6A
“He moved through the crowd like a shark.”
Name this device
simile
“The classroom was a zoo.”
What figurative language device is being used?
metaphor
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
what device is being used here
personification
“After years of working two jobs while caring for her younger brothers, Maya finally stood on the stage accepting her diploma. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, except no fairy godmother had rescued her—she had built the carriage herself.”
What device is being used?
allusion
“When Marcus walked into the new school on his first day, he felt like David facing Goliath. Everyone seemed bigger, louder, and more confident than he was.”
what device is being used here?
allusion
“He moved through the crowd like a shark.”
What qualities of a shark are being connected to him?
Sharks are often associated with danger, aggression, determination, and constantly moving toward their target.
“The classroom was a zoo.”
What does comparing the classroom to a zoo suggest about the classroom?
It suggests chaos, noise, disorder, and a lack of control.
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
What does the word “whispered” suggest about the wind?
It makes the wind seem quiet, secretive, mysterious, or almost alive.
“After years of working two jobs while caring for her younger brothers, Maya finally stood on the stage accepting her diploma. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, except no fairy godmother had rescued her—she had built the carriage herself.”
What does the reference to Cinderella suggest about Maya's situation?
It suggests struggle, transformation, overcoming hardship, and achieving something that once seemed impossible.
“When Marcus walked into the new school on his first day, he felt like David facing Goliath. Everyone seemed bigger, louder, and more confident than he was.”
what outside story, person or event is being referenced here?
David and Goliath from the Bible.
“He moved through the crowd like a shark.”
How would the meaning change if the author wrote, “He moved through the crowd like a butterfly”?
A butterfly suggests grace, lightness, beauty, and gentleness. The character would seem very different.
“The classroom was a zoo.”
How would the meaning change if the author wrote, “The classroom was a library”?
A library suggests quiet, order, calm, and focus. The classroom would feel completely different.
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
How would the feeling change if the author wrote, “The wind howled through the trees”?
“Howled” makes the wind seem loud, wild, threatening, or frightening. The mood becomes much more ominous.
“After years of working two jobs while caring for her younger brothers, Maya finally stood on the stage accepting her diploma. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, except no fairy godmother had rescued her—she had built the carriage herself.”
How would our understanding change if the author simply wrote, “Maya had overcome many hardships”?
We would understand that Maya struggled, but we would lose the fairy-tale associations of Cinderella—especially the transformation from hardship to a better life.
“When Marcus walked into the new school on his first day, he felt like David facing Goliath. Everyone seemed bigger, louder, and more confident than he was.”
What ideas or associations does this allusion bring to the situation?
A smaller or weaker person facing a much more powerful opponent; courage, disadvantage, and overcoming the odds.
“He moved through the crowd like a shark.”
Why did the author choose a shark instead of a butterfly, wolf, or another animal?
The shark creates a sense of danger and purpose. It suggests that he is moving through the crowd with intensity and perhaps focusing on a specific target.
“The classroom was a zoo.”
Why did the author compare the classroom to a zoo instead of simply saying, “The classroom was chaotic”?
“Zoo” gives us a specific picture of the chaos. We can imagine noise, movement, animals competing for attention, and a lack of control.
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
Why did the author give the wind the human action “whispered” instead of simply saying, “The wind was quiet”?
“Whispered” makes the wind seem alive and intentional, as though it is communicating with the characters. It creates a more mysterious atmosphere.
“After years of working two jobs while caring for her younger brothers, Maya finally stood on the stage accepting her diploma. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, except no fairy godmother had rescued her—she had built the carriage herself.”
Why does the author reference Cinderella instead of simply telling us that Maya overcame difficulties?
The Cinderella reference immediately connects Maya's experience to a familiar story of someone who endures hardship and eventually achieves a better life. It also allows the author to play with that story because Maya doesn't have a fairy godmother—she succeeds through her own effort.
“When Marcus walked into the new school on his first day, he felt like David facing Goliath. Everyone seemed bigger, louder, and more confident than he was.”
Why does the author use the allusion instead of simply saying, “Marcus felt small and intimidated”?
The allusion gives us a familiar story to compare Marcus's situation to. It makes his feelings of being overwhelmed more vivid and suggests that he may have to find courage despite feeling outmatched.
“He moved through the crowd like a shark.”
How does comparing him to a shark affect our understanding of the character or situation?
The comparison makes his movement seem deliberate, threatening, and predatory, suggesting that he may be pursuing someone or something with determination.
“The classroom was a zoo.”
How does the metaphor affect our understanding of the classroom or the people in it?
The metaphor makes the classroom seem wild and difficult to control, emphasizing how overwhelming or disorderly the situation has become.
“The wind whispered through the trees.”
How does personifying the wind as something that can “whisper” affect our understanding of the setting or situation?
It transforms the natural setting into something that feels alive and watchful, creating a sense of mystery and possibly suggesting that something unseen is present.
“After years of working two jobs while caring for her younger brothers, Maya finally stood on the stage accepting her diploma. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, except no fairy godmother had rescued her—she had built the carriage herself.”
How does the allusion to Cinderella deepen our understanding of Maya and her achievement?
The allusion emphasizes the dramatic transformation in Maya's life while also challenging the traditional fairy-tale idea that someone else comes along to save you. Maya's achievement is meaningful because she creates her own “happily ever after.”
“When Marcus walked into the new school on his first day, he felt like David facing Goliath. Everyone seemed bigger, louder, and more confident than he was.”
So what? How does the allusion contribute to our understanding of Marcus?
It presents Marcus as someone who feels powerless in an intimidating environment, but the comparison also hints that being the underdog does not necessarily mean being defeated.