Predictions Quiz- The Monsters are Due in Maple Street

1. 🤔 Which excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is an example of direct characterization?

• Don approaches the group, stops a few feet away to stare toward the house, then looks back toward the group.

• The screen door opens and Goodman comes out, a man in his early forties who first greets them smiling and then letting the smile fade as he sees the faces.

Answer explanation

Remember, direct characterization is clearly stated in the text.

2. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

DON

And [Les Goodman] never did come out to look at that thing that flew overhead. He wasn't even interested.

(he turns to the faces in the group, his face taut and serious.)

Why? Why didn't he come out with the rest of us to look?

CHARLIE

He always was an oddball. Him and his whole family. Real oddball.

🤔 What do Don’s words suggest about him?

• Don is an alien from outer space

• Don is suspicious of Les Goodman.

3. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

STEVE

(raising his voice)

There's something you can do, Charlie. You could go home and keep your mouth shut. You could quit strutting around like a self-appointed hanging judge and just climb into bed and forget it.

CHARLIE

You sound real anxious to have that happen, Steve. I think we better keep our eye on you too!

DON

(as if he were taking the bit in his teeth, takes a hesitant step to the front)

I think everything might as well come out now.

(he turns toward Steve.)

Your wife's done plenty of talking, Steve, about how odd you are!

CHARLIE

(picking this up, his eyes widening)

Go ahead, tell us what she's said.

🤔 The writer of this excerpt uses

• direct characterization to show that the neighbors are turning on one other.

• indirect characterization to show that the neighbors are turning on one other.

4. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

STEVE

(raising his voice)

There's something you can do, Charlie. You could go home and keep your mouth shut. You could quit strutting around like a self-appointed hanging judge and just climb into bed and forget it.

CHARLIE

You sound real anxious to have that happen, Steve. I think we better keep our eye on you too!

DON

(as if he were taking the bit in his teeth, takes a hesitant step to the front)

I think everything might as well come out now.

(he turns toward Steve.)

Your wife's done plenty of talking, Steve, about how odd you are!

CHARLIE

(picking this up, his eyes widening)

Go ahead, tell us what she's said.

58. LONG SHOT – STEVE 58.

As he walks toward them from across the street.

STEVE

Go ahead, what's my wife said? Let's get it all out. Let's pick out every idiosyncrasy of every single man, woman, and child on the street. And then we might as well set up some kind of a kangaroo court. How about a firing squad at dawn, Charlie, so we can get rid of all the suspects. Narrow them down. Make it easier for you.

DON

There's no need gettin' so upset, Steve. It's just that . . . well . . . Myra's talked about how there's been plenty of nights you spent hours down in your basement workin' on some kind of radio or something. Well, none of us have ever seen that radio—

🤔 How does Steve’s attempt to reason with his neighbors affect other elements of the story?

• The neighbors elect Steve their leader.

• The neighbors become suspicious of him as well.

5. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

MRS. GOODMAN

That's exactly what he does. Why this whole thing it's . . . it's some kind of madness or something.

STEVE

(nods grimly)

That's exactly what it is—some kind of madness.

CHARLIE'S VOICE

(shrill, from across the street)

You best watch who you're seen with, Steve! Until we get this all straightened out, you ain't exactly above suspicion yourself.

STEVE

(whirling around toward him)

Or you, Charlie. Or any of us, it seems. From age eight on up!

WOMAN ONE

What I'd like to know is—what are we gonna do? Just stand around here all night?

CHARLIE

There's nothin' else we can do!

(he turns back, looking toward Steve and Goodman again.) One of 'em'll tip their hand. They got to.

57. CONTINUED 57.

STEVE

(raising his voice)

There's something you can do, Charlie. You could go home and keep your mouth shut. You could quit strutting around like a self-appointed hanging judge and just climb into bed and forget it.

🤔 What do Steve’s reactions to Mrs. Goodman and Charlie show the reader about Steve?

• Steve is frightened of the alien invasion.

• Steve is sensible and unafraid.

6. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

As they suddenly start toward the house. In this brief fraction of a moment they take the first step toward performing a metamorphosis that changes people from a group into a mob. They begin to head purposefully across the street toward the house at the end. Steve stands in front of them. For a moment their fear almost turns their walk into a wild stampede but Steve's voice, loud, incisive, and commanding, make them stop.

STEVE

Wait a minute . . . wait a minute! Let's not be a mob!

The people stop as a group, seem to pause for a moment and then much more quietly and slowly start to walk across the street.

When a crowd gathers outside Les’s house, Steve comments, "Let’s not be a mob!”

🤔 What does this show about Steve?

• He has managed to remain much more calm and rational than the rest of his neighbors.

• He has been taken over by emotions and lost his ability to think sensibly.

7. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

SALLY

There's . . . there's a light on in the Goodman house.

The people now turn as if by direction toward the last house on the street.

CUT TO:

37. PAN SHOT – ACROSS THE STREET DOWN THE ROW OF HOUSES 37.

Each is the same in general style, the front porch, the gliders, the rest of it. Then suddenly the CAMERA STOPS on the last house in the line. There's a spot light set up on the porch and even in the daylight we can see it shining.

CUT TO:

38. CLOSE SHOT – THE SPOTLIGHT 38.

CUT TO:

39. REVERSE ANGLE – LOOKING TOWARD FACES OF THE PEOPLE 39.

As they stare at it.

MAN ONE

That's Les Goodman's house. He's got lights!

40. PAN SHOT ACROSS FACES OF THE PEOPLE 40.

As they stare, somehow caught up by this revelation and desperately frightened by it.

🤔 Based on the clues in this excerpt, what will most likely happen next?

• The neighbors will defend Les Goodman against all accusations.

• The neighbors will start to believe that Les Goodman is an alien.

8. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

52. CLOSE SHOT – GOODMAN 52.

As he instinctively backs away.

GOODMAN

She's crazy. Look I can explain that. Please . . . I can really explain that . . . she's making it up anyway.

(then he shouts,)

I tell you she's making it up!

Now he takes a step toward the crowd and they back away from him. He walks down the steps after them and they continue to back away. Now he's suddenly and completely left alone and he looks like a man caught in the middle of a menacing circle as we take a

SLOW FADE TO BLACK:

🤔Based on the clues in this excerpt, what will most likely happen next?

• The neighbors will apologize to Goodman and leave.

• The neighbors will remain suspicious of Goodman.

9. Based on Steve’s actions in the first part of The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, readers may have predicted that Steve would continue being the town’s leader during the power outage.

🤔How should readers revise this prediction after Don asks Steve about his radio?

• Readers should now predict that Les Goodman will attack Steve.

• Readers should now predict that Steve will no longer be in charge.

10. Read the excerpt from The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.

STEVE

Go ahead, what's my wife said? Let's get it all out. Let's pick out every idiosyncrasy of every single man, woman, and child on the street. And then we might as well set up some kind of a kangaroo court. How about a firing squad at dawn, Charlie, so we can get rid of all the suspects. Narrow them down. Make it easier for you.

DON

There's no need gettin' so upset, Steve. It's just that . . . well . . . Myra's talked about how there's been plenty of nights you spent hours down in your basement workin' on some kind of radio or something. Well, none of us have ever seen that radio—

🤔The foreshadowing in this excerpt suggests that

• Steve’s radio will be used later in the narrative.

• the tension on the street will steadily increase.