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Lesson 1 (from Ruby)

Objective

Rather than describe a setting and principle characters before describing action, the author immediately begins with action. The objective of this lesson is to examine the opening of the novel "Paradise".

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: How does the beginning of the novel, which jumps right into the action and then later backtracks to give details about the characters and setting, affect the interest and commitment of a typical reader? From a personal standpoint, what is your reaction to the first sentence that mentioned a murder? Does it immediately capture your interest and make you want to read on in order to understand how these events have come about?

2) Group Discussion: Aside from the opening, which consists of murder and mayhem, what information is presented? Can we identify any principle characters? What can we tell about the setting?

3) Group Writing Preparation: Begin making preparations for a paper examining...

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