The General History of Virginia

English 5-6

With your partner: Discuss this picture…• What do you think is

happening?• What feelings do you

associate with the picture?

With your partner: • How has your

opinion changed?• What feelings do you

associate with the picture now?

With your partner: Discuss this picture…• What do you think is

happening?• What feelings do you

associate with the picture?

With your partner: • How has your

opinion changed?• What feelings do

you associate with the picture now?

…Captain Smith, who, by his own example, good words, and fair promises, set some to mow, others to bind thatch, some to build houses, others to thatch them, himself always bearing the greatest task for his own share, so that in short time he provided most of them lodgings, neglecting any for himself…

With your partner: What is the tone of this sentence? What is your overall opinion of Captain Smith?

…I, who, by my own example, good words, and fair promises, set some to mow, others to bind thatch, some to build houses, others to thatch them, myself always bearing the greatest task for my own share, so that in short time I provided most of them lodgings, neglecting any for myself…

With your partner: What is the tone of this sentence? What is your overall opinion of the person writing it?

John Smith

Unreliable Narrator

When the narrator has a compromised point-of-view.

Narrator serves as a filter for the events.

Usually, reader has to trust the narrator.

Unreliable Narrator May have prejudices May be trying to make a point May be too close to the situation May know someone close to the

situation Emotional connection

A narrator that significantly lacks

credibility and gives flawed information.

Independent Practice

1. Choose a sentence from the section “At Powhatan’s Court” that talks about John Smith.

2. Rewrite the sentence and change all of the 3rd person pronouns (Captain Smith, he, him, his) to 1st person pronouns (I, my, me, myself)

3. Explain how this changes the overall tone of the sentence. (2-3 sentences)