My Oedipus Complex by Frank O'Connor

Click on the following link and print the story
http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0201-oconnor.html

Then print the following guide:

MY OEDIPUS COMPLEX

1. Pre-reading tasks
a. What is the Oedipus Complex?
b. Who developed it?
c. Where did it get its name from?
d. What can this story be about if it is called My Oedipus Complex?

2. While-reading tasks
Read the story and do the tasks:
a. Comment about the setting. (time and place).Provide quotations for your description.
b. Describe each of the characters. Provide evidence for your description.
c. Point of view

Answer these questions
a. What does the boy’s father have in common with Santa Claus?
b. Why was the war a peaceful period of this boy’s life?
c. Who were Mrs. Left and Mrs. Right? What did the boy do through them? Where they
important to him? Why? Could we say they placed the role of imaginary friends?
Yes/No. Why? Account for your answers.
d. What did Larry mean when he said” Little did I know what I was praying for?
e. What makes us think the boy is jealous?


· Larry understands what his mother or father do according to his own feelings.
Write the different facts or situations and the boy’s interpretation of them
FACTS BOY´S INTERPRETATION

· The author uses the verbs say speak, reply, answer, etc. followed by different adverbs
to indicate the speaker’s mood . Look for them. Account for their use.

· Look for verbs expressing different ways of looking at something or somebody.
Write the quotations. Explain when, why, who they are used by. Look up their meaning.

· Look for all the verbs that refer to ways of speaking or making sounds.
Match these verbs to the given meanings. For example:

GRUNT: to make a short, deep, rouge sound in the throat as if the nose were
closed especially when dissatisfied or unwilling to talk
“I gave him several kicks that made him grunt and stretch”

a.____________: to make a continuous low sound
………………………………………………………………….
b._____________: to let out a deep breath slowly and with a sound, usually expressing
sadness, tiredness or satisfaction.
………………………………………………………………………………..
c._____________: to make a noise which sounds like “ssss”.
…………………………………………………………………………………
d.______________: to say or speak very quietly so that only people close by can hear.
………………………………………………………………………………
e.______________: to say something in a loud, sad and complaining way.
……………………………………………………………………………….
f.______________: to shout in a low rough voice.
………………………………………………………………………………..
g._____________: to say or speak in an angry bad tempered way.
…………………………………………………………………………………
h._____________: to make a very high, loud sound because you are frightened
excited, angry.
……………………………………………………………………………………
i._____________: to say something in a low angry voice
………………………………………………………………………………..

Then read the story and complete the while reading tasks.