Assessment: Suddenly, a Knock on the Door
In class today we're reading the short story "Suddenly, a Knock on the Door" and responding to 3 questions.
#1: What is your reaction to the text you've just read?
I thought this was very interesting. Within the story, the author, or narrator, has control over the outcome. Whatever he says begins to come true. Yet, he is nervous about telling this story with all three men looking on with weapons. Also within the story, the three men are demanding something interesting. They object to the boring start of "There's a knock on the door", until finally the pizza man juts in to let him continue. "As long as it brings a story."
This made me think how the humblest of beginnings within a story can lead to something greater. We don't need a super complicated setup. Life is a story. This simple encounter of four men in a room was interesting, left me asking questions, and got me thinking.
Within telling this story, the author tells several smaller stories. One, when he lies that the Swedish man is his nephew. Again, when he tells us the background of the countries. All of these are stories, regardless of if they are true, or false.
#2: What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I liked how these men were all from different backgrounds, but all came for a good story. Human experience is all about story. From a computer animation background, I've heard that "story is everything". Lighting is beautiful, animation is entertaining, but without a good story, it falls flat.
I would assume writers would connect with the idea of being hunted for a story, but I relate to it in a different way. I found the idea of everyone claiming one thing, and actually looking for something else, interesting. The pizza man hid a cleaver within his box, the pollster a revolver, and the Swede had a gun, though he was supposed to be from a peace-loving background. They each had something they weren't supposed to.
This piece addressed many modern issues, such as prejudice, privilege, and terrorism in a lighthearted way.
#3: What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I can imagine this being a tv sitcom, or a Saturday Night Live skit. Where there's a lot of laughing at the incredulity. I would change the author's voice to talk to the three men in a way that the written form communicates to the reader. For example, the author might say "Aren't you from Sweden?" There would be more communicated from body language and exchanged looks than was communicated through the written word. It would be heavily based on comedic timing.
#1: What is your reaction to the text you've just read?
I thought this was very interesting. Within the story, the author, or narrator, has control over the outcome. Whatever he says begins to come true. Yet, he is nervous about telling this story with all three men looking on with weapons. Also within the story, the three men are demanding something interesting. They object to the boring start of "There's a knock on the door", until finally the pizza man juts in to let him continue. "As long as it brings a story."
This made me think how the humblest of beginnings within a story can lead to something greater. We don't need a super complicated setup. Life is a story. This simple encounter of four men in a room was interesting, left me asking questions, and got me thinking.
Within telling this story, the author tells several smaller stories. One, when he lies that the Swedish man is his nephew. Again, when he tells us the background of the countries. All of these are stories, regardless of if they are true, or false.
#2: What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I liked how these men were all from different backgrounds, but all came for a good story. Human experience is all about story. From a computer animation background, I've heard that "story is everything". Lighting is beautiful, animation is entertaining, but without a good story, it falls flat.
I would assume writers would connect with the idea of being hunted for a story, but I relate to it in a different way. I found the idea of everyone claiming one thing, and actually looking for something else, interesting. The pizza man hid a cleaver within his box, the pollster a revolver, and the Swede had a gun, though he was supposed to be from a peace-loving background. They each had something they weren't supposed to.
This piece addressed many modern issues, such as prejudice, privilege, and terrorism in a lighthearted way.
#3: What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I can imagine this being a tv sitcom, or a Saturday Night Live skit. Where there's a lot of laughing at the incredulity. I would change the author's voice to talk to the three men in a way that the written form communicates to the reader. For example, the author might say "Aren't you from Sweden?" There would be more communicated from body language and exchanged looks than was communicated through the written word. It would be heavily based on comedic timing.
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