The Man who Danced in his Kitchen Flashcards
Describe the setting of the story.
The setting of the story is in the boy’s bedroom and the man’s kitchen.
Who are the main characters in the story?
The narrator, Gregory, the mom and dad and the dancing man.
Who is the narrator of the story?
Gregory’s brother.
Discuss the relationship between the two brothers.
The relationship between the narrator and Gregory is not good and is full of conflict. The narrator says that “I felt like punching him” when Gregory told their parents about the man in his kitchen. Gregory always has to be right, he always has to know everything and he doesn’t like being left out of things. He tried to peep though the keyhole to see what the narrator is doing when he locks the door on Gregory.
Describe the man who danced in his kitchen.
Grey hair, big belly. Probably older than the narrator’s father.
Why do you think the author doesn’t reveal the dancing man’s name?
Maybe the narrator doesn’t know the man too well so he doesn’t know his name. The author could have wanted to create an air of mysteriousness around the man in the kitchen.
As the story unfolds, there is a change in the brothers’ relationship. Explain how the power balance starts to change between the two of them.
At the beginning of the story, Gregory definitely seems to have the upper hand in the relationship. He comes across as a ‘Mr Know-it-all’ and uses the information to get the narrator into trouble or to tease him. Once the narrator releases that he is okay and doesn’t need approval from anyone, especially Gregory, the ‘power’ shifts to the narrator and Gregory is left feeling powerless. Gregory doesn’t like the fact that the narrator is doing something in the bedroom and he is being left out.
On page 69 Gregory says, “how is Mr Disco getting along?” What tone is this line said in?
Gregory says the line in a sarcastic tone.
Explain what the narrator means by “Just fine” on page 69.
The narrator is saying just fine because he doesn’t really care about what his brother thinks anymore. He feels more confident in himself and isn’t worried if his brother teases him. He knows that he doesn’t need his brothers approval to dance.
