Name: ___________________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________ Period: __________
Allusions in Chapters 9, 10 and 11 of The Schwa Was Here
1. Define Allusion:_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Take the allusion underlined and explain its context. What is the reference from? What does it mean? NEXT,
explain what meaning the allusion adds to The Schwa Was Here.
2. Page 105 “Dad might have been the VPP of Product Development for Pisher Plastics, but Mom was the Empress of
Bonano Food Productions, and I pity the fool who challenges her reign.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3.
Page 108 “She stormed out of the house, leaving us all in nuclear winter.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4.
Page 114 “He had always been such a powerful presence, even in his
wheelchair. Kind of like Roosevelt, you know?”
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
____________________________________________
5.
Page 116 “Hi, Antsy!” the Schwa said brightly, like this was the happiest
place on Earth.”
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
____________________________________________
6. Page 117 “Crawley; however, threw a curveball.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Author’s Purpose: Why are allusions used by writers? What do allusions add to the writing?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Directions: Take the allusion underlined and replace it with your OWN allusion. Make sure you are still conveying, or
communicating, a similar meaning, but with a reference that you can relate to. Write the sentence out again, this time
inserting your allusion for the underlined words.
8. Page 92 “’Hi, Antsy,’ he was in such good spirits I wondered if he had won the Lottery or something.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
9. Page 96 “It actually gave me hope that maybe I had latent super intelligence that was activated by girls, like the way
the Incredible Hulk was activated by anger.”
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
10. Page 104 “We all knew the big one was a clear and present danger.”
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
11. Page 105 “The scene was weirdly dramatic. Like something out of Shakespeare.”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
12.
Page 116 “Hi, Antsy!” the Schwa said brightly, like this was the
happiest place on Earth.”
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
13.
Page 125 “Then she said, ‘Is there anything unclear about that, or do
you need a Hallmark card?’”
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Find TWO additional allusions in the book and copy them below!
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJnKm6ftPu0
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/421885/nuclear-winter