What is the difference between a simple and a complex character?
Where does this story take place?
The setting is a small town that is far from the frontier and unimaginably far from the capital.
What is the word inside "annotation" that best clues us in to what it means?
"Note" or "notation" because it is leaving notes on what you read.
Define "desolate".
"of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness."
Is the colonel simple or complex?
Simple: he is inflexible. An authoritarian. He is above the citizens. He doesn't second guess his actions.
Who represents the government in the town?
The tax-collector, known as the colonel, is the de facto authority in the town.
Track, Question, and Respond
What 4 context clues in paragraph 5 (page 3) help you define "rigid" as it relates to people?
"Shut-off", "unapproachable", "silent", "serious"
How old is the narrator?
A grown up. He has "known the colonel for years, because he was already a colonel when I was a child".
True or False: The colonel never grants petitions.
False: paragraph 6 shows that minor ones are granted, almost as a personal action taken by the colonel. Major ones are never granted.
True or False: the word "exceptional" in paragraph 5 is best defined as "exceedingly good".
False: it is closer to meaning "different from normal" because the Colonel is breathing heavier than normal.
What does the soldier do to the townspeople on page three, and what is the effect on them in the shop?
What was it that the townfolk were asking for?
True or False: The more annotations the better.
False: too many annotations overly slow down a reader AND they might show that the reader isn't detecting the parts of the story that matter and those that don't.
What is a synonym for the word "petition", as it is used in paragraph 5 (page 4)?
"Request" or "appeal".
The last paragraph suggest something might happen in the future. What is it?
"The younger generation are not content with being refused, and will not tolerate it forever. Since they might entertain "revolutionary" ideas, and change things.
How would you explain this statement? "The citizens of the town are the complex characters in this story."
The reaction that the townsfolk have to the refusal is a character detail worth tracking. What phrase shows their reaction, and why does it stand out? (Double points for both answers).
"Undeniable sense of relief"
"Without this refusal one simply cannot get along"
"one returns, if not exactly strengthened or happy, nevertheless not disappointed or tired."
It stands out because it is a positive response to not getting what you want, which is weird.
In what way is annotation in reading like dribbling in basketball?
True or False: the word "explicitly" in paragraph 6 best fits with the definition: "done in a risque or sexual manner".
False: it means "directly".