Portable+Phonograph

// **Point of View:** // The Point of View was in Third Person, because the author was in the mind of Dr. Jenkins, but not in the mind of anyone else. It was hinted that there might be Slight Omniscience, but only ever so slightly.

// **Protagonist:** // The Protagonist was Dr. Jenkins, because he is the "Main Character" of the story, and who the author is narrating.

// **What type of character is the Protagonist?** // I think the Protagonist (Dr. Jenkins) is Round and Dynamic because the character Dr. Jenkins does change during the course of the story, at the start he was a gracious, sharing man, whilst at the end he turned out to be any other human being, resorting back to crisis.

// **Antagonist**: // Human Nature was the antagonist, because it was what the conflict was during the entirety of the story. The people listening to the music are reminded of the humanity, and it is too much for the men to handle. So wether this is Self, or Environment, is unknown, I mean, what category to you put Humanity itself in?

// **Describe the setting:** // The setting is in a cold, heavy winter, on the prairie fields in an old dug-out. The mood and the atmosphere of the story is dark, cold, and without hope.

// **Type of Conflict:** // Person vs. Humanity. I believe the Human Nature is the main conflict because they have been fighting to restore their humanity after a destructive downfall.

// **Describe the main conflict:** // I believe the main conflict is between the refugees and Human Nature. They are fighting to restore their human nature through reading literature and listening to music. When the musician listens to the music, the nostalgia of his previous life takes over him, and his emotions take over.

//** Describe the Climax of the Story: **// I think the climax of the story is when the Dr. Jenkins reaches for his lead pipe. Before knowing what a Climax actually meant, I would have said it would be when the Musician storms out of the dug-out, but since Dr. Jenkins changes from being a generous, giving man he turns into a violent-prone, primate.

// **How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?** // Dr. Jenkins changes from a sparing, giving, and generous old man to as if he was a lioness protecting her cub. He would do anything to protect what he holds dearest.

// **Describe the relationship between the title and the theme:** // The Title of the story is is The Portable Phonograph, but in-fact, the story has little to do with the Portable Phonograph, but the idea of it. The idea of someone that will grasp humanity by it's fingertips and hold on to it through the worst of times, and be able to remind people of humanity whenever times are gloomy, might help them find it once again.

// **How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?** // The main conflict is between Man vs. Human Nature because the story is a struggle to find the peoples humanity once again. This helps illustrate the theme because I believe the theme is People trying to find there humanity in a time of crisis, when they had turned to their primitive nature.

// **How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?** // The Climax of the story helps illustrate the theme because when Dr. Jenkins reaches for the lead pipe, it illustrates that violence is a part of who humans are, and there is very little that can help stop that.

__ **Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):** __

**Simile:** "Within the cell, there was a little red of fire, which showed dully through the opening like a reflection or a deception of the imagination."

**Metaphor:** “The wet, blue-green notes tinkled forth from the old machine, and were individual, delectable presences in the cell.”

**Personification:** "Civilization is dead ."

**Symbol:** The Musician's actions toward Dr. Jenkins are a symbol of Greed and Want. I chose this symbol because I think it relates closely of the "Humanity" theme.

**Foreshadowing (give both elements):** "They seem to be waiting for something". This prepares the reader that there will be something coming in the future, that will prove great significance, wether it be metaphorical or literal.

**Irony:** Dr. Jenkins was able to escape all the violence of the war and be in a peaceful 'mini-society' however, at the end of the book, he resorts back to violence when he grabs the lead pipe..

**Imagery:** "Out of the sunset, through the dead, matted grass and isolated weed stalks of the prairie, crept the narrow and deeply rutted remains of a road." You can picture this image in your mind, as a post-apocalyptic scene with a broken road.

**Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story:** Humanity relates to this story because this music has changed the way the musician sees this music and it changes his life. Music relates to humanity for these people, something that they have lost, and would give anything to get back. The story shows that even the best of men, are still human.

__ **Responding Questions:** __

__ **When is this story set? What has recently happened? Support your opinion with details from the story.** __ This story is set in the future after a devastating, man-made event. "Time: the future, after a devastating world war."

__ **What is the purpose of the men's meeting? Why does the author compare the unwrapping of the book bundle to a ceremonial rite?** __ The purpose of the men's meeting was to listen to the phonograph and catch a glimpse of their humanity. The author compares the unwrapping of the book bundle to a ceremonial rite because it is the last thing the men have left of their humanity, and it is what is important to them.

__ **What is the significance of the books that were saved? Why are there no recent works of fiction included?** __ There were seldom a book that was saved after the devastating event, and i'm sure the man wouldn't want to be carrying a book that relates not to what the world was, but would humans wished it could be (or glad that it wasn't). The books related back to the world in the before time, and helped the men touch back to their humanity.

__**What do you think is the significance of Dr. Jenkins clutching the lead pipe at the end of the story?**__ I think that the author was showing that even the best of man, who look beyond the fighting and enjoy the music, still resort to violence in a time of crisis. It shows that violence shows itself as a Human Property, not as a horrible vice.

__**What do you think might happen next? Discuss, using references from the story.**__ I think that the musician is going to try and break into Dr. Jenkins house and take the portable phonograph and the books and steal them, and keep them all for himself. "On the inside of the bed, next to the wall, he could feel with his hands, the comfortable piece of lead pipe. Then quickly and quietly, looking at the piece of canvas frequently, he slipped the records into the case, snapped the lid shut, and carried the phonograph to his couch." He would protect what he knew best at all costs, from the want and greed from another man. COMPLETION 5/5 EFFORT 5/5 CONTENT 5/5 QUESTIONS 8/8 TOTAL 23/23 Mine and Austin's Presentation:

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ARS3-VYIGSAzZGg2cHJ4Yl8zM2hmNTNtbXpt&hl=en_US ||  ||
 * ||||  ||   ||   || ===Portable Phonograph - Slideshow===

total 12/16
 * CATEGORY || 4 || 3 || 2 || 1 ||
 * Content || All required slides complete with insightful responses and support ||  All required slides. Responses are adequate but may not be fully supported. || May be missing 1-3 slides and information is cursory and not fully supported. || Missing more than 3 slides and content is inaccurate. ||
 * Citations || All citations are present and in the proper format. ||  All citations are present however there are 1-3 errors in format. || Missing 1-3 citations. || Missing more than 3 citations. ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">Images || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">All images are relevant and add significant incite to the meaning of the text. All images are clear and unpixelated. || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;"> Most images are relevant and add incite into the meaning behind the text. || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">1-5 Images have no clear connection to the text and some images are pixelated. || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">Several images (more than 5) have no clear connection to the text. ||
 * <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 11pt;">Spelling/Grammar || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">No discernible spelling or grammar errors. || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;"> 1-3 errors. || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">3-6 errors || <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: arial,verdana,tahoma; font-size: 9pt;">More than 6 errors ||   ||