Analyse short stories: set 2

Key Notes :

The author doesn’t always tell you everything in a story. For example, he or she often merely suggests events, settings, and character traits. The author can also communicate more subtle messages, such as the narrator’s reliability, the passage’s theme, or even the author’s own attitudes.

As a result, you often need to make inferences to fully understand the story and the author’s choices. When making inferences, use your background knowledge of the world to interpret the story’s details. Also, pay attention to the story’s imagery, structure, and other stylistic elements, and consider what purpose they serve. Remember to base your inferences on evidence from the text.

Learn with an example

 đź“˘Read the story.

Victory and Honour

His bare feet flying over the dirt, Pelops accelerated towards the finish line. Almost there! Then, quicker than thought, his ankle twisted. He fell. ‘Great Zeus!’ he cried. Pelops massaged his injured foot and surveyed the empty practice field. This must be the work of that cheater, Daetor.

Pelops had woken that morning to discover a small stone tablet in his sleeping quarters. There were words carved into it. A curse. Someone was trying to jinx him. He’d immediately suspected Daetor. And now, Daetor’s curse had made him fall.

The Olympic Games would begin in three days, and Pelops was running for Athens. He had spent the last three weeks practicing alongside runners from Sparta, Syracuse, Thessaly, Rhodes, and elsewhere. Pelops had found them all to be worthy opponents, with the exception of Daetor, who seemed to stop at nothing in his quest to win.

Tentatively, Pelops stood. His foot bore his weight, so perhaps all was not lost. Pelops tried not to limp. He’d have to warn Aeolus, he thought. Aeolus was small and fast, and he honored the rules. Pelops liked him, and he wanted him to know that Daetor was dangerous.

His route back from the practice field took him past the long row of Zanes. The Walk of Shame, they called it. Slowed by his now-swelling ankle, Pelops read the plaques beneath the bronze figures of Zeus. Each was inscribed with the name of a disgraced athlete, along with his father’s name and city. The plaques’ stories told of bribery, dishonesty, and scandal. Using tricks in hopes of Olympic glory, these cheaters had received fame, but of the wrong sort.

Pelops would petition the gods, he decided. He’d make an offering at the Temple of Zeus. Limping into the temple, Pelops encountered a tall priest, who beckoned to him. ‘I could appeal to Zeus on your behalf, for your healing and your glory,’ the priest whispered. ‘Zeus could make Daetor slow and heavy in the race.’ How did this priest guess his thoughts? Pelops’s spirits soared, picturing the victory ahead. 

The priest continued, ‘I ask a small favor in return. Bury this tablet in the wrestling ring.’ Oh. Victory at a price. All he had to do was help jinx a wrestler. Pelops felt suddenly soiled. He stumbled away, downcast. I’m sorry, Athens, he thought, thinking of the crowds he was sure to disappoint. But even though this priest was not acting as Zeus would wish, Pelops couldn’t report this conversation. Nobody would believe him. He hoped he hadn’t turned the priest of Zeus, or the god himself, against him. Who could he turn to now? Leaving Zeus’s domain, he found himself in the Temple of Hera.

Three days later, the poultices and prayers to Hera had improved his ankle, and no further disasters had occurred. Pelops was ready to run. Each athlete took his place at a starting block for the two-stage race. They would run the length of the stadium and back. Pelops was running in the lane next to Aeolus. On Aeolus’s other side was Daetor. Each runner was to stay in his own lane to run the length of the stadium, turn at his post, and return to his starting point. Pelops said a quick prayer to fleet-footed Hermes.

From the start, Pelops ran hard to maintain the third position. At the end of the first leg, Daetor and Aeolus were neck and neck ahead of him—until Pelops saw Daetor stick his foot right into Aeolus’s path. Aeolus sprawled on the track, but as he did, his legs got tangled with Daetor’s, sending Daetor flying into the post. It all happened in an instant. Suddenly, Pelops’s path to victory was clear. Of the remaining runners, he was surely the fastest, even with his ankle.

He almost passed Aeolus, who was still on the ground as if in a daze. Not like this, he thought. Then, still running, Pelops reached down and pulled Aeolus up in one inspired motion. Yet the effort slowed him, and the runners behind him began rushing past. ‘Go, go, quick,’ he urged Aeolus, ‘for my ankle is slowing me.’ The crowd roared as Aeolus rallied to overtake the pack. Pelops ran after Aeolus, leaving Daetor moaning in the dust.

Pelops completed the race well, but only the winner would wear the olive wreath. Pelops rushed to congratulate the victor. He found Aeolus frowning beneath his olive wreath. Aeolus confronted Pelops. ‘That was your race to win. Where is the honor in my victory?’

‘My friend,’ Pelops said, ‘Daetor tried to steal victory from you. How could I profit from that?’ He looked skywards. ‘The gods did not wish for his foul act to succeed. You caught up, and you won. The gods are pleased, and Daetor received his just reward.’ 

Aeolus bowed his head. ‘You have raced with honor, Pelops,’ he said.

Which of the following helps establish the time and place?

  • The athletes run a footrace in a stadium.
  • Pelops turns to Zeus in the hope of winning.
  • The narrative emphasizes the values of victory and honor.
  • Pelops runs barefoot on dirt.

The reference to Zeus, the king of the gods in ancient Greek mythology, helps establish the story’s setting. When Pelops goes to the Temple of Zeus to seek help, it indicates that the story takes place in ancient Greece. There are other clues as well, from the characters’ names to their participation in the Olympic Games, which were first held in ancient Greece.

 Read the story.

Pulling Away from Trouble

Jay stared at the registration form. Athletics are required? His parents clearly weren’t aware of this when they sent him to Greenley School. They must have overlooked it in their rush to separate him from his two best friends, whom they called ‘those troublemakers’. The last straw for his parents was when Jay and ‘those troublemakers’ set off alarms one night while trying to climb over the school fence. Jay’s parents were convinced that his friends were in trouble. Jay was smart, they said, but he had ‘poor judgment’. 

And now he had to sign up for a sport. His parents never allowed him to try out for athletics, telling him to concentrate on his classes. He wondered what his mum would say if he came home from this fancy boarding school in a rugby kit. 

That was unlikely, though, since he was small, not to mention uncoordinated. Which sport accepts the rejects from all the others, he wondered, running his eyes down the list: Football? Too much running. Tennis? No way. Cricket? Can’t throw. Rowing? Jay looked up competitive rowing online. He stared at images of tall, muscular Olympic rowers. Not him.

Ah, here! At the bottom of the page, Jay read: ‘Daily Independent Gym’. DIG—obviously the refuge of non-athletes. He signed up, hoping it wouldn’t be too much of a disaster.

‘Welcome to DIG, people,’ Mr Crum said at their first session. ‘Pick a piece of equipment and start working out. I’ll circulate and answer questions. Go!’ Jay sat on the seat of the closest machine. He studied the ‘Instructions for Ergometer’ printed on the card above the machine, chuckling to discover it was a rowing machine. He grabbed the handles and pulled, sliding the seat forwards and back as he leaned into the motion. It felt good.

At the next DIG session, Jay immediately claimed an ergometer. His muscles were sore but he quickly got into the swing of the workout. Mr Crum strolled over. ‘I see you like emerging,’ he said.

‘Yeah,’ Jay said. He felt strong. He’d checked out some online erg videos, he said, and he asked Mr Crum about his form. Mr Crum made a small correction and explained the machine’s readouts, which showed Jay’s speed and power.

‘Great work, Jay. Keep it up,’ Mr Crum said. And he did.

One rainy day, Jay arrived at DIG to find every erg occupied. The rowing team was practicing indoors. Lifting weights nearby, Jay studied the rowers’ technique.

The following Saturday was sunny. His roommate, Toby, was going running. Jay could binge-watch TV, or he could run. He kitted up to join Toby. As he ran, Jay felt the resentment towards his parents start to lift. He’d chosen his own courses for a change and was happy with his timetable. His classes were engaging and challenging. DIG was great. He’d made new friends and learned lingo like ‘erg’. His parents might even have been right about ‘those troublemakers’. Jay had heard they were getting into worse trouble these days. 

On the running path, shouts rose from the direction of the river. Rowing practice. Jay watched the boat’s eight rowers pull in unison. How did they stay together? How did they steer? The rowers couldn’t even see where they were heading—they faced backward. Then Jay saw the boy facing forward at the end of the boat, shouting orders.

Jay and Toby slowed to watch. Jay surmised that the boy at the end was the captain. He watched as the boat maneuvered back towards the dock. The boy at the back hopped out and kept shouting directions as the rest of the crew lifted the boat up over their heads. That’s when Jay noticed—the lead boy was almost thirty centimeters shorter than the rest. He was Jay’s size.

‘Who’s that?’ Jay asked, pointing at the small kid.

‘The cox?’ Toby asked. He shrugged, ‘I don’t know his name.’

Ah. ‘Cox’, not captain. Jay headed back to his room, where he opened his laptop and started tapping away. 

Thunderstorms rolled in on Monday, and when Jay arrived for DIG, the rowers were on the ergs again. Mr Crum called him over. ‘Want to help out with rowing practice today?’ he asked. Jay thought Mr Crum was making fun of him—as if a shrimp-like him could help. Then Mr Crum explained, ‘Lian is sick today.’ Lian, Jay was informed, was the cox. Apparently, the cox supervised the rowers on the ergs, keeping time and encouraging them.

If Mr Crum thought he could do it, he’d at least try. ‘Sure,’ Jay said. Maybe next season, he’d try out for the rowing team. According to his research, he had all the qualifications of a great cox: he was lightweight, smart, and good at navigating.

Of course, coxing a boat also required good judgment. With a little more practice, he thought he could develop that, too.

Based on the first and second paragraphs, what is likely true of Jay’s parents?

  • They exercise a great deal of control over his life.
  • They are affectionate and understanding.
  • They trust Jay to use his own good judgment.
  • They make it easy for Jay to ask them for advice.

Look at the following text from the first and second paragraphs. It suggests that Jay’s parents exercise a lot of control over his life.

Jay stared at the registration form. Athletics are required? His parents clearly weren’t aware of this when they sent him to Greenley School. They must have overlooked it in their rush to separate him from his two best friends, whom they called ‘those troublemakers’. The last straw for his parents was when Jay and ‘those troublemakers’ set off alarms one night while trying to climb over the school fence. Jay’s parents were convinced that his friends were in trouble. Jay was smart, they said, but he had ‘poor judgment’.

And now he had to sign up for a sport. His parents never allowed him to try out for athletics, telling him to concentrate on his classes. He wondered what his mum would say if he came home from this fancy boarding school in a rugby kit.

Jay’s parents make him enroll in a private boarding school to separate him from his ‘troublemaker’ friends. Jay also reveals that his parents have always forbidden him from playing sports. Together, these details indicate that Jay’s parents seem to control many aspects of his life.

let’s practice!

Water Rising

  1.  Polara paced along the ramparts, striving to stay alert. Commander Axel expected nothing less. She breathed in the fresh air, revelling in the panorama of thriving rice fields. Three years ago, Shublik had been wasteland. She was proud of how she and her team had made it bloom. Her mind whirred with plans for more improvements. The longer she could stay at Shublik, the better it would be—for the colony, but also for her. Daily routines and the mountain air had brought her unexpected comfort. 
  2. She peered through her binoculars. Was that water glistening on the horizon, where just last week there had been dry-land? Polara wondered again what lay beyond the limits of her sight. Peering into the distance, she felt the lure of the unknown. 
  3. An approaching dust cloud caught her attention—a rider. Polara sounded the Visitor Call and hurried down to join the greeting party. 
  4.  The rider, a thickset Castrian Corps officer, cried ‘Salutations!’ Polara shivered. Castrians were reputed to be rough and dangerous. This one wasted no time sharing his bad news. ‘The waters are rising faster than expected. The authorities have ordered the Second Relocation.’
  5.  ‘We must hear further details,’ Commander Axel said. ‘Amaris will attend to your horse. Please join us for our evening meal.’ 
  6. As they entered the great hall for dinner, Polara’s curiosity overruled her fear, and she sat close enough to the Castrian, Jarno, to hear his words. ‘There’s trouble in the UCs,’ he told them.
  7. At the dawn of the Water Age, the shrinking of the dry-land had caused chaos. When the authorities took control, they announced the Universal Relocation to restore peace. Three years ago, Polara had been assigned to Shublik Mountain. Since then, she and her team had extended the rice fields up the mountainside, working to feed the populations in the urban centres— the UCs.
  8.  Jarno reported that crowding and unrest were worsening as the waters rose. In response, the authorities had declared another relocation. UC dwellers would come to Shublik; the current residents of Shublik would move to UCs. Jarno would supervise their relocation, and relocate to Shublik himself.
  9.  ‘But we have expertise,’ Commander Axel protested. ‘We’re developing new methods to produce more rice. Bringing in UC dwellers will jeopardise our work.’
  10.  ‘The authorities want to discourage us from becoming too attached to any location,’ Jarno replied. ‘The new plan dictates that everyone must relocate every three years.’
  11. Silence filled the hall. Polara went outside to sort out her thoughts. Although she yearned to explore, she also recoiled at these relocations. And something more fundamental vexed her. She didn’t believe that relocating was a real solution. They needed to create new dry-land, somehow. She’d worked hard to coax more food out of limited land, but that wasn’t the same as new dry-land. Polara sighed. Maybe the best thing was to continue her work here, helping to feed people.
  12.  Perhaps she could seek permission to stay—maybe Jarno had the authority to grant her request? That hulking Castrian still frightened her, though. Polara stood on a spot overlooking fields and distant mountains. Pondering, she was startled when the subject of her thoughts appeared next to her.
  13. Jarno bowed. ‘You’re Polara?’ he asked. ‘Your Station Commander gives you much credit for these productive fields.’ He surveyed the green. ‘To defy conventional wisdom, to risk failure, to persist—these are important qualities. You have my admiration.’
  14.  Polara flushed at the praise. Was the Castrian laying some kind of trap? She marvelled at Jarno’s courtesy, too, which belied the Castrians’ fearsome reputation. ‘Thank you,’ she said. Still wary, she nonetheless plunged ahead. This was important. ‘I would hate for our knowledge to be lost,’ she said. ‘It’s not possible to record all the information you’ll need. May I request permission to stay? To supervise the new farmers?’ 
  15. Jarno said, ‘It’s beyond my control. But I’ll messenger your request to Command.’ He nodded and took his leave.
  16.  Two days later, Jarno relayed Command’s response. ‘Permission is denied. But Command orders that you leave all other duties and focus on conveying your complete agricultural knowledge to me, before relocation.’ 
  17. Polara bowed her head in dismay. Not only must she relocate, but she must educate Jarno. Castrians were notoriously ill-tempered when corrected. Nonetheless, she agreed to start in the morning
  18. Three days later, Jarno was making good progress. Their sessions almost took Polara’s mind off the relocation orders, but she was increasingly desperate to avoid the UC.
  19.  Showing Jarno the irrigation network, she asked about his travels. Jarno proved to be a thoughtful storyteller, sharing his insights into many far-off places. That yearning to explore returned to Polara. But a soldier’s life was not for her. Then, Jarno mentioned that his son was in the Neptune Corps. 
  20. ‘Neptune Corps? What’s that?’ Polara asked.
  21.  ‘They sail the seas, seeking new dry-land.’
  22. ‘New dry-land? How?’ 
  23. ‘Some believe new lands are rising,’ Jarno explained.
  24.  Polara’s mind leaped at the possibility. ‘Can I join?’
  25.  ‘They’re recruiting now. The Corps Captain is a good woman. I’ll recommend you if you’d like. You’re smart and brave, and I believe you’re up for the challenge.’ 
  26. Polara looked to the horizon, at the unmistakable sparkle of the approaching sea. She wasn’t sure how brave she felt, but she was willing. ‘I am,’ she answered.

Results

#1. Based on the first and second paragraphs, what internal conflict does Polara struggle with?

Finish

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