Identities

Title: __Identities by W.D Valgardson__
 * Short Stories - Literary Devises**

**Point of View:** Third person, omniscient. The protagonist is a wealthy man who lives in a wealthy neighborhood with his wife and children, where he is probably pretty well-known. **What type of character is the Protagonist?** Round/Dynamic **Antagonist:** The antagonist is guilt from not leaving a message to his wife. In the story, the protagonist goal was to drive around, but he stopped to call his wife to tell her where he was. The environment, society and himself. **Describe the setting** The setting starts off at his house, where he moves from the study, to the backyard, and then to the front yard. He lives in a big house in a good neighborhood. The people are nice, the place is clean, and there is not much worry about robbery or theft. Then, he gets in his Mercedes Benz and drives from where he lives into somewhere far away into a bad neighborhood. Here, everything is locked up, fences are in wrecks, and gangsters walk around in the streets. The story takes place in Autumn on a Saturday morning/noon. The story ends around nighttime. 50's 60's. **Type of Conflict:** Man vs. Man
 * Protagonist:** The unshaven man.

**Describe the main conflict:** The main conflict is man vs. man because the protagonist is shot by the police officer even though he was innocent. **Describe the Climax of the Story:** The climax of the story is when the inexperienced policeman tells the protagonist to stop. This is the moment of most suspense because the policeman is inexperienced and nervous, so the reader doesn’t know what might happen. **How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?** The protagonist starts off at his house, where he begins to grow tired of his neighborhood, so he decides to drive around. He ends up in a bad-looking neighborhood, and he starts getting scared and panicky. When he walks into the store and the policeman tells him to stop, he feels relieved. **Describe the relationship between the title and the theme.** The theme is the mistaking of identities, and the title is identities. **How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?** The conflict between the protagonist and the cop illustrates the mistaking of identities. The cop thinks the protagonist is a bad person about to start trouble, and the protagonist thinks the cop is a good person about to help him out of a potentially dangerous situation **How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?** The climax is when the cop, who thinks the protagonist is a bad person, make another mistake. The protagonist is about to pull out his ID and prove himself innocent, but the cop shoots him thinking he was drawing a gun. The protagonist at that moment feels relieved and thinks the cop is going to help him. He knows he doesn't have a gun, but because he feels safe with the cop, he doesn't take precautions and make a wrong move. **Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):** Simile: “Darkness has quietly been settling like soot. “ “Cars jam the narrow streets and he worries that he might strike the grubby children who dart back and forth like startled fish. “ “The store window illuminates the sidewalk like a stage.” **Metaphor:** None. **Personification:** “The houses are squat, as though they have been taller and have slowly, sunk into the ground. “ “... hand-painted signs instructing purchasers to deposit twenty-five or fifty cents.” **Symbol:** His wallet, symbolizing his identity. His unshaven face, symbolizing his mistaken identity **Foreshadowing (give both elements):** Although he has on blue jeans – matching pants and jacket made in Paris – he is driving a grey Mercedes Benz. Gangs of young men follow the car with unblinking eyes. - this illustrates how he is standing out

So intent is he upon the future that he dangerously ignores the present and does not notice the police car, concealed in the shadows of a side street, nose out and follow him. - he is unaware of the police car following him closely with a pistol, ready to act

In spite of his car, he hopes his day old beard which he strokes upward with the heel of his hand, will, when combined with his clothes, help him to blend in – to remain unnoticed. - he thinks that he is blending in, but he is actually doing the opposite

**Irony:** The policeman was following the protagonist and suspecting something bad to happen but the protagonist didn’t know.

The policeman thought the protagonist was a bad person and did not intend to help him.

The wallet carrying the protagonist's ID was the easiest way to get prove himself innocent, but it was also the cause of his death. **Imagery:** Paper clogs the fence like drifted snow

The houses are squat, as though they have been taller and have, slowly, sunk into the ground

The store window illuminates the sidewalk like a stage **Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story.** The story is a good example of humanity, and how small mistakes made by humans can be fatal. The protagonist made the mistake of assuming he was safe and being guarded when really it was the opposite. The police officer made the mistake of thinking the man was a thief when he was only trying to call home to make sure his family isn’t worried about him.