Name _______________________
Teacher ______________________
Period ______________________
Date ________________________
English I
2013-2014
Non-fiction
“Only Daughter” By Sandra Cisneros
Directions: Use the story on page 276 to answer the guided reading questions below.
1.
What is the difference between “the only daughter” and “only a daughter”? 278
2.
What conclusion can you draw about Cisneros’s beliefs on what it takes to become a good writer? 278
3.
Why does the author’s father think that she wasted her education? 279
4.
What conclusion can you draw about Cisneros’s feelings about the reading public? 279
5.
Where did the author grow up? 279
6.
Why did the family move so often? 279
7.
Why does the author’s father brag about having seven sons rather than seven children? 279
8.
How does Cisneros feel growing up this way? 279
9.
How has Cisneros fulfilled her ambitions as a writer “last year”? 280
Author’s Purpose
10.
What is the “source” Cisneros uses for her story?
11.
Based on Cisneros comments explaining her contributor’s note “I am the only daughter in a family of
six sons. That explains everything,” what can you infer are the issues in her life that have influenced
her?
12.
Who is the target audience of “Only Daughter”?
13.
What is Cisneros’ goal as a writer, not only concerning her father, but also the reading public?
14.
This story is a memoir. What do you think is her purpose with this specific piece of writing?
15.
.How would you describe her tone and style?
16.
Which experience growing up (as a daughter, as a Mexican American woman, as a writer) do you think
was more influential to Cisneros beliefs?
a. Experience: (name the experience)
b. Evidence: (find a quality piece of textual evidence)
c. Parenthetical Citation: (provide an accurate parenthetical citation for the textual evidence)
d. Works Cited Citation: (create an accurate Works Cited page citation for this piece of writing)