Language Arts Midterm (Cofer)
In line 87, what does the author mean by "the search for forbidden knowledge"?
"Forbidden knowledge" is knowledge that humans are not expected to have, such as how to control life and death. The author suggests that "forbidden knowledge" involves evil, as with Dr. Jekyll, or an unnatural interest in life and death, such as that displayed by Dr. Frankenstein
Examine lines 271-281 to review the White's reaction as they realize what has happened to their son. What do they assume about the two hundred pounds they will receive "as compensation"?
.When the Whites hear that the amount being offered is two hundred pounds, Mrs. White screams and Mr. White faints. They clearly believe that the money is the fulfillment of the wish, and that means that they are responsible for their son's death
Author's Style
A manner of writing. It involves how something is said rather than what it says. Word choice, imagery, syntax, figurative language
Theme
A message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader. In many cases the reader must infer what the writer's message is. One way of figuring out a theme is to apply the lessons learned by the characters to real life. A recurring theme are themes found in many literary works. Universal themes are found throughout literature of all time periods.
Author's Purpose
A writer usually writes for one or more of these purposes, to express thoughts and feelings, to inform or explain, to persuade, and to entertain.
How does superstition play a role in the story? Specifically describe the mindset of the villagers and the pastime/imagination of Ichabod Crane
All of the villages including Ichabod Crane are very superstitious most of the time.
What is your perception of the narrator in lines 130-141
Although he tries to convince the reader he is sane by describing in detail how he disposed of the body, it is that detailed explanation itself that leaves the reader feeling that the narrator is unreliable
Counterarguments
An argument made to oppose another argument. A good argument anticipates opposing viewpoints and provides counterarguments to disprove them.
Making Inferences
An inference is a logical guess that is based on facts and one's own personal experience, readers infer about the theme based on clues from the test.
Describe what happens in the conversation between Katrina and Ichabod at the party.
At the party Itchabod dances with Katrina and whenever Itchabod says something she smiles.
Describe the character of Brom Bones. Why is the name of his horse appropriate?
Brom Bones was big, dangerous, and loud. He has broad shoulders and curly black hair. He loves to have fun and play tricks. The name of his horse is Daredevil. That is appropriate because someone might use the word daredevil do describe Brom himself.
What evidence in the essay suggests that the author is a fan of the horror genre?
Evidence that the author is a fan of the horror genre includes her references to classic monsters such as Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, and the werewolf and her references to popular authors such as Stephen King. She also says "when I first read Dracula" (line 65), implying that she has read it more than once
Author's Viewpoint/Tone
Expresses the writer's attitude toward his or her subject.
Summarize the role of Hans Van Ripper in the story.
Hans Van Ripper is described as a cross old man, but he lets Itchabod borrow his horse. Hans Van Ripper looks after Ichabods things after he is presumed to be dead.He found his books about witches and found a paper with many lines dedicated to Katrina Van Tassel so he burned them and decided not to send his kids to school anymore.
Why does the son, Herbert, end up choosing his father's wish? What does he choose? Why?
Herbert suggests what Mr. White should wish for because Mr. White says, "I don't know what to wish for, and that's a fact." He says, "I've got all I want" (lines 143-145). He wishes for 200 pounds to "clear" (pay off) the bank note on the house
Consider your own knowledge of the horror genre. Which of Russell's proposed categories do you consider the most useful for gaining new understanding about these stories? Explain your answer by referring to horror stories with which you are familiar.
I think that the most useful thing that I learned from reading this story to help me understand horror in the future is that ALL types of literature use suspense and sometimes knowing that something bad is going to happen builds more suspense because you know that it is inevitable
What are the two sources of horror that the author describes?
In lines 72-84 the author says that one source of horror is from inside a person, with something internal going wrong causing the person to become a monster. The other source of horror is one in which the threat comes from outside to "invade the character and then force the evil out again."
There are many traditional stories in which characters are granted 3 wishes.What theme do many of them share? Tell what makes "The Monkey's Paw" different from the others.
In many stories, the result of making three wishes is positive in some way. Here the outcome is frightening and tragic
There are several times in the story that the point of view allows us to know what Ichabod is thinking. However, there is only one scene in which he himself utters any words. What does he say and what is happening when he says them?
Itchabod says "Who are you?". While he says this he hears a step by the bridge he is traveling on and sees a strange shape. He is too far gone to go back.
Describe Katrina Van Tassel and her family. Who does her family consist of?
Katrina Van Tassel was an 18 year old girl. She was an only child of a rich farmer. Everyone knew her for her beauty and that she would have lots of money one day. Her father was a kind farmer that was wealthy
Evaluating Media
Lighting, camera filters, and music can help you evaluate media
Identify how Morris's and Mr. White's views about the monkey's paw are different. Then explain how these differing points of view add to the suspense in the story. A) Sergeant-Major Morris's View B) Mr. White's View C) How they add to suspense
Morris throws the paw in the fire; he takes its powers seriously and seems afraid. White grabs the paw because he is more skeptical and curious. Morris looks alarmed and urges White to "wish for something sensible." This conflict between the two characters adds to the story's suspense. Readers have to finish the story to see which character's attitude toward the paw will prove right.
What foreshadows that the story about the monkey's paw might be true?
Mr. White feels the paw move
What do the actions of Mr. and Mrs. White at the end of the story reveal about their different expectations for wishes made on the monkey's paw? Identify what hopes or fears these expectations reveal.
Mr. White's fear of the evil that results from the monkey's paw prevents him from taking a risk. Mrs. White's overpowering love for her son still allows her to hope for a good outcome.
Narrator's Point of View
Point of view refers to the method of narration used in a short story, novel, narrative poem, or work of nonfiction. In a work told from first person point of view, the narrator is a character in a story. In a work told in third person view, the narrative voice is outside the action, not one of the characters. If a story is told third person omniscient, the narrator sees into the minds of the characters. If events are related in third person limited point of view, the narrator tells what only one character thinks, feels and observes. You might have an unreliable narrator.
Rhetorical Questions
Questions that have such obvious answers that they do not require a reply. Writers often use it to suggest that their claim is so obvious that everyone would agree with it.
In lines 20-21, the author says that in horror stories "suspense is intensified by our knowledge of the genre." a) What knowledge is the author referring to? b) Explain why it increases suspense
Readers know that awful things happen to characters in horror stories, most often when characters go to isolated or forbidding places, b) so when that happens, the readers' tension starts to mount.
Events described in the horror genre often defy everyday reality. According to Russell, what are the three different reactions the reader might have to supernatural events depicted in horror stories?
Readers may have to suspend disbelief and accept the parallel reality presented in the world of the story, supernatural events may turn out to have natural explanations, and supernatural events may be presented in a way that leads readers to almost believe they are possible in the world in which we live.
Reread lines 110-119 and identify the allusion, or reference to a well-known work, that Mrs. White makes. What does the allusion suggest about Mrs. White's view of the paw?
She refers to Arabian Nights, a collection of fantastical tales, which suggests that she doesn't take the paw seriously or believe its powers are real.
Why is the Headless Horseman headless? Where did it happen?
The Headless Horseman is the spirit of a soldier who became headless during a nameless battle during the Revolutionary War.
Reread the first paragraph, lines 1-11. Why does the author reject characters or subjects as a way to categorize the horror genre?
The author argues that there are too many different kinds of monsters in horror stories to make the subject approach useful. She points out that not all horror stories include monsters
Reread the first two paragraphs of the essay, lines 1-32. What does the opening suggest about the author's purpose in writing this essay?
The author's purpose is to define a genre. Each paragraph is about characteristics of the genre: subjects and organization. At the end of the first paragraph, the author talks about "the clearest way to define this genre.
In what way does the setting described in lines 1-21 suggest or foreshadow later event?
The description of the setting ("of all the beastly, slushy, out-of-the-way places to live in, this is the worst. Pathway's a bog, and the road's a torrent.") suggests potential danger or impending doom
Reread lines 88-105. What do readers learn from this first-person narration about the narrator's subjective, or personal, experience?
The first-person narrator claims to hear the old man's heart beating, a sound that drives him to finally kill the old man. The narrator describes his own anger of the sound, giving readers an awareness of his thinking and emotions that they would not otherwise have.
After reading this essay, what is your response to its title: "What is the Horror Genre?" To answer, summarize the text.
The horror genre refers to scary stories that use certain conventions to increase readers' suspense. The source of the horror may come from either within or outside of the character, and supernatural elements often, but not always, play a role
What is the theme of "The Monkey's Paw"? Give examples of how the author develops the theme through the characters and plot? (Tell me where and how you see evidence of the theme throughout the story...at least 3 examples.)
The main message or theme is to be careful what you wish for. Examples of how the theme is developed throughout the story may include that the first man who had the monkey's paw had three wishes granted, but "the third wish was for death"; Morris's desperation to be rid of the paw; and the death of the Whites' son.
How is the mood at the beginning of part two different than the mood in part one? Explain why and cite at least two pieces of text evidence
The mood is lighter and much improved the morning after Morris's visit. Some text evidence: **"In the brightness of the wintry sun the next morning ... he laughed at his fears" (lines 183-184). **There was an air of "wholesomeness about the room which it had lacked on the previous night" (lines 185-186). **The monkey's paw "was pitched on the sideboard with a carelessness which betokened no great belief in its powers," therefore diminishing its power on the family (lines 186-188). ** Mrs. White jokes at the seriousness with which the family had believed Morris's tale: "The idea of our listening to such nonsense!" (lines 189-192) **Herbert makes light of how his father's demeanor will change when his wish comes true (lines 198-200).
In what way does the narrator try to prove that he is sane? Cite evidence from the story to support your answer.
The narrator defends his sanity throughout the story. For example: --He says that he is nervous, but not mad (lines 1-2). --He is not insane but has sharpened senses (lines 2-6 and 100-101). --He explains how carefully he planned the murder, thereby proving his sanity. (lines 17-44) --He explains how carefully he disposes of the body after the murder (lines 130-141).
Use details from the story to describe the old man's eye. How does it affect the narrator? In what way does the author's repeated image of the "eye of a vulture" help to create suspense?
The narrator describes the "eye of the vulture" in detail: "a pale, blue eye, with a film over it"; "dull blue with a hideous veil" (lines 13-14) and as something that makes the narrator's "blood run cold" and the only way to "rid myself of the eye forever" was to kill the old man (lines 14-16). Every time the eye is mentioned, readers feel the narrator's dread growing. The sense that something very bad is going to happen creates suspense
In lines 151-160, the narrator makes his case to the police and thinks he has them convinced of his innocence. a) What happens next that leads the narrator to finally confess? b) Why is he upset with the police at the end of the story?
The narrator thinks he has convinced the police of his innocence until he "fancied a ringing in his ears." The narrator's obsession with the sound grows until he confesses that, "it is the beating of his hideous heart!" He is upset with the police because in lines 181-194, the narrator rants that "They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!—they were making a mockery of my horror!
What prevents the narrator from killing the old man during the first seven nights? Explain how both his lack of follow-through on his plans of murder and the description of what he IS doing contribute to the suspense.
The narrator waits to kill the old man because he believes he needs to wait for the "vulture eye" to be open. This creates suspense because readers can sense the narrator's mounting anxiety and can feel tension about what will happen if the old man's eye is ever open. The author's detailed description of everything the narrator is doing leading up to the murder also leaves the reader with suspense and anticipation of when the deed will actually be done, if at all
Does the narrator's opinion of himself in lines 1-16 make him seem more or less reliable? Explain your choice
The narrator's statements are immediately suspicious because he begins by mentioning "the disease" and its effects on his senses. This suggests a psychological or physical illness has affected his brain. His further comments in lines 19-20 about "how wisely I proceeded" and "with what foresight" suggests a distorted view of his intelligence.
Suspense
The sense of growing tension, fear, and excitement felt by the reader. They become increasingly curious of what will happen next. An author can describe a character's anxiety or fear, use vivid words, dramatic sights, sounds or feelings. Repeating words, phrases, or character's actions.
What is the significance of the church bridge in the stories told at the Van Tassel party?
The significance of the church bridge told in the stories is that it is near where the Headless Horseman was buried and always appears.
Describe the scene of the chase as the villagers found it the next morning.
The villages see the horse without his saddle at his master's gate. They later find the saddle by the road of the church and his hat by the stream. They only see a broken pumpkin and no body.
Who do some of the villagers think was involved in Ichabod's disappearance and why?
The villages think that Brom is involved in ichabods disappearance because everytime he is spoken of he laughs.
Summarizing
To briefly retell the main ideas of a piece of writing in one's own words.
Foreshadowing
When a writer provides hints that suggest future events in the story. This creates suspense and propels action by making readers eager to find out what happens next. This can happen through dialogue, events and imagery.
Word Choice
Words communicate ideas and also help describe events, characters, setting, and so on. Word choice can make a writers work sound formal, informal, serious, or humorous.
Do you think the reader's ability to trust the narrator increases the suspense in this story? Explain your answer.
Yes. The narrator is obviously mentally ill and the reader cannot trust his view of reality, so the reader is left wondering what really happened and what this unbalanced person is going to do next, which adds to the tension.
