Interpretation

“Shouting at Cars”  by Adam Marek is a fantastical short story in which a child narrator befriends a troll that everybody is afraid of and is the only one to regret the creature’s death.

When you interpret the story, the following points and questions can help you come up with creative ideas:

Reflect on the symbolic value of the story and on what might have been the author’s message and intention. As you have seen, the troll can be a symbol of fears, obligations and of the outcast people in society.

• Do you think the author meant the story to be entertaining or, on the contrary, to criticise the society’s attitudes towards those that are different?
• Why do you think people are more likely to fear what is different, instead of trying to understand it?
• Can you think of other symbolic values of the ...