During the lesson, students will become familiar with the plot and composition of Aldridge's story " The last inch", during the analysis they will characterize the main characters and draw a conclusion about the main idea and problems of the story.

Subject: Foreign literature XX century

Lesson: James Aldridge's short story "The Last Inch"

In my books main topic Always

the same thing - choice, choice of path,

choice of action, choice of worldview.

Aldridge James

Rice. 1. Photo. J. Aldridge (1918) ()

Aldridge James(Fig. 1) - English writer and public figure. The work of a journalist and war correspondent, who visited many fronts of the Second World War of 1939-45, became a school for Aldridge life experience and skill. His artistic reports, novels, and short stories reflected the heroism of the people's Resistance and the changes that the world-historical victory over fascism entailed.

Aldridge responds vividly to the exciting issues of the time. The writer is attracted by fate common man, in dramatic circumstances, triumphing over despair. A striking example of this was story "The Last Inch".

Plot. The meaning of the name.

The main characters of the story- this is 43-year-old pilot Ben and his 10-year-old son Davy. The relationship between them is complicated. Ben worked all the time, so he devoted very little time to his child. His wife Joanna was dissatisfied with life in the deserts of Arabia and eventually left her husband and son and went home to New England. So Ben had to raise his son himself. To somehow get closer to him, Ben took Davy with him on the flight. They flew to Shark Bay on the Red Sea. Here Ben was supposed to conduct underwater filming for a television company that paid good money for videos from the life of sea predators, sharks. During filming, sharks attacked Ben, and he barely made it to shore alive. The 10-year-old boy managed to provide first aid to his father, but the pilot could not fly the plane himself. This difficult task fell on Davy's shoulders. At first it seemed simply impossible. However, the boy not only managed to lift the plane into the air, but also fly to the airfield, and even land the plane. Thus, son saved father. At the end of the story, Audridge writes about how the relationship between father and son has changed.

Thus, The title of the story is symbolic: the main characters managed to overcome “the last inch that...”, according to the author, “... separates everyone and everything.”

Inch (from Dutch - thumb) - a unit of distance in some European non-metric systems. 1 English inch = 2.54 cm. Historically - width thumb adult man. The word "inch" was introduced into the Russian language by Peter I in the very early XVIII century.

Composition of the story “The Last Inch”

1. The exposition is the author’s story about the events that preceded the flight to the bay;
2. The plot - Ben is forced to take his son with him;
3. Development of the action - flight to the bay, preparation for shooting, descent under water;
4. The climax is Ben's injury; the incredible efforts of father and son to survive;
5. The outcome is a successful landing at Cairo airfield; the beginning of a new, truly family relationship.

Characteristics of heroes. Father and son.

Ben is 43 years old. He is a high class pilot. In the past he had everything: his favorite job, his wife, his child. When Ben lost his job, he suddenly felt acutely that both he and his loved ones were deeply unhappy. And the reason for this is that there is no family in which there would be mutual understanding, love, support. “So he was left with nothing, except for an indifferent wife who did not need him, and a ten-year-old son, born too late and, as Ben understood in the depths of his soul, a stranger to both of them - a lonely, restless child who, at ten years old, felt that his mother was not interested in him, and his father - stranger, sharp and taciturn, not knowing what to talk about with him in those rare moments when they were together.”

Everything changed when his wife left, leaving her 10-year-old son. Probably only then did Ben finally realize that he was a father who had to raise his child and take care of him. However, it turned out that this was difficult, Ben was irritable, impatient, and it turned out that he did not know how to talk to his son at all. Perhaps, in order to somehow get closer, the pilot decided to take his son with him.

Reading the story, you realize how irresponsibly Ben acted. Having gone to a remote, deserted area, he did not even inform anyone about the route, and in the event of an accident the plane would have been searched for a long time and would hardly have been found. In addition, having taken the boy with him, the father did not even stock up drinking water, and the only drink I took was beer. These details do not make my father look good; we condemn him for his indifference and heartlessness. We feel sorry for the boy. Watching him, we note his silence, isolation, gloominess. What is he thinking about as he stealthily watches his father? What does it feel like? Hatred? Love? Offense? The writer does not reveal this mystery to us. Until tragic events occurred.

“I’ll tell you, son, and you try to understand. Do you hear? “Ben could barely hear himself and for a second even forgot about the pain. “You, poor fellow, will have to do everything yourself, it just so happens.” Don't be upset if I yell at you. There's no time for offense here. You don't have to pay attention to it, okay?

- Yes. — Davy was bandaging left hand and did not listen to him.

- Well done! “Ben wanted to cheer up the child, but he wasn’t very successful. He did not yet know how to approach the boy, but he understood that it was necessary. A ten-year-old child had to complete a task of inhuman difficulty. If he wants to survive. But everything must go in order..."

note- for the first time Ben addressed the boy SON, for the first time he was seriously concerned about his fate. Ben is not thinking about his own life, his task is to save his son.

“The only hope to save the boy was a plane, and Davy would have to fly it. There was no other hope, no other way out. But first we need to think about everything thoroughly. The boy must not be frightened. If Davy is told that he will have to fly the plane, he will be horrified. We need to think carefully about how to tell the boy about this, how to instill this idea in him and convince him to do everything, even unconsciously. It was necessary to grope to find the way to the fear-ridden, immature consciousness of the child.”

It is at this moment that it happens a turning point in the relationship between father and son. At the moment of danger, they realized how dear each other was. Both make incredible efforts to save themselves. The father tries to overcome the terrible pain from his wounds, the boy overcomes his fear and lifts the plane into the air. The boy's heroism amazes his father, and the thought comes to him that he allowed irreparable mistake in past: " Is it really possible to live with your son for years and not see his face?" - Ben thinks.

Quotes, which show how Ben saw his son:

“He seems to be a developed guy,” Ben thought, surprised at the strange train of his thoughts. This boy with a serious face was somewhat similar to himself: behind his childish features there was hidden, perhaps, a tough and even unbridled character.”

"Good guy! He will fly. He can handle it! Ben saw Davy's sharp profile, his pale face with dark eyes in which it was so difficult for him to read anything. The father looked at this face again. “Nobody even bothered to take him to the dentist,” Ben said to himself, noticing Davy’s slightly protruding teeth; he bared his teeth painfully, straining. “But he can handle it,” Ben thought wearily and conciliatoryly.”

Boy's feelings:

“He was afraid of his father. True, not now. Now he simply could not look at him: he was sleeping with open mouth, half naked, covered in blood. He didn't want his father to die; he didn’t want his mother to die, but nothing can be done: it happens. People always die."

Reading the story, you think: does something terrible, tragic really have to happen in life for a person to understand how dear the people closest to him are to him? For the heroes of the story, this is exactly what happened. It’s good that they have the opportunity ahead to fix everything:

“He, Ben, will now need all his life, all the life that the boy gave him. But looking at these dark eyes, with slightly protruding teeth, with this face, so unusual for an American, Ben decided that the game was worth the candle. It's worth investing time into. He will get to the very heart of the boy! Sooner or later, he will get to it. The last inch that separates everyone and everything is not easy to overcome unless you are a master of your craft. But being a master of your craft is a pilot’s responsibility, and Ben was once a very good pilot.”

These words contain main idea Aldridge's story.

1. Korovina V.Ya. Didactic materials on literature. 7th grade. — 2008.
2. Tishchenko O.A. Homework in literature for grade 7 (to the textbook by V.Ya. Korovina). — 2012.
3. Kuteinikova N.E. Literature lessons in 7th grade. — 2009.
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5. Korovina V.Ya. Textbook on literature. 7th grade. Part 2. - 2009.
6. Ladygin M.B., Zaitseva O.N. Textbook-reader on literature. 7th grade. — 2012.
7. Kurdyumova T.F. Textbook-reader on literature. 7th grade. Part 1. - 2011.
8. Phonochrestomathy on literature for the 7th grade for Korovina’s textbook.

1. FEB: Dictionary of literary terms ().
2. Dictionaries. Literary terms and concepts ().
3. Dictionary Russian language ().
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5. Sunny wind. Historical and artistic magazine for everyone ().
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1. Compose quotation plan Aldridge's story "The Last Inch".
2. Write an essay on the topic: “The last inch is not easy to overcome.”

J. Aldridge. “Father and Son” (Based on the story “The Last Inch”)

Figure English writer James Aldridge is interesting for his vigorous activities in the struggle for peace. He witnessed the battles in World War II war in Berlin, he is the author of combat reports, and after the war - works of political content. Along with these two themes, his works are also devoted to the affirmation of human moral fortitude.

So, journalist, writer, anti-fascist, peace fighter, author of front-line reports, works of political content, who affirmed the moral fortitude of man - this is the range of Aldridge’s activities.

The story “The Last Inch” is dedicated to the moral fortitude of a person. To study it, students can use the one prepared by the publishing house "Children's literature"The book "Father and Son". It is important that seventh graders understand why the author called his story “The Last Inch.” What did he mean by this name? Why was the bay called Shark Bay?

Students retell closely text Ben's meeting with the sharks, showing the speed with which the events unfolded that led the hero to the tragic conclusion of the planned operation. They will observe how sharks behave:

“The sharks came immediately, smelling the smell of blood... They rushed straight to the piece of horse meat. A spotted cat walked in front, and behind her were two or three sharks of the same breed, but smaller. They didn't swim or even move their fins - they rushed forward like gray flowing rockets. Approaching the meat, the sharks turned slightly to the side, tearing off pieces as they went..."

How do father and son behave in extreme situations? What is interesting about the following thoughts from Ben and the author?

“...The only hope for salvation for both the boy and him is to force Davy to think for himself, to confidently do what he must do. We need to somehow instill this in the boy.”

“A ten-year-old child had to complete a task of inhuman difficulty. If he wants to survive..."

“...It was the same child, with the same face, which he had recently seen for the first time. But the point was not at all what Ben saw: it was important to find out whether the boy was able to see something in his father...”

“...They both need time. He, Ben, will now need all the life that the boy gave him.”

Schoolchildren answer questions from the textbook, make a plan for what they read, and try read by role, retell the text, while simultaneously comprehending important thoughts expressed by the author about the difficult problem of relationships between adults and children. At the same time they improve their skills expressive reading, connected retelling, the ability to conduct a dialogue (for example, the dialogue between father and son on the plane, the dialogue between Ben and Davy before the father dives into the sea).

Let's think about why the author describes every second on the plane in such detail. What does this description achieve? What is interesting about the characters of Davy and Ben? Was it only family relationships that brought father and son closer together during the flight and after it? Why did the situation in which the heroes found themselves help them understand each other? How can this be explained?

In the process of answering questions and retelling, students experience the extraordinary situation in which the heroes find themselves, and understand the moral burden of Aldridge’s work; the father saves the son, the son saves the father. Together they find each other, overcoming inhuman difficulties, emerging from extreme situations as winners.

Since the problem voiced in Aldridge’s work is close to teenagers, it makes sense to connect the discussion of the text with comprehension life situations, problems raised in stories, for example, about mutual understanding between adults and children. The guys will remember similar cases from my life, when some unusual situation helped to evaluate an action, most clearly demonstrated the best character traits (courage, boldness, delicacy, honesty, etc.), contributed to the understanding of adults - relatives, acquaintances.

Talking about it orally or in writing is one of the creative tasks teenagers In addition, you can propose to create a film script based on Aldridge’s text “Father and Son”.

V. Ya. Korovina, Literature 7th grade. Methodological advice - M.: Education, 2003. - 162 p.: ill.

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Working in Canada on an old DC-3 plane gave Ben “good training”, thanks to which last years he flew a Fairchild over Egyptian deserts, searching for oil for an oil export company. To drop off the geologists, Ben could land the plane anywhere: “on sand, on bushes, on the rocky bottoms of dry streams and on the long white sandbanks of the Red Sea,” each time “winning the last inch above the ground.”

But now this work is over: the company’s management has abandoned attempts to find a large oil field. Ben turned 43 years old. The wife, unable to bear life in the “foreign village of Arabia,” left for her native Massachusetts. Ben promised to come to her, but he understood that in his old age he would not be able to get hired as a pilot, and “decent and decent” work did not attract him.

Now Ben only has a ten-year-old son, Davy, whom his wife did not consider necessary to take with her. He was a withdrawn child, lonely and restless. His mother was not interested in him, and the boy was afraid of his father, harsh and taciturn. For Ben, his son was a stranger and an incomprehensible person, which he didn't even try to find mutual language.

And now he regretted that he took his son with him: the rental plane “Oster” was shaking violently, and the boy was feeling sick. Taking Davy to the Red Sea was another of Ben's generous impulses, which rarely ended well. During one of these impulses, he tried to teach the boy to fly an airplane. Although Davy was a smart child, his father's harsh shouts eventually brought him to tears.

Ben was brought to the secluded shore of the Red Sea by a desire to make money: he had to film sharks. The television company paid well for a meter of film with such a film. Landing the plane on a long sandbar, Ben forced his son to watch and learn, although the boy was very sick. “It’s all about the last inch,” the pilot instructed.

The sandbank formed Shark Bay, so named because of its toothy inhabitants. After giving his son several sharp orders, Ben disappeared into the water. Davy sat on the shore until lunch, looking at the deserted sea and thinking what would happen to him if his father did not return.

The predators were not very active today. He had already shot several meters of film when a cat shark became interested in him. She swam too close, and Ben hurried to get ashore.

During lunch, he discovered that he only took beer with him - he again did not think about his son who does not drink beer. The boy wondered if anyone knew about this trip. Ben said that this bay can only be reached by air, he did not understand that the boy was afraid of uninvited guests and be left alone.

Ben hated and was afraid of sharks, but after lunch he dived again, this time with bait - a horse's leg. With the money received from the film, he hoped to send Davy to his mother. The predators gathered around the meat, but the cat shark rushed at the man...

Dripping with blood, Ben climbed out onto the sand. When Davy ran up to him, it turned out that the shark had almost torn Ben off right hand and severely damaged the left one. The legs were also all cut up and chewed. The pilot realized that his affairs were very bad, but Ben could not die: he had to fight for Davy’s sake.

Only now the father tried to find an approach to the boy in order to calm him down and prepare him for an independent flight. Constantly losing consciousness, Ben lay down on a towel and pushed off the sand with his feet while his son dragged him to the “oster.” So that his father could climb into the passenger seat, Davy piled stones and fragments of coral in front of the airplane door and dragged his father along this ramp. Meanwhile I got up strong wind and it started to get dark. Ben sincerely regretted that he had not bothered to recognize this gloomy boy and now could not find the right words to cheer him up.

Following his father's instructions, Davy barely got the plane into the air. The boy remembered the map, knew how to use a compass and knew that he had to fly along the sea coast to the Suez Canal, and then turn towards Cairo. Ben was unconscious almost the entire way. He woke up when they were approaching the airfield. “Ben knew that the last inch was approaching and everything was in the boy’s hands.” With incredible effort, the father rose in his chair and helped his son get into the car. At the same time, they miraculously missed a huge four-engine plane.

To the surprise of Egyptian doctors, Ben survived, although he lost his left arm along with the ability to fly airplanes. Now he had one concern - to find a way to his son's heart, to overcome the last inch separating them.

You read summary short stories The Last Inch. We will be glad if you take the time to read it in full.

The idea for the novella “The Last Inch” arose from the outstanding English writer James Aldridge when he visited Shark Bay in Egypt.

However, inspired by this exotic place and risky underwater filming, Aldridge dedicated his work to valuable human qualities- courage, boldness and inner strength, which pushes people forward.

The story “The Last Inch” is a story about the formation of personality and about overcoming fear for the sake of life, for the sake of love for yourself, your loved ones and the world around you.

"The Last Inch" follows professional pilot Ben and his son as they travel to Shark Bay to film documentary film. Ben is attacked by one of the sharks and is injured, now he cannot move.

But Ben is tormented not only by the pain he experiences, but by the realization that his ten-year-old son Davy may be completely alone and will not be able to find his way back if something happens to his father.

The next problem is the difficult relationship between son and father. It was always difficult for them to find a common language, and the main reason for this was that the father never looked for him

But now father and son must cooperate in such difficult and life-defining circumstances. Ben has to overcome pain and torment, and encourage Davy, because he understands that the only way to save them is by plane. And a ten-year-old boy will have to fly the plane.

The hero overcoming his own fear and powerlessness

Ben understands that the most important thing now is not to lose heart and believe that everything will work out. These thoughts help him gain strength, get up and, with the help of his son, get to the plane and tell him what to do.

Aldridge creates a picture of a decisive moment in a person's life - when everything depends on courage and fearlessness. Main character the short story “The Last Inch” does not remember how scared he is, does not think about all the dangers that await him and his son, does not allow physical pain to control him.

Despite the fact that it will be very difficult physically and mentally for little Davy to fly the plane, Ben believes in him and believes in own strength. He is led forward endless Love to life, his own and the life of his ten-year-old son, who can save them both.

Davy managed to do everything that was necessary - he brought the plane to Cairo and managed to land it on the ground. He committed real feat and gave life to his father and himself.

But Ben himself accomplished the feat; he overcame his fears and depressing powerlessness, managed to start moving and charged his frightened son with his vital energy. It was thanks to him that Dani managed to give birth to fearlessness and courage, which are difficult to be born in adult men.

Human strength and fearlessness

James Aldridge's novella is a manifesto dedicated to human strength and fearless courage, which at the decisive moment can change or save lives.

The self-control of the pilot Ben and the amazing courage of his son - vivid examples that a person is always stronger than circumstances. The writer shows that the most important thing is not to give up and believe in yourself and the strength of your personality.