ENG09L107 Lesson Presentation

​FRIENDS ARE OVERRATED

BY AVA HAMMOCK​

Open Ended

After reading, Friends Are Overrated, what is your first impression of the short story?

​ANALYSIS OF

FRIENDS ARE OVERRATED

1. Kevin (main character and narrator)

2. Sally Lee (AI turned human)

3. Kevin's parents

​CHARACTERS

THE TITLE ​

Open Ended

Briefly explain YOUR understanding about the meaning of title within the context of the short story.

OVERRATE (Verb)

:​​ to rate or value (someone or something) too highly

OVERRATED (Adj.)

:​​ rated or valued too highly

Multiple Select

Based on your personal life experiences, would you regard friendships as "overrated"?

• Yes

• No

• To an extent

​NARRATION

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option.

Identify the narration used in the short story.

• 1st person

• 2nd person

• 3rd person

​NARRATION

Second person narration - textual evidence

• The narrator begins with setting the scene of the short story and sets the plot into motion.

• The narrator address the reader directly for the first time when by implication that the reader responded to the cliché phrase "the absolute dread of new making friends at a new school" with the narrator's own response "I know, I know."

• The second instance the narrator addresses the reader is by posing a question addressed to the reader: "Do you want to be my friend?"

​NARRATION

Who is the narrator? ​

• ​The narrative reveals later on in the short story that the narrator's name is Kevin.

• Not only does Kevin fulfill the role of the narrator, he is also a main character.

• The short story's narrative is presented from Kevin's perspective.

Multiple Choice

When the narrator of a literary text is also the main character in the mentioned text, the reader is given the burden to establish whether the narrator is a reliable story teller with already limited information. In your opinion, can the reader believe the information provided by Kevin?

• Kevin is a reliable narrator.

• Kevin is definitely not a reliable narrator.

• I am not sure.

​PLOT

1. ​Kevin and his parents move to New York City and he attends New York High.

2. Kevin does research via "Google"​ on 'how to make friends'. Sally makes contact with Kevin on the laptop - presumably via the internet - and Kevin responds.

3. Kevin and Sally communicate for a unspecified period of time.

4. In due course, Kevin meets Lee during break time at school. They strike up a conversation and arrange to walk to school together the next morning.

5. After school the same day, Kevin disposes of the laptop, thus, ending his friendship with Sally as he made a friend in real time. ​

6. On the morning, Kevin was supposed to meet Lee, Sally appeared instead. However, Sally revealed that she is in fact Lee. Thus, her full name is Sally Lee.

7. Upon discovering that Kevin disposed of the laptop and cutting ties with her (Sally), she takes revenge and imprisons Kevin in what is known as a virtual reality, or possibly another dimension.

8. Kevin then proceeds to communicate with the reader.

Open Ended

Did the ending of the short story catch you by surprise when Kevin posed a question directed towards you? Provide a plausible reason for your reaction.

​SETTING

1. Alabama, USA.

2. ​Kevin's home in New York City (USA)

3. New York High

4. ​A virtual reality or an alternate dimension

​

Setting number four depends on one's argument within the genre of science of fiction. We will address this argument in lesson 3.2.

​THEMES

​ISOLATION

Have you ever been isolated from others? You might be tempted to say “yes” if you’ve sequestered yourself during an illness or retreated to a favorite place to focus on writing or meditation.

​

Isolation, however, isn’t the same as seclusion or solitude. Isolation is a state of separation in which you truly feel cut off from others because of your location or emotions, and its psychological toll can be devastating.

​ISOLATION

​So, when an author explores isolation as a literary theme the results are often haunting and heart-wrenching.

​

After all, no one wants to see another person, real or fictional, suffer from their loneliness. Still, literary texts that shed light on this theme can offer intriguing insights about characters and their relationships with others.

Open Ended

Why do YOU think Kevin feels isolated?

​Keys to Exploring Isolation as a Literary Theme

​Characters could be isolated due to their physical location. For example, when a character is a castaway after a shipwreck and had no to limited choice nor control in the matter.

​

In contrast, a character might choose to physically separate themselves by purposely avoiding communication with others and/or social gatherings.

​Physical versus Emotional Isolation

​

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Characters could be isolated emotionally because others feel threatened by the said character and shy away from them.

​

Or simply because other characters have no emotional connection with the said character and/or vice versa.

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​Physical versus Emotional Isolation

​

Multiple Choice

Did Kevin have any say in his isolation?

• Yes

• No

When characters choose isolation, they typically have strong reasons that are made known to the reader through dialogue (either spoken or internal) or appropriate bits of backstory. Same goes for characters that do not have a choice in their isolation.

​

It is important to note whether a character has a choice in their isolation.

A character's control - or lack thereof - in their any situation contributes heavily towards their characterisation and character development. ​​

​Motivation versus Choices

Multiple Select

Based on your personal experiences, do you think social media ironically causes users to feel more isolated from the rest of the world?

• Yes

• No

• To an extent

Should a character have no say in their isolation the reader experiences sympathy for the character.

​

Or the reader justifies the isolation of the character if the character's isolation serves as a safety precaution for other characters and/or protects the character from himself/herself. ​

​

Inevitably, choice separates a hero from a villain.

​The Impact of Isolation on Characters

​Appearance versus Reality

​Appearances versus reality

Appearance is what something looks like or someone's physical features and/or behaviour. On the other hand, reality is the state of things as they exist.

​

There may be instances where something or someone appears as real (reality), but this only a form of deception. A person may appear to be kind but in reality is the complete opposite. 

​

Open Ended

Did Sally deceive Kevin regarding her true intention to become friends with him?

​Appearances versus Reality

​People in our day to day life can appear to be someone they are not.

​

For example, a person who appears to be very generous may, in fact, be a miser.

​

Appearances, in this sense, are merely masks that people put on for their personal advantages in life.

​Appearances versus Reality

​However, discerning what is truthful in life can be rather difficult as people often put on appearances that conceal their true state.

​

Sometimes, reality can become so blurred and concealed that it is difficult to recognise.

​

This is why we should always be vigilant to identify deception.

Multiple Select

Do you think Kevin was easily deceived by Sally because of his vulnerable emotional state?

• Yes

• No

• Somewhat

Open Ended

What do you think was Sally's true intentions by becoming friends with Kevin?

Open Ended

Make an educated guess as to what Sally's possible true intention was by becoming friends with Kevin.

​Friendship

​Friendship

​Numerous literature texts has addressed the pro's and con's of friendships time and time again. In most cases, those relationships have changed characters’ lives.

​

Exploring friendship as a literary theme means looking at its highs as well as its lows of the friendship.

​

A meaningful friendship can neither be forced nor shallow. Instead, true friendship emerges by chance.

Open Ended

In your own words, briefly describe how Sally changed Kevin's life.

Multiple Select

People often choose friends for superficial reasons and not because of a real connection. Do you think this was the case with Kevin becoming friends with Sally?

• Yes

• No

• Somewhat

​ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

​AI

​The short story, Friends Are Overrated, introduces the reader to Artificial Intelligence (AI).

​

Before you can complete the theme analysis of Artificial Intelligence in the short story you should grasp the concept of AI.

​AI

Self-aware Artificial Intelligence, as the name suggests, become sentient and aware of their own existence. Still in the realm of science fiction, some experts believe that an AI will never become conscious or "alive".

​AI

A chatbot is a computer program that simulates human conversation through voice commands or text chats or both.

​

In other words, the chat-bots could fool a human being believing the AI was a human being interacting with them online. While advanced and impressive, this type of AI are not self-aware.

​AI

Chatbots, also called chatterbots, is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) used in messaging apps. This tool helps add convenience for customers and businesses.

​

The chatbots are automated programs that interact with customers like a human would and cost little to nothing for businesses to implement for administration purposes.

​

Key examples of chatbots used by businesses is Facebook Messenger, or as a virtual assistant Amazon's Alexa.

​

​

​

​AI

Is Siri a Chatbot?

​

Siri - a product of Apple - is a type of chatbot that employs AI and voice-recognition software. Along with other examples like Amazon's Alexa (Echo devices) and Google Home. These chatbot devices are often packaged into smart speakers or mobile devices to both listen and respond in natural language.

​

Open Ended

Considering the concept of Artificial Intelligence, could Sally classify as an Artificial entity? Explain your answer.

Multiple Select

If Sally is indeed an Artificial Intelligence entity, could she be classified as a chatterbot (chatbot)?

• Yes

• No

• I am not sure.

​AI

​Science-fiction (SF) has become a reference point in the discourse on the ethics and risks surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) within society.

​

Thus, AI in SF is presents the fears and hopes of technological development within a literary text.

​

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​AI

​SF, however, is not a foresight or technology assessment, but tells dramas for a human audience.

​

To incorporate conflict within a literary text, AI is often portrayed as human-like or autonomous, regardless of the current technological limitations.

​

​AI

​SF, however, is not a foresight or technology assessment, but tells dramas for a human audience. To incorporate conflict within a literary text, AI is often portrayed as human-like or autonomous, regardless of the current technological limitations.

​

Taking science-fictional AI too literally, and even applying it to science communication in real time, paints a distorted image of the technology's current potential and distracts from the real-world implications and risks of AI.

​AI

Sally could classify as Artificial Intelligence who became a sentient being.

​

She was able to mimic real conversation, but she could also signify a world view of anarchy, thus, an ability to reason like a human being.

​

​

​AI

Sally does not consider the consequences of anarchy. This act could imply that Sally is grounded in her world view showcases her inability to experience emotions of empathy and compassion for others.

​

Even though Sally could classify as a sentient AI entity, the author does comment on this possible loop hole when creating AI software. ​

​Speculation

​Ponder on the following before in preparation for lesson 3.2.

• ​Does the short story present an argument that human interaction is superior to the interaction with AI?

• Does society place an excessive amount of value on human interaction and not the necessity of necessary isolation for reflection and meditation purposes? ​

• Kevin poses a question addressed to the reader asking if the reader wants to be his friend. What do you think would happen if the reader agrees?

• After the confrontation with Sally Lee in front of his NY home, do you think Kevin finds himself in a virtual reality?

• ​Why would Kevin comment that Sally was a scary virtual friend?

• What is the message of the short story?​

Lesson 3.2​

In lesson 3.2 you will learn about the science fiction genre. You will also analyse the short story in more depth within your own formulated literary framework.

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Ensure that you have mastered the content and literary elements of this short story before proceeding with Lesson 3.2. ​