How The Turning Point In Thomas Pierce's This Is An Alert

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Thomas Pierce’s “This is an Alert” is a short story depicting a future warfare. However, this short story describes a family and how this war affects their typical day. This story, according to McKee’s terms, has the potential of becoming a film. These terms would include controlling ideas, climax, conscious and unconscious desires. The characters are unique in their own ways due to their personalities and their desires, both unconscious and conscious.
Narrator: This character is not named within the story but the readers know that she is an older woman since she has a child and husband.
• Her conscious desire within this story is hard to find; however, Thomas Pierce seemed to want his narrator to have the typical conscious desire of being …show more content…

The first turning point would be when Neal decided to completely disregard the alert sign and take off his mask completely and go directly to the pool. From what the narrator states, the war is beginning to completely affect and change the citizens’ lives. Neal feels frustrated and begins to somewhat rebel and goes outside. Everyone follows him out and begin to act like him. The narrator begins to see a new perspective of not letting the fear of death stop you from having fun with your family. The second turning point would be where the climax happens. Everyone is having fun outside then goes inside for some air conditioning until the drone hits the house. After this everyone goes into a state of chaos and lockdown of the home begins. The second turning point almost overrides the first turning point since everyone goes back to being alert about their lives rather than being care …show more content…

The scene of people going down with the alert sign should be part of the beginning too so it can show the audience how the war affected the people of the world. The narrator also should have a name too so the audience can easily empathize with her. It is somewhat difficult for an audience to emphasize with a nameless protagonist. It can be done but it should be avoided. Act I should continue normally as the story goes on and end off where the first turning point is, Neal taking off his mask and clothes and going to the pool.
Act II: This act should have the entire pool scene so it can showcase to the audience of how a family can make people happy. This act should have Cecil shown to be interested to the narrator to give his character some depth to him. This will make him relatable towards the audience. Having scenes where he is looking at her and her catching him will give the depth of character he needs. This act should also continue normally and end off where they hear the drone hit the

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