The Ring by Bernard Smith

Penguin Readers

This beautiful reader explores very deep issues: madness, love, hate, murder,
obsessions. It also offers many possibilities for reflection on textual matters
such as point of view (how many versions are there of Rafael’s story?).
For further information and resources on this reader, tap into

http://www.penguinreaders.com/pr/teachers/download-area.html
The Ring by Bernard Smith
Penguin Readers
Activities designed by Marina Sak and Susana Dichiera, 2007

Point of entry

Read the blurb of the story

9 How would you define a madman?
9 What can you expect from a story about a madman?
9 What can the mystery be related to?
9 How can love and murder be connected?

Look at the list of characters.

9 Are the names of the characters English names? Where do you
think the story is set?
9 What can we predict about Rafael, Anita and the soldier?

The title of the book is The Ring.

9 Do you know any stories in which rings are important?
9 Are you wearing any rings? Describe them.
9 Are rings and love connected in any way in our culture? How?

Look at the picture of Rafael on pages 6-7.

9 What is he wearing?
9 Why do you think this man has a golden ring?

Reading Activities and Textual Interventions.

Read on page 5, from “The first time…” to “…none of them knew what
happened.”
9 What happens when we hear several versions of one story?
9 Do you think the narrator knows the whole story? If so, how did he
get this knowledge?

Read on page 8, from “Some little boys…” to “We went back to my uncle’s
house”. Work in pairs. Imagine and act out the dialogue between the two
boys on their walk from Rafael’s houseboat to their uncle’s house.
 Let’s work in groups. Each group will assume a different identity:
9 Rafael
9 Marta
9 Rodrigo
9 The soldier.
Write a description of Anita from the point of view of the character your group
has been assigned.

Role-play

Work in pairs and role-play the following situation

Student A
You are Rafael. You have been working for a goldsmith to buy a ring
for Anita. Answer your partner’s questions.

Student B
You have just started working for a goldsmith in town. There you
meet Rafael, a boy who has been working there for some time. Ask
him questions using the following ideas.
o Why/work/so hard?
o How long?
o Where/live?
o Girlfriend?

Anita’s story

Read the story that Anita wrote (Chapter 10).

9 What kind of story is it?
9 How would you rate it: excellent-very good- good- OK- bad- awful?
Why?
9 How is it connected to the main story?
 An ad to find Anita

When Anita disappeared, Rodrigo looked everywhere for her. Imagine he has
asked you to design an ad to help him find her. Your ad should include:
9 A picture of Anita
9 A short description of Anita
9 Some information about when she disappeared.
9 A reward offered by Rodrigo.

The doctor’s blog.

If this story was set in our times, the doctor could write a blog with notes on his
findings about the story. Create a blog, with entries and comments on what the
doctor has found out about Rafael.

Your evaluation

9 Who do you think is the victim in this story? Why?

9 Do you like the ending? Why (not) ? What changes would you make?