Week 5-6 Sparrows & The Road not Taken.pptx

Literature

1. FACING CHALLENGES

2. Contents “Sparrows” by Gary Emmette Chandler 01 “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost 02

3. “SPARROWS” By: Gary Emmette Chandler 01

4. Gary Emmette Chandler's flash fiction story "Sparrows" follows a young man named Jacob as he prepares for his first performance with an aerialist troupe called the Sparrows. Jacob is stepping in for his older brother, David, who was a more skilled and beloved performer but recently died in a car accident.  Story Plot

5. The past: Jacob recalls watching David perform as a child and being inspired by his brother's fearless flying. He remembers learning to fly with David's encouragement, their homemade flying suits, and the powerful, effortless-looking way the Sparrows "danced through the wind". The story uses flashbacks to show contrast between the past and present: The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present: The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present:

6. The present: Jacob stands at the edge of Mexico City's Olympic Stadium, frozen by fear and grief. He hesitates, unable to jump, as he watches the other Sparrows perform. His memories are haunted by the car accident that killed his brother, a sudden and mundane tragedy that stands in stark contrast to David's death-defying feats in the air . The story uses flashbacks to show contrast between the past and present: The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present: The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present:

7. Ultimately, a fellow performer encourages Jacob, and he finds the courage to overcome his doubts. By embracing the risk that his brother willingly took, Jacob confronts his grief and finds his own wings. The story is a meditation on themes of loss, identity, and the courage it takes to live and pursue one's dreams despite danger. The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present: The story uses flashbacks to highlight the contrast between past and present:

8. The Sparrows metaphor and quarry The narrator recounts a critical memory at a quarry. David, shrugging off "student loans" and panicking concerns, steps off the quarry edge, declaring, "Everything is dangerous, little brother. Besides, it’s easy. Just like walking in the air." This act encapsulates David’s fearless nature and his desire to take risks, even as it foreshadows the "one careless moment on the road" that ended his life. “David’s Flight”

9. The Sparrows metaphor and quarry David's pursuit of "flight" was highly technical; he wore a specialized green, feathered costume that looked like a "bobsledder's suit" with flexible wings. This shows their dedication to escaping gravity and the mundane. “The Suit”

10. The narrator, constantly contrasts the memory of David's vibrant energy—the "most beautiful thing" he'd ever seen—with the emptiness of his absence. He remembers their first time watching the professional "Sparrows" troupe in their hometown, an experience that took place when David was still alive and well. Grief, Survival, and The Present

11. After David's accident, he had a broken collarbone. He was "grounded for life" by his mother, but he remained defiant, laughing even while in the hospital. The narrator recalls laughing and crying with him, suggesting a deep, complicated bond. Grief, Survival, and The Present

12. The story ends with the narrator finding a moment of acceptance and reclaiming the freedom David embodied. He looks at the world "below—at our troupe soaring through the sky—and think[s] of David."

13. Closing his eyes, he visualizes David in the quarry , "darting about like a small green flame," and he whispers the words that defined him: "Just like walking in the air."

14. In the final lines, he lifts "two green wings above my head," takes a breath, and chooses to "fall into the wind." This final action signifies his decision to stop being paralyzed by grief and instead embrace the spirit of calculated risk and freedom that David personified, finally allowing him to move forward.

15. “The sparrows, therefore, are not just birds; they are the memory of David's soul, urging the narrator to live, fly, and take the next necessary step”.

16. “The Road Not Taken” By: Robert Frost 02

17. The speaker in the poem, faced with a choice between two roads, takes the road " less traveled ," a decision which he or she supposes " made all the difference ." However, Frost creates enough subtle ambiguity in the poem that it's unclear whether the speaker's judgment should be taken at face value, and therefore, whether the poem is about the speaker making a simple but impactful choice, or about how the speaker interprets a choice whose impact is unclear. Poem Information

18. The diverging roads represent life choices, and the "less traveled" road is the one chosen over another, often after contemplation. The entire experience is an extended metaphor for the nature of choices in life and how we come to define ourselves through them. Symbolism Metaphor

19. The speaker stands at a fork, reflecting on the paths and the need to make a choice, a situation everyone faces. The speaker acknowledges the paths were actually quite similar but anticipates telling the story in the future as if the choice was significant and led to all the difference. Decision Looking back

20. Decision Making The poem highlights the necessity of making choices and the difficulty of not knowing the outcomes of the paths not taken. Themes and Lesson From The Poem

21. Consequence Choices shape our lives, and the poem touches on the weight of these consequences. Themes and Lesson From The Poem

22. Self-reflection It examines how people look back on their lives and construct narratives about their past decisions. Themes and Lesson From The Poem

23. "Be in the world, but not like the world. Don't let society put a mark on you. but instead, put your mark on society".

24. "Don't go with the flow, be the flow ".

25. Thank you!