Answer all of the following questions as they apply, accordingly, to the two fiction readings posted above this item: "A Wall of Fire Rising" and "Mono No Aware."
What happens in each story? Do the characters or situations change as the story progresses? Summarize the plot, and explain the action. Who are the characters? Who is the protagonist? Antagonist? Hero? Villain? What role do the other characters play in advancing the story?
What happens at the end of “A Wall of Fire Rising”? Is Guy’s plunge to the earth a deliberate suicide or an accident, in your opinion? What are some symbolic interpretations of both possibilities?
What role does history play in the context of each story? What else might a reader need to understand in order to "get" some of the meanings of these stories?
Although "Mono No Aware" is classified as science fiction/fantasy, it contains a number of elements and references to the real world. It also contains elements that, while fiction, are possible; these elements/things/ways of living might actually happen in our near future. Discuss what you think is real, possible, and impossible in the story: find at least one example of each. Explain why you chose each example.