“Father and Son” Photo Compilation Story
This assignment was to get 8 quotes from the short story “Father and Son”. The quotes are supposed to be for the plot of the story (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement), and explain why we chose them for each of those parts of the story. We were then to take pictures representing what happened throughout the story and make it into a graphic novel.
1.)Exposition
“[My dad] will want to check that I came home last night.”(1)
This quote gives the reader enough information to come up with their own thoughts or opinion on what they think the relationship between the father and son is like. Also makes the reader wonder what the son is doing to make his father always check if he came home at night. The quote sets up the story to make the reader wonder adds to the concerns of the father.
2.) Rising action
“This is my son who let me down. I love him so much it hurts but he won’t talk to me.” (1)
In this quote, the father is hurt because he shows so much love and support for his son but his son doesn’t appreciate it. The son calls his dad names, yells at him and has built up this hatred for his dad with no reasoning behind it. At this point in the story the reader understands that the father and son have no relationship and the son has no intention on building a new one.
3.) Rising Action
“The door swings open and he pushes a hand-gun beneath the pillow.”(4)
This quote creates a lot of suspense for the reader because nobody knows what the son will do with the hand-gun, since he is so emotionally unstable. At this moment so many thoughts are going through both the father and the reader’s head, wondering what the son will do next, which is a great build up for the climax of the story. Also it is a good example of foreshadowing because he ends up getting shot.
4.) Rising Action
“There is a ring at the door.” (5)
This quote is the moment right before the climax and helps add more suspense for what is coming next. It is also a good twist since the reader has no clue why there would be a ring at the door. Also this quote is right after the father sees the son with the gun and the father is praying. This leads the reader to believe something of great significance is going to happen next.
5.) Climax
“There is a bang” (5)
This quote is really the turning point of the story and helps the reader realize what is actually going on. The quote is the height of the action and really ties most of the story together. This is a major turning point in the plot since it varies from the rest of the story and is the most intense point. It also foreshadows for the reader that something bad happened since his dad did not check the door like he usually does and now there is a bang.
6.) Falling action
“I go to him with damp hands” (5)
This quote helps put the climax into more context and at this point in the story the author starts to close up loose ends of the story. Also it helps lead to the closure of the story. At this point of the story you realize that something wrong must have happened, judging by his damp hands. Also the Dad seems like he wouldn’t care very much about a bang at the door, and that something bad must have happened for him to rush over to his son.
7.) Falling action
“My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on the threshold.” (5)
This quote helps the reader understand that something very wrong happened and that something happened to his son that he might have been able to prevent if he looked out the door. At this point we don’t know exactly what happened but the reader can extrapolate that he is either injured or even dead. This helps answer some of the questions about the bang and why the father may have damp hands.
8.) Denouement
“I take my son’s limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that should not be there. At the base of his nostril. My son, let me put my arms around you” (5)
This quote is the final outcome of the story. It concludes everything throughout the story and answers all your questions. This quote is the final part of the story and resolves the conflict between the father and son, since his son is now dead. This quote helps furthermore explain to the reader what actually happened to the son and what the bang actually was.