Phianka Truong
May, 2010
ELAR 4 Mrs. Logan
T.A. Howard Middle School
Tone
There are many different types of *tone this book creates. A few examples
to back this up would be…
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This quote, “ ‘See the *trees turn gold. All the leaves, the branches. How beautiful they are.’
‘Yes, they are very beautiful,’ Mirri said. Ashwara did not speak again. He died soon after,”
creates a tone of agony. (pg.198)
The line, “Tamar, taken by the sight, realized he had left his *buckskins with Rajaswami, the
girls burst into greater fits of laughter. Stepping back into deeper water, he slipped and went
floundering head over heels, making them laugh all the more,” creates a humorous tone. (pg.
38)
The excerpt, “ ‘Set it now around you beloved’s neck. These blossoms that you picked once
will never fade.’ As Mirri did so, Jaya turned to Rajaswami,” creates a loving tone. (pg. 279)
The passage, “ Tamar barely saw the flash of the knife that Rasha seized from his belt. In the
instant, he plunged in to the hilt in Ashwara’s breast, ripped it free, and made to stab again.
Ashwara put out a hand as if to steady himself, then sank to one knee. Tamar sprang at
Rasha,” creates a suspense. (pg. 197)
Tone
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The excerpt, “Tamar broke from his embrace. The figure’s wrappings had fallen away. It was
Mirri…. Tamar struck away the *acharya’s hand. ‘Leave me,’ he said. ‘Both of you,’ “ sets a
tone of hopelessness. (pg. 216- 217)
The quotation, “ He dropped to his knees beside Mirri. Even as he stared dumbstruck, her
breast began slowly to rise and fall. Her eyes opened. She smiled at him; then grinned
broadly; the winked. She was Mirri, with him again,” creates a tone of hope. (pg. 221)
The passage, “ ‘ When Nahusha finds out you let me escape, you know what he’ll do to you. I
can’t let that happen’ ‘It won’t’ said the chandala. ‘Go. Now.’ ….. ‘Does gratitude need a
name? Your chain’s gone. That’s all you need to know.’ ‘More than a chain binds us,’ Tamar
said. ‘*Namaste. I honor you.’ ‘Namaste,’ the chandala said. ‘I honor what you might
become.’ Tamar, still unwilling, turned away,” sets a tone of affection. (pg. 224)
The passage, “ In the pool, the water roiled and churned into foam. A long shape burst up,
scales glistening. The great serpent flung itself at the rakshasa,” sets a hopeful tone. (pg. 262)
Mood
*Mood is what creates the book.
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The quote, “ ‘*See the trees turn gold. All the leaves, the branches. How beautiful
they are.’ ‘Yes, they are very beautiful,’ Mirri said. Ashwara did not speak again. He
died soon after,” creates a mood of sadness and hopelessness. (pg. 198)
The line, “She threw aside the garland, turned on her heel, and strode back to the
others,” creates a mood of intensity. (pg. 90)
The excerpt, “He touched his lips to her hair, with its fragrance of clove and
cinnamon,” creates a mood of love and sweetness. (pg. 90)
The passage, “He sat on the grassy bank and looked across at the island where they
has danced. He put his head in his hands. Half his heart rejoiced at what he had done;
the other half was horrified. Beyond that, he was shocked, bitterly disappointed by
Mirri’s words,” sets a mood of lost hope and sadness. (pg.162)
The quotation, “The Naga prince halted a moment, swung his head around, and
stared coldly. Tamar hesitated; he had only to swim upward into the air and sunlight,
leaving Shesha below in a death trap. The serpent was watching him without a sign of
surrender or plea for help, only the flat, steady gaze,” creates a mood of suspense.
(pg.32)
Mood
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The quotation, “ Tamar drew back. ‘ My caste is broken. Touch me and you risk
your own.’ ‘Do you think I care a rap?’ Darshan snorted. ‘I never put stock in that
sort of nonsense. I’m a soldier, being alive is the only caste that means anything,’”
sets a mood of hope. (pg. 230)
The passage, “ Hashkat screamed. The hooked beak now jutting from what had
been the *rakshasa’s face ripped into the monkey’s arm. Bleeding, Hashkat still
clung to the raging bird, but the creature flung him to the ground,” sets the mood
of hurt and pain. (pg. 262)
The quote, “He gripped Tamar by the front of the jacked and pulled him close,
until their faces nearly touched. Griva hissed and bared his teeth,” sets a
suspenseful mood. (pg.261)
The excerpt, “ He gripped Tamar’s wrist in one hand with such strength that Tamar
clenched his teeth to keep from crying out; and, with the other, set a ring of black
iron on his finger. ‘The emblem of your pledge,’ Jaya said. ‘Your life is my property.’
sets a mood of suspense. (pg.14)
Theme
All books have different types of *theme. And
the main theme for this book is to follow your
heart and do what it tells you to.
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The quotation, “ ‘My *dharma
tells me it’s better to look for a
way to live instead of a way to die.
It also tells me to stay with the
one I love,” backs up the theme.
(pg. 90)
The excerpt, “ ‘Was it real? Was it
a dream? It makes no difference. I
won’t lose you for the sake of it.
My promise to Jaya? I break it.’ He
pulled off the ring and threw it
away,” Tamar followed his heart to
be with the one he loves. (pg.
157)
The passage, “They set off later that
morning,” shows that Tamar is really
dedicated to his Dharma and his heart.
(pg. 18)
The paragraph, “Next morning, Mirri
announced her decision. Once they had
done what they could to help Ashwara,
she would ride with Tamar to
Mahapura. ‘And that,’ she declared,
‘settles that.’ With only a token show of
reluctance, Tamar agreed. He was, in
fact, overjoyed. Rajaswami was not,”
concludes that both Mirri and Tamar
followed their heart even if death
followed.(pg. 91)
Theme
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The quote, “ ‘My acharya told a lie? Not Rajaswami.’ ‘Yes. He’s not quite the same
*brahmana he used to be. It must have torn the dear old fellow apart, breaking his
dharma by lying. But he did it. For your sake and mine,’” concludes that not only does
Tamar and Mirri follow their heart, but also Rajaswami. (pg. 221)
The passage, “ ‘Archarya!’ Heart leaping, Tamar ran toward him, then stopped short.
He stepped back and raised his hands. ‘Archarya-no, no, keep away. You’ll break your
*caste. I’m a *chandala-’ ‘My dear boy. Oh, my dear boy.’ Rajaswami did not halt but,
against all warnings, flung his arms around Tamar,” finishes that nobody cares about
their caste or dharma but about each other. (pg. 216)
•The quotation, “ Tamar drew back. ‘ My caste is broken. Touch me and you risk
your own.’ ‘Do you think I care a rap?’ Darshan snorted. ‘I never put stock in that
sort of nonsense. I’m a soldier; being alive is the only caste that means anything.
And you- I should has disobeyed and never let you leave Sundari without me,’”
concludes that people follow their heart and not their caste or dharma. (pg. 230)
*Characterization
There are many Characters in this
book who are important to the
story.
• “Of darker complexion than her
companions, her skin glowed richly;
her shining black hair fell to her
waist.” – Mirri (pg. 39)
• “ Tamar turned to the unexpected
guest waiting alone in the middle of
the hall: a big, dark- bearded man,
head and shoulders taller than
Tamar; a hard- muscled frame
under soft, silken robes. Around his
neck, jewels hung from gold chains;
bracelets gleamed on his wrists and
forearms.” – King Jaya (pg. 5)
“ The elder serpent stretched up and
spread his hood. His ancient scales were
thick, heavy as armor, gleaming and
twinkling as he swayed erect.” – Takshaka,
King of the Serpent Realm
“ He was tall, big- framed, in deerskin vest
and kilt. His tawny hair hung about his
shoulders; his golden eyes blazed.” –
Ashwara (pg. 76)
“ From the breach, a pair of sharp, gray
eyes peered out; then, a broad face,
wide- browed, stubble- bearded, clotted
with dirt and sand. The man broke a
larger opening, trust out his head, shook
his burly shoulders, and stepped clear of
the hill.” – Adi-Kavi. (pg. 81)
Characterization
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The quote from Tamar, “ ‘Yes. Live out your life happily, not with one
who has no life to give you. Follow your own dharma,” concludes that
Tamar cares for Mirri and he wishes her to live a happy life even
without him. (pg. 90)
The responding quote from Mirri, “ ‘My dharma tells me it’s better to
look for a way to live instead of a way to die. It also tells me to stay
with the one I love,” says that Mirri really cares for Tamar herself, and
she wishes to stay with him. (pg. 90)
The excerpt of Tamar, “ He pulled off the ring and threw it away,”
concludes that he is willing to break his Dharma for a girl. (pg. 157)
The quotation from Garuda, “ ‘Smaa! Smaa! Incompetent nitwit! ……..
You’ll owe me plenty for this,’ Garuda crowed. ‘ I won’t forget. Don’t
you forget, either. I’ll remind you from time to time,’ ” Tells that he
holds many grudges. (pg. 164)
Literary Terms
Symbolism- “A wreath of flowers is the token of a pledge that’s never broken.”
(ps.41) [The garland symbolizes love and marriage.]
Personification- “His sword hissed in a long, sliding stroke.” (pg. 75) [Tamar
took out his sword and swung it quickly to where it “hissed”]
Hyperbole- “I understand I’ve thrown everything away…” (pg.162) [Tamar has
given up a lot of things for his life.]
Metaphor- “….her dark features frozen..” (pg.161) [This compares her
features to ice.]
Alliteration- “… himself to the bank, muttering insults, and stretching the
craps from his arms and legs..” (pg.26) [This gives a(n) “s” sounding effect]
Simile- “His thoughts circled like a hawk around Nahusha, and none other.”
(pg.226) [He was trying to find out what Nahusha’s plans were]
Terms from “The Iron Ring” by Lloyd Alexander
Found by: Lizzie Hang, Paige Baselice, Jessica Martinez, Phianka Truong, Esteban Almendias, and Jeremy Smith
Definitions (*)
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Tone- The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous,
sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective. Similar to mood.
Mood- Emotion
Theme- General idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express.
Characterization- Method used by a writer to develop a character. The method
includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's
actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5)
getting the reactions of others.
“See the trees turn gold” – Ancient believing of oncoming death.
Buckskins- Clothing, especially breeches or shoes, made from buckskin.
Dharma (dahr-mah)- Goodness, virtue, righteousness, conscience; a code of proper
conduct, a deep and driving sense of obligation to do what is right.
Achraya (ah- char-yah)- teacher, scholar, spiritual counselor
Brahmana (brah- mah-nah)- Member of highest caste of priests, scholars,
philosophers
Definitions (*)
• Chandala (chahn- dah- lah)- lowest, most
despised, and degraded outcast
• Caste- ancient system of class structure and
social order.
• Namaste (nah-mah-stay) – expression of
respect, honor, reverence; shown by
pressing one’s palms together
• Rakshasa (rahk-shah- sah)- evil demon, able
to assume human or animal shape.
Citation
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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/58/220279254_17c20cbec5.jpg (slide 11)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_e8UnOo2PQhY/S2qyfx5NEAI/AAAAAAAAAIM/WOiLCdR
_IXg/s400/Oahu+Purple+Sunset+wallpaper.png (slide 4)
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qD9Y8Ncd3I4/Sfj1C0qkOXI/AAAAAAAACL4/yzkXMBdvzo/s400/India.jpg (slide 6)
http://notquiteamerican.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/globe_paper_people.jpg
(slide 9)
http://www.bgsu.edu/images/sa/img59628.jpg (slide 8)
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/index.html (Literary Definitions)
http://www.olathe.lib.ks.us/kids/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/alexander.jpg
(slide 1)
• http://fineartamerica.com/images-medium/golden-trees-michaelmcferrin.jpg (slide 1)
Created by Phianka Truong\ May 7, 2010