A Letter From Margot Assessment started: A Letter From Margot.

In Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day,” Margot’s classmates deprive her of her long-awaited encounter with her much beloved sun, a sun she remembers so fondly from five years ago when she lived on Earth, by cruelly locking her in a closet. This is a devastating blow to Margot because on Venus the sun only comes out for one day of summer every seven years. Become Margot and project yourself anywhere from five or ten years into the future. Write a letter to your classmates back on Venus exploring the treatment you received from them on the day the sun came out. Think about what Margot might say and how she might say it. Speak in her voice. Your letter should have a greeting, body and closing.

1. After your greeting, begin your letter by reminding your classmates of who you are. Describe your present situation, including information about where you live now and what you are doing. (Remember: This story is science fiction. It is up to you to decide Margot’s present location and circumstances.)

2. Go on to explain why you’re writing. Review what happened on that fateful day and discuss why you think the others treated you as they did when you lived among them.

3. Explore the children’s final act of cruelty and its impact on you.

4. Conclude your letter by expressing what you learned from the experience.

The best papers will go well beyond plot summary to examine not only what the children did to Margot but why they did it and how it affected Margot. Use concrete details from the story as you refer to the events on that day and use rich, descriptive and figurative language that will paint a picture for the reader as well as make you sound like you are Margot. Your letter should follow the conventions of written English: spelling, punctuation, grammar (including using pronouns correctly), sentence structure, etc. Use your imagination: This is your opportunity to speak to those who treated you unfairly.