New
New
Year 10
AQA
Exploring structure in Murakami's ‘After Dark’
I can identify and comment on the effect of interesting structural features in ‘After Dark’.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
Exploring structure in Murakami's ‘After Dark’
I can identify and comment on the effect of interesting structural features in ‘After Dark’.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Structure refers to the way a text has been organised.
- Different structural features can have different effects on the reader.
- Interesting structural features in 'After Dark' are the perspective choice, repetition and the creation of suspense.
- After identifying a structural feature in a text, it is important to discuss its effect.
Keywords
Structure - the way a text has been organised
Omniscient - all-knowing
Conceptualise - form a concept or idea of (something)
Common misconception
Students may confuse language and structural features.
Getting into a habit of asking a range of questions interrogating perspective, repetition, beginnings and endings can help students ease into the analysis of structure.
Model how you would go about reading 'After Dark' and answering the questions on the text in Learning Cycle 1.
Teacher tip
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the opening paragraph of Chapter 1 of 'After Dark' by Haruki Murakami for this lesson.
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).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which of the below is not a structural feature?
repetition
shift in focus
Q2.
Which of these refers to a structure in which the end of a text links to the beginning?
fragmented
in medias res
Q3.
What is narrative perspective?
the overall mood of a text
the number of characters in a text
Q4.
Match the words up to the perspective they offer.
First
Third
Second
Q5.
What perspective is the opening of Murakami's 'After Dark' written from?
first
second
Q6.
What is tension?
the way in which a text gets progressively funny
a melancholy tone that persists throughout an extract
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which narrative perspective allows us to emotionally connect the most with a specific character?
second person
third person
Q2.
Which technique would make an image persist in a reader's mind?
use of dialogue
foreshadowing
Q3.
What is one possible effect of the third person perspective in the opening of 'After Dark'?
it helps us connect to the main character
it helps us to understand one particular part of the city
Q4.
Which structural technique does Murakami use to emphasise the image of the city's dynamism in our heads?
flashback
juxtaposition
Q5.
How does the opening paragraph of 'After Dark' end?
with a sense that the characters will fall in love
with a sense of safety
Q6.
What is the effect of ending the opening paragraph of 'After Dark' in the way that Murakami does?
It creates a sense of nostalgia for the characters' childhood.
It allows us to imagine we are the arteries of the city.