1 Clean Sweep By Joan Bauer
2 When does trash become treasure?
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! =
4 Conflict As you may recall, there are two types of conflict:
Internal: A fight or struggle with yourself External: A fight or struggle with an outside force. A story may try to develop more than one type of conflict. Sometimes this conflict is worked out in a subplot or minor plot.
5 Conflict and Subplot Li gripped the rock tightly. Five years ago, she had clung to the same mountain cliff. Unable to hold on, she had fallen and broken her leg. It had taken her months to recover. Now, clearing her head of bad memories, she breathed deeply and began her descent. What is an external conflict in this passage? The climber’s struggle to descend the mountain. What is an internal conflict from this passage? Li’s fight to keep her nerve while climbing down. Sequence and flashback?
6 Identify the Conflict As you read “Clean Sweep,” notice how a past event causes both an internal and external conflict. Also, see if you can identify or spot a subplot.
7 Vocabulary dirty chaos Directions:
1. The room was dark and dingy 2. A minuscule amount of light came through the window. 3. Her sense of propriety kept her from interrupting him. 4. She acted calm in front of her class, but she was in turmoil. 5. I can’t stand the vileness of rotten eggs. 6. It was an aberration, not what she usually sees. dirty Substitute one of the provided words for the red printed word in the sentences: Appropriateness Chaos Dirty Disgustingness Tiny Unusual occurrence tiny appropriateness chaos disgustingness Unusual occurrence
8 Definitions Aberration: an abnormal alteration
Dingy: dirty or discolored Minuscule: very small; tiny Propriety: the quality of being proper; appropriateness Turmoil: A state of extreme confusion or agitation Vileness: unpleasantness; disgusting quality
9 Sequence of Events: To fully understand a story, you must recognize the sequence, or order, of the events described. Sequence is the story in chronological order or time order. While events are often presented in the order in which they occur, sometimes the action is interrupted to present a flashback, or scene from an earlier time, to help explain a character’s actions. This reflection of the past helps explain why the character acts the way they do in the present.
10 Flashback A break in the present to reflect upon something that took place in the past. Find an example of flashback. (video)