Free Radicals
Published on Nov 19, 2017
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Canadian writer Alice Munro has written short fiction since 1950.
What do we learn about Nita?
She has cancer.
She lives alone.
Her husband is dead.
She is not really taking good care of herself at the start of the story.
She lives alone.
Her husband is dead.
She is not really taking good care of herself at the start of the story.
Photo by Brooke Lark
When do we first realise that Nita is in danger?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema
Family tensions:
what do we learn about the man?
The murderer comes from a tight family background that has made him feel oppressed by duty and responsibility - even though he has resisted these.
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Nita tells a story...
Nita pretends that she is Bett, and that she killed her husband's lover.
This makes the man think he has leverage over her.
The lie saves her life.
This makes the man think he has leverage over her.
The lie saves her life.
Photo by Brooke Lark
Free Radicals
What is the significance of the title?
The concept of free radicals, rooted in chemistry, involves an unattached electron which can cause damage if it exists in a solitary manner. When paired, the damage is halted.
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How does Nita's illness affect the reader's response?
Cancer does not make her entirely 'free'. She does not want to die earlier than she has to...
We think of Nita as weak, the underdog in the battle.
The man does not realise she is ill, just old. Would he behave differently if he knew?
We think of Nita as weak, the underdog in the battle.
The man does not realise she is ill, just old. Would he behave differently if he knew?
Photo by Charles Williams
