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OH Grade 11 Unit 6 Meeting the Standards
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Publisher’s Note
EMC Publishing’s innovative program Mirrors & Windows: Connecting with
Literature presents a wide variety of rich, diverse, and timeless literature to help
students reflect on their own experiences and connect with the world around
them. One goal of this program is to ensure that all students reach their maximum
potential and meet state standards.
A key component of this program is a Meeting the Standards resource for each
unit in the textbook. In every Meeting the Standards book, you will find a study
guide to lead students through the unit, with a practice test formatted to match a
standardized test. You will also find dozens of high-quality activities and quizzes
for all the selections in the unit.
EMC Publishing is confident that these materials will help you guide your
students to mastery of the key literature and language arts skills and concepts
measured in your standardized test. To address the needs of individual students,
enrich learning, and simplify planning and assessment, you will find many more
resources in our other program materials—including Differentiated Instruction,
Exceeding the Standards, Program Planning and Assessment, and Technology Tools.
We are pleased to offer these excellent materials to help students learn to
appreciate and understand the wonderful world of literature.
© EMC Publishing, LLC
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Contents
Introduction
ix
Correlation to Formative Survey Results
xi
Depression and World War II Study Guide for Ohio (with Practice Test and Master Vocabulary List)
1
Part 1: Hard Times
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, James Agee with Walker Evans,
Photographer
Build Vocabulary: Context
Build Background: Sharecropping
Analyze Literature: Style
Selection Quiz
19
20
21
22
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums, John Steinbeck
Build Vocabulary: Homonyms
Build Background: The Dust Bowl
Analyze Literature: Character
Selection Quiz
23
24
25
26
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Build Vocabulary: Base Words and Derivatives
Analyze Literature: Argument
Selection Quiz
27
28
30
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner, Randall Jarrell / World War II
Recruitment Posters, Informational Text
Build Background: Working Women Analyze Literature: Connotations and Theme
Selection Quiz
31
32
34
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima, John Hersey
Build Vocabulary: Greek and Latin Roots
Analyze Literature: Purpose and Structure
Selection Quiz
35
37
39
The Watch, Elie Wiesel
Build Vocabulary: Using Context
Analyze Literature: Setting and Mood
Selection Quiz
40
41
43
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Part 2: Southern Renaissance
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, Katherine Anne Porter
Build Vocabulary: Words in Context for Characterization
Analyze Literature: Characterization
Selection Quiz
44
45
47
A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner
Build Vocabulary: Word Analysis
Analyze Literature: Point of View
Selection Quiz
48
49
51
The Son, Horacia Quiroga
Build Vocabulary: Verbs and the Suffix -ion
Analyze Literature: Plot Structure
Selection Quiz
52
53
54
A Worn Path, Eudora Welty
Build Vocabulary: Meaning from Context
Analyze Literature: Symbols
Selection Quiz
55
56
58
Portrait of a Girl in Glass, Tennessee Williams
Build Vocabulary: Denotation and Connotation
Analyze Literature: Theme
Selection Quiz
59
60
62
Answer Key
Depression and World War II Study Guide for Ohio
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner / World War II Recruitment Posters
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima
The Watch
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying
The Son
A Worn Path
Portrait of a Girl in Glass
viii
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63
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
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Introduction
The Meeting the Standards Unit Resource supplements for Mirrors & Windows
provide students with the opportunity to practice and apply the strategies and
skills they will need to master state and national language arts standards. For each
selection in the student textbook, these resources also supply vocabulary exercises
and other activities designed to connect students with the selections and the
elements of literature.
The lessons in the Meeting the Standards Unit Resource are divided into four
categories, as described in this introduction. The lessons are listed by category in
the Contents at the front of the book.
Unit Study Guide, with Practice Test and Master Vocabulary List
Each Unit Resource book begins with a Unit Study Guide that focuses on key
language arts standards. Following the chronological organization of the Mirrors
& Windows student text, this guide provides in-depth study and practice on
topics related to the historical, social, and political context of the literature of the
era. Specific topics include significant historical events and trends, representative
literary movements and themes, and the literary genre or form explored in the unit.
Also included in the study guide are instructions to help students prepare for
a standardized test and a practice test formatted to match that test. The last page of
the study guide provides a list of the words identified as Preview Vocabulary for the
selections within the unit.
Lessons for Standard Selections
The lessons for standard selections offer a range of activities that provide additional
background information, literary analysis, vocabulary development, and writing
about the selection. The activities are rated easy, medium, and difficult; these
ratings align with the levels of the Formative Survey questions in the Assessment
Guide.
These activities can be used to provide differentiated instruction at the
appropriate levels for your students. For example, for students who are able to
answer primarily easy questions, you may want to assign primarily easy activities.
The Correlation to Formative Survey Results, which follows this introduction, lists
the level for each activity.
To further differentiate instruction, consider adapting activities for your
students. For instance, you may want to add critical-thinking exercises to an easy
or medium activity to challenge advanced students, or you may want to offer
additional support for a difficult activity if students are having trouble completing
the activity.
A Selection Quiz is provided for each selection. This quiz is designed to assess
students’ comprehension of basic details and concepts.
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Lessons for Comparing Literature, Author Focus, and
Other Grouped Selections
The lessons for Comparing Literature and other grouped selections in the student
textbook emphasize text-to-text connections. Activities for Comparing Literature
selections ask students to compare and contrast literary elements such as purpose,
style, and theme in the work of two authors. Activities for Author Focus and other
groupings have students examine literary elements across several selections by the
same author, identifying patterns and trends in his or her work. Again, activities are
rated as easy, medium, or difficult.
A recall- and comprehension-based Selection Quiz is provided for each
selection or grouping of selections.
Lessons for Independent Readings
Lessons for Independent Readings build on the strategies and skills taught in the
unit and offer students more opportunities to practice those strategies and skills. As
with the other categories of selections, activities focus on vocabulary development,
literary analysis, background information, and writing instruction. Again, activities
are rated as easy, medium, or difficult.
A Selection Quiz is provided for each selection.
Preparing to Teach the Lessons
Most of the activities in this book are ready to copy and distribute to students.
However, some activities will require preparation. For example, you may need to
select particular elements from a story, create lists or cards to distribute to students,
or make sure that art supplies or computer stations are available. Be sure to preview
each lesson to identify the tasks and materials needed for classroom instruction.
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Correlation to Formative Survey Results
The following chart indicates the difficulty level of each activity. You can use this
chart, in combination with the results of the Formative Survey from the Assessment
Guide, to identify activities that are appropriate for your students.
Selection Title
from Let Us Now
Praise Famous Men
Activity
Level
Build Vocabulary: Context, page 19
Medium
Build Background: Sharecropping, page 20
Easy
Analyze Literature: Style, page 21
Medium
Selection Quiz, page 22
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Homonyms, page 23
Easy
Build Background: The Dust Bowl, page 24
Easy
Analyze Literature: Character, page 25
Medium
Selection Quiz, page 26
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Base Words and Derivatives, page 27
Medium
Analyze Literature: Argument, page 28
Medium
Selection Quiz, page 30
Easy
The Death of the Ball
Turret Gunner / World
War II Recruitment
Posters
Build Background: Working Women, page 31
Medium
Analyze Literature: Connotations and Theme, page 32
Difficult
Selection Quiz, page 34
Easy
A Noiseless Flash,
from Hiroshima
Build Vocabulary: Greek and Latin Roots, page 35
Medium
Analyze Literature: Purpose and Structure, page 37
Difficult
Selection Quiz, page 39
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Using Context, page 40
Easy
Analyze Literature: Setting and Mood, page 41
Medium
Selection Quiz, page 43
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Words in Context for Characterization,
page 44
Medium
Analyze Literature: Characterization, page 45
Difficult
Selection Quiz, page 47
Easy
from The Grapes
of Wrath / The
Chrysanthemums
A Date Which Will Live
in Infamy / from No
Ordinary Time
The Watch
The Jilting of Granny
Weatherall
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Selection Title
A Rose for Emily /
Darl, from As I Lay
Dying
The Son
A Worn Path
Portrait of a Girl in
Glass
xii
Activity
Build Vocabulary: Word Analysis, page 48
Medium
Analyze Literature: Point of View, page 49
Difficult
Selection Quiz, page 51
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Verbs and Suffix -ion, page 52
Easy
Analyze Literature: Plot Structure, page 53
Easy
Selection Quiz, page 54
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Meaning from Context, page 55
Easy
Analyze Literature: Symbols, page 56
Difficult
Selection Quiz, page 58
Easy
Build Vocabulary: Denotation and Connotation, page 59
Medium
Analyze Literature: Theme, page 60
Medium
Selection Quiz, page 62
Easy
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Depression and World War II Study Guide for Ohio
Completing this study guide will help you understand and remember the background information
presented in Unit 6 and recognize how the selections in the unit reflect their historical context. It will
also provide you with an opportunity to understand and apply the literary form of the short story.
After you read each background feature in Unit 6 in your textbook, complete the corresponding
section in the study guide. The completed study guide section will provide an outline of important
information that you can use later for review.
After you read the selections in each part of Unit 6 in your textbook, complete the Applying
sections for that part in the study guide. Refer to the selections as you answer the questions.
After you complete the study guide sections, take the Practice Test. This test is similar to the
state language arts test. In both tests, you read passages and answer multiple-choice questions about
the passages.
Self-Checklist
Use this checklist to help you track your progress through Unit 6.
CHECKLIST
Literary Comprehension
You should understand and apply the elements
of the short story:
❏ setting
❏ mood
❏ point of view
❏ characterization
❏ plot/conflict
❏ theme
Literary Appreciation
You should understand how to relate the
selections to
❏ Other texts you’ve read
❏ Your own experiences
❏ The world today
Vocabulary
In the Master Vocabulary List at the end of
this study guide, put a check mark next to any
new words that you learned while reading the
selections. How many did you learn?
❏ 10 or more ❏ 20 or more ❏ 30 or more
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Writing
❏ You should be able to write a multimedia
presentation. The presentation should have
an introduction, body, and conclusion.
It should provide relevant, accurate
information in chronological order using
precise language.
Speaking and Listening
❏ You should be able to prepare and use notes
for a how-to presentation.
Test Practice
❏ You should be able to answer questions
that test your reading, writing, revising, and
editing skills.
Additional Reading
❏ You should choose a fictional work to read
on your own. See For Your Reading List on
page 818 of your textbook.
AmericAn TrAdiTion, UniT 6
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Historical Context
Examine the time line on pages 688–689 of your textbook. For what three general topics does the
time line provide dates?
1. _____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________________
The time line has four time frames. Identify the time span of each time frame.
4. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
7. _________________________________
Find the following dates on the time line in your textbook. Complete the chart by telling what
happened in those years. Then answer the questions on the next page.
Date
American Literature
American History
World History
1932
1933
1939
1941
1945
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5. What relationships do you find between events of 1932 and 1939?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. In what respects were the seeds of both the beginning and end of World War II sown in 1932?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. What 1941 event marked a turning point for the United States? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. How did literary activity parallel and echo historic events in 1945?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Complete the outline. Write two sentences summarizing information given in each section on pages
690–692 of your textbook.
A. The Great Depression and 1930s Radicalism
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
B. A New Deal
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
C. Moving Toward War
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
D. World War II
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________
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Understanding Part 1: Hard Times
Complete this page after you read about hard times on page 693 of your textbook.
1. Why did movies and radio flourish during the 1930s?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What were “fireside chats”? What was their purpose?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What was the mood of literary fiction during this period?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. What did authors portray after 1945?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name two authors who portrayed life realistically and their publications.
5. _________________________________
_________________________________
6. _________________________________
_________________________________
List authors who wrote about World War II in the chart, and identify their works or genres in which
they worked.
Authors
Works or Genres
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
14.
16.
17. What authors created literature describing the Holocaust? Name their works.
_____________________________________________________________________________
18. Why do you think these accounts made a lasting impression on Americans?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Applying Part 1: Hard Times
Think about what you have learned about hard times. Then answer the following questions after you
have read the selections in Part 1 of Unit 6.
Beside each selection title, summarize the work’s purpose and identify the event(s) that stirred the
author to write it.
Selection
Purpose
Event(s) That Inspired the Author
to Write
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
from The Grapes of Wrath
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima
The Watch
1. In what ways might the images and words in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men have brought the
American people comfort? How might it have upset them?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. In what way was The Grapes of Wrath representative of a large group of Americans? What was
significant about their migration?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. In A Date Which Will Live in Infamy, what does Roosevelt say to reassure the American people?
Why is this reassurance essential?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Compare and contrast people’s reactions to World War II in “The Watch” and “A Noiseless
Flash” from Hiroshima.
Alike
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Understanding Part 2: Southern Renaissance
Complete this page after you read about the Southern Renaissance on page 757 of your textbook.
1. List four qualities that characterized traditional southern literature before the Southern
Renaissance.
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
d. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. What qualities characterized literature of the Southern Renaissance?
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
List four southern writers of this period.
3. _________________________________
5. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
6. _________________________________
7. What was the Southern Gothic literary tradition? Describe its characteristics.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. Why do you think writers like William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor had such a profound
influence on writers throughout the nation and the world?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Applying Part 2: Southern Renaissance
Think about what you have learned about the Southern Renaissance. Then answer the following
questions after you have read the selections in Part 2 of Unit 6.
1. What views of women and death does “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” illustrate?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What views of racism and women’s roles are explored in “A Rose for Emily”? How do they differ
from views a traditional Southern writer might espouse?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What qualities does Welty give Phoenix Jackson in “A Worn Path”? What attitude does this
suggest?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. How does “A Worn Path” rebut the prejudices of racism?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. What was the focus in Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech? What shows that he was not
simply a regional writer?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Understanding Literary Forms: The Short Story
Read Understanding Literary Forms: The Short Story on pages 758–759 of your textbook. Then
answer the questions below.
Complete the chart comparing and contrasting the short story and the novel.
Alike
Different
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
6.
7. What is setting and what does it accomplish in fiction?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. Define mood.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. List several ways a fiction writer establishes mood.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. Define narrator. Explain the importance of the narrator to a story’s point of view.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. Complete the chart to identify each kind of point of view and describe its limitations.
Point of View
Description
Limitations
First-person narrator
Third-person limited
Third-person omniscient
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12. Explain how stream-of-consciousness narrative affects the point of view of a story.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
13. Define characterization and differentiate between direct and indirect characterization.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
List four ways a writer establishes character.
14. _____________________________________________________________________________
15. _____________________________________________________________________________
16. _____________________________________________________________________________
17. _____________________________________________________________________________
List the elements of plot. Tell how each one is related to the conflict, or struggle, in the story.
18. _____________________________________________________________________________
19. _____________________________________________________________________________
20. _____________________________________________________________________________
21. _____________________________________________________________________________
22. _____________________________________________________________________________
23. Define theme.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
24. Complete the chart to distinguish between implied theme and stated theme.
Implied Theme
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Applying Literary Forms: The Short Story
1. Identify the setting of each story and tell why it is significant.
Selection
Setting
Significance of Setting
A Rose for Emily
A Worn Path
Portrait of a Girl in Glass
2. List at least three details that give “Darl” a mood of grim sorrow.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the narrator in each selection and label this person as first-person, third-person limited,
or third-person omniscient.
Selection
Narrator
Type of Narration
The Son
A Rose for Emily
A Worn Path
4. Describe the character of Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily.” List story details that create this
personality.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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5. Identify the parts of “Portrait of a Girl in Glass” that illustrate elements of plot.
Exposition: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Rising action: _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Climax: ______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Falling action: _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Resolution: ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. Identify the protagonist of each selection and identify the principal conflict with which the
character struggles.
Selection
Protagonist
Principal Conflict
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
The Son
A Worn Path
7. Write a statement of theme for each selection.
a. A Rose for Emily ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
b. A Worn Path _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
c. Portrait of a Girl in Glass ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
d. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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Ohio-Based Practice Test
During high school, students take tests to measure how well they meet the Ohio
standards. These tests include English language arts tests in which you are asked to
read a passage and answer multiple-choice questions to test your understanding of
the passage.
The practice test on the following pages is similar to the Ohio English language
arts test. It contains passages, each followed by multiple-choice questions. You will
fill in circles for your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Your answer sheet for
this practice test is below on this page.
Questions on this practice test focus on the historical background and literary
elements you studied in this unit. The questions also address learning standards
such as these Ohio English language arts standards:
English Language Arts Benchmarks
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
B. Identify and analyze examples of rhetorical devices and valid and invalid inferences.
E. Analyze an author’s implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs
about a subject.
Reading Applications: Literary Text
D. Analyze how an author uses figurative language and literary techniques to
shape plot and set meaning.
E. Critique an author’s style.
Grade-Level Indicators
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
2. Analyze and critique organizational patterns and techniques including repetition
of ideas, appeals to authority, reason and emotion, syntax and word choice that
authors use to accomplish their purpose and reach their intended audience.
5. Examine an author’s implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs
about a subject.
Reading Applications: Literary Text
5. Analyze variations of universal themes in literary texts.
8. Evaluate ways authors develop point of view and style to achieve specific
rhetorical and aesthetic purposes (e.g., through use of figurative language irony,
tone, diction, imagery, symbolism and sounds of language), citing specific
examples from text to support analysis.
Practice Test Answer Sheet
Name: __________________________________
Date: ___________________________________
Fill in the circle completely for the answer choice you think is best.
1.
2.
3.
4.
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
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C
C
C
C
D
D
D
D
5.
6.
7.
8.
A
A
A
A
Meeting the Standards
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
D
D
D
D
9.
10.
11.
12.
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
D
D
D
D
American Tradition, Unit 6
13
6/24/09 11:06:12 AM
This test has 12 questions. Read each passage/story and choose the best answer
for each question. Fill in the circle in the spaces provided for questions
1 through 12 on your answer sheet.
Read the following passage and answer questions 1 through 4.
All of These
An ancient woman waits
in a patient, winding line,
the parchment of her skin
translucent, her hand trembling,
5 she leans on her cane.
The sun shines on her.
A very little boy snuffles
and frowns over his skinned knees,
his lustrous eyes clearing,
10 wiping his sleeve across his face,
he lifts his arms to reach again.
The wind dries his face.
A rounded stone lies
in its random heap, even, smooth,
15 its center mottled with crystal sparks,
weighing, balancing latent gain or loss
as shadows race across the land.
The rain washes it clean of dust.
On all of these
20 The sun, the wind, the rain.
1. The following lines from the poem illustrate
which literary device?
“A very little boy snuffles
and frowns over his skinned knees”
A. allusion
B. symbol
C. metaphor
D. imagery
2. What does the poem show by focusing on
three subjects?
A. that youth’s inexperience causes false
starts
B. their different ways of responding to
weather
C. the universal condition that unites them
D. that old age is the reward for living well
3. What is the tone created by the language of
the poem?
A. playful
B. philosophical
C. sarcastic
D. resigned
4. Which of the following best states the theme
of the poem?
A. All things on Earth move toward their
potential within the limits allowed.
B. The very old and the very young, like
inanimate objects, enjoy being outside.
C. Life is always a struggle, but at special
moments it proves worthwhile.
D. Human life is more valuable than any
object that lacks life.
Go to next page
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
6/24/09 11:06:12 AM
Read the following passage and answer questions 5 through 12.
Heritage
1 They rose early as the birds and dressed in their thin work clothes, these
children. They walked with buckets to the spring for water, watching the clouds
their breath made in the air. They milked cows in half light and plumped
biscuits for the wood stove and fried ham in an iron skillet. They ate silently or
with the few words needed to tell who would shoulder the day’s responsibilities:
hoeing, weeding, watering, feeding, gathering, cleaning, and on and on.
2 If they were lucky, there was school. But that was in town, and too far for
one day’s journey. The young ones could board by the week, working for
their keep, and walk home on the weekend. The oldest, big girl, could keep
the house and gardens going, their mother in the grave these five years.
3 The older boy, always sickly, was getting worse, his neck swelling angrily with
infection that nothing remedied. It made them turn away, covering their fear and
pushing back the image of the little cemetery on the hill, that rose unbidden into
the mind, where four generations of family rested, and so many of their children.
4 But they will not dwell on it, for work and pressing need command each
day. For them, being is doing, and the future recedes before the margin of
each sunrise. Only at night, perched on quilts on a feather bed beside the
radio, do they soak in the world beyond their farm. Only in dream do they
admit the wings of what might be, if they work hard enough, long enough.
5 They are the children of the meager farms that limped into failure with the
30s. They are our grandparents and great-grandparents, who built their lives
with painstaking care and slow determination. Who lifted themselves with
Herculean effort into a new life with refrigerators and cars and universities
and even vacations. They spent their lives building, and we are their legacy.
5. This selection looks back to which period in
American history?
A. the Civil War
B. the Great Depression
C. World War II
D. the Computer Age
6. What can you infer from the following
sentence from the essay?
“For them, being is doing, and the future
recedes before the margin of each sunrise.”
A. Each day is consumed by essential work,
leaving no time or energy for planning or
hoping for the future.
B. Work is the medicine which allows the
children to forget about their grief.
C. Each day is defined by the sun’s rising
and setting, and all of the hours of
daylight are for work.
D. The children live for the future because
the present is rife with hardship and
suffering.
Go to next page
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Meeting the Standards
American Tradition, Unit 6
15
6/24/09 11:06:13 AM
7. Why is the following allusion from this
passage fitting?
“Who lifted themselves with Herculean
effort into a new life . . .”
A. Once they leave poverty behind, they will
look back on that time as a bad dream.
B. Only because of a great thirst for and love
of learning were they able to achieve their
dreams.
C. It took incredible strength of body and
character to persevere and improve their
lives.
D. The struggle to lift themselves into a
better life gives them a royal dignity and
demeanor.
8. What does the description of the sickly boy
suggest?
A. The family cannot face reality, preferring
to live with fantasies.
B. The family does not realize the
seriousness of the boy’s illness.
C. Ignorance caused the family to overlook a
life-threatening condition.
D. Medical care was poor or lacking in the
family’s lives.
9. How does the language and descriptions of
the passage characterize the people?
A. closeness and warmth
B. illiteracy and superstition
C. shiftless and dreamy idleness
D. a powerful work ethic
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American Tradition, Unit 6
0001-0018_MTS_G11_U6_SG_OH.indd 16
10. The does the imagery of the first paragraph
emphasize?
A. the sensations experienced while doing
chores
B. the beauty and calm of nature
C. the change from darkness to light
D. the extreme youth of the children
11. Which sentence best states the writer’s
purpose in this passage?
A. to inform of the harsh facts about
American life in the past
B. to acknowledge and honor the sacrifices
of past generations
C. to describe child labor and establish
sympathy for labor laws
D. to entertain with a narrative about a poor
family of the South
12. What can you infer from the second
paragraph?
A. To the children, education was a priority
worth sacrificing for.
B. The family had relatives that lived in a
nearby town.
C. The oldest child never attended school.
D. While attending school, life was easier for
the children.
STOP
Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
6/24/09 11:06:13 AM
Master Vocabulary List
The following vocabulary terms are defined on the indicated pages in your text.
apathy, 697
august, 772
circumvent, 778
convivial, 742
dishevelment, 698
doddering, 779
dwindle, 768
effigy, 697
embellishment, 698
esthetic, 698
fawning, 715
gaunt, 783
hedonistic, 741
implement, 705
incendiary, 740
incessant, 742
inevitable, 724
infamy, 723
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infinitesimal, 696
intermittent, 740
intrinsic, 698
jilt, 765
juxtaposition, 783
limber, 796
moon, 705
obstinate, 801
offensive, 724
onslaught, 724
pendulum, 795
perpetuity, 773
philanthropy, 738
pilgrimage, 705
premeditated, 724
profligate, 697
quivering, 796
ravine, 798
Meeting the Standards
rectilinear, 698
refuse, 705
repugnant, 743
rouse, 796
rummage, 762
ruthless, 704
sedately, 712
solicitation, 723
symmetry, 697
temerity, 774
theological, 743
treachery, 724
ubiquity, 785
unbounding, 724
vindicate, 775
virulent, 778
volition, 737
xenophobic, 743
American Tradition, Unit 6
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6/24/09 11:06:13 AM
0001-0018_MTS_G11_U6_SG_OH.indd 18
6/24/09 11:06:13 AM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, page 694
Build Vocabulary: Context
The context in which a word is used often holds clues to its meaning. When you encounter
an unfamiliar word, analyze the sentence in which it appears for such clues. Clues may be
more generalized and located in the overall sense of the paragraph in which the word is
found.
Read each boldfaced selection word in its context; underline any clues to meaning,
and write your prediction of the word’s meaning. Then use a dictionary to check your
prediction against the dictionary’s definition.
1. “And this hall between, as the open valve of a sea creature, steadfastly flushing the free width of
ocean through its infinitesimal existence…” (page 696)
Predicted meaning: _____________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________________
2. “[shingle-like boards on the roof] in successive rows of dozens and of hundreds, and here again,
though regularly, with a certain shuffling of erratism against pure symmetry…” (page 697)
Predicted meaning: _____________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________________
3. “The major lines of structure, each horizontal of each board, and edge of shingle, the strictness
yet subtle dishevelment of the shingles, the nailheads, which are driven according to geometric
need, yet are not in perfect order…” (page 698)
Predicted meaning: _____________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________________
4. “In all this house not any one inch of lumber being wasted on embellishment, or on trim, or on
any form of relief…” (page 698)
Predicted meaning: _____________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________________
5. “…in result all these almost perfect symmetries have their full strength, and every inch of the
structure, and every aspect and placement of the building materials, comes inevitably and purely
through into full esthetic existence…” (page 698)
Predicted meaning: _____________________________________________________________
Dictionary definition: ___________________________________________________________
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Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
19
5/15/09 1:51:14 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, page 694
Build Background: Sharecropping
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men examines the lives of sharecroppers in Alabama during
the 1930s. The agricultural system of sharecropping emerged in the South during
Reconstruction. Former enslaved workers and many small white farmers, lacking land of
their own and capital, eventually agreed to work for large landowners.
Landowners divided plantations into 20- to 50-acre plots suitable for farming by a
single family. The sharecropper agreed to raise a cash crop (usually cotton) and give half to
the landlord. The land owner supplied the use of the land, the tools, and farm animals. The
sharecropper purchased seed, fertilizer, food, and clothing on credit from a local merchant
or plantation store. At harvest, the sharecrop farmers harvested the crop and sold it to their
creditors. Generally, the high interest rates charged for goods bought on credit resulted in
sharecroppers often earning less than they spent and becoming mired in debt.
The sharecropping system created economic dependency and poverty, but it did allow
freed workers autonomy in that they could divide their time for themselves.
Sharecropping dominated the cotton-farming sector from the 1870s to the 1960s
among both black and white tenants. Today, it has largely disappeared.
Research the history of sharecropping in the United States using the Internet and the
library resources available to you. Choose one aspect of sharecropping as your focus and
prepare an oral presentation on it.
1. As you research, take notes and keep careful track of your sources so that you can return to them
easily if necessary. Identify your sources on the lines provided here.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. When you have limited your topic and gathered information about it, survey the data you have
and decide what sort of presentation is best suited to it. For example, for a presentation on the
family life of sharecroppers, you might use a multimedia approach including photographs,
music, and models of household items or furnishings. Identify your topic on the line.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Organize your material and make note cards to guide you.
4. Practice your presentation to time it and gain fluency and smoothness in speech.
20
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:15 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, page 694
Analyze Literature: Style
Style refers to the manner in which something is said or written. A writer’s style is as unique
as a personality and results from the writer’s particular manner of expression. Elements
such as sentence length and structure and choice of words help to establish style.
Complete the chart to analyze Agee’s style in the selection from Let Us Now Praise
Famous Men. Describe and provide examples of each element of style. Then write a
paragraph in response to the Writing Prompt, using the information in your chart.
Element of Style
Description
Examples
Most common type of sentence
structure
Sentence length
Word choice
Nouns
Verbs
Modifiers
Writing Prompt
On your own paper, write a paragraph describing Agee’s writing style. Use examples from
the excerpt in your supporting details.
© EMC Publishing, LLC
0019_0062_MTS_G11_U6_Lessons.indd 21
Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
21
5/15/09 1:51:16 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, page 694
Selection Quiz
Short Answer
Write your answer to each of the following questions in the space provided.
1. Whose home does Agee describe and what do they do?
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What gives the shingles and boards of the house their color?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What kind of lumber has been used to build the house?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. To what living thing does Agee compare the shingles of the house?
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. What makes Agee think that unskilled workers built the house?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. Agee’s tone indicates that he views the family with
A. scorn and ridicule.
C. indifference.
B. respect and sympathy.
D. pity and contempt.
_____ 7. In the opening paragraph, Agee describes
A. a mother and her children
walking up a hill.
B. the family returning from a
trip to the store.
C. several children herding
livestock.
D. an artwork on the living
room wall.
_____ 8. The biblical epigraph to Agee’s book asserts that the poor and unknown people
A. will be crowned with glory and
C. will live on through their offspring
fame when they die.
and will be remembered.
B. might as well never have
D. had power and wisdom among
existed on earth.
their people.
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AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:17 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums, page 703
Build Vocabulary: Homonyms
Homonyms are words with the same sound and spelling but different derivations and
meanings. For example, meal can be “the act or the time of eating a portion of food,” a
word whose history is linked to the Latin word metiri, which means “measure.” A second
word meal means “coarsely ground seeds of a cereal grass,” and derives from the Greek
word myle, meaning “mill.” To understand which word a writer is using, consider the
context.
Determine the meaning of the bold word in each quotation and write it on line a. On
line b, write the meaning of the homonym for this word. On line c, write a sentence using
the homonym.
1. “That plow, that harrow, remember in the war we planted mustard?” (page 704)
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. “Those fine bays, matched they are.” (page 705)
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. “he walked into the implement lean-to and kicked the refuse that was left…” (page 705)
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. “…the muscles of her forearms corded out” (page 706)
a. ___________________________________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________________________________
© EMC Publishing, LLC
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Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
23
5/15/09 1:51:17 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums, page 703
Build Background: The Dust Bowl
The Grapes of Wrath is the story of a family who migrates to California from Oklahoma
during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The Dust Bowl lasted nearly a decade and helped to
prolong the Great Depression. On the Plains of the Midwest, farmers had overplowed and
overgrazed the grassland. When a sustained drought occurred in 1931, nothing would
grow; the crops died and “black blizzards” began. Without ground cover to hold the soil
in place, winds blew away the earth in great clouds of dust. Dust storms could darken the
sky for days, and leave homes drifted over with dust, a thick layer of dust on the furniture
inside.
By 1934, the United States was experiencing its worst drought over more than 75
percent of the country; 27 states were severely affected. Analysis showed some 35 million
acres of formerly arable land had been made unusable for crop production. Another 100
million acres then being planted had lost almost all their topsoil, and 125 million acres were
rapidly losing topsoil.
In 1935, the worst black blizzard of the Dust Bowl occurred. Congress declared soil
erosion “a national menace” and established the Soil Conservation Service as part of the
Department of Agriculture. Extensive conservation programs for retaining topsoil were put
in place. The government began paying farmers to use soil-conserving farming techniques.
Not until 1939 did the drought end. Extensive conservation work and planting of trees
in shelterbelts had reduced the loss of soil. In the 1940s, the plains gradually grew fertile
enough for cultivation again.
Learn more about the Dust Bowl by reading encyclopedia articles, trade books, and
Internet articles. Take notes about what you learn and, in a small group, share your
information to create a time line showing the important events of the Dust Bowl. List the
sources you consult on the lines below.
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:18 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums, page 703
Analyze Literature: Character
To create a realistic fictional character, authors include many details that describe or
suggest their human qualities. A way of dressing or a gesture can suggest a strength or
weakness. Actions and words give direct proof of character.
Complete the chart to analyze the character traits of Ma Joad in the selection from The
Grapes of Wrath and Elisa Allen in “The Chysanthemums.” First identify a character trait
or feeling. For each, cite examples of direct descriptions, actions, or words that illustrate the
trait or feeling. Finally, write an essay that analyzes one of the characters.
Ma Joad
Physical Traits
Illustrative Examples
from Text
Elisa Allen
Physical Traits
Illustrative Examples
from Text
1.
2.
Feelings
3.
4.
5.
Essay
Choose one of the characters you analyzed. Write a character analysis using your notes.
Include your opinion about the reason Steinbeck gave the character these traits.
© EMC Publishing, LLC
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Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
25
5/15/09 1:51:19 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums, page 703
Selection Quiz
Matching
Write the letter of the correct description on the line next to the matching character.
_____ 1. Ma Joad
A. strong and capable, with an independent spirit
_____ 2. Tom Joad
B. worn from hard work and care; worried
_____ 3. Elisa Allen
C. opportunistic, manipulative, looking out for self
_____ 4. Henry Allen
D. pessimistic but caring, former inmate
_____ 5. fix-it man
E. observant and kind, a loving spouse
Short Answer
Write your answer to each of the following questions in the space provided.
6. What is the Joad family’s destination in The Grapes of Wrath?
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. What is the source of Ma Joad’s information about their destination?
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. What animals does one farmer sell for less than they are worth in Chapter 9?
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. What event in town does Henry jokingly ask Elisa to go to in “The Chrysanthemums”?
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. What does Elisa think she can do better than anyone?
_____________________________________________________________________________
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AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:20 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time, page 723
Build Vocabulary: Base Words and Derivatives
A base word is one to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) may be added to create new
words. A prefix is a word part that is added before a word; examples include in-, un, re-, ex-,
pre-, dis-. A suffix is a word part added after a word; examples include -ion, -ive, -ly, -able,
-ist. An affix cannot stand alone, but it has meaning. For example, pre- means “before”;
-ion means “the act or process of.” Words formed by adding affixes to base words are called
derivatives.
Complete each sentence, 1–5, using a derivative of the base word in parentheses. Then
locate the derivative in Roosevelt’s speech and write the sentence in which it is located.
1. As the holidays approached, charities increased their _________________________ by mail and
phone. (solicit)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. The graduates swept from the ceremony with a look of _________________________ joy on
their faces. (bound)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. After a dismal first quarter, the team members huddled to plan their
_________________________ strategy. (offense)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. After months of _________________________ failed to bring progress, the union said its
members would go on strike. (negotiate)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. The _________________________ strategy for winning the game did not work as planned.
(meditate)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
© EMC Publishing, LLC
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Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
27
5/15/09 1:51:21 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time, page 723
Analyze Literature: Argument
A persuasive speech or writing is intended to influence the way the audience or reader
thinks or feels about a particular issue or idea. Effective persuasion requires the use of
convincing arguments. An argument is a form of persuasion that makes a case to an
audience for accepting or rejecting a proposition or course of action.
Part 1: Identify Purpose and Argument
Identify two goals Roosevelt needed to achieve in his speech A Date Which Will Live in
Infamy. Then identify three arguments he uses to convince his audience to act.
Roosevelt’s Main Purpose
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
A Second Purpose
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Roosevelt’s Arguments
1. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:21 PM
3. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Part 2: Identify Connotations
For one of the arguments you described in Part 1, list words and phrases that Roosevelt
used effectively to achieve his goal. After each word or phrase, explain the connotations
that would have resonated with the American public in a convincing way.
4. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
© EMC Publishing, LLC
0019_0062_MTS_G11_U6_Lessons.indd 29
Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
29
5/15/09 1:51:22 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time, page 723
Selection Quiz
True or False
Write T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Roosevelt’s speech A Date Which Will Live in Infamy was delivered December 8, 1941.
_____ 2. Japan had launched attacks against Hong Kong, Guam, and the Philippine Islands on the
same day they attacked Pearl Harbor.
_____ 3. Roosevelt’s speech was given to announce that he had declared war on Japan.
_____ 4. The day before the attack, the Japanese had broken off talks with the United States.
_____ 5. The U.S. Navy lost 1,100 planes in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. How many military personnel and civilians were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor?
A. 300
B. 1,100
C. 2,500
D. 5,000
_____ 7. Japan’s motive for attacking Pearl Harbor was to
A. revenge attacks by the United States in the nineteenth century.
B. cripple the U.S. Navy so it could not fight Japan effectively.
C. prevent the United States from joining the war.
D. strike before a U.S. attack planned for December 15, 1941.
_____ 8. How did Roosevelt react to the news of the attack?
A. with calm composure
B. with hysterical rage
C. with an emotional outburst
D. with excitement and anticipation
_____ 9. What did the attack imply to Winston Churchill?
A. that his friend Roosevelt would take the news poorly
B. that Great Britain would no longer receive war supplies from the United States
C. that the United States would fight with Great Britain
D. that the war would be prolonged by several years
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© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:22 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner / World War II Recruitment Posters, page 730
Build Background: Working Women
The World War II Recruitment Posters depict the varying roles of women during World
War II. The War widened horizons for American women by opening opportunities to them
and exposing them to international events. In addition to gaining a sense of pride in work
and economic independence, women also saw the horrors of the war firsthand and began
to question war as a way of solving international problems.
Women were excluded from combat positions, but some (such as nurses) stationed
near combat zones were killed. In each branch of the service, women served in both
traditional roles (such as office work or cleaning) and nontraditional roles (such as
maintenance and service pilots).
Figures for women serving with the American military during World War II:
Army
Navy
Coast Guard
Air Force
140,000
100,000
13,000
1,000
The women in the US Air Force were a part of WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots).
They were classed as civil service workers. They finally were recognized in the 1970s for
their service as pilots.
Although many young women left the workforce after the war to marry and start
families, the American economy had changed. Demand exploded in the postwar period.
Prices shot up, and many women stayed in the workforce so their families could afford to
buy what they needed and wanted. In general, women’s participation in the labor force
continued to increase and has been rising ever since.
Use almanacs, encyclopedias, and the Internet to find data on women in the U.S.
workforce during the 1950s through today. Analyze your data and use it to prepare a chart
or graph summarizing the trends. Be sure to label your chart or graph. Present your graphic
to the class, explaining what it depicts.
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5/15/09 1:51:23 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner / World War II Recruitment Posters, page 730
Analyze Literature: Connotations and Theme
A word’s connotations are the ideas or emotional associations it suggests, outside of its
denotations, or dictionary meanings. For example, the words slaughter and passing both
mean “death.” Slaughter has horrific connotations of terrible cruelty, whereas passing has
more positive connotations—someone who has passed on might seem to have simply
drifted gently off to sleep. Writers choose words whose connotations will help them
communicate their theme, or central perception.
Part 1: Connotations
Consider the connotations that accompany each word or phrase from “The Death of the
Ball Turret Gunner.” Explain the feelings and ideas associated with each.
1. mother’s sleep _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. hunched _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. belly _________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. wet fur _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. nightmare ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. washed me out…with a hose _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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5/15/09 1:51:24 PM
Part 2: Theme
Answer the following questions to analyze the theme of “The Death of the Ball Turret
Gunner.”
7. What is the ball turret gunner doing in lines 1 and 2? How does the language suggest he feels
about it?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. How are dream and reality reversed in the poem? Why might Jarrell have done this?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. What instances of irony do you find in the poem? What message does this irony send?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. What effect does the clear, stark language of the poem have?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. What theme is implied by the language, imagery, and style of the poem? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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5/15/09 1:51:24 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner / World War II Recruitment Posters, page 730
Selection Quiz
Short Answer
Write your answer to each of the following questions in the space provided.
1. What is a ball turret and how is it used?
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Where does the ball turret gunner die?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What is horrifying about the cleaning of the turret after the gunner’s death?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. For what purpose was the Rosie the Riveter poster designed?
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. In what organization were women first allowed to serve overseas in the U.S. army?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. When the ball turret gunner says that he “fell into the State,” he means
A. he had protested the war and the
C. he was eager to join the army and
involvement of the United States in it.
defend his country.
B. he was sleepwalking through
D. he either joined or was drafted
life until the war began.
into the military.
_____ 7. A contrast with symbolic significance in the poem is
A. dream and nightmare.
C. wet and dry.
B. hot and cold.
D. light and dark.
_____ 8. The gunner in the ball turret is compared to
A. a victim in an accident.
B. a bull’s-eye on a target.
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C. hunted prey that is trapped.
D. a fetus in the womb.
Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:25 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima, page 735
Build Vocabulary: Greek and Latin Roots
The history of many English words can be traced back to ancient Greek and Latin. For
example, the Latin root viv, meaning “live” or “alive,” forms the basis of the English word
vivacious and others. When you encounter an unknown word, try analyzing its parts. It
may have a Latin or Greek root whose meaning informs the English word’s meaning.
Part 1: Identify Roots and Meanings
Look up each selection word in a dictionary and analyze its etymology. Complete the
chart by providing the root and its meaning. Write the Latin or Greek root that forms part
of the selection word. Then write the meaning of the root.
Word
Latin Root
Greek Root
Meaning
1. convivial
2. hedonistic
3. incendiary
4. philanthropy
5. theological
6. repugnant
7. xenophobic
Part 2: Explain Word Meanings
For each selection word, write one or two sentences explaining how its present meaning
can be traced from the meaning of its Latin or Greek root.
8. convivial _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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9. hedonistic ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. incendiary ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. philanthropy __________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
12. theological ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
13. repugnant ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
14. xenophobic ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima, page 735
Analyze Literature: Purpose and Structure
Writers of literary nonfiction may have any of several purposes, or aims:
• to inform or explain
• to describe or portray
• to persuade or convince
• to narrate (a true story)
The writer structures, or organizes, the text in a way that facilitates this purpose.
Narration flows in chronological order; description may use spatial order; persuasion often
follows order of importance, and explanation can be ordered by steps or by comparison
and contrast.
Part 1: Subjects of the Selection
Complete the chart by providing details about each person listed. Write a short
description and tell the person’s occupation. Explain what the person was doing on the
day the bomb was dropped and how he or she perceived the bomb.
Subject
Summary
Description
Occupation /
Concerns
Activity Doing on
Day of Bomb
Perception of Blast
1. Reverend Mr.
Kiyoshi Tanimoto
2. Mrs. Hatsuyo
Nakamura
3. Dr. Masakazu Fujii
4. Father Wilhelm
Kleinsorge
5. Dr. Terufumi
Sasaki
6. Miss Toshiko
Sasaki
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Part 2: The Author’s Work
Answer the questions about “A Noiseless Flash” from Hiroshima.
7. What does Hersey accomplish in this writing? That is, what did he set out to do?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. What method does he use to accomplish his goal?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. How do you think he chose his subjects for this text?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. Describe the structure of “A Noiseless Flash” and explain why this structure is effective.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:27 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima, page 735
Selection Quiz
Matching
Write the letter of the correct description on the line next to the matching person.
_____ 1. Dr. Masakazu Fujkii
A. tired from carrying many items from his
church
_____ 2. Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura
B. cooking rice, concerned for her small
children
_____ 3. Miss Toshiko Sasaki
C. prosperous, healthy, about 50, relaxing on
porch with paper
_____ 4. Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge
D. ill from ration food, resting on cot, reading
Stimmen der Zeit
_____ 5. Dr. Terufumi Sasaki
E. sitting at her desk at East Asia Tin Works
making data entries
_____ 6. the Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto
F. at the hospital carrying blood sample to lab
for testing
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 7. Residents of Hiroshima were not expecting the blast because
A. most were fast asleep.
C. no attacks occurred for weeks.
B. the all-clear had sounded.
D. they were winning the war.
_____ 8. All the survivors interviewed by Hersey reported that the blast brought
A. a roaring like a freight train.
C. a brilliant flash of light.
B. unbearable heat.
D. inability to breathe.
_____ 9. Which victim received the most severe physical injuries?
A. Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura
C. Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge
B. the Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto
D. Miss Toshiko Sasaki
_____ 10. Hersey’s primary purpose in this text is to
A. explain the effects of exploding an
atomic bomb
B. narrate the stories of six victims of
the Hiroshima blast
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C. persuade readers that nuclear bombs
should not be used again
D. to describe how people react to
severe trauma
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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5/15/09 1:51:28 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Watch, page 752
Build Vocabulary: Using Context
Use context or the clues in the text surrounding a new word, to predict its meaning. Locate
each word in the selection or the biographical note preceding it, and read the word in
context. Then write your prediction of the word’s meaning. Check your prediction by
looking in a dictionary.
1. genocide (page 752, biographical note) _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Holocaust/holocaust (p. 752, biographical note; page 755, column 1) _____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. impervious (page 754, column 2) __________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. fatigue (page 754, column 2) _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. relic (page 755, column 1) _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. profound (page 755, column 1) ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. obsolete (page 755, column 1) ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. console (page 755, column 1) _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. epilogue (page 755, column 1) ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. remorse (page 755, column 2) ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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5/15/09 1:51:29 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Watch, page 752
Analyze Literature: Setting and Mood
A memoir depends heavily on setting and mood to communicate its messages. The setting
of a literary work is the time and place in which it occurs, together with all the details used
to create a sense of a particular place. The mood is the feeling created in the reader by the
language of part or the whole of a literary work.
Part 1: Chart Setting
Complete the chart to record time and place details of setting in “The Watch.”
Details Creating a Sense of the Time
Details Creating a Sense of Place
Meeting the Standards
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Part 2: Analyze Setting and Mood
Answer the following questions to analyze the setting and mood of “The Watch.” Use
information from the chart on the previous page.
1. In what town and country is the episode set? Why is this significant to Wiesel?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the time when it occurs? Consider the significance of the date, the season, and the time
of day.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. How would you describe the mood of “The Watch”? How and when does it change?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. What details and aspects of language create this mood? Tell why you consider the mood
appropriate or inappropriate.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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5/15/09 1:51:30 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Watch, page 752
Selection Quiz
Short Answer
Write your answer to each of the following questions in the space provided.
1. What is the setting of “The Watch”?
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. When and why was the watch given to Elie Wiesel?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Why did the family bury its treasures?
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. In what condition does Elie find his watch?
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. What does he do with the watch he has dug up?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. The reaction of townspeople to the removal of their Jewish neighbors shows
A. fearful concern for their own lives.
C. fierce anger against the Nazi army.
B. apathy brought on by malnutrition.
D. callous indifference to their suffering.
_____ 7. The watch is important to Elie as a symbol of
A. his lost youth and family.
C. the healing nature of time.
B. the destructiveness and hate of Nazism. D. his father’s love for him.
_____ 8. The watch is most like an epilogue in that it
A. has stopped keeping time and
thus represents an ending.
B. is dirty, rusty, corroded,
and filled with worms.
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C. adds a note about his life after
the Holocaust events.
D. is the centerpiece of a dramatic
episode in his adult life.
AMERICAN TRADITION, UNIT 6
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, page 760
Build Vocabulary: Words in Context for Characterization
Words that suggest traits may be used in a story’s context to help reveal the personality of
one or more of its characters. For each excerpt, define the bold word. You may look in a
dictionary for definitions. Then write a short explanation telling how the word relates to
one or more of the story’s characters.
1. “She (Cornelia) was always being tactful and kind.” (page 762)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. “Cornelia was dutiful; that was the trouble with her.…‘So good and dutiful…that I’d like to
spank her.’” (page 762)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. “She believed she’d just plague Cornelia a little.” (page 763)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. “Wounded vanity, Ellen, said a sharp voice in the top of her mind. Don’t let your wounded
vanity get the upper hand of you.” (page 765)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. “Plenty of girls get jilted. You were jilted, weren’t you? Then stand up to it.” (page 765)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. “[T]he point lay in some absurd thing he would blurt out in the confessional showing his
struggles between native piety and original sin. Granny felt easy about her soul.” (page 766)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Meeting the Standards
© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:31 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, page 760
Analyze Literature: Characterization
Characterization is the act of creating or describing a character either directly, through
telling what the person is like, or indirectly, by showing the person in action, showing what
others say or think about the person, or describing physical and personality traits.
Explain what each excerpt 1–10 tells about Granny Weatherall’s character. Then write
an answer to the Writing Prompt.
1. “Leave a well woman alone. I’ll call for you when I want you.” (page 762)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. “Things were finished somehow when the time came: thank God there was always a little margin
over for peace: then a person could spread out the plan of life and tuck in the edges orderly.”
(page 762)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. “She wasn’t too old yet for Lydia to be driving eighty miles for advice when one of the children
jumped the track, and Jimmy still dropped in and talked things over.” (pages 763–764)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. “Lighting the lamps had been beautiful. The children huddled up to her and breathed like little
calves waiting at the bars in the twilight.” (page 764)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. “God, for all my life I thank Thee. Without Thee, my God, I could never have done it. Hail Mary,
full of grace.” (page 764)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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6. “Don’t let good things rot for want of using. You waste life when you waste good food. Don’t let
things get lost. It’s bitter to lose things.” (page 765)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. “That was hell, she knew hell when she saw it. For sixty years she had prayed against
remembering him and against losing her soul in the deep pit of hell, and now the two things were
mingled in one.…” (page 765)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. “I want you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him.” (page 766)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. “Granny felt easy about her soul.…She had her secret, comfortable understanding with a few
favorite saints who cleared a straight road to God for her.” (page 766)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. “I’m not going, Cornelia. I’m taken by surprise. I can’t go.” (page 768)
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Writing Prompt
Write several sentences summarizing the character traits of Granny Weatherall.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:32 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, page 760
Selection Quiz
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blank with the name from the box that best completes each sentence.
Cornelia
Doctor Harry
George
Jimmy
John
1. Granny is annoyed with ___________________________, whom she has known since he was a
boy.
2. Granny has been living with her daughter ___________________________, who seems too
dutiful and tactful.
3. Her son ___________________________ still seeks Granny out and asks advice.
4. When Granny was twenty, her fiancé ___________________________ did not show up for the
wedding.
5. Granny’s husband ___________________________ died when he was a young man.
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. After sixty years, Granny’s feeling about being jilted
A. remains a humiliation and disappointment.
B. has faded to amusement and relief.
C. is buried in her subconscious and she does not recall it.
D. has no significance to her because she knows she is dying.
_____ 7. Early in the story, Granny seems to be
A. out of touch with what is actually happening in Cornelia’s house.
B. living entirely in a fantasy world, reliving past events.
C. peaceful and content with her situation and prepared for death.
D. ill but rational enough to be irritated by the activity around her
_____ 8. To suggest the fading of Granny’s thought processes, Porter
A. uses no quotation marks or punctuation.
B. blends her memories in with conscious thoughts and speeches.
C. uses rich metaphors for death and regret.
D. uses a limited third-person point of view.
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5/15/09 1:51:33 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying, page 771
Build Vocabulary: Word Analysis
Derivatives are words that can be divided into component parts such as prefixes, roots, and
suffixes. Certain suffixes are used to create a specific part of speech. For example,
-ion can make a verb such as elect into a noun, election; -ous can make a noun such as
penury into an adjective, penurious.
Part 1: Add Affixes
For each word in a pair of words, change or add affixes to make a new word. Write the
new word and its part of speech. You may use a dictionary for help if necessary.
Word
1. perpetual (adj.)
Affix (es) to
Be Added
-ity
2. ubiquitous (adj.)
3. vindicate (v.)
-ion or -ition
4. juxtapose (v.)
5. remedy (n.)
ir- and -able
6. revoke (v.)
New Word
Part of Speech
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Part 2: Identify Meanings of Affixes
On the line, write the meaning of each affix.
7. -ity __________________________________________________________________________
8. -ion, -ition ____________________________________________________________________
9. ir- __________________________________________________________________________
10. -able ________________________________________________________________________
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© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:34 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying, page 771
Analyze Literature: Point of View
Point of view is the vantage point, or perspective, from which a story is told. This
perspective is determined by the narrator, who controls how much we see of the action and
what, if anything, we know about the thoughts and motivations of characters.
A first-person narrator is generally limited in what he or she can observe about other
characters and situations. A third-person narrator observes from outside the story and may
be limited (not have all the information necessary to understand a situation) or omniscient
(all knowing). Using third-person narration, writers may make the narrator more or less
limited in perspective, depending upon their writing plan.
Part 1: Identify Point of View
Complete the chart to identify and analyze the point of view of “A Rose for Emily” and
“Darl” from As I Lay Dying. In the chart, write the answer to each question for both of the
stories.
Aspects of Narrator
A Rose for Emily
Darl
from As I Lay Dying
1. Who tells the story? What do you
know about the narrator?
2. How is this person’s perspective
limited?
3. To whom is the narrator closest? Is
he or she objective?
4. Does the narrator ever change? If
so, how?
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Part 2: Tell About the Narrator
Answer the following questions about point of view in “A Rose for Emily” and “Darl.”
5. In what ways is the narrator of “A Rose for Emily” typical of the group he or she represents? In
what ways is the narrator unlike this group?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. Why do you think Faulkner chose this narrator for “A Rose for Emily? How would the story be
different if Emily or her servant told it?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. How does Faulkner distinguish between his narrators in “Darl”?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. What does the third-person narrator allow Faulkner to do in this novel?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. What does the first-person narrator allow Faulkner to do?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. Describe how point of view is manipulated in the novel As I Lay Dying, from which “Darl” was
taken.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. Why, in your opinion, did Faulkner vary point of view in this novel? That is, what did he gain by
using this method?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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© EMC Publishing, LLC
5/15/09 1:51:35 PM
Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying, page 771
Selection Quiz
Matching
Write the letter of the correct description on the line next to the matching character.
_____ 1. Jewel
A. Yankee construction foreman
_____ 2. Emily
B. transporting lumber as his mother dies
_____ 3. Colonel Sartoris
C. making a coffin for his mother
_____ 4. Homer Barron
D. daughter of dying woman
_____ 5. Dewey Dell
E. matriarch of a Mississippi farm family
_____ 6. Cash
F. last representative of southern aristocratic family
_____ 7. Addie Bundren
G. authoritarian southern mayor
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 8. Which of these events occurred first chronologically in “A Rose for Emily”?
A. Emily Grierson died.
C. Emily’s father died.
B. Homer Barron disappeared.
D. Emily vanquished the deputation
of aldermen.
_____ 9. For a period of six or seven years in her forties, Emily
A. was courted by Homer Barron.
C. was seen regularly about town.
B. gave china painting lessons.
D. lived beyond her means.
_____ 10. When Addie Bundsen dies, Pa
A. weeps inconsolably.
B. builds her coffin.
C. thinks of getting new teeth.
D. comforts his daughter.
_____ 11. Emily Grierson is most accurately described as
A. a curious and compassionate friend
C.
and neighbor.
B. a shy woman who loves deeply but
D.
cannot show it.
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a genteel southern woman thwarted
and isolated by her class.
an impoverished woman of the lower
class, doomed to isolation.
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Son, page 789
Build Vocabulary: Verbs and the Suffix -ion
The suffix -ion (which may also be represented through -tion, -sion, or -ation) means “the
state of being.” In many cases, it is added to a verb to make an abstract noun: suspend +
-sion = suspension; civilize + -ation = civilization. Spelling changes may occur in forming
these derivatives.
Part 1: Add Suffix -ion
Complete the equation for each word from “The Son.” Check your spelling using a dictionary, if
necessary.
1. miscalculate
+
-ion
=
___________________________
2. ___________________________
+
ion
=
hallucination
3. ___________________________
+
-ion
=
detonation
4. saturate
+
-ion
=
___________________________
5. concentrate
+
-ion
=
___________________________
Part 2: Content Sentences
Write a sentence for each word you added to an equation in items 1–5. Use the word in a
context that suggests its meaning.
6. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Son, page 789
Analyze Literature: Plot Structure
The plot of a story consists of events that revolve around a conflict. Exposition provides
background information about characters, setting, and conflict. Rising action sets up the
conflict that the main character must resolve and increases the conflict through suspense
or complications to the high point of interest, the climax. At this point, the main character
takes a critical step or reaches an understanding. The falling action follows, including
events that lead to the resolution or ending of the central conflict.
Identify the story segment or events that make up each part of the plot in “The Son.”
Exposition
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Rising action
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Climax
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Falling action
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Resolution
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
The Son, page 789
Selection Quiz
Short Answer
Write your answer to each of the following questions in the space provided.
1. Where is the man’s son going as the story begins?
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Where is the man’s wife?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the boy have with him? ________________________________________________
4. When does the boy promise to be back? ____________________________________________
5. What happens to the boy? _______________________________________________________
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 6. The boy, his father, and his friend share
A. supper every night.
B. a secret hunting area.
C. a secret about the boy’s mother.
D. a love of hunting.
_____ 7. The father has been troubled for some time by
A. a bad heart.
B. hallucinations.
C. grief.
D. overdue bills.
_____ 8. The father becomes very worried when
A. he hears a shot in the woods.
B. he finds blood in the forest.
C. his son does not return at noon.
D. he sees his son with his shotgun.
_____ 9. The father suspects that his son may have
A. lost track of time while he was hunting.
B. run away with his friend Juan.
C. been attacked by wild dogs.
D. had an accident.
_____ 10. What is ironic about the father’s final vision?
A. In it, the son is very young again.
B. It is horrifying but untrue.
C. It brings him false happiness.
D. He sees his son as a grown man.
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Worn Path, page 794
Build Vocabulary: Meaning from Context
The context of a word is the language around it which gives clues to its meaning. Locate
each word in the story and use context to help you match the word with the correct
meaning. Write the letter of the correct meaning on the line.
Part 1: Choose Definitions
Write the letter of the correct definition on the line next to the matching word.
_____ 1. solemn (page 800)
A. not easily remedied, subdued, or removed
_____ 2. ceremonial (page 800)
B. serious; somber
_____ 3. limber (page 796)
C. marked by or conducive to reflection or contemplation
_____ 4. lolling (page 798)
D. a body suspended from a fixed point to swing freely
_____ 5. meditative (page 796)
E. shaking with a slight trembling motion
_____ 6. obstinate (page 801)
F. supple, having great flexibility
_____ 7. pendulum (page 795)
G. to awaken; to stir up
_____ 8. pullets (page 797)
H. young hens, less than a year old
_____ 9. quivering (page 796)
_____ 10. ravine (page 798)
_____ 11. rouse (page 796)
I. small narrow steep-sided valley worn by running
water
J. hanging loosely or laxly
K. marked by formality and careful attention to detail
required by custom
Part 2: Write Context Sentences
Choose two words from Part 1. Write a sentence using each of them in context. Underline
the context clue(s).
12. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
13. _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Worn Path, page 794
Analyze Literature: Symbols
A symbol is anything that stands for or represents both itself and something else. Writers
use symbols to suggest or embody qualities or ideas. The meanings embodied by symbols
may be universal or merely suggested by the way in which they are used in a literary
work. Symbols can help a writer reinforce themes. For example, a journey represents
one’s path through life. Phoenix’s brave and compassionate quest, her staying power and
resilience, are important themes of “A Worn Path.” The symbol of journey reinforces and is
reinforced through the idea of perseverance and loving responsibility.
Explain how the following objects and people in the story act as symbols to reinforce
the theme.
1. the name Phoenix ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. a buzzard and black crows _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. the scarecrow _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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4. the spring (and drinking from the spring) ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. the hunter ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. nickels _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. the town and townspeople _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. the paper windmill _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
A Worn Path, page 794
Selection Quiz
True or False
Write T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Phoenix Jackson is walking to Natchez, Mississippi.
_____ 2. Phoenix is raggedly dressed and her clothing is dirty.
_____ 3. She eats a piece of marble cake while she rests to regain energy.
_____ 4. She dances with a scarecrow in a barren field.
_____ 5. She meets her grandson, who is hunting for quail.
_____ 6. Phoenix steals a nickel from a hunter and from a nurse.
_____ 7. She asks a white woman to tie her shoes for her.
_____ 8. Phoenix is given a bottle of medicine for her grandson.
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 9. The principal weapons with which Phoenix overcomes obstacles are
A. a cane, a gun, and her wits.
C. cleverness, resourcefulness, and courage.
B. trickery, wisdom, and strength.
D. faith, compassion, and unselfishness.
_____ 10. Phoenix does not reply to the nurse at first because
A. she has a memory lapse.
C. she resents the nurse’s condescension.
B. she does not hear the questions.
D. she falls asleep after her journey.
_____ 11. The name Phoenix has symbolic significance in that it represents
A. forests and their mythical and
C. the love and devotion of a grandmother’s
natural powers.
love for her injured grandson.
B. determination to overcome the
D. an old woman’s power to keep
uniquely southern trials of racism.
rising up from life’s trials.
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Portrait of a Girl in Glass, page 808
Build Vocabulary: Denotation and Connotation
The denotation of a word is its objective meaning as found in a dictionary. The connotation
of a word is the emotional association or implication it has; this meaning is subjective
and often personal. Writers choose words both for their precise denotations and for their
connotations. For example, Williams describes a dog as vicious, a word which has negative
associations. A synonym such as fierce would fail to arouse dislike for the dog in quite the
same way and would lack the associations of noxious behavior.
Part 1: Identify Denotation and Connotation
Locate each word from the story on the indicated page. Read the word in its context. Then
write the word’s denotation and connotation on the lines provided.
Denotation
Connotation
1. strident (page 809)
2. fiasco (page 809)
3. contrived (page 809)
4. stringent (page 812)
5. plumage (page 813)
6. sanctuary (page 813)
Part 2: Identify Words with Positive or Negative Connotations
Write each word from Part 1 in a column below to identify its connotations as positive or
negative. Then write a synonym with contrasting connotations in the opposite column.
Positive
Negative
7. ____________________________
____________________________
8. ____________________________
____________________________
9. ____________________________
____________________________
10. ____________________________
____________________________
11. ____________________________
____________________________
12. ____________________________
____________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Portrait of a Girl in Glass, page 808
Analyze Literature: Theme
A literary work explores at least one central message or perception about life through
its plot and details. This is called a theme. While the theme is an abstract idea, it is made
concrete because the characters, their actions, and the images and description in the story
represent it.
In the charts, list details of character, action, and imagery or description that add to
each of the following themes in “A Portrait of a Girl in Glass.”
Theme 1: Most people have difficulty accepting reality and instead turn to illusion for comfort.
Characters
Action
Imagery/Description
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Theme 2: Attempts to escape from a difficult situation or life lead not to freedom
but to psychological imprisonment.
Characters
Action
Imagery/Description
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Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Portrait of a Girl in Glass, page 808
Selection Quiz
Matching
Write the letter of the correct character on the line next to the matching quotation. You
will use some characters more than once.
_____ 1. “Do stars have five points really?”
A. Laura
_____ 2. “Hey, Slim, let’s go have a look at those old records in there!”
B. Jim
_____ 3. “Oh—you have freckles!”
C. Tom
_____ 4. “Well how did I know that he was engaged to be married?”
D. Mom
_____ 5. “People in love take everything for granted.”
_____ 6. “I suppose he’s Catholic?”
_____ 7. “Tom didn’t mention that you went out with a girl!”
_____ 8. “It scared me too much, it made me sick at the stomach!”
Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line.
_____ 9. Laura’s mother is furious when she discovers that
A. Tom has invited a man to supper to meet Laura.
B. Laura has not been attending business college.
C. Laura has broken her favorite glass ornament.
D. Laura spends most of her time in her room.
_____ 10. The symbol for Laura’s delicacy and unique, peculiar personality is
A. a collection of records left by Father.
B. the monotonous warehouse job.
C. the menagerie of glass animals.
D. the novel Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter.
_____ 11. Tom regards his sister as
A. being foolish and mentally challenged.
B. being too mentally and physically delicate to function in the real world.
C. a shy but bright young woman who will make someone a good wife.
D. a delicate flower that he will always defend and protect.
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Answer Key
Depression and World War II Study Guide
for Ohio
Historical Context
1. American literature; 2. American history; 3. World history; 4. 1929–1934; 5. 1935–1939;
6. 1940–1944; 7. 1945
1932
1933
1939
1941
1945
Pearl Buck wins Pulitzer Prize for The Good Earth; Caraway becomes first woman
elected to Congress; Dust Bowl begins; neutron discovered (understanding leads to
atomic bomb); Nazi party gains majority; concentration camps established in Germany
Newsweek introduced to American public; The Disinherited published; Roosevelt
introduces the New Deal; Prohibition ends; Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany;
Soviet Party begins purge—killing or expelling people
Steinbeck publishes The Grapes of Wrath; Baseball Hall of Fame is established; England
and France declare war on Germany; Hitler and Stalin make nonaggression pact
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s last novel The Last Tycoon published posthumously; Citizen Kane
premieres; Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; the United States enters the war; Hitler invades
Russia
Black Boy; Little Friend, Little Friend; A Street in Bronzeville; Cannery Row published;
Atomic bombs dropped on Japan; Roosevelt dies and Truman takes office; Mussolini
killed; Hitler commits suicide; Yalta Conference; Allied plans for postwar Europe; Japan
surrenders; United Nations is formed
5. The Dust Bowl led to social conditions captured by Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath; the
Nazi party’s ascendancy led to World War II. 6. While the Nazi party took power that would
lead to conquest and war; science cracked the secret of the atom, which would lead to the atomic
bomb and the end of war. 7. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into the
war. National attention turned to patriotic sacrifice, and the economy was energized by wartime
production. 8. Novels and poetry that explored and exposed the tragedies of racism, poverty,
and war came flowing out of the jarring experiences of World War II. As the war ended, with
its horrendous toll of death and destruction, and the United Nations had a hopeful beginning,
literature voiced its outrage at atrocity and human suffering.
Possible answers:
A 1. Faulty credit practices, a global economic downturn, overproduction, and unequal
distribution of income led to the Depression.
2. Massive unemployment, widespread hunger and unemployment, and the failure of many
farms traumatized the nation.
3. The voluntary assistance Hoover counted on did not materialize, and his military response
to protesting veterans assured alienation of Americans. 4. Many blamed unbridled capitalism for the nation’s woes, and revolution seemed possible.
B 1. Roosevelt is swept into office on a pledge to give relief, public works, and financial
regulation.
2. Roosevelt culled banks to save the strong and created many agencies to create jobs and
ensure basic that needs would be met.
3. Economic woes continued in the United States, Europe, and South America, and unrest
and political instability grew.
4. Conflicts over economic hardship allowed ultranationalist leaders such as Hitler and
Mussolini to take power.
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C 1. Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis powers and began invading other nations.
2. Appeasement failed, and England and France declared war; Hitler’s blitzkrieg toppled
France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway.
3. The United States remained neutral and hoped to stay out of war.
4. Roosevelt devised a program to get war supplies to England; Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
D 1. Allied forces drove German forces out of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy while Germany
invaded the Soviet Union.
2. U.S. industry thrived, and women entered the work force and military in force; many
Japanese Americans were imprisoned unjustly.
3. In the Pacific, the U.S. strategy of island hopping was successful; Allied forces enjoyed
significant victories in Europe.
4. Germany surrendered in May 1945 and Japan in August 1945.
5. Atrocities of the Holocaust became public knowledge; moral questions were raised by
firebombing, the use of the atomic bomb, and other issues.
Understanding Part 1: Hard Times
1. People sought to escape from hardships brought by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
2. intimate radio chats by President Roosevelt to communicate with and raise the spirits of the
American public; 3. Writers dealt with grim realities of rural and urban life. 4. Jack Conroy,
The Disinherited; 5. John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath; 6. the horrors experienced in World
War II; 7. Randall Jarrell; 8. poetry; 9. Norman Mailer; 10. plays and novels; 11. John Hersey;
12. journalism; 13. John Heller; 14. novels; 15. Kurt Vonnegut; 16. novels; 17. Eli Weisel, Night;
Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank; 18. The authors were young and appealing, yet they
suffered. They reported atrocities they had witnessed with youthful candor; Anne Frank died
tragically.
Applying Part 1: Hard Times
From Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: to inform about the hardships and dignity of
sharecroppers; close observation of Alabama tenant farmers; From The Grapes of Wrath: to
chronicle the hardships and spirit of poor farmers losing everything to the Dust Bowl; Dust
Bowl and great migration to California; “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”: to ask Congress
to declare war on Japan and to prepare the American people for war; Japan’s attack on Pearl
Harbor; “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner”: to expose the indifference of the military to
the deaths of soldiers; Jarrell’s work in the air force; “A Noiseless Flash” from Hiroshima: to
describe the effects of the atomic bomb on survivors; the American attack on Hiroshima; “The
Watch”: to express sorrow and anger at the loss of family and home; the Holocaust; 1. Possible
answer: It found dignity and beauty in the lives of the Gudger family; it revealed how difficult
their life was and how much they lacked. 2. Possible answer: Millions of people lost their homes
or farms during the Depression. The migration of dirt farmers to California caused social
unrest and economic hardship. 3. He assures the American people that their determination
will permit them to triumph and prevent such atrocities in the future. The population had to
pull together and work hard to create the military that could win. 4. Alike: Both are horrified at
the destructive power of war and its capacity to reduce institutions and individuals to nothing.
Different: “The Watch” is a personal narrative that searches for meaning and mourns a loss; “A
Noiseless Flash” is journalistic and objective.
Understanding Part 2: Southern Renaissance
1. a. stock characters such as the submissive slave, the charming belle; b. the idealization of
antebellum culture; c. the minimization of poor treatment of slaves; d. the celebration of
southern plantation lifestyle and values; 2. a. the view of slavery as a horrible affliction; b. the
show of beauty and grace of southern culture despite its cruelty; c. the depiction of a disgraced
Confederacy in epic terms; 3. William Faulkner; 4. Flannery O’Connor; 5. Tennessee Williams;
6. Katherine Anne Porter; 7. fiction set in modern South but employing grotesque and violent
characters to show dark side of South; 8. Possible answer: Their realism and the human truths
they portrayed appealed to a population emerging from a grim depression and horrific war.
While the works might be “regional” in setting, they were universal in the values they revealed.
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Applying Part 2: Southern Renaissance
1. Possible answer: The protagonist is shown to have been a strong, independent woman who
raised a family as a widow; death is shown to be a disappointment similar to being rejected by
a suitor, because God does not reveal himself to the dying woman as she wishes. 2. Possible
answer: Racism is mentioned in the reference to a code about black women having to wear
aprons; Emily’s life is a testament to the destructive power of the culture that put women on
a pedestal and refused to let them work. A traditional view would have glorified Miss Emily’s
life as a belle and made black servants seem happy. 3. Possible answer: Phoenix is resilient,
courageous, persistent, self-aware, and filled with love and determination, suggesting that Welty
admires her mightily and sympathizes with her plight. 4. Phoenix Jackson triumphs over every
impediment and danger; she is lovingly painted; Welty asserts the value and commendability of
this poor black woman’s life. 5. Faulkner focused on the human response to the threat of nuclear
holocaust and the end of life on earth. His concerns are for the human race, not the South or
whites, and he believes that “mankind will prevail.”
Understanding Literary Forms: The Short Story
1. plot development; 2. authentic characters; 3. theme; 4. The short story has a narrower focus.
5. The short story has fewer characters. 6. The short story has quick development of setting
and resolution. 7. The time and place in which a story occurs; it creates a sense of place and
history. 8. the emotional atmosphere of a literary work; 9. Possible answer: description of
scene, dialogue, figurative language; 10. the character or speaker telling the story; the narrator
determines the perspective from which the story is told and limits what we know of the action
and inner lives of other characters; 11. First-person narrator: a character in the story; reports
only what he or she can see directly. Third-person limited: an outside observer who has
only partial information; does not fully understand a situation, may know thoughts of only
one character; Third-person omniscient: outside observer who knows everything about the
characters and plot; full range of understanding; 12. Stream of consciousness writing presents
the inner workings of a character’s mind. A narrator must enter the person’s mind, so that
point of view may vary from omniscient (with regard to one character) to limited (with regard
to other characters). 13. Characterization is the act of creating or describing a character; direct
characterization tells what a character is like; indirect characterization involves showing
what a character is like through other means; 14. tell what a character is like; 15. report what
the character says and does; 16. report what others say about the character; 17. describe
the character’s physical features, dress, and personality; 18. exposition: background about
characters, setting, and conflict; prepares for action; 19. rising action: plot events detailing and
complicating conflict; 20. climax: high point of interest or suspense; turning point of the action;
character takes critical step; 21. falling action: all events following climax; “unwinding” of the
story; 22. resolution: point when the central conflict ends; 23. the central message or perception
about life revealed through a literary work; 24. a stated theme is presented directly; an implied
theme must be inferred
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Applying Literary Forms: The Short Story
1. “A Rose for Emily”: a nameless town in Mississippi early in the twentieth century;
impoverished southern aristocracy poses problems for a culture in transition; “A Worn Path”:
a rural area and the city of Natchez, Mississippi, probably in the 1920s or 1930s; poverty and
racism of the South; “Portrait of a Girl in Glass”: St. Louis in the 1930s, a dreary and dark
apartment; delicate girl with few resources for dealing with reality retreats in an environment
that limits her; 2. Possible answer: It is rainy and muddy for the boys who are struggling to haul
lumber, and they are miserable; Addie is gaunt, distressed that Jewel is not there to say goodbye
to her; Dewey Dell cries out and throws herself on the bed when her mother dies. 3. “The Son”:
third-person narrator who knows the father’s thoughts and feelings; omniscient with regard
to the father but not the son; “A Rose for Emily”: a townsperson and a spokesperson for the
town (uses we instead of I) tells the story; as old as Emily because the narrator was present for
the events of her life; third-person limited narration observing all characters from without; “A
Worn Path”: third-person narrator follows Phoenix closely from outside the story but does
not know her thoughts; 4. Possible answer: Emily Grierson is an impoverished old “southern
belle” whose family formerly had wealth and prestige in southern society; her imperious sense
of entitlement is balanced by her loneliness and isolation, so that she becomes larger than life,
more a symbol of the South’s ruined past than a human being. However, her insanity becomes
clear when we learn she has murdered her gentleman caller to keep him. 5. Exposition: describes
apartment setting, introduces narrator Tom, sister Laura, and Mother and hints at their
personalities and flaws; suggests conflict—Laura unable to move into the world, is strange and
innocent, lost in world of glass figures and fiction; Rising action: Laura stops going to business
school, wanders the streets, gets sick, and her Mother finds out she has quit. Laura stays home
in her bedroom and Mother convinces Tom to invite a friend from work for dinner. Jim accepts
and comes to dinner; after an awkward dinner, Jim and Laura dance and laugh. Climax: Jim
mentions Betty, and Mother questions him until he admits he is engaged. Falling action: Jim
leaves; Mother berates Tom for not knowing Jim was not eligible; Laura slips into her room.
Resolution: Tom loses his job and leaves home to wander the country, occasionally recalling his
sister fondly. 6. “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”: Ellen Weatherall; acceptance of death and
being jilted at twenty; “The Son”: the boy’s father; overcoming fear that son has been killed; “A
Worn Path”: Phoenix Jackson; enduring the trials and exhaustion of the long trip to Natchez;
7. Possible answers; a. The old antebellum social distinctions are ugly and restrictive for women
and African Americans, but they die hard. b. Selfless love gives life purpose that transcends
physical difficulties and beats back death. c. Some people lack the self-interest and toughness to
make a success in the world. d. At life’s end, the satisfactions of a life well lived fall away and one
is left to accept the reality of death.
Ohio–Based Practice Test
1. D; 2. C; 3. B; 4. A; 5. B; 6. A; 7. C; 8. D; 9. D; 10. A; 11. B; 12. A
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from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
Build Vocabulary: Context
Possible answers: 1. valve of a sea creature, free width of ocean; Predicted meaning: describing
something tiny within something vast; Dictionary definition: immeasurably small; 2. successive
rows, regularly, erratism against; Predicted meaning: evenness in appearance; Dictionary
definition: balanced proportions; 3. strictness yet, not in perfect order; Predicted meaning:
sloppiness; Dictionary definition: disorder, disarray; 4. trim, any form of relief; Predicted
meaning: decoration; Dictionary definition: something serving to ornament or decorate; 5. all
these almost perfect symmetries have their full strength, every aspect and placement…comes
inevitably and purely through; Predicted meaning: pleasing qualities; Dictionary definition: a
philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste OR a pleasing appearance or effect
Build Background: Sharecropping
Presentations will vary. Students should have adequate, clearly organized notes and speak
clearly and effectively in their presentations.
Analyze Literature: Style
Possible answers: Sentence structure: complex, intricate; sometimes uses fragments; many lists
of phrases following colons; many participial phrases and clauses inserted to describe minutely;
Examples: It is of short hand-hewn boards so thick and broad, they are shingles only of a most
antique sort: crosswise upon rigid beams, laths have been nailed, not far apart, and upon these
laths, in successive rows of dozens and of hundreds, and here again, etc. Sentence length:
most extremely long, numerous parts joined by semicolons and colons; example, see Sentence
structure; Word choice—Nouns: mixes the concrete with the abstract, the simple and everyday
with the philosophical and aesthetic; Examples: porch, hall, walls, roof, nail-head, effigy, apathy,
beauty, heaven, dishevelment, embellishment, love, patience, skill, horizontalities; Verbs: many
be verbs and passive constructions, suitable for an observer; frequent use of verbals—verbs as
descriptors; active verbs tend to be strong but general; Examples: stands, touch, makes, created;
nailed together of boards on beams; warping loose in another place; caught into one squared,
angled, and curled music; Modifiers: lyrical, intellectual, much used, Examples: infinitesimal,
profligate, knife-edged, irregular, hand-hewn, wavelike, melodiously, cheapest, half-skilled,
naïve, massive; Paragraph: Students’ answers will vary.
Selection Quiz
1. a sharecropping family, the Gudgers; 2. the sun and weather; 3. the cheapest pine that could
be found; 4. a bird’s plumage; 5. The work is flawed, simple, and unadorned. 6. B; 7. A; 8. C
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from The Grapes of Wrath / The Chrysanthemums
Build Vocabulary: Homonyms
Possible answers: 1. a. a cultivating implement set with disks for smoothing the soil; b. to
torment or vex; to plunder; c. Possible answer: The dust storms harrowed the poor farmers,
who watched their crops blow away. 2. a. a reddish brown horse; b. a main compartment of
a structure or building; c. Possible answer: The dog had to travel in the plane’s cargo bay,
which was terribly cold. 3. a. the worthless or useless part of something; trash; b. to express
unwillingness to accept; c. The farm women would refuse to leave behind a few items that
had deep meaning for them. 4. a. to pile up in cords or make look like cords; b. a long, slender
strand made of interwoven strands OR a ribbed fabric (usually plural); c. Possible answer: The
package was tied up with strong cord. / She considered cords an indispensable part of anyone’s
wardrobe.
Build Background: The Dust Bowl
Students’ time lines should include accurate information that adequately covers the important
events of the 1930s, including weather phenomena, government responses, and demographic
and economic effects.
Analyze Literature: Character
Possible answers: Ma Joad—1. a thin frame with stringy muscles; her arm muscles “corded out”
when she scrubbed the clothes in the tub; 2. physical strength; “strong freckled arms”;
3. anxious; dialogue—“I hope things is all right in California.”; 4. fearful; dialogue—“I’m
scared of stuff so nice. I ain’t got faith.” 5. narrow perspective—makes judgments based on
one advertisement and what others tell her; Elisa Allen—1. strong and energetic; “Her face was
lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water.” “The chrysanthemum stems seemed too
small and easy for her energy.” 2. pretty: “the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness”;
3. assured, self-confident: “I’ve a gift with things, all right.” 4. aggressive: “Her terrier fingers
destroyed such pests.” “I could show you what a woman might do.” 5. longing for adventure:
“I wish women could do such things.” “Do any women ever go to the fights?” Students should
write at least one paragraph of analysis, including a strong topic sentence, mentioning at least
three character traits, and listing story examples to illustrate them.
Selection Quiz
1. B; 2. D; 3. A; 4. E; 5. C; 6. the agricultural valley of California; 7. a yellow handbill advertising
for migrant workers; 8. a matched team of bay horses; 9. the fights; 10. raise chrysanthemums.
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A Date Which Will Live in Infamy / from No Ordinary Time
Build Vocabulary: Base Words and Derivatives
1. solicitation; The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan,
was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance
of peace in the Pacific. 2. unbounding; With confidence in our armed forces—with the
unbounding determination of our people—we will gain the inevitable triumph.… 3. offensive;
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.
4. negotiations; while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic
negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack. 5. premeditated; No matter
how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their
righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
Analyze Literature: Argument
Possible answers: Roosevelt’s Main Purpose: to convince Congress to declare war on Japan and
justify the war to the American people; A Second Purpose: to give resolve and confidence to
the American people; Roosevelt’s Arguments: 1. The attack was evil and disgraceful because
it was unprovoked and covered by false representations by the government of Japan. 2. The
attack was not isolated but part of a carefully planned offensive involving the entire Pacific
area. 3. The attack cost the nation many lives, ships, and planes; by implication, such an attack
proves that Japan wants to attack our mainland as well; 4. Repetition of Japanese forces attacked
emphasizes the fierceness and comprehensiveness of the attacks, with chilling effect; 5. suddenly
and deliberately attacked emphasizes the aggressive, premeditated nature of the attack, thus
characterizing the Japanese as a cold and ruthless enemy; 6. deliberately planned many days
or even weeks ago adds to the despicable and treacherous nature of the attack by showing the
Japanese diplomats had been lying for a long time while their military plotted to kill the very
people to whom they spoke of peace; 7. this form of treachery suggests that this attack went
beyond the limits of aggression expected even in wartime
Selection Quiz
1. T; 2. T; 3. F; 4. F; 5. F; 6. C; 7. B; 8. A; 9. C
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The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner / World War II
Recruitment Posters
Build Background: Working Women
Students’ visuals should include accurate data that can be backed up by notes and a grasp of
the trends in women in the workplace in the second half of the twentieth century. Also evaluate
students’ explanations for clarity and accuracy.
Analyze Literature: Connotations and Theme
Possible answers: 1. Mother’s sleep connotes both rest and a feeling that is protective and tender;
there is a suggestion, however, that the “Mother’s” unguarded state permitted her child to be
lost to the State. 2. Hunched connotes not only a posture of fear and defeat, as of a cowering
animal, but also a suggestion of disfigurement or maiming. 3. Belly connotes animal needs and
suggests a focus on strictly physical aspects of life (an army travels on its “belly”). 4. Wet fur
connotes animal aggression, instinctive behavior, and a devaluing of human life (the gunner
thinks of himself as an animal with wet fur). 5. Nightmare connotes fear, irrationality, and
inability to rest; used to describe the fighter planes six miles above the earth, it also suggests the
unreal quality of the fight. 6. Washed me out…with a hose connotes casual, utilitarian disposal
of what should be precious; it is intended to horrify because it is cold and matter-of-fact.
7. He leaves home and is drafted into or joins the Army Air Corps; he finds himself manning
machine guns in close quarters in a B-17 or a B-24 bomber. His disorientation and discomfort
are suggested by the ideas of “falling” from sleep, being “hunched” in a small space, and having
frozen “wet fur.” 8. Earth is described as having a “dream of life”; but the ball turret gunner is
six miles above earth, where it is freezing and dark, immersed in the nightmare of antiaircraft
fire. This is a reversal, because we usually think of life on earth as “real” and being suspended in
space as dreamlike and unreal. 9. The ball turret is unlike a womb because it neither nourishes
nor protects the gunner; The gunner is being compared to a fetus, which should be brought
to life but is instead killed. 10. The plainness of the language and its plain-spoken style are
powerful and chilling because they reveal the horrific nature of war and the indifference of the
military. 11. War is the nasty and brutal business of governments and military organizations
that are indifferent to the suffering and death of individuals. Jarrell never flinches in his
unblinking assessment of “the State” that squeezes the gunner into a tiny space, lets him freeze,
and is unperturbed by his death.
Selection Quiz
1. a plexiglass sphere in the belly of a B17 or B-24 plane used as a machine-gun station; 2. in the
turret six miles above the earth; 3. It is a practical but indifferent action. 4. to recruit women to
work in war production plants; 5. WAC or Women’s Army Corps; 6. D; 7. A; 8. D
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A Noiseless Flash, from Hiroshima
Build Vocabulary: Greek and Latin Roots
1. L vivere, “to live”; 2. Gk hēdonē, “pleasure”; 3. L incendium, “conflagration”; 4. Gk phil-, love;
anthrōpos, human being; 5. L pugnere, “to fight”; 6. Gk the-, “God”; logos, “word” “thought”;
7. Gk, xeno-, “stranger”; -phobos, “fearing” (NOTE: where two parts are shown, the dictionary
actually calls these “combining forms”; they may not be, strictly speaking, roots, but for
practical purposes they are.) Possible answers: 8. Convivial describes events such as feasting and
drinking in good company. These contribute to a good life, and vivere means life. 9. Hēdonē
means pleasure; someone who could be described as hedonistic is always seeking pleasure.
10. Incendium means conflagration, or a big, disastrous fire. Something incendiary causes
such a fire but also adds the dimension that it was done deliberately. 11. Phil- means love and
anthrōpos means human being; philanthropy combines these, demonstrating the love of people
by giving gifts to help others in need. 12. The- is Greek for “God” and logos is Greek for “word”
or “thought”; theology refers to the study of (thoughts about) God’s word. 13. Pugnere is a Latin
verb meaning “to fight”; it suggests hostility, and what is repugnant, or distasteful, fights or
causes inner conflict. 14. Xeno- is Greek for “stranger” and phobos means “fearing”; someone
who is xenophobic is afraid of strange or foreign people.
Analyze Literature: Purpose and Structure
Possible answers: 1. small, cautious, exhausted; Methodist minister, concerned to show loyalty;
moving household furnishings; sheet of light traveling east to west; 2. obedient, needs direction,
compassionate; widow concerned for small children; cooking rice for children; brilliant white
flash; 3. prosperous, pleasure-loving, idle; physician of own hospital; reading newspaper;
brilliant yellow flash; 4. German, uneasy, suffering diarrhea; priest, worried about Japanese
dislike of foreigners; reading religious magazine; like meteor collision; 5. young, untried,
nervous, dutiful; surgeon for Red Cross fearful of being caught for treating without license;
lab testing for illness; gigantic photograph flash; 6. young, overworked; clerk at East Asia Tin
Works, concerned with all she must do for family and work; sitting at desk; blinding light;
7. He wanted to recreate the morning and the event when the first atomic bomb exploded,
making readers experience the trauma with the Japanese people. 8. He describes and follows
the morning activities of six people who would survive the blast (and whom he would interview
after the fact). 9. He probably chose as wide a spectrum of ages, situations, and occupations as
possible to show a cross-section of Hiroshima. 10. Hersey introduces his six subjects briefly
and ties them together as survivors of a horrific and unique experience. Then he narrates each
person’s experience of the blast, beginning with normal morning activities and concerns, and
then describing how the person perceived and experienced the blast. To give readers a reference
point that accounts for differing perceptions, he tells exactly how far each one was from the
blast.
Selection Quiz
1. C; 2. B; 3. E; 4. D; 5. F; 6. A; 7. B; 8. C; 9. D; 10. B
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The Watch
Build Vocabulary: Using Context
Possible answers: 1. the murder of people because of their religion or race; 2. catastrophic
event in which massive numbers of people die or are murdered; 3. not noticing; immune to;
4. tiredness, exhaustion; 5. an ancient object, found after long absence, which has cultural or
religious significance; 6. deep or bottomless; overwhelming; 7. old and no longer appropriate;
8. comfort (someone who is grieving or sorrowing) as by holding and soothing; 9. afterword or
summarizing ending; 10. feeling of regret and sorrow for something done
Analyze Literature: Setting and Mood
Details of Time: statement (April, 1944 for the removal), early morning (dark), middle of
the night darkness (for the return 20 years later), frozen soil, cold hands; Details of Place:
statement (Hungary, Sighet, for the removal), courtyard, garden, barn, and shed; same barn,
fence, tree (for the return 20 years later), frozen soil in the garden; fear of being arrested or
killed; Possible answers: 1. Sighet, Romania (or Hungary); this is the place where he was born
and raised and the location of the home his family was forced to abandon twenty years earlier.
2. It takes place in the winter (or perhaps early spring) of 1964, twenty years after his family was
removed to concentration camps. It is cold, as it was when they had to bury their valuables; it
is in the early morning before dawn, as it was for his family. 3. The overall mood is painfully
nostalgic for a lost youth and heritage; the author’s feelings change rapidly as he looks for and
finds his watch from frantic and obsessed (as he digs) to disgusted and angry (when he sees
its ruinous condition) and again to pity and gratitude (as he comes to see it as a survivor).
At the end, his mood is pensive and sad. 4. Details such as feverish digging, darkness and
cold, shivering; kissing and consoling; and words such as obsession, delirious, revolting, pity,
gratitude, remorse, kneeling, usurpers, robbed, chanting help create the overall mood, which is
appropriate considering the enormity of Wiesel’s loss.
Selection Quiz
1. Sighet, Romania (or Hungary), in the garden of Wiesel’s old home in 1944 and 1964; 2. at
his bar mitzvah as a symbol of his initiation into Judaism and the accompanying duties; 3. to
preserve them in their absence, assuming they would return; 4. rusted, corroded, and full of
worms; 5. he returns it to its hiding place in the garden; 6. D; 7. A; 8. C
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The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
Build Vocabulary: Words in Context for Characterization
1. tactful: able to speak or act without offending others; Cornelia walks on eggshells to say things
in a way that will not set off her mother; Granny finds it irritating, preferring that people be
direct. 2. dutiful: careful to fulfill obligations; Cornelia is solicitous of her mother and careful
with her, which Granny finds annoying because she wants her independence, not someone
hanging over her. 3. plague: to annoy; to pester; Granny decides she will annoy Cornelia a little,
a sly way of getting back at her daughter; in turn, Granny considers that all the attentions of
Cornelia, the doctor, and the priest are plaguing her today. 4. vanity: excessive pride, especially
about appearances; Granny chides her former self not to take it to heart that she was jilted; this
fits with her no-nonsense, direct approach to life; however, she is somewhat vain about her
capability and independence in raising her children, keeping up a farm and a home alone.
5. jilted: dropped or rejected as a sweetheart; Granny was jilted, the defining moment of her
adult life, which brought hellish humiliation and made her determined to live her life fully
and well to spite the man who spurned her; it is the apparent abandonment of God in her final
moments that embitters her dying moments and which she cannot forgive. 6. piety: religious
devoutness; goodness; Granny uses the word to refer to a simple man whom the priest is
mocking gently, but her ease about her soul suggests that she feels she has piety and is satisfied
with her spiritual life.
Analyze Literature: Characterization
Possible answers: 1. shows she is feisty, proud, and upset by losing control over her own life;
2. shows she is not a worrier and capable of doing what is required of her; also shows that
she likes to think of her things and her life as neatly organized and orderly; 3. shows pride
(justifiable) in her common sense and problem-solving abilities; may possibly show that she
exerted excessive control over children, who remain dependent; 4. shows recognition of the
beauty and poetry of life’s simple moments, tenderness for young children, and appreciation
for moments of shared love and warmth; 5. shows sincere devoutness and humility, giving
credit to God for her being able to make it as a single parent; 6. shows tendency to be preachy
and a practical nature; suggests her bitterness over the loss of her first love; 7. shows that her
“forgetting” of being jilted by George was an act of will, that the memory has returned stronger
than ever and just as painful, that it will at the end of life be the defining experience; 8. shows she
is still hurt by the insult from George and wants to beat that back, “get even” and turn the tables
before she dies; 9. shows her perception of herself as devout and pious; suggests complacency;
10. shows stubborn spirit and dislike of losing control; Possible answer: All her married life,
Granny has been a strong and capable wife and mother who valued her husband, loved her
children, and shouldered every responsibility when her husband died. Her devout faith and her
indomitable spirit allowed her to prevail, though her life was difficult. Now eighty and failing,
she is out of sorts with the daughter who is caring for her. The love and respect of her children
shows her goodness to them. Proud and complacent about her accomplishments, Granny
is shaken by the memory of being jilted at twenty and forced to realize that humiliation still
rankles. The personal insult when God does not reveal himself to her makes her death bitter.
Selection Quiz
1. Doctor Harry; 2. Cornelia; 3. Jimmy; 4. George; 5. John; 6. A; 7. D; 8. B
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A Rose for Emily / Darl, from As I Lay Dying
Build Vocabulary: Word Analysis
1. perpetuity, noun; 2. ubiquity, noun; 3. vindication, noun; 4. juxtaposition, noun; 5.
irremediable, adjective; 6. irrevocable, adjective; 7. quality, degree, or state; 8. act or state; 9. not;
10. capable of, fit for
Analyze Literature: Point of View
Possible answers: “A Rose for Emily”—1. Told by a townsperson who speaks for the town (using
“we”); someone old enough to have witnessed the events of Miss Emily’s life, so a contemporary
of the main character. 2. Narrator has no access to Emily’s inner world or what happens in
her house. 3. Narrator seems to identify most with townspeople and to know them best; not
entirely objective, since he or she mixes pity and respect for Emily. 4. Narrator never really
changes, although there are hints here and there that he or she understands how restrictive and
limiting Southern culture is; “Darl” from As I Lay Dying—1. A third-person narrator outside the
story reports actions objectively, but the character Darl, who understands the feelings of some
characters, also narrates passages. 2. The third-person narrator does not know what characters
think or feel, while Darl reports his own feelings and what he knows of others’. 3. The focus
is on Dewey Dell, Cash, and Jewel; actions are described objectively but there is a suggestion
of sympathy for these three characters. 4. Darl has sympathy, but the third-person narrator
just reports. That may be why Faulkner separates them. Possible answers: 5. The narrator is a
lifelong resident of the town, like Emily and others, and understands the conventions and mores
that drive them. The narrator is observant and has perspective because he or she has put all the
events together to show the pathos of Emily’s life. 6. Faulkner wanted to show the decay of the
social structure as well as the physical structure of the South. The narrator needed to understand
and be able to observe the society closely, but not be emotionally involved in the story. The
servant would slant the story toward a black perspective; Emily’s perspective would be mad.
7. He uses italics and no quotation marks for passages narrated by Darl. 8. The third-person
narrator can move freely to observe and report the actions and words of any character but
cannot know what characters are thinking and feeling. 9. The first-person narrator can report
in depth on his or her feelings and thoughts as well as on the actions and reactions of characters
who are with him or her. 10. Third-person narration passages tell the “story”; first-person
narration passages tell the emotions and psychological twists that lie beneath the observable
events. 11. Faulkner’s device permits him to tell the story of a matriarch’s death but at the same
time to explore the psychological motivations and emotional upheaval of characters’ inner lives
caused by that loss. He gets the benefits of both points of view.
Selection Quiz
1. B; 2. F; 3. G; 4. A; 5. D; 6. C; 7. E; 8. C; 9. B; 10. C; 11. C
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The Son
Build Vocabulary: Verbs and the Suffix -ion
1. miscalculation; 2. hallucinate; 3. detonate; 4. saturation; 5. concentration; Possible answers:
6. The boy made a miscalculation, and accidentally shot himself while climbing the fence. 7. The
shock of finding his dead son causes the man to hallucinate that the boy is safe. 8. The bomb
squad will defuse the bomb before it can detonate. 9. The rain had caused complete saturation of
the ground, so that our boots sunk in with every step. 10. The man’s concentration on his work
prevented him from worrying for a while.
Analyze Literature: Plot Structure
Exposition: The father lets his son go hunting but tells him to be careful. Readers learn that
the boy is 13, cautious, and capable as a hunter, but he still seems “very young.” The father is
a widower who is close to his son. The boy, who is reliable and obedient, promises to be home
by noon. Rising action: The father struggles to balance his “selfish” desire to keep his son safe
with his knowledge that the boy must learn to rely on “his own strength.” The father has been
hallucinating that his son is killed by a bullet. He hears the son’s gun go off. Later, he sees it
is noon and begins to worry. At 12:30 he takes off to find his son, filled with foreboding. He
intuits that his son is dead but cannot bring himself to call his name. Climax: He calls to his
“little boy” and sees him step out of a cross path; Falling action: He walks back, arm around
his boy’s shoulders, talking about the hunting. Resolution: The author tells us that the man is
hallucinating; in fact the boy is dead.
Selection Quiz
1. to hunt in the woods or the marsh near his home; 2. she died, presumably when the boy was
very little; 3. a huge sixteen-gauge Saint-Etienne shotgun; 4. by noon; 5. he accidentally shoots
himself climbing a wire fence; 6. D; 7. B; 8. C; 9. D; 10. C
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A Worn Path
Build Vocabulary: Meaning from Context
1. B; 2. K; 3. F; 4. J; 5. C; 6. A; 7. D; 8. H; 9. E; 10. I; 11. G; Word choices and context sentences
will vary for 12 and 13.
Analyze Literature: Symbols
Possible answers: 1. Like the mythical bird, Phoenix can resurrect herself, or rise again from
seeming death because of her love for her grandson and her purpose. Like a phoenix, she seems
both ageless and ancient. 2. Buzzards hover over dying things; this one sits in a dead tree that
looks ominously like a one-armed black man. The buzzard symbolizes death, which watches
Phoenix but cannot harm her because she carefully protects her person in order to complete
her quest. 3. The scarecrow is ambiguous, since Phoenix mistakes it for a ghost but also does
a celebratory dance with it. It may represent the ability to ward off death, which Phoenix is
able to do because she has purpose. 4. The spring may represent life and drinking from it,
longevity. Phoenix has made it past the threat of death and takes a symbolic drink representing
her victory. 5. The hunter appears to represent the racist attitudes that are tricky for a southern
black woman to negotiate. He patronizes her and trivializes her journey. He points a gun at her.
However, she is not afraid of him and answers him honestly. 6. The nickels represent material
goods and acquiring them. Phoenix steals the first nickel from the hunter, who has lied about
not having money with him. The attendant gives her a nickel, perhaps out of guilt for treating
Phoenix dismissively. Phoenix shows unselfishness and devotion to her grandson because she
will spend the money on him. 7. In contrast to the roughness and dangers of the countryside,
the town seems bright and cheerful. The townspeople hurry and begrudge giving Phoenix
time. These elements may represent mainstream southern life, which largely excludes the old
black woman (who lives far from town) but to which she must come for charity. 8. A windmill
circles, and a circle is a symbol for life. A paper windmill is fragile. This windmill may represent
the physically tenuous but spiritually powerful grasp Phoenix and her grandson have on life—
reflected in Phoenix’s assertion that they are “the only two left in the world” and “going to last.”
Selection Quiz
1. T; 2. F; 3. F; 4. T; 5. F; 6. F; 7. T; 8. T; 9. C; 10. A; 11. D
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Portrait of a Girl in Glass
Build Vocabulary: Denotation and Connotation
Possible answers 1–6: 1. harsh and insistent; unsettling and annoying to listen to; 2. complete
failure; poor performance with circus-like silliness; 3. cleverly planned; suggesting cunning,
underhanded strategy for dubious purposes; 4. strict with money; associated with tightness,
rigidness; 5. feathers of a bird; suggesting exotic, colorful, or otherworldly appearance; 6. place
of protection and refuge; suggesting holiness and peace; Possible answers 7–12 (Positive,
Negative): 7. stentorian; strident; 8. disappointment; fiasco; 9. schemed; contrived, 10. rigorous;
stringent; 11. plumage; feathers; 12.sanctuary; asylum
Analyze Literature: Theme
Possible answers, Theme 1: Characters: Laura prefers to live in the world of Freckles (fiction)
and her beautiful glass animals. The real world outside is unbearable (dog killing cats, failure at
business school). Tom works in the real world but does not feel accepted and escapes into his
writing. Action: Mother has the illusion that she will be able to find a husband for Laura; Laura
likes Jim because he reminds her of Freckles. Imagery/Description: Laura “stood at the edge
of the water…with feet that anticipated too much cold to move”; “she lived in a world of glass
and also a world of music”; “Laura, she said,…was domestic, however, and making a home was
really a girl’s best bet.”; “he had assumed the identity…of the one-armed orphan youth who
lived in the Limberlost, that tall and misty region to which she retreated whenever the walls of
Apartment F became too close to endure”; Theme 2: Characters: Tom seeks escape through his
poetry but it gets him fired; ultimately he leaves home but loses something important in that
action, too. Laura retreats into the illusory but pretty world of her glass ornaments and Freckles,
but she has no real life. Action: Mother is imprisoned by her inability to see her daughter as she
really is—she forces Laura to go to business school and to socialize with a stranger—tasks Laura
is not equipped to do. Laura’s one attempt at love is shattered as soon as it is begun when she
learns that “Freckles” is engaged. Tom leaves home but his guilt and his haunting memories
of Laura follow him. Imagery/Description: “a narrow room with two windows on a dusky
areaway…we called Death Valley”; “the petals of her mind had simply closed through fear”;
“that tall and misty region to which she retreated whenever the walls of Apartment F became
too close to endure”; “leaves that were brightly colored but torn away from the branches”
Selection Quiz
1. A; 2. B; 3. A; 4. C; 5. A; 6. D; 7. D; 8. A; 9. B; 10. C; 11. B
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Meeting the Standards
American Tradition, Unit 6
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