Theme
What is the term?
is the central idea or message of a work of literature
Theme
Which of the following inferences best explains the family’s new code in the following passage (paragraph 42)?
With the third week of kindergarten Charles was an institution in our family; the baby was being a Charles when she cried all afternoon; Laurie did a Charles when he filled his wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen; even my husband, when he caught his elbow in the telephone cord and pulled the telephone and a bowl of flowers off the table, said, after the first minute, “Looks like Charles.”
A. Whenever someone in the family is particularly disruptive, they refer to it as doing a Charles or another version of this phrase.
B. The family members begin to imitate Charles's disruptive behavior.
C. The family is haunted by the spirit of Charles, which they have been continually exposed to since Laurie started kindergarten.
D. Charles has moved in with the family and is terrorizing them.
A. Whenever someone in the family is particularly disruptive, they refer to it as doing a Charles or another version of this phrase.
What is the vocab term?
Address
Stated or Implied Theme?
not stated directly, a reader will have to infer the theme.
Implied
Which of the following inferences best explains why the narrator was “mindful” in the following passage (paragraphs 14-15)?
“Today Charles hit the teacher.”
“Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I suppose he got spanked again?”
A. She has learned from her deeply religious upbringing to avoid using “the Lord’s name.”
B. When the narrator says “heavens,” she naturally thinks of the Lord’s name.
C. The narrator thinks of the Lord’s name whenever she’s discussing spanking.
D. Earlier in the story, Laurie warns his mother that his teacher said not to use the Lord’s name in vain.
D. Earlier in the story, Laurie warns his mother that his teacher said not to use the Lord’s name in vain.
What is the vocab term?
renounce
What is Universal Theme?
an idea that applies to anyone, anywhere, regardless of cultural differences - occurs throughout literature because they deal with basic human concerns
The following passage (paragraphs 48–49) mainly shows that .
“Can this be true about Charles?” I asked my husband that night. “Can something like this happen?”
“Wait and see,” my husband said cynically. “When you’ve got a Charles to deal with, this may mean he’s only plotting.” He seemed to be wrong. For over a week Charles was the teacher’s helper; each day he handed things out and he picked things up; no one had to stay after school.
A. Charles has the ability to change.
B. Charles has a plot to take over the classroom.
C. The family has an unexpected and humorous reaction to Charles's good behavior.
D. Laurie is actually Charles.
C. The family has an unexpected and humorous reaction to Charles's good behavior.
What is the vocab term?
elaborately
12 Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made him stand in the corner. He was awfully fresh.”
13 “What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying, “See here, young man.”
14 The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, “Well, Charles was bad again today.” He grinned enormously and said, “Today Charles hit the teacher.”
15 “Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I suppose he got spanked again?”
16 “He sure did,” Laurie said. “Look up,” he said to his father.
17 “What?” his father said, looking up.
18 “Look down,” Laurie said. “Look at my thumb. Gee, you’re dumb.” He began to laugh insanely.
19 “Why did Charles hit the teacher?” I asked quickly.
Which of the following is a theme that is most strongly implied in this passage?
A. Laurie is very disobedient toward his teacher at school and his parents at home.
B. Without clear rules and consequences, a child can feel encouraged to misbehave.
C. Children often lie to parents because they want to avoid punishment.
D. Laurie’s parents do not correct him, and they let Laurie take advantage of them.
B. Without clear rules and consequences, a child can feel encouraged to misbehave.
Which of the following inferences about Charles is best supported by the following passage (paragraphs 68–72)?
“We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so,” she said primly, “but now he’s a fine helper. With occasional lapses, of course.”
“Laurie usually adjusts very quickly,” I said. “I suppose this time it’s Charles's influence.”
“Charles?”
“Yes,” I said, laughing, “you must have your hands full in that kindergarten, with Charles.”
“Charles?” she said. “We don’t have any Charles in the kindergarten.”
A. Charles has brainwashed his teacher to lie on his behalf.
B. Charles has been a bad influence on Laurie.
C. Charles is a character that Laurie created to mask his own outrageous behavior.
D. Charles has been kicked out of kindergarten.
C. Charles is a character that Laurie created to mask his own outrageous behavior.
What is the vocab term?
anxiously
12 Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh. The teacher spanked him and made him stand in the corner. He was awfully fresh.”
13 “What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying, “See here, young man.”
14 The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, “Well, Charles was bad again today.” He grinned enormously and said, “Today Charles hit the teacher.”
15 “Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I suppose he got spanked again?”
16 “He sure did,” Laurie said. “Look up,” he said to his father.
17 “What?” his father said, looking up.
18 “Look down,” Laurie said. “Look at my thumb. Gee, you’re dumb.” He began to laugh insanely.
19 “Why did Charles hit the teacher?” I asked quickly.
Which evidence from the passage best develops the theme?
A. “What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying, “See here, young man.”
B. “The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat down, ‘Well, Charles was bad again today.’”
C. “Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I suppose he got spanked again?”
D. “He began to laugh insanely.”
A. “What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying, “See here, young man.”
Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage below (paragraphs 1–4)?
The day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans with a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the older girl next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a long-trousered, swaggering character who forgot to stop at the corner and wave good-bye to me.
He came running home the same way, the front door slamming open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly became raucous shouting, “Isn’t anybody here?”
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby sister’s milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain.
“How was school today?” I asked, elaborately casual.
A. Charles won’t dress like he once did and refuses to wave goodbye to his mother.
B. Going to kindergarten is a landmark in the life of the child and mother, and the change in the relationship is instant and real.
C. Charles is learning bad behavior from one of his older classmates at school.
D. Charles is terrified of leaving his family to attend kindergarten.
B. Going to kindergarten is a landmark in the life of the child and mother, and the change in the relationship is instant and real.
What is the vocab term?
adjust