McLean County Unit District No. 5



SHORT STORY UNIT : “Sweet Potato Pie”

VOCABULARY (page 211 in Literature Book): Write each definition and finish each sentence so that the definition of the word is clearly shown.

1) Ubiquitous

Definition:

Finish the sentence: Ubiquitous as they are, ….

2) Antiquity

Definition:

Finish the sentence: Back in the days of America’s antiquity, …

3) Futilely

Definition:

Finish the sentence: Futilely, …

THE STORY: p. 212 in Literature Book

Part I: CHARACTERIZATION—Read pages 212-214. In the left column, write down 2 quotes of at least one sentence in length that show how the narrator’s family lived. Then, in the right column, state in your own words what you believe the author’s purpose was for including this detail to characterize the family. Don’t be vague and try to think beyond the obvious. We will write down the first example together.

|Quote #1: |Explanation of Author’s purpose: |

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|Quote #2: |Explanation of Author’s purpose: |

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Part II: Analysis Questions—As you finish the story (pages 215-219), answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1) Based on what you already know about their living situation, why does leaving school early cause the narrator and his siblings to “seek education feverishly”?

2) Based on how he acts when we first see him in Harlem, how does the narrator’s brother now view him? How do you know?

3) In your own words, describe the impression the author paints of Harlem for the reader. Why do you think the author has created this effect for the reader?

4) When the narrator talks about eating the sweet potato pie, he mentions that he ate until his stomach was full, but his “spirit was still hungry.” What does he mean by this?

5) Overall, how does the sweet potato pie have a different significance to each of the brothers?

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