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Topic outline

  • About this Course

    Course Description

    This course aims to help you to tackle the genre of short story. It aims to equip learners with the skills necessary to engage critically with a short story. Through a detailed exploration of Ghassan Kanafani's short story ‘A Letter from Gaza', students will learn to identify and understand the essential components of the short story genre.

    What will you learn?

      1.  Introducing you to literary genres, literary terminology and the short story as a literary form.

      2. Introducing you to the elements of the short story, namely: 1. Setting 2. Plot 3. Character 4. Point of view and 5. Theme

      3. Applying the elements of short story to literary texts.

    Requirements

    • Foundation level of general English

  • Session 1: Get Started

    In this session, you will be introduced to story telling as well as literary genres that you need to identify before analyzing the genre of short story. 

     

  • Characteristics of the Short Story

    In this session, you will learn that the the short story shares with the novel five key elements.
  • Session 3

    • The objectives of this session are to:
      1. define plot in a short story;
      2. describe the different aspects of plot;
      3. explore the role of plot in "A Letter from Gaza" by Ghassan Kanafani;
      4. examine how plot contributes to meaning.

       

      ·       Required Reading:

      For this session, you will be required to read "A Letter from Gaza" by Ghassan Kanafani.

    • Before you read, make sure you know the meanings of the following words: proclaimvow; wrinkles; obscure; abandon; slighted; hankering; flame- throwers; amputated; widow; blunted; flight; defeat; displacement; saintliness
    Think of Answers
    1. What do you know about Gaza?
    2. Have you ever witnessed a very difficult situation? A human tragedy?
    3. What does the title of this story suggest to you it’s going to be about?

    As you read, try to:

    i.)      list three descriptions of Gaza

    ii.)     list two descriptions of Nadia

  • Topic 4

  • Topic 5

  • Topic 6