Explore English Short stories

Questions for the story "The Brass Teapot"

1. List the following details for this story:

• Protagonist
• Antagonist
• Conflict
• Climax
• Point of View

2. The final line of the story, "we could buy our way into paradise" is an example of dramatic irony. Explain why.
3. Can you think of anything in our society that would drive someone to act like John and Alice do in this story? What might the teapot symbolize in that situation?

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More Lit. Terms

Personification

Making an object act like a person or animal

"The ducks complained all day."

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statement  or claim not meant to be taken literally.

"I've been there and back a million times."

Alliteration

Repeated consonant sounds.

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Assonance

Repeated vowel sounds.

"The June moon loomed."

Onomatopoeia

Words sound like it is describing

The ceiling fan said, "clicketa clacketa clicketa."

Foil

In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character —usually the protagonist— in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot.

Foil (literature) - Wikipedia