Twas a Dark and Dreary Night - PDF document

‘ Twas a Dark and Dreary Night Patrick McManus Literature Terms to Know 1. Genre – a type of writing 2. Essay – a work that seeks to state a point of view, discuss a subject, or persuade a reader to accept an argument  In an i nformal e ssay , the author is usually the narrator giving a personal point of view  In a f ormal e ssay , the author is usually an authority on the subject, which is probably more serious in nature. 3. Narrator – the individual or character telling the story 4. Dialogue – conversation between characters 5. Overstatement – the exaggeration of details for the purpose of humor or emphasis Patrick McManus based many of his humorous stories on actual experiences in his own life, but admits to fictionalizing them slightly. He r eally DID call his sister “the Troll ,” after the troll , Grendel , in the classic epic , Beowulf . I. His Humor  He exposes human weakness without giving undue offense .  “I think humor is best that lies closest to the familiar . ”  He shows us the dangers in pretending t o be courageous when we are not . II. His Courage  It is NOT t rue courage.  It is FALSE courage . He is trying to cover his fear of the dark . (Nyctophobia)  He is a h ypocrite ! ( He is pretending to be something he is not . )  He is e ven MORE afraid of his friends finding out about his fear than he actually is of the dark .  He “f orgets” to brush his teeth and leaves the light on . III. The Result  Because Pat refuse s to admit his fear, he is placed in the exact situation he was trying to avoid.  Ronni e (Ditmire) is also afraid but doesn’t try to hide h is fear .  Pat ’s desire to hide his own fear shows a lack of courage and prompts him to make unkind remarks about another classmate. *** Theme: Don’t Pretend !