Starter quiz
- In 'The Twisted Tree' Martha is the novel's ...
- protagonist. ✓
- antagonist.
- author.
- sidekick.
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- The novel 'The Twisted Tree' is written in ______ person.
- first ✓
- second
- third
-
- Who is Gandalf in 'The Twisted Tree'?
- Mormor's dog ✓
- Martha's friend
- Stig's father
- Mormor's neighbour
-
- Who is Stig in 'The Twisted Tree'?
- a teenage boy Martha finds living in Mormor's cabin ✓
- a neighbour of Mormor's that Martha meets on the ferry
- one of Martha's ancestors
- Martha's brother who is mentioned but doesn't appear in the story
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- Who is the draugr in 'The Twisted Tree'?
- one of Mormor's ancestors
- a friend of Hel's
- an undead creature that haunts the living ✓
- the official name for 'The Twisted Tree'
-
- In the title 'The Twisted Tree' - the word 'twisted' is ...
- an adverb.
- an adjective. ✓
- a noun.
- a verb.
- a preposition.
-
Exit quiz
- What is the beginning part of a story, where characters, setting and the main conflict are introduced, called?
- exposition ✓
- rising action
- falling action
- climax
- resolution
-
- In 'The Twisted Tree', what happens during the exposition?
- Martha runs away from home to visit her grandmother Mormor. ✓
- Martha and Stig are haunted by evil spirits.
- Martha kills the draugr.
- Stig and Gandalf return from the underworld.
-
- Why is the exposition important in a narrative arc?
- It provides a summary of the entire story.
- It reveals the story's resolution and ties up loose ends.
- It shows the highest point of tension and conflict in the story.
- It introduces the characters, setting and main conflict. ✓
-
- Which part of the narrative arc involves the tension growing and leading to a conflict?
- exposition
- rising action ✓
- falling action
- climax
- resolution
-
- Consider 'The Twisted Tree': 'Martha and her mother decide to remain and tend to the twisted tree.' - what part of the narrative arc is this?
- resolution ✓
- exposition
- falling action
- rising action
- climax
-
- Why might some stories have multiple climaxes, like 'The Twisted Tree'?
- to confuse the reader with several unresolved conflicts
- to build up multiple points of high tension due to a complex plot ✓
- to introduce new characters and settings midway through the story
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Lots of stories, particularly fables and fairy tales, fit into a traditional narrative arc.
- A narrative arc starts with an exposition.
- A story’s rising action leads to its climax.
- After the climax, falling action leads to a resolution.
- 'The Twisted Tree’ mostly follows this traditional structure, however there are arguably two climaxes.
Common misconception
Students might think that all stories fit perfectly into a traditional narrative arc with only one climax.
While many stories follow a traditional narrative arc, some can have multiple climaxes or may not fit perfectly into the structure. The narrative arc is a helpful guide, but it's important to recognise that stories can vary and still be effective.
Keywords
Narrative arc - the structure and sequence of events in a story
Exposition - the beginning part of a story where characters, setting, and the main conflict are introduced
Action - events in a story that move the plot forward; they can be divided into rising action and falling action
Climax - the most intense and exciting part of a story where the main conflict reaches its peak
Resolution - the end of a story where the conflicts are resolved, and the story concludes