READ Invitations  by Carol Shields  The plot of the story appears...

READ Invitations by Carol Shields 

1. The plot of the story appears contrived. The daily delivery of invitations and the highly structured escalation in the kinds of invitations seem too coincidental to be realistic.

a) Could she have achieved a similar effect yet structured her story differently? 

 

There is a turn in the story that occurs shortly after the final invitation is received: "She discovered she was trembling not with excitement but with fear" (30). In the way it is presented, is this turn realistic? Has the writer adequately prepared the reader for what is to follow? Explain. 

 

 

 

 

 

Contrast the writer's use of language that is suggestive of 'bright' lights following the reception of Thursday's letter with the 'muted' lights and language following her decision on Saturday not to attend. 

 

 

In terms of mood creation, what descriptive purpose does such contrast serve? Does the description in the second-to-last paragraph support your answer? Explain. 

 

 

 

 

1. Search out a plot summary or a review of Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park. Based on the information gathered about the novel, how does that book take on a symbolic importance in this story? In your discussion, consider the reason the person who left the book behind for her and the character's initial decision to not put the book up add to its symbolic impact.