n. comfort or relief from sorrow
solace
v. to move with twisting motion
wirthe
- The year 400 AD
- Emperor's palace near the Great Wall of China
- Ray Bradbury, the author, describes the setting at
the very beginning of the story
- Knowing the setting is critical in understanding
the story and the decisions the emperor makes.
People
Setting - the time and place of the story
Emperor Yuan - ruler of China, who was fearful of change and new inventions that could destroy the peace and harmony of his empire.
Main Characters #1
Servant- an enthusiastic man, who has seen a man fly
Main Character #2
Inventor - a creative man who has crafted a flying apparatus out of paper and bamboo. the Emperor executes the inventor of the flying machine because of what the servant has seen and expressed.
Main Character #3
In ancient China, a servant tells the emperor that he has seen a man fly. After going to see the flying man for himself, the emperor has the man called down, takes him back to the great house, and has him executed. Even though he admires the skill involve
Plot - Plan of Action in the Story
- Fear of new and different things, may prevent
progress and end in tragedy.
- Technology can have positive and negative
aspects.
Theme - Main Idea of the Story
This short story is told in THIRD PERSON point of view. The narrator is outside the story and presents the action
Point of View
About 214 B.C. Emperor Shih Huang TI, the first emperor of a united China, connected a number of defensive walls to form a "Great Wall" that would protect his empire from invasion by fierce Mongol horsemen. To accomplish this project, he had his army roun
Background Information
Many seemingly useful human inventions have had hidden danger or unexpected consequences. Human's complicated relationship with their own technology is a theme that appears in literature frequently. Today, technology continues to impact the human conditio
Humans and Technology
is the time and place of a story. Knowing the setting helps readers understand a story by "placing" the events - connecting them to other things they know about that time and that place. Sometimes authors give the time and place at the beginning of the st
Settings
v. landed (past tense of alight - to land)
alti
n. something created or invented for a particular purpose
apparatus
v. surprised and amazed
bewildered
n. the territory or country under the authority of a particular ruler or government
dominion
n. one who carries out a death sentence ordered by a ruler or king.
executioner
n. large groups or crowds
hordes
n. the main piece of timber or steel that runs lengthwise along the bottom and supports the rest of the frame of a boat, plane, or other structure (keel of the inventor's kite)
keel
adj. very small
miniature
v. to keep from harm, protect
preserve
adj. calm, peaceful, or undisturbed
serene