Mystery Letter

If I had to choose a title for this story I would call it Stones because in the beginning of the story it says how the kids where picking up stones. Also from the start it talk about stone and toward the end it was also talking about stones and how people where getting them off the ground.

What I thought was going to happen in the story was Mrs. Hutchinson was going to go some where. I thought of this because in my mind it led me to think of the Hunger Games and how her name was chosen out of the box/ bowl. This leads to the short story and the Hunger games because both deals with Drawing something. In the short story the clue that gave me to think of this was when Mrs Hutchinson says, " I think we ought to start over." because it says that since one of her family member chose something with the black dot it could be something bad and she wants to start over cause she doesn't want her family to be chosen the second time.

Toward the end of the story I felt curious because I wanted to know what would happen next and if the women died or was somewhere else. Another reason why I felt curious was also the author left many mysteries in the story for us to think and it is curious if the clues to the ending is in the beginning or end. When the last sentence of her speaking was said out I thought about how curious everyone was.

When I was handed the mystery paper I felt frightened and interested what it might be. I felt frightened because i didn't know why some people had the black dot on there paper and others didn't. The reason why I felt curious was because we could open the paper until we got home which we still had one period left before school ended. In the mysterious paper I thought that we where suppose to create a short paragraph and finish the ending because the ending wasn't finish and I thought we where suppose to finish it. Through the whole instructions Ms. Psillides told us not to open it I did what she said because I thought if we where going to write an ending there could be different topics for each person to follow, so if we open it at school people could see. I followed the instruction given.

I felt nervous about the black box and the black spot/ blank paper because they says that some places has already stop the traditions while other have not. I felt that the man who got the paper and was holding it in there hands where nervous so I felt nervous how the man could not look at there paper until Mr. Summer says everyone open. When the story kept on going on I still felt nervous because I thought what where they going to do to the family or what where they going to do the Mrs. Hutchinson who had the black spot.

When I read the end of the story I felt horrified because the women Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a clear space with people from her village crowding around her will stones. Another reason why i felt horrified was because someone hit the side of her head and I thought she might die knowing that her life might be over. Lastly what made me feel s horrifying was the last sentence she said before the story ended. Tessie Hutchinson said, " It isn't fair, it isn't right." this made me think that they might do to her and this is why I felt horrified.

I think part of my predictions where correct because I thought if I where the people what would I be doing with the stones and a person in the center of a clear space and everyone crowded. I though in the other person piont of view and so some of my prediction where right when I talked thinking the the other person view. I felt good that the prediction I thought could be half correct or half wrong, I don't know because there is no right answer but yourselfs.

I think what would have helped alot to make the story better was thier charecteristics and the theme of the story. The charecteristic might be important because then you know how the person act and you can see the information about them and what is there job, hobbies, etc. Also for the theme of the short story might help is because then you would know where the story is going instead of all the mysteries behind the detailed clues the author gives us.

I think the author left these voids in this experience because she wanted us to be guessing to see the whole picture from our point of view and not hers. The author Shirley Jackson made us think about what would happen instead of just given us the whole story she gave us clues to find out the experience the women might have toward the end.

The void is left for us to be thinking of :

a. No title- The mystery to let us read the short story first then think of what we would name it if it was us.

b. No ending- To keep us guessing what would happen next if it would be a terrible problem or a great problem.

c. Text clues and foreshadowing throughout- To let us think of the smaller details and how it could help us explain the titles, ending, etc.

d. Mystery paper- To keep us curious about reading and why some of the papers have dots and others didn't.

e. Delayed ending- To let us wanting to know more and see if our predictioons are right what where predicting.

f. Anything else that created tension and conflict for you...- The mood and how the conflict can go from fustrated to happy to excited, etc.