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STOP THE SUN

By Gary Paulsen

Genre :
Short story

Theme
Possible Themes Discussed in this selection 1} Some times people don't tell others about certain experiences because they may be too painful to discuss As Terry's father experiences very uncomfortable time the moment the incidents of the Vietnam War occurred to him. !} Understandin" brin"s tolerance The theme is about a boy trying to figure out his dads Vietnam syndrome. The message of the story is dont be embarrassed by your parents. He ould try hard from no on! and he ould not be embarrassed hen his fathers eyes ent a ay. He ould not be embarrassed no matter hat his father did!" #$%&. ' ould recommend this to a friend because it sho s ho much the Vietnam War affected people. #} No matter ho$ hard it is to understand others but it is $orth tryin" Terry (no s it is hard to understand others! that's hy he can't fully understand ho ris(y and frightening his dad's life in Vietnam is.

Main Characters
Terry Dad

Setting
*+top The +un* ta(es place in the boy Terry's home. He is concerned about the ay that his father begins acting. 't all has to deal ith hat he has experienced in Vietnam. This is very difficult for Terry to understand.

Literary focus Theme Vs Subject:


The theme of a story is the idea about life that it conveys. Theme isn't the same as the sub,ect of the story- Theme is the insight the story expresses about the subject. .or example the sub,ect of *+top The +un* is a son's effort to understand his father. The theme is hat the story says about this sub,ect.

o! to find the theme


/ Main message" moral " meaning of story / #ften im$lied % not directly stated / Gather clues " including &ey statements and $hrases" re$eated ideas and lessons learned by the main character'

istorical bac&ground on the Vietnam (ar:


This story ill serve as an introduction to the ar! and it also has a great timeline that students can use as a non0fiction supplement. 'n the 1nited +tates the ar is referred to as the Vietnam War!" hereas the Vietnamese refer to it as the American War." The 1.+. anted to stop the spread of 2ommunism and invaded Vietnam ith the intent of toppling Ho 2hi 3ins 2ommunist regime. This as a difficult ar for the 1. +. troops because they could not see their enemy. The Vietcong, National .ront for the 4iberation of +outh Vietnam #54.&! a +outh Vietnamese communist guerrilla force! used their (no ledge of the landscape and recruited many child soldiers! ith little coercion! to aid in their battle. While the 1.+. as ta(ing on an important tas( in the a(e of the 2old War! the Vietnamese ere aging a ar of independence against yet another country trying to occupy their land.

)*T+#D,CT)#*
The short story *+top the +un* by 7ary 8aulsen is about a boy named Terry hose father served in the Vietnam War and has the Vietnam +yndrome. 9very once and a hile his father's eyes *go a ay* and he doesn't move. He is really embarrassed hen this happens. 't all started hen they ere at the mall and he ent to one store and his dad ent to another. They ere going to meet at the front door after they ere done shopping and leave. When he came to the front door his dad asn't there! so he aited a hile and then started to orry. He thought he ould chec( the hard are store to see if he as still shopping and found a large cro d of people there. He made his ay to the front of the cro d and sa his dad there on the ground. His mother too( him home in a taxi. This as ,ust the beginning of all the times his dad's eyes ould roll bac( and he ouldn't move.

PL#T
'n the :eginning of the story Terry doesn't (no anything about the Vietnam +yndrome or hy his dad's eyes disappear. This is because his parents have never told him and his mom acts li(e nothing happened hen it does happen. He really ants to (no but he is too afraid to as(. ;ne day he gets enough courage to as( his mom about it but she doesn't tell him much of anything. +he ,ust said that it is because of the ar and he didn't li(e to tal( about it. He needed to (no about his dad or he ould explode! so one time hen he as tal(ing to his dad he as(ed him about the ar and hy his eye's ent a ay. His dad got really mad and started to tal( about ho terrible it as in Vietnam and ho nobody ho asn't there ould ever (no ho bad it as. Then he tells Terry about hen his group as al(ing through a rice paddy in the evening and he as ambushed by the Vietcong. They ere shooting mortars and machine guns at them and the only thing he could do to protect himself as to lay on the ground motionless. The Vietcong (ept shooting mortars and machine guns. He (ne that they couldn't see he as alive in the dar( but hen it as light again they ould come bac( and loo( for the survivors. 'f he could ,ust stop the sun from rising again he could ma(e it out alive.

<

All night he concentrated all of his energy on stopping the sun. When morning came he had not stopped the sun and some men from the Vietcong came. He hid himself under a dead body to ma(e himself loo( li(e the many dead soldiers in the field. They passed over him and did not shoot him. ;ut of his hole group of soldiers he as the only one ho survived.

New Vocabulary Terms commotion Definitions a disturbance or sudden movement of people

=uin foundered 2lutch >ry 'nert chant syndrome persisted

rec(! damage! devastate! mess up unable to continue- stop to get stuc(- brea( do n. to gasp and hold tightly. direct and ithout emotion- matter0of0fact having no po er to move or act- lifeless. something sung or spo(en in rhythmic monotone. a group of symptoms that ma(e up a disease or disorder to hold strongly to a purpose or commitment regardless of its obstacles albuma vinyl disc of one or more recordings in a single binder distrustful slang for psychiatrist or psychologist a flooded field here rice is gro n cannons that fire large artillery Army of 5orth Vietnam a nic(name given to 5orth Vietnamese Army #5VA&

+uspicious shrin( rice paddy mortars Vietcong *charley*

Activity 1: Exploring Deeper Meanings Choose the statement that provides an accurate example of the meaning of each vocabulary word.
). 2ommotion

A& >uring the ban( brea( in the staff couldnt figure out hat it as li(e due to the great tumult they faced. :& >uring the ban( in the burglars ere too ?uic( and mas(ed to be recogni@ed. 6. 'nert A& He lay completely motionless on the floor and e feared he as dead. :& When people started ma(ing comments during his speech! he felt stumbled <. foundered A& We made several attempts to learn fly fishing! but our lines got tangled and e finally gave up in frustration. :& .ly fishing too( a lot more or( than e expected! but after several ee(s of practice! e started to improve.

Activity 2: Changing Contexts Each vocabulary word from Stop the Sun is used at least once in the following paragraph. Fill in each word where it best fits the context.
commotion foundered ruin inert

>anny loo(ed at the #%& AAAAAAcommotionAAAAAA that used to be the neat! organi@ed living room and shoo( his head. 9arlier! he had decided to clean his hamsters cage and had reached in to grab the #$& AAAAAAAAinertAAAAAAAA hamster! hich had appeared to be sleeping. As soon as >anny opened the cage! the hamster roused itself from its #B& AAAAAAAAAinertAAAAAAAAAAAAAA state! springing to life so ?uic(ly that >anny ondered hether the hamster had been lying there! aiting to escape. >anny #C& AAAAAAAfounderedAAAAAA in his attempt to catch the hamster! tripping and fumbling in the process! and the hamster scurried a ay. 1nfortunately! the cat heard the noise and came to see hat all the #D& AAAAAAAAAcommotionAAAAAAA as about and! spying the source of the noise! proceeded to chase the hamster through the living room. An even

louder #E& AAAAAAAAAAAAcommotionAAAAAAAAAAA ensued! as the cat ,umped up on the table! (noc(ing everything off ith loud crashes. >anny finally managed to save the hamster! but no a lamp lay in #)F& AAAAAAAAAruin AAAAAAAA on the floor! its bro(en bits stre n across the carpet. >anny had to laugh. Throughout the entire chase! the dog had remained #))& AAAAAinertAAAAAA on the floor! not even snoring in his sleep.

Activity 3: Thinking critically and analytically Read each question or clue given and circles the choice that best answer each one. Question Excerpt From stop the sun

1 %ho $as the author tryin" to appeal to in this story&


a. teachers b. soldiers c. families ith relatives served in previous ars

! %hat problem does the main character face&


a. his son refuses to attend school b. bad flashbac( attac(s c. his ife and son are fighting

# Ho$ si"nificant is the title of the story&


a. 't sho s ho romantic the sub,ect is. b. 't mostly spea(s of a scientific sub,ect. c. it seems to be a cry for urgent help of someone ho is greatly tortured.

' %hat is an example of the resolution in the story&


a. Terry is embarrassed about his father's behavior b. The father tells his son about his service in Vietnam c. The son learns to understand his father's behavior

( %hat is an example of the climax&


a. Terry as(s his counselor for help at school b. The father has a violent flashbac( attac( at the mall c. The father tells the son about ho he stayed alive during the ar

) Terry's ma*or difference in character from his mom is that he is


a. more timid according to his father's flashbac(s. b. more courageous to help his dad open up ith him c. more enthusiastic about his study research.

+, Terry is embarrassed by his dad because his dad ------B

a. spea(s to every one about his ar experiences b. continually scorns people's misbehaving in public. c. behaves strangely in a mall and causes commotion.

.,/ The other dead people couldn't stop the morning./ This 0uotation sho$s ----a. the invincible American fighters in Vietnam War. b. 5o one could survive the horrifying attac(s by the Vietcong. c. flashbac( is a common symptom of getting old.

1 2ietnam syndrome is a concept $hich means -----a. a re ard to those ho have the honor of fighting in Vietnam. b. a disorder caused by the flashbac(s of the horrifying experiences in Vietnam. c. a (ind of self defense to any outer impulse to old people.

13 The trouble Terry's dad is experiencin" is "i4en the name of --a. Vietnam syndrome b. post traumatic stress disorder c. anxiety attac(s

11 the reason $hy Terry's father doesn't $ant to tal5 about the $ar is that---a. he doesnt li(e spea(ing about his past. b. it is of no matter to reveal an experience of his o n secrecy. c. the horrors he has experienced are impossible to put in ords.

1! One of the possible theme that best state the insi"ht about life is a. flashbac(s can be normal at old age. b. ar can affect many generations of people. c. children have more curiosity than old people.

1# %hat important disco4ery has Terry made by the end of the story&
a. his father as the only one left alive b. his father served in the Vietnam ar c. no matter ho hard it is to understand others! but it's orthy trying.

Activity 4. Comprehension questions Read each question and write a suitable answer to each one in the space provided.

16 %hy do you thin5 the author started the story by describin" Terry's problem&
Terry is worried about his dad who is acting strangely, describing his worry will build suspense for the reader as to why his dad is acting this way.

!6 Ho$ does Terry's mom explain his father's /stran"e beha4ior/&


She says the doctors call it the Vietnam Syndrome. 7naly8in" 9etails

#6 :n para"raph ! the author $rites that $hat really bothered Terry $as /$hen his father's eyes $ent a$ay / %hat do you thin5 this phrase mean&
His father gets a acant loo! in his eyes" his father loo!s li!e he is in somewhere else. ;ead and discuss '6 Ho$ does terry feel about his father's condition and his mother's $ay of dealin" $ith it& Terry doesn't understand his father condition and he wants to !now more about it on the other hand he refuses to accept his mother's iew that silence is the best way to of dealing with it

(6 Ho$ successful is terry in his attempts to understand the seemin"ly $eird conditionG Terry isn't ery much successful as he tries to understand his father by researching the Vietnam #ar which isn't ery much satisfactory. )6 %hat is the real trouble of Terry's 9ad&
Terry's father is ha ing a flashbac! and thin!s he is bac! in Vietnam. He is frightened and crawling around the store crying. Terry is confused and embarrassed, but he also feels protecti e toward his dad.

Extend discussion

+6 %hat does the author mean $hen he says that Terry $anted to disappear&
D

Terry's dad had acted strangely in public, so Terry was ery embarrassed. <indin" the theme

.6 %hy do you thin5 that Terry's father can't tell anyone about $hat it $as really li5eG The horrors of what he has experienced are impossible to put into words.
7naly8in" character

16 Ho$ does Terry feel $hen his dad be"ins to open up about his experience& %hy does he feel that $ay&
He feels responsible for his father's pain as he recalls his experiences, and hates himself for causing his father more pain . =ompare and contrast

136 Terry and his mom support his dad in different $ays %hat do these differences tell about them&
Terry refuses to be silent and as!s his dad about the war. His mother won't as! his father about the war. Terry's mother may be more fearful or less of a ris! $ta!er than Terry.

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