Aha Moments

Definition

• Aha Moments are when a character’s sudden insight or understanding helps us understand the plot’s movement, the development of the character, or the internal conflict he faces. An Aha Moment is sometimes revealed by language: “realize,” “understand/understood,” “know/knew,” “notice”

Question to Ask

• How might this change things?– An Aha Moment reveals change – by asking

yourself this question, you dig into deeper analysis of why this change is important or how this moment might change the course of the text.

–More specific:• How might this change the character’s actions?• How might this change the character’s thinking?• How might this change the direction of the plot?

Biggest Aha Moment

• Known as the climax: when the Aha Moment becomes so large that it changes everything that the character has known/taken for granted.

• But there are lots of Aha Moments along the way: we have to catch them!

Example: A Separate PeaceFinny’s eyes continued their roaming across my face. “I

don’t know, I must have lost my balance. It must have been that. I did have this idea, this feeling that when you were standing there beside me, y—I don’t know, I had a kind of feeling….this feeling doesn’t make any sense. It was a crazy idea, I must have been delirious. So I just have to forget it. I just fell, that’s all…I’m sorry about the feeling I had.”

I couldn’t say anything to this sincere, drugged apology for having suspected the truth. He was never going to accuse me. It was only a feeling he had, and at this moment he must have been formulating a new commandment: Never accuse a friend of a crime if you only have a feeling about it.

And I thought we were competitors! It was so ludicrous I wanted to cry.

If Phineas had been sitting here in this pool of guilt, how would he have felt, what would he have done?

He would have told me the truth.

Again and Again

Definition• A pattern or repetition of images,

words, events, ideas or concept = MOTIFS

• Makes you think about: the character’s development, the conflicts of the story, or the theme of the text

Question to Ask

Why does the author bring this up again and again? What larger

understanding or theme is the author trying to guide the reader to?

Motifs vs Symbols

• Motifs: repeating images, words, events, ideas or concepts

• Symbols: physical objects that stand for something greater than the object itself– Example: scars of a soldier might represent

his sacrifice/loyalty for his country– Could be used just once, but might be

repeated and thus create a motif about an idea

Day 2

Aha Moments

• What are some of the Aha Moments in “The Most Dangerous Game”?

• What is the biggest Aha Moment (climax) in “The Most Dangerous Game”?

Aha Moments

• What are some of the Aha Moments in “Hunters in the Snow”?

• What is the biggest Aha Moment (climax) in “Hunters in the Snow”?

Again and Again

• What images, words, events, ideas or concepts do you notice again and again in “The Most Dangerous Game”?

• What images, words, events, ideas or concepts do you notice again and again in “Hunters in the Snow”?

• What images, words, events, ideas or concepts do you notice again and again in “How I Met My Husband”?