Write another ending to the short story The Elevator by William Sleator. Maybe it was simply the dimensions of the contraption that bothered him, so small that it felt uncomfortably crowded, even when there was only one other person in it. “Oh, I almost forgot,” his father reached out his hand and pressed nine. The door slammed. And the funny thing is, she just kept staring at me, she never stopped looking at me for a minute. Text and audio. How does Sleator create a mood and atmosphere of tension and suspense in the story? He had never seen her before, and the building wasn’t very big—only four apartments on each floor. this was terrible, the story would've been better off without an ending. He felt her eyes on him as he stared at the numbers slowly blinking on and off—slower than usual it seemed to him. “Now, you’re afraid of some poor old lady.”, “You’re afraid,” his father said, with total assurance. And he was always very conscious of the effort people make not to look at one another, staring fixatedly at nothing. Martin would have rushed past to her get out, but there was no room. He concentrated on being in his room. Characters: Martin, fat lady, Martin’s dad Martin is afraid of elevators; fat lady makes him uncomfortable; his father … They were on five now. I am saying this because I strongly believe that it’s not only Martin versus one thing, it’s Martin versus everything. The lady didn’t reply, she grinned and she showed her the two sharp teeth in each side of her mouth. It contains lengthy higher level questions as opposed to simple concrete wh questions as required by common core standards. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The lady walked even closer and said, “It won’t hurt much. “The Elevator”William Sleator. His dad thinks he's a wimp. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. She was still watching him. But there was no room to past her without squeezing against her, and he could not bear the thought of any physical contact with her. So I asked myself, why does Martin feel this way? His eyes slipped back to hers, then quickly away. When the lights went down, the vampire lady was gone. Change ), “Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost – My thoughts. It occurred to him to press seven, get off there, and walk the rest of the way. Irony (Dramatic) Obstacles. Why did she press the stop button? Would a bell ring? Red Herring. Create. What if got stuck between floors? “Going up!” he said, his voice a humiliating squeak. He had moved into a very old apartment with his father. ‘When are you going to grow up and act like a man? He looked away again, clenching his teeth, fighting the impulse to squeeze his eyes shut against her. “Did you ever notice a strange fat lady on the elevator?” he asked his father that evening. He pressed the button; he stepped into the empty elevator. You think…you know anybody that has a weird cleaning lady or anything?”. He had only heard of vampires in the fiction books. Was that why the fat lady had smiled? Fear is not a human, but it’s so powerful that it feels like a human. This story analyzes his struggle with fear; but why is he so afraid? I have to read it for homework and answer questions for english. “Grow up, Martin.” The door slammed shut. These examples of his father’s derogatory remarks show that he could be very critical sometimes, and not only in this situation, but in many other possible situations. But he was condemned to the elevator now. But I must face my fears if this may happen. So that’s all that he’s being- a coward; afraid, hopeless… Even though The Fat Lady was only a witness of his anxiety, Martin still had a right to be afraid. 5 Comments. The door sealed them in; the elevator started up. What was she doing? Had she known it would happen this way? the fat lady didn't change in the by William Sleator. The Elevatorby William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. By the time he reached the seventeenth floor, which seemed to take forever, he was winded and gasping. It seemed likely that she didn’t live there and had only been visiting somebody. Sometimes, he forced himself to look away from them, to the Emergency Stop button or the red Alarm button. What is he so afraid of? When Martin moves into a new apartment complex with his father, the one thing that scares him the most is the old elevator. And once they got home, he could stay in the apartment for a few days—the doctor said he should use the leg as little as possible. Write another ending to the short story The Elevator by William Sleator. Why did she press the stop button? As she waddled in the elevator, Martin was sure he felt it sink under her weight. After you've read multiple posts. She had no chin, only a great swollen mass of neck, barely contained by the collar of her coat. It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small elevator, with a maximum capacity of three people. Perhaps it was its baleful atmosphere due to the light from the single fluorescent ceiling strip, bleak and dim on the dirty walls. Come on and fight with me!”. How does she know my name? If he was afraid of her, if he let it control him, then he was worse than all the names they called him at school.”. This is a 20 question comprehension assessment on William Sleator's short story entitled "The Elevator". He looked at her. You know how people never look at each other in the elevator. Make social videos in an instant: use custom templates to tell the right story for your business. (My story ending is still to be posted, so be prepared for another blog post(: ). Until the morning, the elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor, and the fat lady got on. Are you going to be timid all your life?’ He managed not to cry until he got to his room- but his father probably knew he was crying anyway.”. Text and audio. ( Log Out / The Elevatorby William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. It seemed like nothing had happened. She was expecting him. Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but this one was especially unpleasant. Why do you think Sleator chose to end the story the way he did? Scared of me? “The Elevator” – William Sleator (Day 2) Directions: Before, during, and after reading “The Elevator,” you will answer the following questions, which will help you use reading strategies to analyze the story. So I asked myself, why does Martin feel this way? William Sleator (1945–2011) was the author of numerous science fiction books for children and young adults, including Interstellar Pig, House of Stairs, and Blackbriar. The fat lady watched him. So I asked myself, why does Martin feel this way? ( Log Out / The high-interest story can easily be found when googled. The elevator suddenly stopped at the tenth floor. weird she was weird because she would always be on the elevator when martin was on there short story Changes Fat Lady weird creepy Goals " has she been waiting for him ? However, he didn’t, because he, “Tell me, why are you even afraid?” The lady asked him again, and said, “Act like a man, Martin. He was so regretful that he said he wasn’t afraid, because he was afraid. What was she going to do next? Are you going to be timid your whole life!? Time Constraints. His anger was in all the places in his vessels. “The Elevator” 3 “The Elevator”by William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small elevator, with a maximum capacity of three people. “The Elevator” by William Sleator “The Elevator” by William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small elevator, with a maximum capacity of three people. by William Sleator ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1985 More wonderful weirdness from the author of Interstellar Pig and The Green Futures of Tycho . They are all very true and are certainly very important to the story, but I think that there is a strong connection between all of these subjects. The main character’s (Martin’s) fear of elevators created an imaginary obese monstrous woman who intimidates him every time he rides the tiny exhausted elevator. What could she possibly want from him? After that, Martin forced himself to take the elevator. He had never felt such relief in his life. “What are you so worked up about now?” his father said turning impatiently away from the television. “He would have to get used to it, he told himself, just the way he got used to being bullied at school, and always picked last when they chose teams.”, “Why should he be afraid of an old lady? Ending to 'The Elevator' by William Sleator. And he would have done it, if he could reach the buttons. The lady looks Martin in the eye, and says 'hello Martin'. His dad thinks he's a wimp. He walked out of the elevator as usual. She then stops the elevator and gives an almost cynical He apprehensive as he approached the building after school. Text Analysis Workshop Short story by William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small elevator, with a maximum capacity of three people. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Common Techniques Used in Suspense. Then what would he do? Foreshadowing. He tried to push the thought away, but it kept coming back. As time went by ever so slowly, Martin realized that panicking would do him no good. He would have to get used to it, he told himself, just the way he got used to be being bullied at school, and always picked last when they chose teams. Sep 7, 2013 3 min read. Coming home from school the day after they moved in, Martin tried the stairs. In the short story “The Elevator,” William Sleator uses fear and paranoia to drive his main character to a compelling resolution. He had moved into a very old apartment with his father. She knew he lived on seventeen. Being short, in this situation, was an advantage, since his face was below eye level of adults, and after a brief glance, they ignored him. And her blue eyes, though tiny, were sharp and penetrating, boring into Martin’s face. And the rest of the week was very far away. It was like a nightmare. She was standing in front of the elevator buttons, which prevented him from even escaping this small and cramped elevator. W e w ould b e alking do wn the street, notice a p erfect stranger, and b e suddenly struc k b y ho w m uc h e hated that p erson. The elevator stopped at ten, where the fat lady was waiting for him. These graphic organizers slides can be used for any level student from the low Escher.It follows five teenaged orphans who are abducted and placed in the house of stairs as an unethical experiment in social dynamics. Thank you for reading! He managed not cry until he got to his room—but his father probably knew he way crying anyway. The story is about a very fearful and fragile twelve year old boy named Martin. What could she possibly want from him? It’s more like Martin battling natural sources, but since the fear is within him, It’s an internal conflict; therefore earning the label ‘Martin versus himself’. The Elevatorby William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. For a moment, he met her gaze. was she riding with him on purpose ? So why was she on three, going up to eighteen now? Sample #1: What do you learn about the main character Martin in the exposition? Exposition: Setting Exposition: Setting In the first paragraph, Sleator identifies an old building (probably a high-rise) with a small elevator described as ominous. When the elevator stopped on his floor, she barely moved out of the way. The door slammed quickly behind her. he starts off introducing the first time Martin took the elevator and once he got on it. A week maybe — a whole week without getting in the elevator. Not only are you skinny and weak, his expression seemed to say, but you’re also a coward. Martin, a thin twelve-year-old, felt nervous in it from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. Martin was so shocked. And if it did, how would they get him out? “The Elevator” by William Sleator Analyzing the Literature Sample question answers in which textual evidence is embedded within the response. How does she know my name? Please SHARE with your family and friends on Facebook to see if … But the door was already closing. He slept very little. Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but there was something especially unpleasant about this one. It wasn’t possible. The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor and the door opened slowly. “Grow up, Martin.” The door slammed shut. Was she riding with him on purpose? It all starts when Martin's dad decides to move to a new apartment on the seventeenth floor. He ran for the stairs. In class we read the short story, "The Elevator" by William Sleator. The fat lady walked toward him, that he couldn’t breathe. She only watched him, breathing audibly, until the elevator reached the first floor at last. Customer Reviews. The lady laughed even harder and talked loudly, “Hey Martin, why are you so afraid?”, Martin was stuck in a corner of an elevator. The elevator horror stories below are equally stressful and may make you hesitate getting into your next lift. But it wasn’t much better when there were other passengers. It stopped on three. Related Searches. Martin hobbled to the buttons and pressed nine, but it didn’t do any good. Short Story, "The Elevator" by William Sleator. Clearly, the fact that they moved into this new (old) building does not make him feel safer than he needs to feel. But they were almost as bad, windowless, shadowy, with several dark landings where the light bulbs had burned out. i read it, but i don't understand the ending. The Elevator: Plot Diagram By: Ty'Lee Thammavongsa and Lillian Sirju Climax/Resolution As Martin is in the elevator with his broken leg the lady appears once again. “When are you going to grow up and act like a man? If you need to, incorporate text directly from the story and cite the page number of the quote you are using. A continuation of William Sleator’s “The Elevator,” written by M.M. Suddenly, the elevator stop ringing and it worked again. As she tried to bite him on the neck, he slipped toward the buttons and pressed the Bell button immediately. Perhaps it was the way the mechanism shuddered in a kind of exhaustion each time it left a floor, as though it might never reach the next one. He had to inch past her, rubbing against her horrible scratchy coat, terrified the door would close before he made it through. Start with the last sentence of the story - "Hello, Martin," she said and laughed and pushed the Stop button. Martin, a thin twelve-year-old, felt nervous in it the since the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. And even if she did, his father would see her, he would realize how peculiar she was, and then maybe he would understand. To ride on the elevator with martin . 1. Are you going to be timid all your life?”. That reminded Martin of what his father had said. Was she still looking at him? We do not know what happened to Martin or what the lady did to him. Point Of View. Living on the seventeenth floor, he has no choice but to use the tight, creepy elevator. What would happen if he pushed one of them? If he was afraid of her, if he let it control him, then he was worse than all the names they called him at school. can someone please explain this to me? 'I mean, a book is much less personal than a programmed screen that can respond to you according to your needs, and concentrate on what's hard for you, and go fast on what's easy. But there she was, massively real. Martin, a thin twelve- year-old, felt nervous in it from the first day he and his father moved into the apartment. The Elevator by William Sleator Characters: martin(boy) and his father Settings (time and place): New apartment on the seventeenth floor Point of View: martin....narrator Mood: ... the elevator and this fat lady who stares at him in the elevator. Of course he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall, but this one was especially unpleasant. The story is about a very fearful and fragile twelve year old boy named Martin. Martin was “always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid that they would fall” (4-5). It was a simple fracture. The end of the short story "The Elevator" written by William Sleator can be defined as a cliff hanger. The Elevatorby William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. Of course, he was Perhaps the problem was the door, which never stayed open quite long enough, and slammed shut with such ominous, clanging finality. The elevator was an undeniable fact of life. Maybe the elevator was having trouble because of how heavy she was. In the lobby, he considered the stairs. People didn’t make visits at that time of day. “Hello, Martin,” she said, and laughed, and pushed the Stop button. These were just a few of the questions going through Martin’s mind.He tried not to think that she might … She would manipulate him with her cold eyes. 1980 – 2000. Cliffhanger. What if it fell? I am not afraid! William Sleator 1 THE PITIFUL ENCOUNTER When m y sister Vic ky and I w ere teenagers e talk ed a lot ab out hating p eople. Short Story, "The Elevator" by William Sleator. Martin has this one fear though and it is about the elevator. Would the elevator stop between floors? Hating came easily to us. “Can’t say as I have,” he said, not looking away from the television. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t afraid. If so, it was likely—it was a certainty—that sometime he would be riding on the elevator with her again. She didn’t turn around. The Elevator by William Sleator has great elements of setting, characterization, and point of view. a- noun. In the short story “The Elevator,” William Sleator uses fear and paranoia to drive his main character to a compelling resolution. And they he ran. The Elevatorby William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator – a very small elevator, which could carry only three people. These were just a few of the questions going through Martin’s mind.He tried not to think that she might kill him but the thought continued to pop back up in his head. By William Sleator It was an old building with an old elevator—a very small elevator, with a maximum capacity of three people. Flashback. We let fear take control of our lives. In class we read the short story, “The Elevator” by William Sleator. Her sparse red hair was pinned in the back by a plastic barrette. Martin closed his eyes and told himself, she's not real, she's not real. She moved in quickly; he was too slow, too unsteady on his crutches to work his way past her in time. Of course, he was always uncomfortable in elevators, afraid they would fall, but there was something especially unpleasant about this one. He could only wait as she turned—reluctantly it seemed to him—and moved slowly out into the lobby. Her features seemed very small, squashed together by the loose fleshy mounds of her cheeks. Martin thought. I guess we’ll never know. She wore a threadbare green coat that ballooned around her, her ankles bulged above dirty sneakers. In class we read the short story, “The Elevator” by William Sleator. It takes place at a point in her career when she has been asked to compose a short story for a childrens book as part of her \"duty\" as a writer. Martin has a fear of elevators. Well, she just kept looking at me.”, “What am I going to do with you, Martin?” his father said. He took a deep breath and yelled loudly, “You know what!? She rejects that idea, however, on the grounds of artistic freedom: no artist, she thinks, should ever be compelled to create a work on demand. There is always a story behind everything, and each story is worth getting to know. She was still watching him. “Let me go with you. At least his father was with him on the elevator on the way back from the hospital. They are all powerful conflicts on their own, but altogether they created the beautiful masterpiece that this story is. He watched her pudgy hand move toward the buttons. He didn’t get used to it. The story is about a very fearful and fragile twelve year old boy named Martin. The main theme of the story is conflict, and I don’t think that there is only one specific conflict that invades the entire story. ( Log Out / She would go into the elevator and stare at him through many floors up and down. After you've read multiple posts. The Fat Lady, his father, and even the bullies. Ethereal theme. He only had to drag himself up one and a half flights with the terrible pain in his leg, His father was silent on the way to hospital, disappointed and annoyed at him for being such a coward and a fool. 2 Favourites. Did that mean she did live in the building? nice ending but the vampires part kinda felt bland, yeah cause vampires are old now and there's nothing new about them plus it ended way to quickly, Sup World By Tracey Chen. And on top of his father’s criticism, he is being bullied at school everyday. This poor boy. Previously in the story; "Hello, Martin," she said, and laughed, and pushed the 'Stop' button. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.