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Tasks: The Snail-Watcher

Tasks based on the short story "The Snail Watcher" by Patricia Highsmith.
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Govva: Orsolya Haarberg / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Literary Analysis

  1. In which way is “The Snail-Watcher” a classical short story? Use "How to Analyze a Short Story". Consider characters, setting, suspense and plots.
  2. What is the point of view in the story? How does this affect the story?
  3. Give a characterization of the protagonist.
  4. List some of the most evident contrasts in the last part of the short story. Why do you think the author includes these contrasts? How do they make you feel?
  5. Discuss the meaning of the last sentence.

Oral

Find various recipes with snails (escargot). It may be served in many ways, e.g. as ragout, baked, fried and in soup, butter and sauces. Choose your favourite snail dish and explain to your classmates how it is prepared.

Further research

  1. Does the protagonist in "The Snail-Watcher" suffer from an obsession?
  2. What kind of treatment is suggested for obsessive and compulsive disorders?
  3. What do you think might have helped Mr Knoppert?

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Fágaávdnasat
The Snail-Watcher by Patricia Highsmith

Readers and viewers often find Patricia Highsmith's plots highly disturbing, due to her ability to transform the abnormal into something plain and normal.