Stories of Ourselves: Haywards Heath

What is the mood of the Haywards Heath, and how does the setting establish it?

• The story is outwardly calm and peaceful

• The story is harsh and conflicting

• The story is anxious and stressful

• The story is adventurous and action packed

What is the weather like throughout the story, and how does this affect the mood?

• Most of the story takes place on a cool, clear spring day, just after the rain.

• Most of the story takes place on a stormy morning.

• Most of the story takes place on sunny Saturday afternoon.

• Most of the story takes place on a cool autumn day, just before winter.

How does the story portray the passage of time between Attila’s student days and the present?

• It is portrayed through Atilla's discomfort with technology.

• It is portrayed through Atilla's acceptance that he needs help with getting to his destination.

• It is portrayed through the futuristic environment of the town.

• It is portrayed through the commentary of Attila being out of place in the environment.

What does Haywards Heath itself represent?

• It is a pleasant but not particularly striking town, a place that Attila could have enjoyed if he stayed with Rosie.

• A destructive environment that would have torn Attila and Rosie apart.

• A pleasant but not particularly striking town, a place that is boring and would have made Attila lose out on life.

• A solemn town where Rosie stayed because she felt that the world would not accept her.

What event puts the conflict of the story in motion? Attila overhears Rosie’s (a)   from a colleague at his hospital and decides to visit her.

How is the story’s central conflict resolved?

• Rosie does come to think that Attila has come to visit her, but she has actually mistaken him for the African worker.

• Rosie does not remember Attila at first, but after some time she gradually starts to show signs that she remembers him.

• Rosie does not remember Atilla and chases him away, saying that he is trying to disrupt her life.

• Rosie forgot about Atilla and moved on with her life.

What is the central theme of the story? 

(a)  

Organize these options into the right categories. How is Atilla's character and Rosie's character categorized throughout the story?

Groups:

(a) Attila

,

(b) Rosie

• Lively

• Less driven

• A contrarian

• Open to life

• Easily irritated

• Curmudgeonly

What is Attila’s profession?

• Psychiatrist

• Engineer

• Chef

• Plumber

Where is Rosie living?

(a)