THIS IS A HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT. THERE WILL BE NO TIME GIVEN
IN CLASS.
Assigned: Monday, March 23, 2015
Due: Wednesday,
April 1, 2015
IMPORTANT:
- proper grammar, spelling,
capitalization and punctuation will be expected and benchmarked.
Check your work (proofread) before submitting. - Choose wisely. If you do not have access to the internet, then do the essay instead.
If
done as an essay: You
will answer all 6 of 9 questions below. Use the standard page layout and proper
name/class/period information at the top. This is a formal paper which must be typed,
double-spaced, and include at least a ONE paragraph answer for each
question.
Final copy due by: Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
If
done as a blog: You will choose 3
questions below and 2 student responses.
Begin your blog comment
by writing your first name, the first letter of your last name, and your period
number (John S. Period 4). Also,
reference the question number at the beginning of each answer. This is a semi-formal assignment written on the
classroom blog of at least ONE paragraph per question and TWO minimum responses (3-5 sentences) to two different students.
Final entry due by: Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
Question:
Tone is the attitude of the
author toward his or her subject.
1. In the
poem “At the
Tourist Centre in Boston” (RTW 30-32) by Margaret Atwood, what tone do you
identify in the poem? Who is it directed at? Why do you think she
feels this way? Explain your answer.
Theme is the underlying meaning
or message in a piece of literature. It may be stated explicitly by the
author’s narration or through his/her characters or it can be implied and
require the reader to interpret the universal truth. The theme of a work is
usually expressed as a short statement or saying.
2. In one
sentence, what do you think is the universal truth, the message, the theme of
the Canadian short story “Day of the Butterfly”
(RTW 33-44) by Alice Munro? Defend your answer. Identify the acts of
cruelty in this story, both deliberate and unintentional. What do you
think is the author’s purpose in using them? Explain your answer.
Imagery is the use of selected details to describe one thing in terms of
another. This helps to suggest additional meanings and feelings within the
story and helps to set a mood within the story. Examples of imagery are Hyperbole, Simile, Metaphor, and
Personification.
3. In the
Mexican short story “No Dogs Bark”
(RTW 46-50) by Juan Rulfo dogs have been barking everywhere, yet Ingacio has
not told his father. Why not? Explain your answer. Give an example
of how imagery in the story creates a specific mood. Be specific.
A Metaphor
is a figure of speech that imaginatively links two objects to each other.
It “is” the object; whereas Simile does the same thing but uses “like” or “as”
to describe the comparison.
4. Give an
example of a metaphor in the Mexican poem “Two Bodies” (TRW
51-52) by Octavio Paz. Explain why the poet used the metaphor; what is it
comparing? Explain your answer.
Dramatic Literature occurs when the audience knows something that one or more
characters do not know.
5. In the
play “Crossroads:
A Sad Vaudeville” ( TRW 53-68) by Carlos Solorzano, identify an example of
dramatic irony in the play. What purpose do you think it serves? Do
you agree with the woman when she says; “…there is but one moment to recognize
one another, to extend our hands. One mustn’t let it pass by”?
Explain your answers.
Characterization refers to the ways that an author creates characters.
Writers use repetition to
place emphasis on a theme or idea.
6. In the
poem “In Trying Times” (TRW 78-79) by Herberto Padilla, Identify a repeated
phrase or grammatical structure in the poem. In a short paragraph,
analyze the impact of the repetition. Also, give a short interpretation
of the title. Cite passages from the poem to support your interpretation.
The genre of Magic Realism combines elements
of realism and fantasy.
7. In the
story “The Youngest Doll” (TRW 81-87) by Rosario Ferre AND/OR the story
"The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World" (TRW 89-95) by
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, find two or three details that represent realism. Then
find at least one detail that represents the magical aspect of the magic
realism genre. What truth does the author express through joining realism
with the fantastic? What action or speech by the aunt do you feel
represents her main goal in life? Explain your answer.
A Symbol is
an object used to represent a more abstract or general concept.
8. In the story "The
Third Bank of the River" (TRW 98-103) by Joao Guimaraes Rosa, what do
the river and boat symbolize? explain your answer. What is the
significance of the narrator's comment: "...for nobody is crazy. Or maybe
everybody"?
The mood or atmosphere of a story communicates a certain feeling to the
reader.
9. Cite passages from the
story that hint at the reason the Book of Sand makes its owners so melancholic
and dispirited. Explain your choices.
