Main Ideas Main Ideas in short storiesin short stories

The main idea is the The main idea is the main reason the main reason the author wrote the author wrote the story.story.

main = importantmain = important idea = topic or themeidea = topic or theme

Tips to find the main Tips to find the main idea:idea:

brainstorm any brainstorm any important ideasimportant ideas

summarize the storysummarize the story look for repetition in look for repetition in

the storythe story

““An Uncomfortable Bed” An Uncomfortable Bed” Guy de MaupassantGuy de Maupassant

While we are reading, jot down any notes While we are reading, jot down any notes that might help us find the main idea.that might help us find the main idea.

Think about…Think about… Any recurring topic or theme.Any recurring topic or theme. Why did the author write the story?Why did the author write the story?

Read!Read!

““An Uncomfortable Bed” An Uncomfortable Bed” Guy de MaupassantGuy de Maupassant

Brainstorm: What are the important ideas Brainstorm: What are the important ideas of “An Uncomfortable Bed?”of “An Uncomfortable Bed?”

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Main IdeaMain Idea

In Maupassant’s “An Uncomfortable In Maupassant’s “An Uncomfortable Bed,” the narrator causes his own Bed,” the narrator causes his own misfortune when he allows paranoia to misfortune when he allows paranoia to get the best of him.get the best of him.

Details (evidence and Details (evidence and explanation)explanation)

““When I arrived, they gave When I arrived, they gave me a princely reception, me a princely reception, which at once aroused which at once aroused

distrust in my breast.” (1)distrust in my breast.” (1)

The narrator’s paranoia sets The narrator’s paranoia sets in when the kind greetings in when the kind greetings of his friends cause him to of his friends cause him to unreasonably suspect they unreasonably suspect they are up to no good.are up to no good.

Details (evidence and Details (evidence and explanations)explanations)

““Without doubt they were Without doubt they were spying on me. I cast a spying on me. I cast a glance around the walls, the glance around the walls, the furniture, the ceiling, the furniture, the ceiling, the hangings, the floor. I saw hangings, the floor. I saw nothing to justify suspicion. I nothing to justify suspicion. I heard persons moving heard persons moving about outside my door. I about outside my door. I had no doubt they were had no doubt they were looking through the looking through the keyhole.” (1)keyhole.” (1)

In the bedroom, the In the bedroom, the narrator’s paranoia narrator’s paranoia increases. He frantically increases. He frantically checks the room and checks the room and suspects his friends will suspects his friends will attack at any moment, even attack at any moment, even though he finds no evidence though he finds no evidence of a practical joke.of a practical joke.

Details (evidence and Details (evidence and explanations)explanations)

““I dragged all these objects I dragged all these objects into the very middle of the into the very middle of the room, facing the entrance room, facing the entrance door. “ (2)door. “ (2)

At the height of his At the height of his paranoia, the narrator paranoia, the narrator anxiously piles the mattress anxiously piles the mattress in the middle of the room, in the middle of the room, trying to stay one step trying to stay one step ahead of his friends and ahead of his friends and their supposed practical their supposed practical joke.joke.

Details (evidence and Details (evidence and explanations)explanations)

““sprawling over my sprawling over my improvised bed, the improvised bed, the dismayed valet, who, while dismayed valet, who, while bringing me my morning bringing me my morning cup of tea, had tripped over cup of tea, had tripped over this obstacle in the middle this obstacle in the middle of the floor, and fallen on of the floor, and fallen on his stomach, spilling, in his stomach, spilling, in spite of himself, my spite of himself, my breakfast over my face.” (2)breakfast over my face.” (2)

To the narrator’s surprise, To the narrator’s surprise, his makeshift bed causes his makeshift bed causes the valet to fall on top of the valet to fall on top of him, and he ends up the him, and he ends up the butt of his friends’ jokes. butt of his friends’ jokes. His paranoia ended up His paranoia ended up causing the joke.causing the joke.