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Year 7

Identifying and emulating Baum's use of pathetic fallacy in 'The Wizard of Oz'

I can confidently understand and use pathetic fallacy.

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New
New
Year 7

Identifying and emulating Baum's use of pathetic fallacy in 'The Wizard of Oz'

I can confidently understand and use pathetic fallacy.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Pathetic fallacy is a literary technique in which emotions are ascribed to non-human objects and things.
  2. Pathetic fallacy helps to show the mood of a piece of writing.
  3. Pathetic fallacy helps the reader visualise the scene and reflects the character’s emotion.

Common misconception

That pathetic fallacy can only be used to give emotion to the weather.

Pathetic fallacy is where human emotions are given to any non-human object or thing.

Keywords

  • Mood - the emotional response the story creates within the reader

  • Represent - to serve as a sign or symbol of something

  • Literary device - a tool used by writers to hint at larger themes, ideas, and meaning in a story or piece of writing

  • Descriptive - describing something in an interesting and detailed way

You could give a specific mood to students for Task C and then they can see how their examples of pathetic fallacy vary to express different moods.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The mood of a text is .
the logical response the story creates in the reader
Correct answer: the emotional response the story creates in the reader
the ethical response the story creates in the reader
Q2.
Which two of the following are definitions of gloomy?
Correct answer: dark and poorly lit
bright and open light
Correct answer: feeling sad and despondent
feeling happy and joyous
Q3.
Match the description with the emotion.
Correct Answer:The clouds wept,sadness

sadness

Correct Answer:The sky darkened,fear

fear

Correct Answer:The sun brightened,happiness

happiness

Q4.
Descriptive writing means writing that is .
logical and well sequenced
persuasive and emotional
Correct answer: interesting and detailed
Q5.
Dreary can mean which two of the following things?
Correct answer: repetitive and dull
Correct answer: sadness
vivid and exciting
repetitive and comforting
Q6.
If a text opens with a wild and chaotic scene of storms and wind, we expect that .
something predictable is about to happen
Correct answer: something tumultuous is about to happen
something joyous is about to happen

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Giving human emotions to non-human things or objects is .
personification
Correct answer: pathetic fallacy
anaphora
Q2.
To serve as a sign or symbol of something means to .
Correct answer: represent
present
depict
Q3.
Starting with the first, put the steps to creating pathetic fallacy in chronological order.
1 - Choose a non-human object or thing from the scene
2 - Consider the emotion you want to express
3 - Describe the non-human object or thing as having this emotion
Q4.
The image of the wind 'howling' suggests .
a calm, tranquil manner
Correct answer: deep anger or sadness
something magical is about to happen
Q5.
The word pathetic comes from 'pathos' which means .
Correct answer: emotion
logic
falsehood
Q6.
Which of the following is an example of pathetic fallacy?
Correct answer: The clouds encroached upon the sun and the sky darkened.
The branches stretched their long fingers and tapped the next tree.
The branches were like hands reaching forward towards me.