Portable+Phonograph

The point of view in The // Portable Phonograph // is third person. Throughout the story you know what Dr. Jenkins is thinking and feeling.
 * Short Stories - Literary Devises ** ** Title: Portable Phonograph **
 * Point of View: **

** Protagonist: ** The protagonist in the // Portable Phonograph // is Dr. Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins is the protagonist because he is the most important character, and the story revolves around him.

** What type of character is the Protagonist? ** The protagonist in this story is a dynamic, round character.

** Antagonist: ** The antagonist in the //Portable Phonograph// is the musician, society, and Dr. Jenkins himself.

** Describe the setting: ** This story begins with a sun set on the prairie. There are geese heading south, meaning it is almost wintertime. The story takes place after a devastating world war in the future. The mud is frozen and there is ice covering the ground. It ends quite late because Dr. Jenkins can't even see his friends leaving. Dr. Jenkins and the rest of the men are at Dr. Jenkins “house” which is similar to a dug-out and a cave. Inside there was a fire, a grass stuffed sack that acted like a pillow, and the door was a canvas sheet pegged at the bottom.

** Types of Conflict: ** The type of conflict in the story is Man vs. Himself and Man vs. Man and Man vs. Society.

** Describe the main conflict: ** The main conflict in the Portable Phonograph is that these men have nothing left to remind them of their humanity. The war that preceded the story destroyed everything. Now they are getting greedy when it comes to the things they have left. It is Person vs Self because Dr. Jenkins is battling with the part of him that wants to share his music, and another part of him that wants to hide it from the others. It is Person vs Society because it is society that left the men without humanity in the first place. The war striped every nice thing from the world, and slowly, humankind is trying to bring it back.

** Describe the Climax of the Story: ** The climax of the story is when Dr. Jenkins hides the portable phonograph and the books in a secret hole in the wall, faces the entrance, and grabs the lead pipe for defense against thieves. He doesn't want to share his music or literature and is paranoid of it being stolen.

** How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? ** At the beginning of the story Dr. Jenkins wants to share his phonograph and music, and books and literature, but by the end of the story, Dr. Jenkins hides the phonograph and grabs a lead pipe for protection. He becomes untrusting of the other men, especially the musician.

** Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. ** The title is the // Portable Phonograph //, and the theme is the good and bad aspects of humanity. The phonograph is good at the beginning because it brings music, but it is an example of the bad parts at the end when it is hidden. The music that the phonograph created really hit the men emotionally. At the end, Dr. Jenkins was ready to use violence just to protect it.

** How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? ** The main conflict is that the men are losing their humanity. Throughout the course of the story, the men start to regain the good aspects of humanity, but others such as Dr. Jenkins and the musician start to lose the positive parts.

** How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? ** The theme is how these men can show humanity, the good and bad aspects of it. The climax, when Dr. Jenkins hides the phonograph, is an example of the bad side of humanity. He cannot trust his friends anymore. This proves that the negative sides of humanity can overpower the positive sides. The climax and the theme of the story are practically the same.

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

** Simile: ** "Little red of fire, which showed dully, through the opening, like a reflection or a deception of the imagination."

** Metaphor: ** "...the expansive blizzards paraded for days…"

** Personification: ** "The rush of their pinions sounded briefly, and the faint, plaintive notes of their expeditionary talk.”

** S **** ymbol: ** Dr. Jenkins saved four books; Shakespeare, the Bible, Moby Dick, and the Divine Comedy. These are symbols because they all represent different aspects of humanity and our day and age. Shakespeare is love and tragedy, the Bible is religion, Moby Dick is a thriller with adventure, and the Divine Comedy is about the inner soul on its search to heaven.

** Foreshadowing (give both elements): ** Foreshadow: "His voice had in it a suitable quality of deep, reverent despair, yet perhaps at the moment, a sharpness of selfish satisfaction."Result: Dr. Jenkins hides the phonograph and keeps it for himself.

** Irony: ** D. Jenkins prays at the end of the story and then grabs a hold of a lead pipe to hurt someone with. He is trying to save his humanity by keeping the phonograph safe, but is losing it hen he uses the pipe for violence.

** Imagery: ** "Though the viel of the dusk"

** Describe the relationship between the class theme and the story: ** The class theme is that these men have lost their humanity and they are trying to gain it back. They gain it back from the music that the phonograph gives. Dr. Jenkins though wants the phonograph to himself and hides it. We know that everyone has good and bad parts qualities. The Portable Phonograph features these qualities and shows that being human is not being perfect.

1) The story is set in the future after a devastating world war. It says in the story //“They were the scars of gigantic bombs.”//

2) The purpose of the men’s meeting is to bring their humanity back. The books and the music are a way to bring their humanity back, and that is important to the men. It is considered ceremonial because it is a life changing.

3) The books are symbols of humanity. They are all older books because they are classics; they show how the world was a long time ago. The Portable Phonograph also is an old story. The point they are trying to portray is that these books are all important parts of man’s history on earth. We do not want to make the same mistakes that we have already made; even though we are destined to make them again.

4) a) The significance is that Dr. Jenkins is willing to be violet in order to keep the music and literature to himself. He is willing to be violent in order to keep his humanity, which he is losing anyway. b)I think that someone may try to steal the phonograph and Dr. Jenkins will be there waiting.

Completion 5/5 Effort 5/5 Content 5/5 Questions 8/8

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