? Provide specific evidence from the text to support your ideas and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

How does the description of the house in the first two paragraphs contribute to your understanding of siblings and their family? What details in paragraphs 3 and 4 further develop that understanding? 

What diction does Cortázar use to describe the invaders? How does that contribute to the mood of the story?

How do the characters' reactions to the mysterious events reveal their personalities and relationship?

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

gothic literature

a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death and gloom

allegory

a story that has a "hidden meaning" that communicates a message about society, politics, or human nature

Text-based

indispensable

adj.

(p. 3)

absolutely necessary

obscure

adj.

(p. 3)

not discovered or known about; uncertain

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
  • RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
  • RL.9-10.6 — Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.3
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9.a
W.9-10.10

Next

Rewrite a scene from "House Taken Over" from the narrative point of view of Irene, maintaining characterization and mood.

Lesson 6
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Lesson Map

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