The People Could Fly
Which sentence shows how the storyteller might have spoken this tale in dialect?
"Too crowded with cryin' people, don't you know; black, shiny wings flappin' against the blue up there; the one callin' himself Master come runnin'."
The setting shown in the exposition is
Africa
How does Toby help the slaves who fall from the heat?
By giving them the power to fly.
Which of the following is the most likely reason that the Master denies that the people had flown away?
He is afraid the story will encourage the enslaved people to run away.
After Toby and some slaves fly away, what does the Master say about the people who could fly?
He says that it was a lie and trick of the light.
Which of these events happened during the exposition?
Many of the African people were captured in Africa to be used for slavery.
Who are the antagonists in the story?
Master, Overseer, Driver
Which is one theme found in this folk tale by Virginia Hamilton?
People should never give up on their hopes and dreams for a better life.
Which of the following is an external conflict in the story?
Sarah falls to the ground when Driver's whip strikes her and the baby.
Which of these events happened during the rising action?
Sarah's baby cried, and the Overseer yelled, "Keep that thing quiet."
Another theme found in "The People Could Fly" is
Sometimes humans encounter suffering in life that is beyond their control.
After Toby is gone, who tells the story of the people who could fly?
The enslaved people who couldn't fly away tell the story to their children.
Which of these events happened during the climax ?
The slave owner took his gun from its place and meant to kill Toby.
Why couldn't the slaves fly once they left Africa?
They could no longer smell the sweet scent of Africa & they shed their wings since the slave ships were so overcrowded.
Who are the protagonists in this story?
Toby and Sarah
Which of these events happened during the resolution?
Toby said "Goodie-bye" to the slaves left behind as he flew away.
Which of the following is an example of internal conflict from the story?
Toby wishes he had time to teach the other slaves how to fly & the slaves that are left behind are afraid to cry out, "Take us with you!"
This Virginia Hamilton story can best be classified as
a folk tale.
This story became a symbol of what to the slaves on plantations everywhere?
a symbol of hope
To which of these are the slaves who flew away metaphorically compared?
black crows, black shadows, & black shiny sticks
The narrator calls the magic words "the ancient words that were a dark promise." What do the words in this metaphor promise?
freedom
The reader can conclude that the Driver kept his mouth shut about what happened because
he valued his job and didn't want to get into trouble with the Master.
Toby is considered a protagonist in "The People Could Fly" because he
is a main character, is helpful, brave, & courageous, and is involved in the main conflict of the story
"The slaves' eyes spoke of their desire for freedom" is an example of what figurative language?
personification
"Say she rose up just as free as a bird. As light as a feather. She flew like an eagle now." These words represent what type of figurative language?
simile
Which is the best definition of glinty as it is used in the sentence? He was like a hard, glinty diamond that shimmered in the hot sun.
sparkling
The Master is compared to a hard lump of clay, hard, glinty coal, and a hard rock pile because of his...
stubborn refusal to be moved with compassion and emotion.
Sentence fragments, unconventional spellings, repetition, and a slave dialect all contribute to the author's:
style
One moment of suspense occurs during the rising action when.
the Overseer chases Sarah and her baby as they start to fly away.
One moment of suspense that occurs during the climax is when
the driver got his whip ready to curl around Toby and tie him up so that the Master could shoot him
Which is the best definition of snag as it is used in the sentence? The slaves were afraid they would snag their clothes on the tree branches.
to catch or tear something on a projection
The purpose of this folk tale was:
to give the slaves hope that one day they would be free
Which is the best definition of shuffle as it is used in the sentence? The exhausted slaves shuffled sadly into the cotton field.
to slide the feet along the ground while walking
The Overseer's job is to
watch over the slaves to make sure they are working.
