Birth and Fate
By Roald Dahl
Before you read
1) Look up the word fate in your dictionary. Do you believe in fate? Has anything in your life or in the
life of someone you know happened by fate?
2) A woman has just given birth in this story. It is her fourth child, the other three have all died. List
words that may describe her current feelings
3) What about the husband’s feelings?
4) And the doctor’s feelings?
While reading (Part 1):
5) Finish the sentences:a. The woman is anxious about her baby because….b. She is her
husband’s third wife because… (There is a gap here, what are the unpleasantreasons, do you
think?)c. The barman's wife, the midwife, said that Klara's husband....d. She also said that
Klara ....e. Ida died ...f. Her husband said that all their children ...6) Predict the last
part:a. Will the baby live? If the baby lives…… (what will change?)If the boy dies ….. (what will c
hange?)b. What do you want to happen to the boy?c. At the funeral Klara’s husband
expected Klara to be pleased because …7) Find instances of irony and foreshadowing in the story.
Here are some examples:Barman’s wife: "Go on, he won’t bite you","He has the most lovely
hands","He has the mostwonderful pair of lungs"Doctor: "I'm sure she was a lovely child. But
this
one is also like that","The small ones are oftenstronger than the big ones"Mother at the funeral: "I don't
want it" "I won't have it"Mother at the church: "He must live, he must, he must... God protect
him"Father: "Why do all my children have to be so small and weak?", "Why can't they be
betterexamples of human beings?"
Many years later the doctor remembers...“While I 1.(work) ___________ at the hospital a very sad
woman 2. (come)__________ to see me.I 3. (never / see)________________her before because
they 4.(be) _____________ new in thetown. She told me she 5. (lose) ____________ three children
in a very short time and she wasreally worried about the one she 6. (carry) ______________ .”“Many
years 7.(pass) _______________ since then and that little baby 8.(turn) ______________into a
strong evil man”“ 9.( you / ever / regret) _______________ something so deeply? Well, this is what I
10.(feel) _____________ now. I shouldn’t have helped that woman have the baby”10)
Complete the conversation between Klara and Alois: Alois : 1.
_____________________________________________________?Klara : No, I haven’t
been to the hospital yet, but I 2. ________________________ Alois : Next week? Well, when
you go I would like to go with
you .Klara: 3. _______________________________________? Alois: Because I am worried
about our son. He looks too small and weak.Klara: I don’t agree with you. He is much
stronger than you think. One day in
thefuture 4. _____________________________________________________ Alois: How can
you be so sure about his future? Where is he now?
5._________________________________________________________?Klara: Look at him. He
is playing with his soldier toys.
11) Write a review on Birth and fate following this plan:
p1: Author, book, short story, setting (where: hospital, somewhere in Europe , when: last century)p2:
Plot (Who, what happens, feelings… NOT the ending )p3: Your opinion (good, bad, etc why)p4:
Recommendation: Who for? (young children?, adolescents, adults, at school? )
