Sirens: Fiction and Reading Assignment Epilogue
Questions on “After the Sirens”
1. When did the air-raid sirens begin? What was the husband's initial reaction to the sound of the sirens?
2. What reason is offered for a nuclear attack on this particular city?
3. How did the baby respond to the nuclear blast?
4. Why does the husband instruct his wife to lie down in the corner (of the north and west walls)? Explain.
5. The Army Survival Unit insists that they throw away their food, water, and outer clothing before they get into the truck? Why?
6. How does the author develop a feeling of suspense as the story progresses? Find three specific examples/quotes.
7. To what extent do you think the members of this family are still in a state of shock? Support your ideas with quotations from the story.
8. The last sentence of the story has a very cold and harsh edge of reality. Why do you think the author chose to end his story on this note? Does this reflect the overall purpose or theme of the story? Explain.
9. How is this story is a celebration of the human spirit and its determination to survive all odds?
“After the Sirens” by Hugh Hood
Post Reading Assignment
“Epilogue: After the Sirens”
At the end of the story, the three characters that survive (man, woman, child) are sent to a refugee camp. They have nothing but the clothes on their back. There is nothing left of the city they used to live in and there are only six other survivors…
Choose one of the following writing prompts to create an epilogue for this short story (2-3 pages, double spaced):
1. How does this family rebuild their life? Where do they go, what do they do, etc?
2. Who are the other survivors? What is/are their story/stories?
3. Who was the family (we don’t know a lot about them from the original story) and where are they now?
4. It’s been 10 years since the attack and …
5. After 5 years the survivors return to what used to be their city, their home …
You can write from
1. When did the air-raid sirens begin? What was the husband's initial reaction to the sound of the sirens?
2. What reason is offered for a nuclear attack on this particular city?
3. How did the baby respond to the nuclear blast?
4. Why does the husband instruct his wife to lie down in the corner (of the north and west walls)? Explain.
5. The Army Survival Unit insists that they throw away their food, water, and outer clothing before they get into the truck? Why?
6. How does the author develop a feeling of suspense as the story progresses? Find three specific examples/quotes.
7. To what extent do you think the members of this family are still in a state of shock? Support your ideas with quotations from the story.
8. The last sentence of the story has a very cold and harsh edge of reality. Why do you think the author chose to end his story on this note? Does this reflect the overall purpose or theme of the story? Explain.
9. How is this story is a celebration of the human spirit and its determination to survive all odds?
“After the Sirens” by Hugh Hood
Post Reading Assignment
“Epilogue: After the Sirens”
At the end of the story, the three characters that survive (man, woman, child) are sent to a refugee camp. They have nothing but the clothes on their back. There is nothing left of the city they used to live in and there are only six other survivors…
Choose one of the following writing prompts to create an epilogue for this short story (2-3 pages, double spaced):
1. How does this family rebuild their life? Where do they go, what do they do, etc?
2. Who are the other survivors? What is/are their story/stories?
3. Who was the family (we don’t know a lot about them from the original story) and where are they now?
4. It’s been 10 years since the attack and …
5. After 5 years the survivors return to what used to be their city, their home …
You can write from