Daughter of Invention
by Julia Alvarez pg 663-674
Vocabulary:
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Innumerable
Provoke
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Tentative
Reconcile
Author's perspective - the viewpoint he/she expresses in a piece of literature. An
author's perspective is often disclosed through ____________________.
Characterization:
EX: "...She did not want to go back to the old country where she was only a wife and a mother (and a
failed one at that, since she had never had the required son)."
1. How would you characterize the mother based on the first paragraph? (pg 664)
2. How is the family's existence in the Dominican Republic characterized (what is the author saying
about the Dominican Republic?)
Historical Context:
_____________________ was the dictator of the Dominican Republic. In the
twentieth century the US became the major investor in Dominican __________,
__________, and __________. This investment allowed the US to maintain
political control over the island. However, the US left the country in the
__________ leaving Trujillo in charge of the ______________________________.
Trujillo then ran for _______________ and dishonestly claimed __________ of
the vote. Once in power he terrorized all opponents and established his own
____________________ (MIS)...
Theme: What is the general observation about life or human nature expressed in the story?
Cultural Context: Recognizing distinctive characteristics of other cultures through reading. Why would
the father invoke his authority and forbid the speech to be given?
Making Inferences: draw inferences and support them with textual evidence and experience. Why
wouldn’t the narrator have yelled Chapita at her father if she had thought about it? (pg 672)
Real World Link:
Read the article If You Build It by Debra Phillips and Cynthia E. Griffin on pg 679 and write a brief
summary of the information.
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What is the main idea of the article? (Make an inference based on stated facts and logical guesses)
Idioms
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning, due to its common usage. An
idiom's figurative meaning is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of
which it is made.
Examples of common idioms. Write the meaning underneath each phrase:
Barking up the wrong tree
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Bite off more than you can chew
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Let the cat out of the bag
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Steal someone's thunder
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Best thing since sliced bread
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