Meema story details

You can use this story to talk about Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn or the film.  This is the best story from the film to help recall personal stories about a summer retreat, summer vacation, a cabin on a lake.  Consider talking about how these things make you feel.  What is it like paddling a canoe out into a lake?  And finally, there are things you can simply notice and describe in the story:  the car, the woods, the wildlife, the loons, the cabin and the canoe. 

This is also a fine story to talk about the character: Who are Norman and Ethel?  What are they like?  You don't have to know anything or remember anything of the film to see that Norman is negative and crabby and Ethel is positive and cheerful.  What else did you notice?  How are they dressed?  Did you notice that Norman wore his bow tie out into the lake?  Did you see how well Ethel moved in the canoe?  How did Norman feel when Ethel moved?  How about the sounds of the birds, the lake, the sound of the paddle hitting the aluminum canoe and the ripple of the water on the paddles and canoe?

Maybe you can associate other thoughts, ideas and memories with these characters?

Did you notice how Norman was comforted when he did eventually see the loons?  They appreciated the birds very much.

What did you think about Norman's and Ethel's rude gestures at the end of the story?  Have you experienced the rivalry between powerboats and canoes, kayaks or sailboats?  How did Ethel's gesture make you feel?  What about Norman's?