The Landlady by Roald Dahl
Short Story Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Billy Weaver arrives in Bath on business. En route to a pub, he sees a "Bed and Breakfast" sign on a window. When he looks through the glass, he place looks cozy, warm, and pleasant. Billy decides to look a little further on, but some strange force compels him to ring the bell. Instantly, the door opens, and a motherly woman pops out. She offers him a room at a bargain price and invites him to have tea with her. As they drink and talk, Billy feels that something is odd. Only two other entries appear on the page in the guest book, and Billy thinks he remembers both names from the newspapers. As Billy sops his tea, he smells bitter almonds. Then, he realizes that the parrot and dog in the parlor are dead and stuffed. The landlady explains that she is a taxidermist-- she stuffs all her pets when they die. The story ends as Billy realizes that there have been no guests in the house for two or three years.
Common Core Standards
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Goals and Objectives1. Have students make predictions on the text by evaluating different areas and developments within the literary work.
2. Present film and have students compare and contrast this using a Triple Venn diagram with other short stories that we have read this year. 3. Point of View exercises, notes, and practices will be conducted in an effort for better understanding of material. 4. Characterization practices and analysis done in small groups using textual evidence to back up drawn inferences. |