Nonfiction Unit Test (Notes + Essays)

informal= also known as...

"familiar"

people who could VS could not read the river

"the passengers who could not read this book saw nothing but all manner of pretty pictures in it, painted by the sun and shaded by the clouds, whereas to the trained eye these were not pictures at all, but the grimmest and most dead-earnest of reading matter." (signs/ signals)

Explain how being the only daughter, and only a daughter, has proven to be both a positive and a negative experience for Cisneros

*Pos:* it allowed her to think, imagine, read, + prepare herself because her brothers didn't want to play with a girl *Neg:* In her father's eyes her purpose was to= married, she= lonely + her father would say "I have 7 sons" (*felt erased*)

What was the father's attitude toward a college education for his daughter? His sons?

*daughter:* she should= go to college to get a husband *sons:* should go to college+ "use their heads" so they can get a job + not work as laborer

Why did Wright's classmates, family, and principal react as they did to his story? How were their reactions different from what he had hoped for?

- they lived in a southern state (Mississippi) where branching out= taboo + his actions= viewed as weird - he hoped they would like it+ finally accept him

why did he call it "reading" the water?

- when he mastered the lang of the water he knew every feature of the river like the letters of the alphabet + - you learned it little by little like you read a book little by little

Give other examples of how experiences makes your lose the ability to appreciate things.

1) Santa 2) field trips 3) live in Paris VS tourist

give examples of nonfiction

1) biography 2) autobiography 3) memoirs 4) letters

What 4 strategies= used in nonfiction?

1) description 2) narration 3) exposition 4) argumentation/ persuasion *they can overlap/ ALL may= used in one piece*

guidelines for close readings

1) determine purpose of work 2) determine tone of work 3) ask... what= your impressions of the writer + why? 4) note the lang + your response to it 5) clarify your response + state the work's main ideas in your own words

What is Cisneros's purpose for writing?

1) do what she loves 2) gain father's approval 3) inspire young/ single girls

What are the 4 possible purposes of nonfiction?

1) entertain 2) persuade 3) inform 4) explain

break down of "How to Name a Dog"

1) got letter asking about dog names 2) Poker 3) hard to name seeing-eye dogs 4) sell puppies 5) categories 6) his dogs 7) "Thurber" dog story + Stong

informal

1) light, casual tone 2) ranges freely over the subject 3) uses personal POV + opinions - we= just as interested in writer's personality + POV as in what he or she says

as you read you should...

1) pay attention to subject + style (author's choice + arrangement of words) 2) be away of how you= responding to text

formal

1) serious tone 2) tightly organized 3) generally objective (unbiased) (but not always)

Autobiography vs memoirs

2) autobiography= more factual vs memoirs= more emotional 3) autobiography= entire life vs memoirs= one event

In how many installments were Wright's stories written in?

3 installments

What grade was Wright in when he wrote the story?

8th grade

memoirs

A kind of writing that tells someone's memories (written by that person of *one* event)

Why was Wright "more concerned, tense," as he became more aware of his environment in the South?

As he becomes more aware of white-black divide he= more nervous of his actions + regrets what he did -*written in retrospect- "If I knew then what I know now, I would not have done what I did."*

what 3 categories did Thurber put people who name there dogs into? Give ex of names.

Coy- *ex:* Bubbles, Boggles, Sparkles Cryptic- select for private reason or no reason at all *ex:* October, Three Fifteen, Tuesday Cynical- do not like dogs *ex:* Mussolini, Tojo, Adolf

What might Cisneros be saying about her father + society when he wrote "My father represents... the public majority"?

Father+ society wants to read easy stuff like magazines instead of novel, etc.

Describe one of Turber's digressions + how does he return to the subject?

He digresses by talking about how you should sell your puppies so that if the person doesn't want them they wouldn't give them back because they don't want to look cheap/ needy for asking for their $ back -returns by saying "Names of dogs, to get back tot the subject..."

What does Richard Wright do in the face of adversity? What does this reveal about him?

He keeps going in the face of adversity which reveals that he= motivated, determines, and hardworking

Who developed the essay? When?

Michel de Montaigne in 16th century

where did Wright submit his story?

Negro newspaper

How does the author reveal with side he favors in "Security"?

RISK: 1) air borne freemen 2) high-breezy insecurity 3) yearning for a dizzy release SAFETY: 1) earth born slaves 2) solid support 3) desire for safety

How did his mom react to his story?

She didn't want him to stand out + wanted him to blend in because no one likes anyone who= different

What is your impression of the author of "Security"? What kind of person is E.B. White?

The author seems light-hearted, fun + optimistic person because he wrote about a very serious topic in a less serious way

What does Twain mean by the "lang." of the river? What specific examples does he give of "reading" the river?

The language of the river is the signs that the river gives that a pilot must recognize to travel. *ex:* the sun means that we are going to have wind tomorrow

How would you characterize Poker's owners? Why?

They= concerned about how others view them because when they signed their dog (Poker) up for the American Kennel Club, they changed their dogs name to make it more dignified

Compare when Twain describes the wonderful sunset on the river between his org. view + the pilot's view. How do tones differ?

They= seeing the same things, however, the org. sees the beauty of the water while the pilot sees the signs + signals of the river. - 1st= peaceful, calm, 2nd= serious, logical

Does Cisneros's father every accept her? How do you know?

When Cisneros reads her book to her father + he asks for copies for the family, it shows that the father finally considers her degree + career useful

What similarities does Twain see between his own experiences and that of a doctor?

When Twain gained the ability to "read" the river he was unable to see the beauty of the river anymore similarly to how when doctors learn the art of their trade, they lose the ability to see there patients as anything more than their patients *ex:* if pretty woman= flush cheeks, doctors don't see the pretty woman, they wonder if she is sick

define essay according to Michel de Montaigne

a piece of prose writing that deals with its subject briefly + from a personal POV

Where is narration used?

biography + autobiography

Is "Life on the Mississippi" formal or informal?

both? -org view= informal -changed view= formal

How is argumentation/ persuasion used in nonfiction?

changes a person's ideas or opinions

fiction

deals with imaginary characters + events

nonfiction

deals with real people, their experiences, + their ideas (can= creative)

What is the purpose of "Only Daughter"?

entertain

What is the purpose of "How to Name a Dog?

explain

essays can= ____________ or ___________

formal or informal

How is description used in nonfiction?

gives the reader a picture of what is happening + communicate sensory impressions -*imagery*

what was Wright's dream?

going north + writing books/ novels

What is one good thing that is good from her father thinking college was meant to find husbands?

he didn't care if she majored in something silly like English

How did the newspaper editor react to Wright's actions?

he didn't throw him out because he admired him for his bravery + turned into a mentor in a way

What do Wright's words + actions at the newspaper office tell you about his personality?

he= assertive, confident, but naiive (didn't understand process of newspaper)

Why did Wright write a story?

he= bored

What impression do you get from Thurber from his comments in the opening paragraphs?

he= quick to admit his own faults (says it= his fault because he doesn't answer letters)

What is the purpose of "Life on the Mississippi"?

inform

What= purpose of "Black Boy"?

inform

Is "Black Boy" informal or formal?

informal

Is "Only Daughter" informal or formal?

informal

What type of essay is "Security"? How do you know?

informal- not tightly structured, light tone

Is "How to Name a Dog" formal or informal? Why?

informal- uses personal pronouns, opinions, + casual tone

Why is the essay titled "Security"? What does the title have to do with the main idea?

it reveals the ideas of security and the idea that these people are missing out and not experiences as many things as the risk takers.

Was Wright expecting the editor to accept his story?

no

Is Thurber tolerant or intolerant of people's quirks + foibles?

no because he pokes fun at how people name their dogs

How is exposition used in nonfiction?

presents info or explains a subject

What is the purpose of "Security"? How do you know?

purpose= *explain* the author's ideas of security and what security means

What is the tone of "Security"? How do you know?

relaxed, lighthearted tone because the author *reveals serious points in a light-hearted way*

What side does the author favor in "Security"?

risk taker sides

How did his Granny react to his story?

she saw making up a story as a lie that betrayed their religion + = sinful

How was Cisneros affected by her father's attitude?

she= disappointed + hurt because she wanted her father to= proud of her + care

What name did Thurber recommend?

stong

biography

story of a person's life written by another person

Autobriography

story of a person's life written by that person (entire life)

How is narration used in nonfiction?

tells about a series of events

Summary of "Life on the Mississippi"

the author= learning to become a pilot. To do so, he must learn to "read" the river. As he learns the "language" of the river, he loses the innocence and magic he used to see in it. He was never able to see the beautiful aspects of he river again, and now he can only see those things as warning signs/ indications he need to pay attention to. -*with experience you lose the ability to appreciate things*

How might the fact that Cisneros story was in a magazine read by young + single women help you understand the author's purpose?

the reader can conclude that she writes to inspire young/ single girls like her

when was Cisneros able to share her story with her father? When did he read it?

when it= translated into Spanish -he read it when she was over for Christmas

What is the overall theme/ main idea of "Life on the Mississippi"?

with experience you lose the ability to appreciate things

What are some names that Thurber would name his dogs? What does this tell you about him?

would name them: Jennie, Tessa, Julie, Sophie -tells you he likes short names + nicknames

Would you consider Thurber a genuine dog-lover?

yes, he seems to like dogs but not their people

Is Cisneros a good writer? How do you know?

yes, she=... 1) 2nd National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship 2) guest professor at University of California, Berkeley 3) book= published 4) stories= published into other lang (Spanish)

Is "Along with his accounts of mistreatment by whites, Wright describes the complicity of southern blacks in their own oppression," true?

yes, the southern blacks didn't accept Wright when he tried to branch out + they allowed the oppression to happen/ didn't encourage differences