Our story this month comes from BritLit and was written by the American born writer Michael Z. Lewin, who lives in Bath in England. It is a urban tale which makes us certainly see things from a different point of view.
    
     To download the text and also some extra activites that you can also use with your students, just click on the link BritLit - The Hand that Feeds Me
    
     I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to reading your comments.
     Cheers - Chris

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Hi everyone
    
     This is a peculiar story indeed. We had a whole day devoted to Young adult fiction in Cardiff and I think this sort of story could well appeal to some of our students.
     How would you work with this story in class?
     What aspects and themes could you explore with your students?
    
     Apart from this, the unusual choice of narrator is something I would like to discuss here with you.
     How do you feel about these sort of unorthodox narrative choices? What other unusual narrators have you have already met in your reading life?
     How does it change our reading experience?
    
     Looking forward to reading your answers.
     Cheers - Chris

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Hi Chris,
    
     When I was reading this story I was thinking about integrating it to my extensive reading program to add variety and increase the range of possibilities for my students to choose what to read during our once-a-week reading session. They are currently reading graded readers. It might as well become part of our weekly online reading but as extensive reading as well. This means most questions aim at identifying the gist of the texts they read and/or grade the difficulty of the text and give their opinion about it.
    
     In connection to the unusual choice of narrator I found it quite..mmm…unusual:)...Not because it was a dog "talking" (If you have read Animal Farm, for example, they do talk/think/reflect along the story)...For some reason, even though the instructions and all that sort of prepared me to what I was going to find along the reading, I have got the unusual feeling of actually hearing and seeing the dog chasing the crooks and all that in a very eerie way. It is so human the way the dog talks in this story. I don't know what my reaction would have been if I hadn't read all these questions before reading the story.
    
     I found this experience quite refreshing and entertaining. I basically read "academic" books. The last time I read literature was like about two or three years ago!
    
    
     Miguel
     Note: BTW, the audio was of great help! It helped a lot to recreate this dark, sad, dangerous mood and the sadness/pain/helplessness/gratitude/faithfulness of the dog.

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Hi Chris,
    
     I hope you have enjoyed the IATEFL Conference in such a lovely, peaceful venue: Cardiff. Don't you feel a little tired after those exciting days of diverse work there? People usually say that when people are very much devoted to their work, there's no time for feeling exhausted.
     Well, as for this story, I found it a very interesting one that makes us reflect upon some themes we could explore with our students. For instance, major concerns on the environment; social problems like homeless people; alcoholic people; social unrest;scarce surveillance/safety guards in certain urban areas; lack of respect for the animals. And, on the contrary, much faithfulness and care from animals towards people. In the case of this story, a smart, helpful dog licking the man's wounds as well as approaching the heavy leather jacket to him.
     I confess that sometims this type of narrator is very tricky... We are confronted with some situations that, for a start, sound a bit strange. But a more attentive reading almost immediately helps us unveil the true identity of such a strange narrator!...
     Thank you, Chris, for your Reading suggestion.
     Best wishes,
     Maria

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Dear Chris and all,
    
     Thank you for this story, and the reading from the author adds quality and make the story different from what would be the reading alone. The way he changes or adds words make the "telling" of the story so exciting and the reader feel as a witness of the events there.
    
     I understand the story like this: "THE HAND THAT FEEDS ME" DESERVES JUSTICE (and I'll help unmask the killers). in my point of view this is a "short" dictetive story like we read in "vampire series" and it also reminds me about reading "cowboys" stories.
    
     It's strange because without the comments from the facilitator/readers I found it hard to assume the narrator is a dog, but then I payed attention to "the licking of wounds", for example, as an action dogs do. This narrator is tricky! Even after I accept the narrator is a dog, I still found it hard to distinguish "him" from other characters because of the way "he" thinks, acts, and adress them. "He" is like of the same class with other characters. I mean you can suspect that the "old" guy and the trio are also dogs. Isn't the narrator an UNDERGOG? or the homeless?
    
     Dear Mon Ami,
    
     I think we can suggest this story for the RC group. The picture of it we also have in our society.
    
     Best regards,
     Tanguene

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Dear All,
    
     Sorry for the misspelling- By UDERGOG I meant UNDERDOG. The image I have of an Underdog in a society is drawn from the picture you get in reading "Arrows of Rain" by Okey Ndibe, where a journalist because of the oppression and lack of freedom of speech in his country he "runs away" in fear for his life before the political power against the truth he knew (about the killing of a prostitute in a beach by a man in power). In trying reveal the truth he was official diagnosed as a "madman" . This character ends up living like a "madman" eating food from the bins, putting on torn clothes and acting like a dog while in reality he was an ordinary and intelligent character. The writer chose to consider him as an UNDERDOG.
    
     I draw the paralell looking at the way the dog assembled the evidence which can help the police track the murder but as it cannot be heard it had to run away with the truth, while it moved and left the scene of the crime changed, the jacket and cans of beer were on the scene, but it brought it acting like an ordinary and intelligent character as well as a dectetive. That's the reason I think this is not a DOG but an UNDERDOG.
    
     Tanguene

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Maria do Ceu Costa has enlisted the topics: "major concerns on the environment; social problems like homeless people; alcoholic people; social unrest;scarce surveillance/safety guards in certain urban areas; lack of respect for the animals".
    
     Tanguene, its right that we should use this test for the Reader's Corner in our country. Its a nice story, clear, simple and with all the picture of life in some (african) cities.
    
     The use of the dogs voice to talk about urban areas' problems is really a good style. Not only helps to hide the narrator's identity, but also it enables multiple interpretations (with no strict judgement of the narrator) in the eyes of the reader!
    
     Is it true that dogs are friends, more than some human friends? oh, thats another text!...
    
     Mon Ami

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Hi Chris and all,
     Welcome back :) The choice of the story is magnificient and pertinent. Indeed, the writer is highly original and revolutionary in this genre I would not call a short story. It deserves to be named differently.
     Were the narrator a human being, I would not have sympathised as much as I did with the DOG (if ever he really be a DOG). The writer has recourse to a witty manner to gain the empathy of the reader. The technique of "pathetic fallacy" -via the narration from the perspective of a dog- has fulfilled the goal. In fact, the innocence of the DOG makes him a more reliable narrator whom I have trusted during the whole events, Which I would not have if the narrator was a person, and herein lies the importance of pathetic fallacy.
     The story is also a defamiliarised genre that reminds me of Baidape and Jean De Lafontaine, the great writers...to be continued

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Hi Chris, Tanguene, Maria and all
     Excellent contribution Tanguene! thanks! It ´s amazing to read about so many ways of approaching the same text, I thought of having my students read a Day in the Life of Danny the Cat and then Danny Lives On by Benjamin Zephaniah for I think it may be thought-provoking to reflect on the roles of animals and people from the two sides of the question. I t is also interesting to make students see that "the hand that feeds" is not bitten. The hand that feeds is a welcoming hand and the one that gets fed is grateful for that. It would also be interesting to consider the lyrics of Bite the Hand that Feeds by Zero Down. All these readings: Tanguene´s "underdog" and Maria´s social insight may well awake some reader response.
    
     Best
     Pilar

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Hi Chris and all,
     Welcome back :) The choice of the story is magnificient and pertinent. Indeed, the writer is highly original and revolutionary in this genre I would not call a short story. It deserves to be named differently.
     Were the narrator a human being, I would not have sympathised as much as I did with the DOG (if ever he really be a DOG). The writer has recourse to a witty manner to gain the empathy of the reader. The technique of "pathetic fallacy" -via the narration from the perspective of a dog- has fulfilled the goal. In fact, the innocence of the DOG makes him a more reliable narrator whom I have trusted during the whole events, Which I would not have if the narrator was a person, and herein lies the importance of pathetic fallacy.
     The story is also a defamiliarised genre that reminds me of Baidape and Jean De Lafontaine, the great writers...to be continued

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Dear Mon Ami,
    
     remember BritLit was one of our resources for the late Book Club at British Council (BC). I've gone through the activity pages and it's wonderful the way it's organized. It can make our work easy. We're going to read it on the 25th April, and hope one day we can connect the RC with emcopass, like the experience Tamara told us about (i've read about Tamara's experience somowhere on the site). We still have a long way to go, but we're growing inside and outside the BC.
    
     One thing I would like to ask to Chris. We've planned a reading group project and intend to use the emcompass material which are stamped "British Council". And the project is not to be run by the BC staff, is it necessary to ask for permission for using the material and keep the "British Coucil" on the hand-outs were are going to share with members? or we jut download and share!
    
    
    
     Best regards,
     Tanguene

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Wow!!! That's what I first can say. This stroy is just... amazing!!! I find it really interesting and it reflects the things a simple dog can make for its Master. And even when it's not stated that it's a dog, you realize this through the whole story. I can't wait to show it to my students. in the meantime, I'll plan some activities besides the ones that are for us to use in the British Council webpage.

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Hi Mike
    
     Welcome to the group and thanks for your comments. Indeed, I also felt it quite refreshing because of the light tone of the narration. Could we call it a modern urban tale - I can almost imagine this story being told by one of the Canterbury pilgrims had it had a different setting.
    
     I also agree that the dog sounds extremely human, I don't think I would have had the courage to do what *he* did and I doubt any one us would dare to get so involved - in a certain way the dog is more human than most human beings I know.
    
     Chris (also a dog lover!)

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Hi Maria do Ceu
    
     Cardiff was lovely, wasn't it? But I confess I really got tired because there was so much to attend and do - those were really intense days.
    
     As for the story, I think you need to be a very skillful narrator to be able to try such a thing without making it sound sentimental or shallow. I agree this is a tricky technique indeed...
    
     Cheers - Chris

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Hi Tanguene & All
    
     All the material from BritLit or other sources of the BC that are available for free download at the BC websites can be used for educational purposes. Just download, print and be happy!
    
    
     Now some dog comments :)
     I like the idea of the *underdog*. For me all the characters in this story are underdogs because they all live at the edge of the society - the stray dog, the homeless man and also the crooks - they are all at the margin and somehow excluded, but they respond to this situtation in different ways. Life can be really hard on all of us, but it is what we do with this hardship that defines who we are, isn't it?
    
     If we assume that compassion, love, loyalty, courage and honour are human predicates then certainly the dog is the most human of all characters in this story.
    
     Cheers - Chris

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Dear E_FL2,
    
     Given that you'll be planning some activities this story-related,"besides the ones that are for us to use in the British Council webpage", if you allow me, I would like to share some fresh ideas that have just come to my mind.
     In one of our postings above, we had suggested some themes. Now what do you think of the following? Would you consider appropriate the possibility of organising a (short) debate with learners focusing on (at least one) the above themes? It seems to me it would contribute to improving "speaking skill". As a follow-up activity(Writing) we might suggest learners to express their
     views on one of these items: 1- the Narrator's feelings towards The Old Guy; 2- How does the Writer convey the values of faithfulness and generosity as realised by this narrator and the dead man?; 3- How could some social damage be minimised?
     From this specific language point of view (dealing with vocabulary and grammar) would it be relevant to invite learners to the following? : 1- Finding out weather-related vocabulary; 2- Adjectives the Narrator uses as attributes to himself; 3- Revise some verb tenses (Simple Past, Past Perfect, Past Continuous/Progressive).
     Thank you for your attention, dear E_FL2.
    
     Maria

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i just loved how the persona is hidden and then revealed, this story has lots of gaps to be filled in. values stand out but view point is an asset i feel may be given space.
    
     best
     Pilar

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Hi Chris and everyone
     I was not familiar with the story but after listening to it, I reached the same conclusions many of you already have: that the dog definitely sounds very human, and that *he* was quite brave in going after the murderers. Perhaps many of us would not have the same courage, in a world with there are so many homeless and so much indifference, as well as violence. The dog gives quite an example.
     All the best,
     Lucia

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Hi Chris,
    
     In fact, this year's IATEFL Conference was a privilege for thousands who accompanied it online! On the real venue(s) I can imagine how exciting it must have been!!
     It was very gratifying to read so many interesting threads as well as participating in some of them. It has been very enriching.I have learned much from you all. Congratulations for your excellent work, Chris!
     I would like to invite you and everyone curious about it... to browse some lines I have written (on Cardiff Online Feedback) just evoking that great event.
     Cheers,
     Maria

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Hello,Chris! Dear Readers!
     Salom from Tashkent,Uzbekistan!
     @..."This is a peculiar story indeed. We had a whole day devoted to Young adult fiction in Cardiff and I think this sort of story could well appeal to some of our students."..I wonder if there was anybody from Uzbekistan? How long must we Uzbek Online English Readers, our students wait till they organize something similar?
     @..." Apart from this, the unusual choice of narrator is something I would like to discuss here with you. .. How do you feel about these sort of unorthodox narrative choices? What other unusual narrators have you have already met in your reading life?"... We know this style of narrating, while reading the story of Leo Tolstoy we had animated this Horse as the real hero of the story, then we have a wonderful novel of Ch. Aitmatov about the horse too.
     @.."How does it change our reading experience?"..
     It changes ! Especially while comparing the reading between lines and a performance in the theater.
     I like this 8 part Online Reading package! Reading, hearing, watching pictures, sharing some reading activities with masters and interacting with online club members. Why not to collect some citations proverbs about relations: Humans-Animals!?
     I begin with these ones:
     1.Mi v otvete za tech kogo priruchili.=We are responsible for those whom we were brought to/into our house..
     2.Love me love my dog.
    
     Halima

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