REGENTS REVIEW - kgarciaclassroom
REGENTS REVIEW
PACKET
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Mrs. Garcia
Mrs. Medina
English 11
Table of Contents
Question 26 Page 3
Question 27 Page 4
Task IV Hints Sheet Page 5
Task IV Rubric Page 6
Sample Introductory Paragraphs #1 Page 7
Sample Introductory Paragraphs #2 Page 8
Sample Conclusion Paragraphs Page 9
Sample Task IV Essay Pages 10-11
Critical Lens Quotes Page 12
Transitions Page 13
Literary Elements Pages 14-15
Outline Sheet Page 16
Works of Literature Review Sheets Pages 17-20
Grade Nine Summaries Pages 21-23
Grade Ten Summaries Pages 24-27
Grade Eleven Summaries Pages 28-32
Question 26
Short-Response Questions
Directions: Write your response to the following question on a separate sheet of paper.
|Write a well-developed paragraph in which you use ideas from both passages to establish a controlling idea about |
|respect. Develop your controlling idea using specific examples and details from each passage. |
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For this question you have to write about BOTH passages. Your task is to prove what both passages prove about the controlling idea. You have to create a thesis / theme and prove how it works.
• Sentence #1 – General broad discussion of the motif. Think of the upside down triangle that we use for introduction paragraphs.
• Sentence #2 – Thesis
o If the passages prove the SAME idea then say something like this:
▪ **Both passage I and passage II demonstrate that _________________________________ (then fill in the blank with your thesis). Remember that you aren’t proving that both passages are about the motif; you are proving what each passage ESTABLISHES about the motif.
o If the passages are DIFFERENT, say something like this:
▪ **While passage I establishes _______________________ (fill in the blank with the thesis based on passage I), passage II proves _______________________ (now fill in the blank with what passage II proves).
• Sentence #3-8 (You do not need to write more than 8 sentences total).
o In these sentences you will use TEXTUAL EVIDENCE (in the form of quotes) to prove how your thesis (whatever you said in the above “blanks” is true.
Question 27
Short-Response Questions
Directions: Write your response to the following question on a separate sheet of paper.
|Choose a specific literary element (e.g., theme, characterization, structure, point of view, etc.) or literary |
|technique (e.g., symbolism, irony, figurative language, etc.) used by one of the authors. Using specific details |
|from that passage, in a well-developed paragraph, show how the author uses that literary element or technique to |
|develop the passage. |
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For this question you only need to write about ONE passage. Your task is to prove how the SPECIFIC LITERARY ELEMENTS of the passage help prove its thesis.
o Sentence #1 – Thesis:
▪ Passage ____ (1 or 2 – you only need to address one of them) uses __________ (select a literary element that’s present in the passage – look to the multiple choice questions for some guidance if you’re really stuck) to help establish ________________ (reword the argument / thesis that you used in question #26 – you do NOT have to come up with a new argument).
▪ It would sound something like this:
• Passage 1 uses symbolism to help prove that friendships are an important part of growing up because they teach us about ourselves as individuals.
o Sentences #2-#8 (though I think you could get away with a total of 6 here and still be fine)
▪ Use textual evidence / quotes.
▪ Analyze how the literary element you’ve selected actually helps to prove your thesis.
Task IV
This is the only full essay that you will write during the exam. You will be given a quote and your essay needs to interpret the quote using two works of literature and literary elements.
HINTS:
• Write about two works of literature
• ALWAYS tie the information back into the quote throughout the essay
• ALWAYS refer back to the literary elements throughout the essay
• Introduction
o Include statement (lens) and who said it
o Interpret the lens – put it on your own words
o Agree or disagree with the statement (“This statement is proven true/false...”)
o Include the title, author, and genre of the two works about which you will write
o Include literary elements
• If you want to “push yourself,” include foreshadowing in the introduction. This allows you to “hint” at the direction of your essay.
• Make sure you start discussing the piece of literature that you first mention in the introduction
• Conclusion
o Stress the importance of the thesis (task)
o Show how your examples fit together
o Expand on your idea – tie your essay into the “real” world
• Look at The Guidelines if you forget what needs to be included in the essay
Part B
Your Task: Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works of literature you have read from the particular
perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens. In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of
the statement, agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it, and support your opinion using specific references to appropriate literary elements from the two works. You may use scrap paper to plan your response. Write your essay in Part B, beginning on page 7 of the essay booklet.
Guidelines:
Be sure to
• Provide a valid interpretation of the critical lens that clearly establishes the criteria for analysis (INTRO)
• Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it (INTRO)
• Choose two works you have read that you believe best support your opinion (INTRO)
• Use the criteria suggested by the critical lens to analyze the works you have chosen (BODY)
• Avoid plot summary. Instead, use specific references to appropriate literary elements (INTRO and
(For example: theme, characterization, setting, point of view) to develop your analysis BODY)
• Organize your ideas in a unified and coherent manner
• Specify the titles and authors of the literature you choose (INTRO)
• Follow the conventions of standard written English
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Sample Introductory Paragraphs
Critical Lens Quote: “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.”- Nicholas Cage
SAMPLE ONE:
Nicholas Cage once said, “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” The idea expressed through this quote is that characters that are models of perfection are difficult to relate to. All humans possess imperfections and the characters that show their imperfections are the ones who portray sincerity. This quote applies to today’s society where the idea of perfection is an abnormally thin supermodel or the idea that wealth and fame is the way to achieve the happily ever after fairytale; these are unrealistic icons of perfection for the “average Joe.” Tennessee Williams’ character Blanche in the play A Streetcar Named Desire and Jonathan Knowles’ character Gene in the novel A Separate Peace prove this quote to be true. Blanche is a “real” character; she has made mistakes in her past which have come back to haunt her and have threatened the few relationships to which her sanity is tied. Similarly, Gene exhibits flaws from which many humans suffer; his jealousy and desire to prevail threaten not only his relationship with his best friend, but the life of his best friend. Williams and Knowles use personification and the theme of deception to enable the reader to empathize with and see the sincerity of the protagonists of these literary works.
SAMPLE TWO:
Nicholas Cage once said, “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” This quote means that it is easier to like characters that make mistakes. This statement is proven true in the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and the novel A Separate Peace by Jonathan Knowles. The authors use personification and the theme of deception to show the humanness of the protagonists.
SAMPLE THREE:
“I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” – Nicholas Cage. This means the more imperfect a character the easier it is to understand the character and think the character is true. The play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and the novel A Separate Peace by Jonathan Knowles prove this quote.
SAMPLE FOUR:
Nicholas Cage once said, “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” In other words, no one is perfect so humans can relate to characters that have made mistakes. There are some literary characters that wear their imperfections on their sleeves and this allows the reader to see the sincerity of these characters. In the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Blanche DuBois’ lies catch up to her and threaten the relationships she has in her life. Similarly, Gene in Jonathan Knowles’ novel A Separate Peace allows his jealousy to threaten his relationship with his best friend. Williams and Knowles use examples of personification and the theme of deception to prove that characters with flaws are easier to relate to.
SAMPLE FIVE:
Nicholas Cage once stated “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth.” In other words, when a character seems to deviate from what’s expected, that’s where the truth is evident. Their mistakes are what make them more real and human. I agree with this quote because nobody is perfect, and whether we like it or not, people do make mistakes. That’s what makes us human. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is not your typical story of a teenage boy; rather it is the story of a young man struggling his own inner battles. In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is so caught up in trying to make a living that his own mind eventually fails him. Through these characters’ mistakes and flaws, it is shown how realistic they truly are.
SAMPLE SIX:
The statement, “I like flawed characters because somewhere in them I see more of the truth,” made by Nicholas Cage is fairly simple. It means he likes a character with a flaw because it makes them seem more real and believable, as opposed to a flawless character of perfection and the feeling that they are fake and unrealistic. This statement is true because a person with flaws makes the story more interesting. There are many literary works that show this.
Sample Introductory Paragraphs
Critical Lens Quote: “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” - Walker Percy
SAMPLE ONE:
Walker Percy once said, “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” In other words, in the classic battle between good and evil, evil will ultimately prevail. Although society is saturated with individuals who are morally corrupt and often choose the wrong path, literature provides a glimmer of hope. Oftentimes characters that are faced with misfortune are able to rise above the wickedness and come out on top. Two works of literature that prove Percy’s statement false are the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel, and the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The protagonist in Night finds himself trapped in a concentration camp during the Holocaust struggling to survive against the evils imposed on him by Hitler and his henchmen. Similarly, the main character in Lord of the Flies is forced to survive amid a group of maniacal boys on a deserted island devoid of parental structure and reason. Wiesel and Golding utilize the personification of evil through the antagonist and the use of symbols to ultimately show that good will triumph over evil.
SAMPLE TWO:
Walker Percy once said, “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” What this quote means is that in the battle between good and evil, evil will win. Evil is a force that cannot be controlled and cannot be beaten. Although society is filled with evil people, literature still has some “good guys” that struggle with evil and come out on top. Two works of literature that prove Percy’s statement false are the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, and the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Elie Wiesel overcomes Hitler’s evil forces during World War II just as Ralph overcomes Jack and his hunters after crashing on a deserted island. Both authors use literary elements such as personification and symbols to prove Percy’s statement is not true and show that good will win in the end.
SAMPLE THREE:
Walker Percy once said, “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” What this quote means is that evil will always win. This statement is proven false in the novel Night by Elie Wiesel and the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The authors use Elie and Ralph to personify goodness. Ultimately, the evil symbols of the crematorium and the pig’s head are defeated.
SAMPLE FOUR:
“In this world goodness is destined to be defeated” means to me that every good to the heart person is eventually going to be defeated, either by death or some other form of defeat. I disagree with this quote for many reasons. The novels Night by Elie Wiesel and Lord of the Flies by William Golding, gave me many details that supported my disagreement with the quote. Each book gave me many literary elements and writing techniques that also helped my disagreement with the quote.
SAMPLE FIVE:
“In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” This critical lens statement was said by Walker Percy. This means that evil always overcomes the good in a story. I disagree with this statement and it is proven in Night by Elie Wiesel and Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
Sample Conclusion Paragraphs
Critical Lens: “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” - Walker Percy
SAMPLE ONE:
The power of good to overcome evil is absolute. It is the irresistible force that drives us all to live on and reach higher than before. The darkness may threaten and attack. It would be lying to say that nobody succumbs to it. Despite evil’s advances and temptations, it cannot win unless it is allowed to. Evil has only that power we give it, and if denied, that power cannot win. However, it does take will power to resist and fight against it.
SAMPLE TWO:
Both novels, sadly, reveal the truth of good versus evil. Through Golding’s and Wiesel’s literary works, goodness is conquered. Conflicts, theme, plot, and resolution in Lord of the Flies and Night show the inevitable destruction of goodness and the superiority of evil.
SAMPLE THREE:
The conflict of good versus evil has been around since the dawn of time. Evil has reared its ugly head in the form of Hitler and his followers during World War II and continues to be ever present in today’s society in the form of terrorism. The struggle for supremacy between good and evil will be around for as long as individuals are allowed to make personal choices and utilize free will. Wiesel and Golding negate the statement “goodness is destined to be defeated”; in their works, evil is overcome by good by focusing on the plight of the protagonist. Elie and Ralph ultimately defeat the evil forces in their lives, Hitler and his cronies, and Jack, and prove that good will prevail. Both authors show the personification of evil through the antagonists and the triumph of good through the use of symbolism.
SAMPLE FOUR:
“In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” The people from these works of literature support the quote written by Walker Percy. They did things which seem to be good but were defeated due to their course.
SAMPLE FIVE
“In this world goodness is destined to be defeated,” said Walker Percy. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, this is true. Jack’s savageness overcomes Ralph’s civilization, and the conch is destroyed. An unbiased and unfair court sends an innocent man to prison, and his death. Through Percy’s, Lee’s, and Golding’s eyes, the world is a dark place that is getting darker.
Sample Task IV Essay
Walker Percy once said, “In this world goodness is destined to be defeated.” In other words, in the classic battle between good and evil, evil will ultimately prevail. Although society is saturated with individuals who are morally corrupt and often choose the wrong path, literature provides a glimmer of hope. Oftentimes characters that are faced with misfortune are able to rise above the wickedness and come out on top. Two works of literature that prove Percy’s statement false are the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel, and the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The protagonist in Night finds himself trapped in a concentration camp during the Holocaust struggling to survive against the evils imposed on him by Hitler and his henchmen. Similarly, the main character in Lord of the Flies is forced to survive amid a group of maniacal boys on a deserted island devoid of parental structure and reason. Wiesel and Golding utilize the personification of evil through the antagonist and the use of symbols to ultimately show that good will triumph over evil.
Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night is the quintessential work to show how good and evil are in a continuous battle. In 1941, Wiesel and his family are ripped out of their life in Sighet and are forced into a concentration camp by Hitler and his cronies. Once there, the family is separated and Elie never again lays eyes on his mother or sisters. Elie and his father struggle to survive life in Buna and to not succumb to the evils that they are faced with on a daily basis at the hands of Hitler’s henchmen.
The guards at the concentration camp and, by extension, Hitler are the personification of evil in this memoir. They abuse their prisoners and create an atmosphere of obedience through the use of fear. They deliberately hang a child in the square and parade the prisoners by so they can witness him struggling for breath and eventually suffocating. While marching from one camp to another, they starve the prisoners and physically beat these tortured souls in an attempt to break them and whatever goodness is left in them.
One symbol that represents evil in Night is the sign that hangs above the entrance to the concentration camp “Arbeit macht frei.” This means that work will set you free, but the prisoners are never meant to be set free. The sign offers a glimmer of hope to those entering the camp, but the true evilness of the sign is not evident until the Jews are processed through the camp.
Although Hitler and his guards attempt to destroy all goodness, they failed when it came to Elie. The glimmer of hope the reader can see is how Elie was able to survive the camp and become liberated. Evil does not prevail in this memoir since Elie walks away from the camp with his life. The protagonist is able to overcome the evil forces and triumph. Although evil did reign for a time, as proven by the death of Elie’s father, it was ultimately defeated when Elie lived to look at himself in the mirror at the end of the novel.
William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies portrays the classic battle between good and evil. Jack, the antagonist, manages to seduce the majority of the boys on the island to join his hunters in having fun, creating chaos, and neglecting the duties assigned to them by their leader, Ralph. Ralph is the voice of reason and, in a sense, the parental figure on an island that is riddled with unsupervised boys. Faced with the choice of following the rules and performing “chores” or hunting all day, it is no surprise that Ralph was left ultimately alone in his struggle to resist evil.
Jack is the personification of evil. He is ruthless, demanding, and has no regard for human life. Once he gets the taste of blood, after killing the sow, his thirst for it increases until it consumes his every thought. He has no remorse when he and his group kill Simon or when Piggy loses his life while trying to help Ralph restore order on the island. When Jack realizes that Ralph is resistant to succumbing to his rule and following his lead, he is determined to defeat all the good that has been accomplished on the island and ultimately defeat Ralph.
The symbol that represents evil is the pig’s head on the stick, or the lord of the flies. What Jack and his henchmen do not realize is that the evil that the pig’s head represents is really the evil inside of the boys. He and his corrupt group of followers place their loyalty with a symbol that allowed them to act out their sick fantasies such as beating the littluns when they cried or attempting to kill Ralph.
This novel allows the reader a glimmer of hope. Ultimately, the goodness is not defeated but manages to overcome the evil and win the battle. Ralph, the protagonist, is able to outwit the evil Jack and, with some luck, is able to draw the attention of a passing ship before being slaughtered by the hunters. The lord of the flies suffers the same outcome as Jack’s dream; it is defeated and smashed to pieces proving that evil may reign for some time but it will be good that is the victor in the end.
The conflict of good versus evil has been around since the dawn of time. Evil has reared its ugly head in the form of Hitler and his followers during World War II and continues to be ever present in today’s society in the form of terrorism. The struggle for supremacy between good and evil will be around for as long as individuals are allowed to make personal choices and utilize free will. Wiesel and Golding negate the statement “goodness is destined to be defeated”; in their works, evil is overcome by good by focusing on the plight of the protagonist. Elie and Ralph ultimately defeat the evil forces in their lives, Hitler and his cronies, and Jack, and prove that good will prevail. Both authors show the personification of evil through the antagonists and the triumph of good through the use of symbolism.
Task IV - Critical Lens Quote Interpretation
It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure and embrace the new. – Alan Cohen
The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning. – Ivy Baker Priest
Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. – St. Augustine
The real hero is always a hero by mistake—Umberto Eco 8/08
It is the human lot to try and fail—Leonard Mamet 6/08
Greatness lies in not being strong, but in the right using of strength –Henry Beecher Ward 1/08
You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it—Yan Martel 8/07
For what does it mean to be human? It requires you to be prepared to deal with forces larger than yourself—Norman Mailer 6/07
The human heart has ever dreamed a fairer world than the one it knows—Charles Noyes 1/07
To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. – Bernadette Devlin (8/06)
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King, Jr. (6/06)
All that is literature seeks to communicate power... – Thomas De Quincey (1/06)
The right good book* is always a book* of travel; it is about a life’s journey. – H. M. Tomlinson (1/05)
(*You may interpret the word “book” to include plays, short stories, poems, biographies, and books of true experience.)
A person is a person through other persons... – Archbishop Desmond Tutu (8/04)
In a dark time, the eye begins to see,... – Theodore Roethke (6/04)
Things can happen in some cities* and the tale of them will be interesting; the same story laid in another city* would be ridiculous. – Frank Norris (1/04)
(*You may interpret the word “cities” to mean locations and the word “city” to mean location.)
We do not read novels* for improvement or instruction. – Oliver Wendell Holmes (8/03)
(*You may interpret the word “novels” to include plays, short stories, poems, biographies, and books of true experience.)
Good people ... are good because they’ve come to wisdom through failure. – William Saroyan (6/03)
All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason that motivates characters in literature.
– Duff Brenna (1/03)
If the literature we are reading does not wake us, why then do we read it? A literary work must be an ice-axe to break the sea frozen inside us. – Franz Kafka (8/02)
The bravest of individual is the one who obeys his or her conscience. – J. F. Clarke (6/02)
All literature is protest. You can’t name a single literary work that isn’t protest. – Richard Wright (1/02)
What lasts is what is written. We look to literature to find the essence of an age. (8/01)
All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil. (6/01)
It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many grievous faults and failures and to hold up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement. – John Steinbeck (1/01)
Transitions
Transitions are used to aid in organization and focus your ideas. They show the relationship between ideas, details, and examples in a paragraph. They make the paragraph read smoothly, and add unity and coherence.
Transitions that link similar ideas:
|again |for instance |likewise |
|also |for example |moreover |
|and |furthermore |of course |
|another |in addition |similarly |
|besides |in a like manner |too |
Transitions that link dissimilar ideas or apparently contradictory ideas:
|although |however |on the other hand |
|as if |in spite of |otherwise |
|but |instead |provided that |
|conversely |nevertheless |still |
|even if |on the contrary |yet |
Transitions that indicate cause, purpose, or result:
|as |for |so |
|as a result |for this reason |then |
|because |hence |therefore |
|consequently |since |thus |
Transitions that indicate time or position:
|above |before |lastly |
|across |beyond |meanwhile |
|afterward |eventually |next |
|around |finally |presently |
|at once |first, second, etc. |thereafter |
|at the present time |here |thereupon |
Literary Elements
allusion A passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by
implication.
characterization portrayal; description. The creation and convincing representation of fictitious characters.
conflict Man versus Man - Conflict that pits one person against another.
Man versus Nature - A run-in with the forces of nature. On the one hand, it expresses the insignificance of a single human life in the cosmic scheme of things. On the other hand, it tests the limits of a person’s strength and will to live.
Man versus Society - The values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged. The character may come to an untimely end as a result of his or her own convictions. The character may, on the other hand, bring others around to a sympathetic point of view, or it may be decided that society was right after all.
Man versus Self - Internal conflict. Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are their own worst enemies. An internal conflict is a good test of a character’s values. Does he give in to temptation or rise above it? Does he demand the most from himself or settle for something less? Does he even bother to struggle? The internal conflicts of a character and how they are resolved are good clues to the character’s inner strength.
figurative language Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. Any language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject.
Simile - A figure of speech which involves a direct comparison between two unlike things usually with the words like or as. Example: The muscles on his brawny arms are strong as iron bands.
Metaphor - A figure of speech which involves an implied comparison between two relatively unlike things using a form of be. The comparison is not announced by like or as. Example: The road was a ribbon of moonlight.
Alliteration - Repeated consonant sounds occurring at the beginning of words or within words. Alliteration is used to create melody, establish mood, call attention to important words, and point out similarities and contrasts. Example: wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.
Personification - A figure of speech which gives the qualities of a person to an animal, an object, or an idea. It is a comparison which the author uses to show something in an entirely new light, to communicate a certain feeling or attitude towards it and to control the way a reader perceives it. Example: a brave handsome brute fell with a creaking rending cry--the author is giving a tree human qualities.
Onomatopoeia - The use of words that mimic sounds. They appeal to our sense of hearing and they help bring a description to life. A string of syllables the author has made up to represent the way a sound really sounds. Example: Caarackle!
Hyperbole - An exaggerated statement used to heighten effect. It is not used to mislead the reader, but to emphasize a point. Example: She’s said so on several million occasions
foreshadowing The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.
imagery Language that appeals to the senses. Descriptions of people or objects stated in terms of our senses.
irony Irony is the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is.
Verbal Irony - The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant.
Situational Irony - This refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended.
Dramatic Irony - This occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the characters know.
mood The climate of feeling in a literary work. The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood. For example, an author may create a mood of mystery around a character or setting but may treat that character or setting in an ironic, serious, or humorous tone.
motif Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the piece’s major themes - vehicle by means of which the narrative theme is conveyed
personification Personification gives non-humans and objects human traits and qualities.
point of view First Person - The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters.
Third-Person Objective - The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.
Third-Person Limited - The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.
Omniscient - The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.
symbolism A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggests other meanings as well. Things, characters, and actions can be symbols. Anything that suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.
theme The main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the topic. It is important to recognize the difference between the theme of a literary work and the subject of a literary work. The subject is the topic on which an author has chosen to write. The theme, however, makes some statement about or expresses some opinion on that topic. For example, the subject of a story might be war while the theme might be the idea that war is useless.
tone The author’s attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject. Some possible attitudes are pessimism, optimism, earnestness, seriousness, bitterness, humorous, and joyful. An author’s tone can be revealed through choice of words and details.
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Review of Literary Work
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Other Relevant Information: (mood, point of view, irony, style, etc.): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Review of Literary Work
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Setting: ______________________________________________________________________________
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Other Relevant Information: (mood, point of view, irony, style, etc.): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Review of Literary Work
Name __________________________________
Title: _________________________________
Author: _______________________________
Genre: _______________________________
Plot Summary/Specific Points: _____________________________________________________________
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Setting: ______________________________________________________________________________
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Grade Nine Summaries
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (play) – 13th or 14th Century Italy (Verona and Mantua)
Act I
Years ago there lived in the city of Verona in Italy two noble families, the Montagues and Capulets. Unfortunately, there existed much bad blood between them. Their animosity was so pronounced that they could not stand the sight of one another. Even the servants of the house carried on the animosity of their masters. The bloody feuds of the two families led the Prince to order all brawls to cease on pain of death.
Romeo, son of old Montague, is a handsome young man. He fancies he is in love with Rosaline, who disdains his love. As a result, Romeo is depressed. To cure him of his love, his friend Benvolio induces him to attend a masked ball at the Capulets, where he could encounter other beauties and forget Rosaline. At the ball, Romeo is attracted by a girl who he learns is Juliet, daughter of the Capulets. They seal their love with a kiss. Juliet, on learning Romeo’s identity from a servant, confesses to herself that her only love has sprung from her only hate. Meanwhile, the fiery Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, recognizes Romeo and challenges him. Old Capulet forbids him to insult or harm any guest. Tybalt vows to settle the score with Romeo later.
Act II
That night Romeo lingers in Capulet’s garden, standing in the orchard beneath Juliet’s balcony. He sees Juliet leaning over the railing, hears her calling out his name, and wishes that he were not a Montague. He reveals his presence, and they resolve, after an ardent love scene, to be married secretly. Next morning, Juliet sends her Nurse to make final arrangements for the wedding to be performed at the cell of Friar Lawrence. The Friar, who is a confessor to both the houses, feels that this union between a Montague and a Capulet will dissolve the enmity between the two houses.
Act III
Meanwhile, Tybalt has been seeking Romeo to avenge the latter’s intrusion at the ball. He encounters Romeo returning from Friar Lawrence’s cell. Romeo, softened by his newfound love and his marriage to Juliet, refuses to be drawn into a quarrel with Tybalt, now his kinsman by marriage. Mercutio grapples with Tybalt and is slain. Aroused to fury by the death of his friend, Romeo fights with Tybalt and kills him and takes shelter in the Friar’s cell. The Prince, on hearing of the trouble, banishes Romeo. The Friar advises Romeo to spend the night with Juliet and then flee to Mantua. Meanwhile, Juliet’s parents, believing her grief to be due to her cousin Tybalt’s death, seek to alleviate her distress by planning her immediate marriage to Paris, a kinsman of the Prince.
Act IV
In despair, Juliet seeks Friar Lawrence’s advice. He gives her a sleeping potion, which for a time will cause her to appear dead. Thus, on the day of her supposed marriage to Paris, she will be carried to the family vault. By the time she awakens, Romeo will be summoned to the vault and take her away to Mantua.
Act V
The Friar’s letter fails to reach Romeo. When he hears of Juliet’s death through Balthazar, Romeo procures a deadly poison from an apothecary and secretly returns to Verona to say his last farewell to his deceased wife and die by her side. In the Capulet tomb, Romeo encounters Paris, who has come to strew flowers on Juliet’s grave. Paris challenges Romeo, and in the fight that ensues, Paris is killed. Then at Juliet’s side, Romeo drinks the poison and dies. When Juliet awakens from her deep sleep, she realizes Romeo’s error and kills herself with his dagger. Summoned to the tomb by the aroused watchman, Lord Capulet and Lord Montague ring their hands in anguish. The Prince listens to Friar Lawrence’s story of the unhappy fate of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. He rebukes the Capulets and Montagues for their bloody feud. The Capulets and Montague decide to reconcile as a result of the deaths of their children.
Grade Nine Summaries
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (novel)
One evening, two men, on their way to a ranch, stop at a stream near the Salinas River (a river near Soledad). George, who is short and dark, leads the way. The person following him is Lennie, a giant of a man with huge arms. During their conversation by the stream, George repeatedly asks Lennie to keep his mouth shut on the ranch, suggesting that Lennie has some kind of problem. After supper and before going to sleep, the two of them talk about their dream to own a piece of land.
The next day, George and Lennie travel to the ranch to start work. They are given two beds in the bunkhouse. Then Old Candy introduces them to almost everybody on the ranch. They meet the boss and the boss’s son Curley, who is quite rude. They also meet Curley’s wife when she comes looking for her husband. She wears heavy make-up and possesses a flirtatious attitude. George warns Lennie to behave his best around Curley and his wife. He also suggests that they should meet by the pool if anything unfortunate happens to either of them on the ranch.
George and Lennie are assigned to work with Slim, who is sensible and ‘civilized’ and talks with authority. George finds Slim an understanding confidante, and a bond forms between the two of them. When Curley wrongly accuses Slim for talking to his wife, Slim gets very angry. Curley apologizes to him in the bunkhouse in front of everybody, but his apology is rejected. Curley vents his frustration on Lennie, trying to pick a fight. Lennie does not hit back initially, but when George asks him to, Lennie obliges and crushes Curley’s hand. Curley agrees that he will not tell anyone about his hand, for it would mean losing his self-respect.
While working on the ranch, George and Lennie continue to dream about owning their own piece of land and make plans accordingly. Old Candy, one of the ranch hands, overhears their planning and asks to join them. He even offers to contribute all of his savings to purchase the land. George and Lennie accept his proposal.
One evening, Lennie, looking for his puppy, enters the room of Crooks; since he is the only black man on the ranch, Crooks lives alone, segregated from the other ranch workers. Candy enters, looking for Lennie; the two of them tell Crooks about their dream of owning their own ranch, but Crooks tells them that it will never happen, foreshadowing the truth. Curley’s wife comes in and interrupts them. When Crooks objects to her presence in his room, she threatens him with a false rape charge.
Later on, Lennie is seen alone in the barn, petting his dead pup. He has unintentionally killed it by handling it too hard. Now he is grieving over the loss. Curley’s wife walks into the barn and strikes up a conversation with Lennie. As they talk, she asks him to stroke her hair. She panics when she feels Lennie’s strong hands. When she raises her voice to him, Lennie covers her mouth. In the process, he accidentally breaks her neck and she dies. Knowing he has done something terrible, he leaves the ranch. When the ranch hands learn that Curley’s wife has been killed, they rightly guess the guilty party. Led by an angry Curley, they all go out to search for Lennie. They plan to murder him in retribution.
George guesses where Lennie is and races to the pool. To save him from the brutal assaults of the ranch hands, George mercifully kills his friend himself. Hearing the gunshot, the searchers converge by the pool. They praise George for his act. Only Slim understands the actual purpose of George’s deed.
Grade Nine Summaries
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda Sordino begins her freshman year at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York, with a heavy secret weighing on her. Over the summer, she and her friends went to a party and Melinda ended up calling the police, causing her friends and everyone at the party to socially reject her. Melinda's only friend is Heather, a new student, who tries to get Melinda involved in her schemes to gain popularity.
Melinda, however, is not interested in gaining popularity and spends much of her time in an abandoned janitor's closet at school. She has stolen some late passes, so she uses the closet as a hideout to avoid teachers she dislikes and painful interactions with her former friends. Her only solace at school is art class, where she is working on a year-long project to create various interpretations of a tree. In the school hallways, she occasionally sees IT, a name she has given to senior Andy Evans, and she slowly begins to face what he did to her. Whenever he sees her, he antagonizes her in ways that make her relive her initial experience with him. She grows more despondent and even ditches whole days of school. Her parents and guidance counselor try to get her to open up about her poor academic performance, but Melinda refuses to speak to them. However, over many months of painful silence and self-harm in the form of lip- and nail-biting, Melinda finally admits to herself that Andy Evans raped her at the party last summer.
After facing the fact that she was raped, Melinda begins to recover from the trauma of the event. She is worried about Andy Evans' intentions for her former best friend, Rachel, and finally tells Rachel what happened to her. While Rachel does not believe Melinda, Melinda begins to feel free after speaking up. She takes up new hobbies, like yard work, and gains confidence in her attempts at creating a vibrant tree for art class. She no longer relies on Heather's false friendship and begins to reconnect with her former friend Ivy. As the school year comes to an end, Melinda is forced to confront Andy once again when he corners her in her janitor's closet. She defends herself and gains the respect of the school as many other girls have also suffered Andy's attacks silently. She ends the year by finishing her tree and sharing what has happened to her with her art teacher, Mr. Freeman.
Grade Ten Summaries
Lord of the Flies by William Golding (novel) – flee from England – small coral island in the South Pacific
The novel begins with Ralph and Piggy meeting on the beach. They are part of a group of boys who were being evacuated from a nuclear war in England and whose plane has crashed on a deserted island. Soon the whole group meets, and Ralph is elected as their leader. They find a conch shell on the beach, and Ralph uses it as a symbol of his authority. Jack, the head of the choirboys who wants to be the leader, is made chief of the hunters, who arm themselves with wooden spears and utter war cries as they chase pigs.
Ralph, in his rationality, decides to light a fire on the mountaintop to serve as a signal to passing ships. Piggy's glasses are used to start the fire, and Jack's hunters are put in charge of keeping it burning. But the strong wind sets the whole forest on the mountaintop on fire. One of the small boys is lost in the blaze; it is the first foreshadowing that civilized life, like the fire, may grow out of control.
For the most part, life is aimless on the island. The smallest boys, called "littluns", stay together, play, eat too much, and give way to their fear in the nighttime, often crying loudly. Most of the older boys spend their time bathing in the lagoon, sleeping in the shade, or eating the plentiful fruit available in the jungle. Ralph spends much of his time building shelters to protect the boys, while Jack and his tribe are constantly off on a hunt. They are so involved in their pursuit of savagery that they even let the fire go out and miss being rescued by a passing ship. As time passes, all the boys become dirty and unkempt, an outward symbol of their interior disintegration.
After Jack kills the first pig, they all have a feast. A mock hunt is enacted round the fire with wild dancing and chanting. They even offer the pig's head as an offering to the Beast, which the boys are certain exists on the island. The Pig's head is soon covered with flies, and it becomes the "Lord of the Flies", a symbol of the boys' evil savagery.
One night there is a plane fight over the island while the boys are asleep. A dead parachutist lands on the island and gets entangled in the trees. When the wind blows, the parachute flaps and balloons, and the dead airman's head bobs up and down. Sam and Eric see this terrifying figure, and they tell everyone they have seen the beast. Fear grows in everyone. Ralph, Jack, and Roger climb the mountain to investigate the beast. Only Jack is brave enough to ascend to the top. When he spies the dead airman, he is convinced there is a beast and warns the others, causing fear to grow.
Ralph is now more concerned than ever about their rescue and about keeping the fire going. He grows angry at Jack and his hunters when they do not tend the fire as assigned. But Jack cares only about hunting; he does not seem to have a care about rules or being rescued. Because of him, things start degenerating, and he and Ralph constantly fight. Jack finally breaks away from the group and starts his own tribe at Castle Rock on the other side of the island. Most of the other boys follow him. Only Piggy, Sam, Eric, and some littluns remain with Ralph.
Once again Jack kills a pig and the others are invited to the feast. Now all the boys have painted themselves like savages. Simon, the visionary, is disturbed by the break-up of the group and wanders off alone into the jungle. There he sees the dead airman and realizes that there is no beast, only the poor man's dead body. He understands that the beast is only within a person's heart. He hurries to Castle Rock to inform the boys, who are dancing in frenzy after their feast. They mistake Simon for the beast and beat him with clubs and spears until he dies.
Ralph and Piggy feel ashamed of what has happened, and Ralph calls them accomplices, accepting part of the responsibility for Simon's death; but Jack and his hunters seem to have no remorse. They convince themselves that it was really the beast in disguise that they have destroyed. As a result of the murder, the rift between Jack and Ralph widens further. One night Jack and some of his hunters raid Ralph's remnant of a camp; they attack the boys, damage the shelters, and steal Piggy's glasses which they need to light the fire. Ralph and Piggy go to Castle Rock to demand the return of the glasses, for Piggy cannot even see. Roger, one of the guards at Castle Rock, pushes a boulder towards Piggy. It crushes and kills him. Under Jack's orders, the savages also capture Sam and Eric and force them to join their tribe. Now only Ralph is left, and in fear, he flees into the forest.
Jack is determined to do away with Ralph or force him to join his tribe as well. He orders his hunters to find his "enemy". When they locate Ralph hiding in a thicket, they roll boulders at him and set fire to the forest to smoke him out. He manages to run past the hunters and hide again. When they find his second hiding place and the burning forest begins to close in on him, Ralph has no choice but to run to the beach. He trips and falls in the sand. When he stands up, he is looking in the face of a naval officer. The smoke from the forest fire has attracted him to the island.
Soon all the boys start assembling on the beach and the officer learns about their trauma, including the deaths of Simon and Piggy. He is horrified that British schoolboys can be so savage. As he scolds them, the boys start sobbing. They are relieved to be rescued, ashamed of their behavior, sad that they have lost their childhood innocence, and fearful about the evil ways of mankind, which they now understand.
Grade Ten Summaries
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (play) – 17th Century Paris
Cyrano de Bergerac is a proud and courageous Gascon nobleman. He is known for his intellect, brilliant wit, fluency of speech, and swordsmanship. He is also known for his large, grotesque nose. Because he feels that he is very unattractive, he is convinced that no woman will ever love him, especially not one as beautiful as his cousin Roxane. Since he feels he cannot have Roxane for himself, he agrees to help Christian de Neuvillette court Roxane. Although Christian is very handsome, he is not very bright and has no way with words. Therefore, Cyrano agrees to coach him on what to say to Roxane in order to win her love. The plan works so well that Roxane marries Christian after a short time.
Roxane's marriage upsets Count De Guiche, a powerful and influential Gascon nobleman who is married to Cardinal Richelieu's niece. Since he thinks Roxane is very beautiful, he desires her for himself. Since he is married, he plans for Viscount de Valvert, a weak and accommodating nobleman, to marry Roxane. De Guiche knows that Valvert will say nothing if he has an affair with Roxane, even if she is Valvert's wife. When he learns that Cyrano has helped to arrange the marriage of Roxane and Christian, he wants revenge. He immediately sends both men off to fight in the Battle of Arras. He then arranges for their regiment to be in a position where they are sure to be attacked and outnumbered by the enemy.
When Roxane learns that her new husband is to be sent away from her, she makes Cyrano promise to have Christian write to her regularly. Cyrano seizes the opportunity to express his own love for Roxane in loves letters that he signs as Christian. Roxane is so moved by the professed love in the letters that she goes to the front to see Christian in order to express her deep love for him. Arriving at the battlefield, Roxane apologizes to her husband for at first loving him for being handsome. She claims that she now cares only about his poetic soul, not his attractive appearance. Christian is crushed, for he realizes that Roxane really loves Cyrano, the author of the letters. In his distress, he goes to Cyrano and says that Roxane must be told the truth. Then she can choose between Christian and Cyrano.
Before Cyrano has the opportunity to tell Roxane the truth about the letters, the battle begins, and Christian is mortally wounded by the first shot. He now knows that he can never tell Roxane the truth and win her love. She must always believe that her dead husband was the author of the love letters. Roxane is so devastated by the loss of Christian, whom she believes to be the most poetic and noble of men, that she wears a veil of mourning for the next fifteen years and lives in a convent, away from temptation.
The devoted Cyrano comes to the convent each week to visit Roxane, but he never tells her the truth about the letters or hints that he was the author. Instead, he entertains her with news of the outside world. Roxane looks forward to her cousin's visits.
One Saturday, when Roxane is expecting Cyrano, De Guiche, who is now a Duke, comes for a visit. He drops a hint to Cyrano's friend, Le Bret, that there are plans to kill Cyrano and to make it look like an accident. The warning is too late. Cyrano has already been hit on his head by a block of wood. The accident, however, does not keep him away from Roxane. When he arrives at the convent, he is on the point of collapse. As a favor, he asks Roxane to let him read Christian's last letter to her, which she keeps on her person, close to her heart. As he reads the letter to her out loud, Roxane realizes that he is able to recite the letter without reading it. She realizes that it is his way of saying farewell to her. She also realizes that it was Cyrano, and not Christian, who had written the beautiful and noble love letters to her. As he dies before her, Roxane is upset that he has kept his love a secret and deprived her of his tenderness. Before his last breath, she tells him that she would have loved him all these years had she only known the truth. Her confession makes Cyrano die happy man.
Grade Ten Summaries
Night by Elie Wiesel (memoir)
The story begins in 1941, when Elie was twelve years old and living in Sighet with his family. In spite of his youth, the Jewish Elie was eager to study the Talmud and Cabbala. His father, however, thinks Elie is too young for such advanced subjects and refuses to find him a teacher. As a result, Elie turns to Moshe the Beadle for guidance.
One day Moshe is arrested by the Nazis. When he returns, he tells the villagers about how he has miraculously escaped from his torturers. He also tells them shocking stories about the atrocities committed against the Jews by Hitler's regime. When Elie and the other villagers do not believe his stories, thinking he has gone mad, Moshe weeps and tells his story again.
As time passes, the Nazis treat the Jews worse and worse. First they shift the Jewish people to live in ghettos; then they arrest them and transport them to Birkenau, the reception center that leads to Auschwitz. Elie, his parents, and his sisters are arrested by the Nazis and sent by cattle car to Birkenau. During the journey, Elie, his family, and the other Jews suffer from the inhuman conditions they must endure; they are also driven to distraction by the hysterical screams of Madame Schachter, who has hallucinations of fire and furnace.
When Elie and his family arrive at the concentration camp, they see flames rising out of an oven, which is actually a crematorium for the prisoners. They are repulsed by the stench of burning flesh. Then Elie and his father are separated from his mother and sisters. In the men's camp, Elie fights to protect his father and is repeatedly tortured himself. Gradually he begins to lose faith in God because of the atrocities he must witness and endure. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, a Jewish Holy Day, Elie refuses to pray.
In the camp, a regular process of selection takes place to separate the physically fit prisoners from the unfit or sick ones. The abler men are given a chance to work and live, while the weaker ones are sent to the furnaces to be killed. Both Elie and his father survive the selection process; but they know there is no guarantee that they will survive the work and brutality. They often watch other prisoners as they are hanged for some little offense. The Nazis even hang an innocent thirteen-year-old boy with an angelic face.
In January 1945, Russian liberation forces draw near Buna, the camp where Elie and his father are staying. As a result, the Nazis evacuate the camp and force the prisoners to run through the snow toward Gleiwitz; they do not provide them any food or water during the trip. Elie and his father are amongst the prisoners forced to make the journey; it is a particularly difficult trip for Elie, for he has recently had an operation on his right foot, due to an infection. Elie struggles to keep up the pace, for the prisoners who fall behind are shot by the Nazis; many others fall down and are trampled to death by other prisoners.
Finally, the prisoners are loaded into roofless cattle-cars and taken to Buchenwald in central Germany. Many people die during the journey because of exposure and starvation, but Elie and his father manage to survive. At Buchenwald, however, Elie's father grows very ill, suffering from dysentery and malnutrition. He is also cruelly beaten on his skull. Elie tries his best to nurse his sick father back to health, getting very little sleep himself.
One night Elie unwillingly falls asleep due to his total exhaustion. When he wakes up, he finds that his father is not in his bed. He suspects that he has been taken to the crematorium, while he was still breathing, for the Nazis would judge the sick, old man as worthless. Elie is left with a life long repentance that he did not look after his sick father until the last moment.
At the end of the book, the Allied forces arrive at the concentration camp and liberate the prisoners. Even though he is freed, Elie is physically and emotionally devastated from his year of imprisonment. Three days after his release, he becomes seriously ill and must be hospitalized. When he has recovered enough to get out of bed, Elie looks in the mirror
and thinks that he looks like a corpse. He knows he will always be haunted by the horror he has endured; the memory will forever be like a dark and scary night to him.
Grade Eleven Summaries
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (play)
Blanche Dubois, a very proper, talkative woman from Mississippi, arrives in New Orleans to stay with her sister, Stella Kowalski. Blanche is overly concerned with her appearance, cleanliness, dress, and upper-class mentality, while Stella has married someone of lower status, Stanley Kowalski. Stanley is from Poland, works in a factory, has little education, but is extremely passionate and handsome. Stella and Stanley have strong chemistry, which fuels their love.
From the beginning of her stay, Blanche and Stanley are at odds; opposing ideals, ways of life, and each other on every minute detail of life. Blanche tells Stella that she has lost Belle Reve, their childhood plantation home. Stanley wants to see the paperwork regarding the property and confronts Blanche about it. During their first conversation/confrontation, they argue and discuss Blanche's past. Stanley tells her that Stella is pregnant.
Stanley has a poker game in his small flat in Elysian Fields inviting three good friends, including Mitch. Mitch spots Blanche at that game and they spark a romance. He has never been married and lives with his sick mother, while Blanche's young husband died tragically many years ago. While Blanche is flirting with Mitch, she turns on the radio to dance. Stanley erupts, tears it out of the wall, and throws it out the window. Stella is furious and scolds him. He hits her. She runs upstairs away from him to stay with Eunice for the evening, but later comes back to him. They love each other very much despite Stanley's violence.
Mitch and Blanche begin to see each other frequently. Blanche keeps up the facade of virginity, innocence, and properness. She tells him of her young husband's tendency toward homosexuality, her discovery of his secret, and his ultimate suicide. They open up to one another saying how they both need somebody and that they would be good for each other.
Stanley continues to search for evidence on Blanche's blemished past, finding people who knew her in Laurel, the town where she lived and taught English. She lived at a second-rate hotel called the Flamingo, sharing company with many men. She was involved with a seventeen-year-old boy at her school, which is the reason for her sudden departure. She was also evicted from the hotel, because her personal life was too seedy even for them.
Stanley tells Mitch these stories and Mitch stands Blanche up at her birthday dinner. Stanley presents her with the present of a bus ticket out of New Orleans on Tuesday, and erupts at the table, breaking plates and glasses and scaring both Stella and Blanche even more. Mitch arrives later to talk to the drunk Blanche. She attempts to cover up her drunken state and keep him in her life. They fight and he tells her he wants to sleep with her, but she responds that she will only if they were married. He tells her she is not clean enough for him and leaves.
Blanche believes that she is to leave New Orleans to go on a Caribbean cruise with one of her old beaux, Shep Huntleigh. Stanley laughs at her, but tries to make amends because his wife is having a baby. They fight and Blanche tries to stab him with a broken bottle top. She admits to her sketchy past and he shows his bad temper.
Weeks later, Stella has the baby and Stanley hosts another poker game. Blanche believes that she is going on a vacation in the country with Shep. Instead, a doctor and nurse arrive at the door to have her committed. She screams and tries to stay with Stella. After a skirmish, the doctor is kind to her and she begins to trust him. She walks out of the house with him and will go to the institution. Stella cries, wondering if she did the right thing while Stanley hopes that everything will go back to normal now that Blanche has gone.
Grade Eleven Summaries
The Crucible by Arthur Miller – Salem, Massachusetts
In the Puritan New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, a group of girls goes dancing in the forest with a black slave named Tituba. While dancing, they are caught by the local minister, Reverend Parris. One of the girls, Parris’s daughter Betty, falls into a coma-like state. A crowd gathers in the Parris home while rumors of witchcraft fill the town. Having sent for Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, Parris questions Abigail Williams, the girls’ ringleader, about the events that took place in the forest. Abigail, who is Parris’s niece and ward, admits to doing nothing beyond “dancing.”
While Parris tries to calm the crowd that has gathered in his home, Abigail talks to some of the other girls, telling them not to admit to anything. John Proctor, a local farmer, then enters and talks to Abigail alone. Unbeknownst to anyone else in the town, while working in Proctor’s home the previous year she engaged in an affair with him, which led to her being fired by his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail still desires Proctor, but he fends her off and tells her to end her foolishness with the girls.
Betty wakes up and begins screaming. Much of the crowd rushes upstairs and gathers in her bedroom, arguing over whether she is bewitched. A separate argument between Proctor, Parris, the argumentative Giles Corey, and the wealthy Thomas Putnam soon ensues. This dispute centers on money and land deeds, and it suggests that deep fault lines run through the Salem community. As the men argue, Reverend Hale arrives and examines Betty, while Proctor departs. Hale quizzes Abigail about the girls’ activities in the forest, grows suspicious of her behavior, and demands to speak to Tituba. After Parris and Hale interrogate her for a brief time, Tituba confesses to communing with the devil, and she hysterically accuses various townsfolk of consorting with the devil. Suddenly, Abigail joins her, confessing to having seen the devil conspiring and cavorting with other townspeople. Betty joins them in naming witches, and the crowd is thrown into an uproar.
A week later, alone in their farmhouse outside of town, John and Elizabeth Proctor discuss the ongoing trials and the escalating number of townsfolk who have been accused of being witches. Elizabeth urges her husband to denounce Abigail as a fraud; he refuses, and she becomes jealous, accusing him of still harboring feelings for her. Mary Warren, their servant and one of Abigail’s circle, returns from Salem with news that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft but the court did not pursue the accusation. Mary is sent up to bed, and John and Elizabeth continue their argument, only to be interrupted by a visit from Reverend Hale. While they discuss matters, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come to the Proctor home with news that their wives have been arrested. Officers of the court suddenly arrive and arrest Elizabeth. After they have taken her, Proctor browbeats Mary, insisting that she must go to Salem and expose Abigail and the other girls as frauds.
The next day, Proctor brings Mary to court and tells Judge Danforth that she will testify that the girls are lying. Danforth is suspicious of Proctor’s motives and tells Proctor, truthfully, that Elizabeth is pregnant and will be spared for a time. Proctor persists in his charge, convincing Danforth to allow Mary to testify. Mary tells the court that the girls are lying. When the girls are brought in, they turn the tables by accusing Mary of bewitching them. Furious, Proctor confesses his affair with Abigail and accuses her of being motivated by jealousy of his wife. To test Proctor’s claim, Danforth summons Elizabeth and asks her if Proctor has been unfaithful to her. Despite her natural honesty, she lies to protect Proctor’s honor, and Danforth denounces Proctor as a liar. Meanwhile, Abigail and the girls again pretend that Mary is bewitching them, and Mary breaks down and accuses Proctor of being a witch. Proctor rages against her and against the court. He is arrested, and Hale quits the proceedings.
The summer passes and autumn arrives. The witch trials have caused unrest in neighboring towns, and Danforth grows nervous. Abigail has run away, taking all of Parris’s money with her. Hale, who has lost faith in the court, begs the accused witches to confess falsely in order to save their lives, but they refuse. Danforth, however, has an idea: he asks Elizabeth to talk John into confessing, and she agrees. Conflicted, but desiring to live, John agrees to confess, and the officers of the court rejoice. But he refuses to incriminate anyone else, and when the court insists that the confession must be made public, Proctor grows angry, tears it up, and retracts his admission of guilt. Despite Hale’s desperate pleas, Proctor goes to the gallows with the others, and the witch trials reach their awful conclusion.
Grade Eleven Summaries
Teenage Wasteland by Anne Tyler (short story)
The short story "Teenage Wasteland" by Anne Tyler is a revealing story about the trials of a mother and her son. Donny is what is known as a problem child, and Daisy cannot to seem to figure out what his problem is. Through many attempts she tries to reach to him through counselors, and outside help. This story reveals a lack of communication, feelings of inadequacy, and lack of parental control. Donny has no voice in the story, which parallels the real world of teenagers.
Danny is having some problems at school. It seems that he does not concentrate, or put forth the right amount of effort. Calvin Beadle, the tutor that is hired, takes over the role of parent and confuses Donny even more. Cal attempts to educate the whole child and is often seen as a bad influence. What makes matters worse is Matt, Donny’s father, is an absent father; he seems more concerned with work than raising his son. When Daisy tries to regain control of her son by pulling him out of school and firing Cal, she is successful because Cal does not fight her on it. He gives up on Donny who feels as if he has lost his only confidant. Donny disappears and Daisy is left to wonder where she went wrong.
Grade Eleven Summaries
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (play)
Willy Loman has been a traveling salesman for the Wagner Company for thirty-four years. He likes to think of himself as being vital to the New England territory. As the play opens, Willy has just come back home after having left New England earlier that morning. He tells his wife Linda that he has returned unexpectedly because he cannot seem to keep his mind on driving anymore. Linda thinks that he needs a long rest. He asks about his sons, who are home for the first time in years.
Willy has trouble understanding why Biff, his thirty-four year old son, cannot find a job and keep it. After all, Biff is attractive and was a star football player in high school with several scholarships; however, he could not finish his education, for he flunked math. When Biff went to Boston to find his father and explain the failure to him, he found Willy in his hotel room having an affair with a strange woman. Afterwards, Biff held a grudge against his father, never trusting him again.
Biff and his brother Happy try to think of some job that Biff could get that would allow him to settle down in New York. Biff thinks of a man named Bill Oliver, for whom he was worked; Biff believes he can get a loan of ten thousand dollars from Oliver in order to begin a business of his own. Biff and Happy tell Willy about their plans. Willy explains to his sons that the important things in life are to be well liked and to be attractive. Willy assures Biff that he is attractive and that Oliver has always liked him.
The next day, Willy is to meet his sons for dinner at a restaurant to hear how Oliver has reacted to Biff's request for a loan. Willy himself goes to young Howard Wagner, the present owner of the firm for which he works, and asks for a transfer to New York City. Howard tells him there is no room for him in New York and then explains to Willy that he cannot even represent the firm in New England any more. This news turns Willy's life upside- down. Suddenly unemployed, he feels frightened and worthless.
He goes to Charley, an old friend, to borrow money to pay his insurance premium. After Charley lends him the money, Willy goes to the restaurant to meet his sons. Before Willy arrives, Biff tells Happy that Oliver did not even recognize him. He admits that he is tired of living a life filled with illusion and plans to tell his father not to expect anything from him anymore. When Willy arrives, he tells Biff and Happy that he has been fired. He also refuses to listen to Biff's story and simply believes that Biff will have another appointment the following day. Out of frustration, Biff leaves the restaurant. Happy, who has picked up two women, follows him, leaving Willy alone.
Later that night, Biff comes home and finds Willy planting seeds in the backyard and "talking" to a long dead brother, Ben. Biff again tries to explain to Willy that he has no real skills and no leadership ability. In order to save his father from disappointment, he suggests that they never see one another again. Willy still refuses to listen to what Biff is saying; he tells Biff how great he is and how successful he can become. Biff is frustrated because Willy refuses to face the truth. In anger, Biff breaks down and sobs, telling Willy just to forget about him.
Willy decides to kill himself, for Biff would get twenty thousand dollars of insurance money. Then Biff could start his own business and make it a decent living. At Willy's funeral, no one is present. He dies a pathetic, neglected, and forgotten man.
Grade Eleven Summaries
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (novel)
The Catcher in the Rye is a psychological novel based more on how events affect the hero’s mind than on the events themselves; therefore, the actual plot is not as important as the psychological analysis behind the action. In truth, the plot is only a loosely strung set of incidents that are combined to reveal four days in the life of Holden Caulfield. The novel is episodic in nature, and the bulk of it is narrated in the form of flashbacks. The plot is also supplemented with a number of digressions, which help to reveal more about the various characters, especially Holden himself.
Holden’s journey begins on a Saturday in December just before school closes for Christmas break. He has been informed of his expulsion from Pencey Prep School. What worries him most about being kicked out of school is his parents’ reaction, for he has already been expelled from other educational institutions. He cannot bear to remain in the dormitory after he has been beaten up by his roommate Stradlater and on a whim; he decides to leave the same night. However, he does not want to face his parents until they have recovered from the news of the expulsion. He decides to stay in a cheap hotel in New York City, going home only on the day he was originally expected.
The novel charts Holden’s experiences over a period of about forty hours, starting from the time he leaves Pencey Prep. Holden encounters a large number of people as he traverses the city of New York and goes into nightclubs. Lonely and desperate, he accepts the offer of the hotel elevator operator to find him a prostitute, but he fails to have sex with her and fights with her pimp. The next day, he calls an old girlfriend, Sally Hayes, takes her ice-skating, and tries to convince her to run away with him.
Holden looks for some degree of understanding and acceptance from all the characters he encounters, even taxi drivers, but he is denied his needs. As a result, Holden feels dislocated, as though he does not belong anywhere, and he is right. It becomes obvious through his encounters that he is in an entirely different orbit than the rest of the world. Each time Holden extends himself, he is rewarded with rejection, until he is finally driven to almost a schizophrenic state. With his mental health deteriorating, Holden returns to his parents’ home, where things are no better for him. Even his young sister, Phoebe, questions his negativism and asks him to name one thing he would like to be. Holden replies that he would like to be "the catcher in the rye" and explains that his job would be to prevent the children, who are playing nearby in a field of rye, from going over the cliff. More distressed than ever, Holden goes to see Mr. Antolini, his former English teacher. When the teacher makes sexual advances, Holden flees in horror. Returning home, Holden experiences a complete mental breakdown and is sent to a psychiatric center in California for treatment.
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Critical Lens: “To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.”
—Bernadette Devlin
The Price of My Soul, 1969
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