“The Three-Century Woman” by Richard Peck

“The Three-Century Woman” by Richard Peck
Model Selection: Fiction

Every work of fiction includes made-up people or animals, called characters, and a made-up series of events, called the plot. The plot may seem realistic. For example, it may be a story about students like you. On the other hand, the plot may be a fantasy. It might, for example, feature talking cats.

The plot takes place at a certain time and in a certain location, called the setting. The setting may or may not be real. Every plot contains a problem, or conflict, that one or more characters must solve.

A speaker, called the narrator, tells the story from a certain perspective, or point of view. If the narrator is a character in the story, he or she tells it from the first-person point of view. If the narrator is outside the story, he or she tells it from the third person point of view.

Examples of fiction include novels, novellas, and short stories.

A. DIRECTIONS: “The Three-Century Woman” is a work of fiction. Complete the following

items to provide details about its characters, narrator, setting, and plot.

1. The characters:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Is the narrator inside or outside the story?________________

3. Is the story told from the first-person or third-person point of view?___________

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Clues that indicate the point of view:_____________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

5. When does the story take place?_________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Where does the story take place?

_____________________________________________________________________

7. Is the setting realistic or imaginary? Explain.______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

8. Is the plot realistic or fantastic? .________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

9. Examples of real or fantastic plot elements: ._______________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

10. What conflict, or problem, do the characters face? .________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________