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Transcript

The Blue Bead

Plot

The Blue Bead is a story about a young girl named Sibia who is very poor and wants something of value in her life. As the story progresses, she saves a woman from a crocodile and shortly after finds a blue bead.

This story was full of description. Even the title itself held some relevance. The main character, Sibia, was searching for something valuable which turned out to be the blue bead that she found after her encounter with a crocodile.

At the beginning of the story, the crocodile gets two pages of mention. Can anyone guess as to why that is?

The reason for this is because the author used a technique called "foreshadowing." This is used to provide information about one subject that will play a role in a later part of the story.

The crocodile didn't come into the picture again until the main incident occurred: the attack. This was the major portion of the story that kept the audience in suspense.

Setting

Based on the description of the lifestyle lived in the story, there is no doubt that this must have taken place in a third-world country.

The setting was very important because the author needed to empathize the poverty that Sibia had to live in. This was the reason that she wanted to have something valuable.

What do you think can help the author describe the setting?

To help the reader visualize the place, the author also described some of the animals and the forests in the setting.

Theme:

"The smallest treasures can bring the greatest joy once they are earned." - Our group

The theme took a while to find. When reading the story, we thought that the obvious theme was,

"Acts of heroism result in rewards."

But this wasn't the case because things like saving people from attacks happened on a daily basis. Therefore, the theme had to do with Sibia and the blue bead. The blue bead was there throughout the entire story, and Sibia's poor lifestyle was clearly stated. So we compared the blue bead not to a reward, but as something that someone with very little might cherish. That's how we were able to come up with this theme.

Point of View

The point of view coming from the narrator is omniscient. This means that the author knows the feelings or desires of characters, and can see all. For example, the author in this story knows the background of Sibia and also that she wanted something of value.

This narrator does not withhold any important information, but he used foreshadowing.

Characters

The author describes the main character's , Sibia, back story at the beginning to introduce what kind of life she lives. This reveals that she is an actual person and not a fantasy character.

Sibia's course in the story does not change from a poor person to a rich person. However, she does gain a valuable piece of jewelry which helps her become a happier person.

What do you think the author can do to help the reader understand the character?

The author describes the poor condition she lives in, the bad food she eats, and the little possession and clothes that she owns.

Figurative Language

Metaphors:

"Her imagination took her in swooping flight over the bright water." - Page 60, Paragraph 2

"All her heart went up in flames of joy."

- Page 62, Paragraph 3

Similes:

"Dawn colored silks that poured like cream."

- Page 58, Paragraph 5

"And she could look down over the river as if she were a bird." - Page 60, Paragraph 2

"The daily heroism of the jungle, as common as a thorn tree." - Page 61, Paragraph 10

"From boulder to boulder she came leaping like a goat." - Page 61, Paragraph 6

"The river coursed like a bulge of glass."

- Page 61, Paragraph 6

Imagery:

"Out of black water, curved with whirlpools, and into the the frill of gold shallows."

- Page 56, Paragraph 2

"This prehistoric juggernaut."

- Page 57, Paragraph 1

Symbols:

Blue Bead: The little things in life that can make someone happier

Irony:

Dramatic Irony: When Sibia found the blue bead and got excited.

Situational Irony: When Sibia was able to fight back the crocodile with a hay fork.

Extras

Although this story was written for entertainment, it contains a strong message as we mentioned earlier. This can help the reader read the story only once, and still sympathize with the character.

It was a bit difficult to understand, but after reading between the lines and examining the main character Sibia, we were able to create the theme that helped us understand the story better. The character and theme were very important to fully understand the story.

As we mentioned, "The Blue Bead" was made for entertainment and was driven by character and theme.

So instead of giving you guys a pop quiz, we are going to play a 3 minute video that was also made for entertainment, but when it's finished, we'd like you to find and discuss the theme of it with the person next to you.

Hint: Pay close attention to the end for the theme.

Although it was a bit childish and entertaining, there is still a theme. Some simple ones that can be found are,

"There is always an open door somewhere that provides an opportunity."

or

"Perseverance results in success."

Just like The Blue Bead, this video was also driven by character and theme.

In conclusion, the theme played a very important role in the short story "The Blue Bead" and also in many others.

Thank you for watching!

By Khalil, Trai, Aisha, Asantiwa, Brandon and Shayla

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