An imagined world encourages us to reflect on an aspect of our

own world. How is this true of the short story you have studied?
Write an essay where you respond to this question.

To show the audience what will happen and to show people how
isolated the women was. James Herbert asks us to reflect on the
consequences of a man-made disaster. It explores the horror and
decay of such an event and encourages us to consider how such an
event may be avoided. Thus, the story serves as a warming of the
dangers of conflict. By narrating the story from the perspective of a
mother who appears to be the only survivor of a nuclear disaster,
we come to identify with and understand the experience of being
isolated, mortality, trapped from the outside world. Also, tragedy,
loss, desolation, decay, and even insanity.

Structure
Introduction (one paragraph at least 5-6 lines)

Explain generally what imagined worlds in fiction do. What is the

purpose of an imagined world? How are they created?
Then introduce your story in full and explain what the author wants
us to reflect on, e.g. the short story, Breakfast by James Herbert
encourages the reader to reflect/consider/think about. Or James
Herberts short story Breakfast explores the issue of . Make a
brief comment about the nature of the imagined world.
Experimenting with reality. Imagined worlds in fiction are a way of
reflecting on and considering important issues in our society. We
often experiment with solutions to particular problems or speculate
on what might happen in the future . [Add ideas from the above].

First section
Describe the world of the story. How is it an imagined world? Show
how the story begins in a very ordinary manner but gradually
becomes unreal.
What seems ordinary at first glance? What seems unreal? Use
details and quotes from the story to develop your explanation.
Herberts story appears to open with a typical/everyday scenario of
a family eating breakfast. This is suggested by(details about
setting, action and characters). However, the narrative soon
provides strange and increasingly disturbing details(unresponsive
surroundings - family, phone call, kettle, in cold stove, water not
working).

Second section
Describe the main character/s. How is she/he considered real or
imaginary? What about the other characters? Use details and
quotes from the story to develop your explanation.
The main character, the mother of the family, appears to have the
typical characteristics of a mother preparing breakfast,[use quotes
e.g.] and talking to her family[quote]. However, we realize that she
increasingly seems out of touch with reality. [Give examples and
quotes].

Third section
Describe what happens in the imagined world. How does tension
build? Use details and quotes from the story to develop your
explanation.
What kind of impact does this have on the reader?

Fourth section
How does the tension build to a climax? What sort of realization
does this lead to? What is the impact on the reader?

Conclusion
Sum up the main points of the storys comment on our own society.