The English Test for April 27!
Parody
A literary work that imitates another work for humorous or satirical purposes.
Conflict
A struggle between two forces in a literary work.
Why are the outcasts thrown out of Poker Flat?
A vigilance committee exiles them in reaction to a recent robbery and murder.
According to this poem, what relationship exists between the universe and this man?
According to the poem, the universe is essentially separate from human beings and uninterested in their fate.
Where does the story take place?
Angel's Camp
Motif
Any element that occurs in one or more literary works or multiple times in one literary work.
Why is Sylvia at first afraid of the young man? How does Sylvia's attitude toward him change in the course of the story?
Because he carries a gun and he reminds her of a boy who use to chase her in the city. She starts to like him because he tells her about birds and gives her a knife.
To whom does Chief Joseph address his surrender speech? What does he ask of this person? What does he pledge to him? Why?
Chief Joseph addresses his speech to General Howard. He asks for time to look for his children and he pledges to fight no more.
Why does Chief Joseph surrender?
He has been promised that his people will be safe and receive some of their land back, he is sick of fighting, and he wants to go and look for his children.
The narrator says that Mr. Oakhurst is "at once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat." In what way is Oakhurst strong? In what ways is he weak?
He is strong because he faces the fact that he will die calmly, but he is weak because he cannot face dying of cold or hunger.
Who enters the house just as Mrs. Mallard and her sister are descending the stairs? What happens to Mrs. Mallard?
Her "dead" husband comes in! Mrs. Mallard literally drops dead!
Why is it funny that this place is called Angel's Camp?
It is funny because the men at that camp are not angelic. They gamble, drink, race horses, and dog fight.
Who are the two participants in the dialogue?
Man, The Universe
Why does Oakhurst lie to the people about Uncle billy's theft? why might the truth frighten the young people?
Mr. Oakhurst wants to protect the young people's innocence, and he doesn't want them to know that they are trapped with outlaws.
Why does Sylvia grandmother, Mrs. Tilley, bring Sylvia rather than one of Sylvia's brothers and sisters to the farm?
Mrs. Tilley picks her because Sylvia is afraid of people and there are not many people around the farm area.
What does Mrs. Mallard do when she hears the news? What appears to be Mrs. Mallard's reaction to the news?
She cries and cries; it would appear that she is deeply grieved by her husband's death.
What sights and smells does Mrs. Mallard experience at the open window in her room? What do these sights and smells represent to her?
She experiences new spring growth, the breath of rain, and the blue sky; these things are the very elixir of life.
What does sylvia do to find out where the white heron is?
She gets up early and climbs to the top of the landmark pine to see where the birds nests.
What is Mrs. Mallard's second response to the news?
She goes upstairs and thinks about how great her life will be without her husband.
What does Mrs. Mallard learn from her sister Josephine at the beginning of the story? Why must Josephine break this news gently?
She learns that her husband has been killed in a train accident. She has a heart condition and must receive the news gently.
To what does Mrs. Mallard look forward? What happens to her at the end of the story? Why?
She looks forward to days that will be her own. At the end of the story, she has a heart attack and dies. People believe that her death is due to joy, but it is actually due to shock over the loss of her freedom.
How does Mrs. Mallard appear as she descends the stairs? What does this reveal about how she feels?
She looks like a goddess of Victory, which reveals that she is relieved by her husband's death.
Why does sylvia decide not to tell the young man the secret?
She loved the heron. They are friends now because they watched the sunrise over the sea from the landmark pine.
Whom does Sylvia meet on the way home? What is he doing on the road?
She meets a young man who is hunting for birds to stuff and add to his collection of preserved specimens.
Why does sylvia want the money that the young man offers in return for knowledge of where the white heron nets?
So she and her grandmother can buy the things that they want.
Why is Sylvia usually late in getting home when she goes to fetch the cow from pasture? How is the cow similar to Sylvia?
Sylvia is usually late in getting home because the cow is difficult to find. Sylvia and the cow both like to wander off.
What does Smiley bet the stranger that his frog can do?
That Dan'l Webster can out jump any frog in the county.
Protagonist
The central figure or main character in a literary work.
What does each participant say to the other?
The man says,"I exist." The Universe says that he has no obligation to the man.
Which frog wins the contest? Why?
The stranger's frog won because the stranger put quail shot in Dan'l.
Why is the story called "The Story of an Hour"? What hour does the story describe? Is this a happy and fulfilling hour, a disappointing hour, or both? Explain.
The title comes from the short period of time in which the story takes place. In the hour, Mrs. Mallard learns the shocking truth of her feelings about her husband and her marriage. This hour is happy because of her exhilaration about her freedom, but disappointing because in the end she finds that she doesn't have freedom at all.
What attitude is expressed by the universe in its reply to the man?
The universe expresses indifference.
How do the young people using the hymn around the campfire? What does this tell us about them? Why do the outcasts join in the singing?
The young people sing with enthusiasm which tells us that they are religious. The outcasts sing because the song has a good rhythm.
What might happen to the people if all the children die?
There will be no one left to carry on the culture.
What is the condition of the children?
They are either lost, dead, or freezing to death.
Why are the two young people traveling to Poker Flat? What kind of town is Poker Flat? Is their decision to elope wise or unwise?
They are running away to get married. The town is dangerous and corrupt. Unwise, wrong time of year, bad town, did not ask permission.
What has happened to the people's leaders, the chief's and the old men? Who has taken their place?
They have been killed and the young men have taken their place
Where have some of the Chief's people run after the defeat? What might be their condition?
They have run to the hills and they are starving and freezing to death.
Why do Smiley's animals always win?
They look broken down and useless so people bet against them, but they are actually very good in competitions.
Whom do the outcasts meet at Sandy Bar? What do the names for these two people tell the reader about them?
Tom Simson - The Innocent from Sandy Bar and Piney Woods - his fiance... They are young and naive.
What does Oakhurst discover had happened in the middle of the night?
Uncle Billy has stolen the mules and run off and the rest of the outcasts are snowed in.
What is dangerous about having the chiefs dead and only young people in charge?
Young men are not as wise or even-tempered as the chiefs.
Tall Tale
a story that tells an exaggerated and unrealistic version of events.
Dialogue
conversation between two or more characters
Irony
difference between appearance and reality
Dramatic Irony
occurs when a situation appears one way to the reader and another way to the characters within that situation.
Essay
short work of nonfiction prose
Internal conflict
A conflict or struggle that takes place within a character.
What two animals besides the frog does Jim Smiley use for gambling?
A dog named Andrew Jackson and a horse.
Why does the narrator go to see Simon Wheeler? About whom does Simon Wheeler tell his story?
A friend of the narrator asks him to find Simon Wheeler and ask about Leonidas Smiley. We hear a story about Jim Smiley.
Under what circumstances might a person proclaim his or her existence so passionately? What can you infer about the life of the man who speaks in this poem?
A person might do this when they were threatened, upset, or under stress. One can infer that the man is suffering in some way.
How does Chief Joseph feel at the time of the surrender?
He is tired of fighting and feels terrible about the toll the war has taken on his people
How did Mr. Mallard treat Mrs. Mallard in their marriage? What are Mrs. Mallard's feelings about Mr. Mallard?
He loved her and treated her well, but Mrs. Mallard feels that married people make impositions on one another.
What does the young man want to know about the white heron> Why does he want to know it? What does he offer Sylvia in return for this knowledge?
He offers her $10 dollars to tell him where the birds nests so he can kill and stuff the bird.
How well does Mr. Mallard's friend Richards check the truth of the news? Why does he want to be the first person to break the news to Mrs. Mallard?
He sends a second telegram to confirm. He wants to make sure that the news is broken carefully to Mrs. Mallard.
What is the narrator's response to the story? Why might the narrator have this response?
He thinks it is boring, monotonous, and tedious. He is well-educated.
Do you believe that the people of Poker Flat are justified in throwing out some of their community members? Why, or why not?
No, they are not justified and their reaction is "lawless and ungovernable."
What does Chief Joseph want time to do? What does he fear?
Time to look for his children for he fears they are all dead.
Frame tale
a story used to set up and tell another story.
Reversal
dramatic change in the direction of events in a story, usually a change in fortune for the protagonist
Personification
idea, animal, or thing is described as a person
Dialect
version of a language spoken in a particular place
