The+Portable+Phonograpj

Short Stories - Literary Devises Title: ** The Portable Phonograph **

Point of View: ** Third Person **

Protagonist: What type of character is the Protagonist? Antagonist: Describe the setting
 * I believe the protagonist is Dr.Jenkins and he is a round but static character. **
 * I believe the antagonist is the men’s surroundings and the sick musician. I also believe that the antagonist is Dr.Jenkins mind. **
 * The setting is post war and on the prairie. In the beginning of the story, the setting is described as cold and rugged. Also, the sun is setting so obviously it is the evening time. **

Type of Conflict: ** Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Man and Man vs. Himself **

Describe the main conflict:
 * Man vs. Nature : The men’s surroundings is a definite conflict because these men have been surrounding by almost nothing for a long time and when they hear, see or smell something from before, they will do anything to keep that sense of home. **


 * Man vs. Man : In the end of the story, Dr.Jenkins thinks he hears a suppressed cough which hints that the musician may be trying to steal the phonograph. **


 * Man vs. Himself : I think that throughout the whole story, the men are anxious which puts them on edge, which leads to their minds playing tricks on them. **

Describe the Climax of the Story:
 * I believe the climax of the story is when Dr. Jenkins finally plays the record on the phonograph because throughout the story the characters were waiting for that moment. **

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?
 * I believe that Dr. Jenkins doesn’t change. Throughout the story, he has the same morals and beliefs. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Describe the relationship between the title and the theme.
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think that the relationship between the title and the theme, is obvious. “The Portable Phonograph”, is a symbol of the men’s struggle to hold on to their humanity and the theme of the story is basically that, the struggle between losing who you are and holding on. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think that the main conflict helps illustrate the theme because all the conflicts I mentioned above, are somehow related to the struggle of the men holding on to their humanity. So you really get to see how the theme is being illustrated in different ways. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think the climax helps illustrate the theme because it portrays the men holding on to their humanity by finally listening to music, which in their lives before was an everyday thing. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simile:
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">“In the bank above it was dug a sort of cell, with a single opening, like the mouth of a mine tunnel.” **


 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">“My brain becomes thick like my hands.” **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Metaphor:
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The air was still and cold, and in it settled mute darkness and greater cold of night.” **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personification:
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">“… been obscured by the beginning of a flying cloud…” **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Symbol:
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Portable Phonograph: **
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Represents the men’s past lives and their struggle of holding on to their humanity. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foreshadowing (give both elements):
 * An example of foreshadowing would be " The musician rose last, but then abruptly, and went quickly out at door without saying anything." **
 * The sentence could be foreshadowing that the musician is thinking about stealing the phonograph or planning something against Dr.Jenkins. **

Irony:
 * It is ironic how Dr.Jenkins is saying that he hopes the world will change and how he is trying to change his way for the rest of humanity but in the end of the story, he holds on to the lead pipe, hinting that he is not afraid to use. Therefor he has not changed his ways. **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Imagery:
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">“The red sunset, with narrow, black clouds like threats across it, lay on the curved horizon of the prairie. The air was still and cold, and in it settled the mute darkness and greater cold of night.” **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story.
 * <span style="color: #33ccff; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our class theme is humanity and the short story “The Portable Phonograph”, illustrates the struggle between people losing their humanity, from being isolated from civilization or going through a life changing experience and holding on to their humanity because they don’t want to loss themselves in all the havoc that has happened in their life. **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif;">Url : [] One of your partners has the breakdown of the rubric score for your presentation.

Questions: B) ** The musician might attempt to steal the phonograph because he left the room abruptly, quickly and quietly and then Dr. Jenkins heard the suppressed cough of the musician. If this does happen, Dr. Jenkins could possibly physically hurt the musician because in the end of the story, he was holding on to the lead pipe. **
 * 1 : **The story is set after a huge war, that has effected the whole world and left it deserted except for the four men. You can tell that it is post- war because in the story it says " The frozen mud still bore the toothed impression of great tanks...". The sun is also setting, indicating that is the evening time.**
 * 2 : **The men's purpose of meeting is to listen to the music being played by the phonograph but I also think that it is a way for the men to hold on to what is left of their humanity. The unwrapping of the books is like a ceremonial rite because they are probably not taken out often and they are precious items to the men.**
 * 3 : **The books that were saved are timeless books, meaning that they will never go out of style. The books Dr.Jenkins saved were books that have lessons and also a bit of history so the new ones that come into the world, won't forget the past.**
 * 4 : A) ** Throughout the whole story, Dr. Jenkins is saying how he hopes the world will change and not be wrapped up in using items for bad things. Then he grabs the lead pipe at the end of the story, which means that he will never change. **

**Completion 5/5** **Effort 4/5** **Content 4/5** **Questions 7/8** **total 20/23**