Literary Terms
Which statement best states a theme of the story? (RI 8.2)
a. It is best to know when you should turn around and go back.
b. When you feel like giving up, remember what those before you went through for motivation.
c. Hard work is all you need to succeed.
d. The slaves learn the importance of staying together in solidarity.
B. When you feel like giving up, remember what those before you went through for motivation.
Definition and part of speech
fugitives
noun
people fleeing from danger
What can you infer about Harriet Tubman’s character from the incident with the gun (she threatened to shoot a fugitive she was helping that got scared wanted to turn back)?
She is a determined and dedicated.
What is characterization?
The way the author reveals the characters’ personalities.
Why would Tubman usually take the slaves on a Saturday night?
Sunday was a day of rest, so no one could look for them until Monday.
Which statement best states the central idea of the text?
a. Harriet Tubman and the 11 slaves stayed with Thomas Garrett and received new shoes.
b. Harriet Tubman threatened slaves with a gun, so they would keep moving and make it to Canada.
c. Harriet Tubman helped 11 slaves escape to Canada using the Underground Railroad, with struggles along the way.
d. Harriet Tubman, a German man, and Thomas Garrett all helped the slaves in different ways.
c. Harriet Tubman helped 11 slaves escape to Canada using the Underground Railroad, with struggles along the way.
Definition and part of speech
mutinous
Adjective
rebellious
Make an inference for why Tubman tells stories about William Still and Frederick Douglass.
She motivates them with stories of brave people who embarked on similar journeys.
When slaves wanted to turn around and go back, Tubman threatened to kill them. Why did she most likely do this? (RI 8.1)
She knew that if they went back to their masters, everyone else would be in danger.
Tubman helped slaves escape 19 times. Why did the author most likely choose this time to retell?
It was a large group of 11 with one of her brothers in it.
Irony is when you notice something that is the opposite of something that is expected. What is ironic about the men who were hunting fugitives (men, women, & children who only were running away from slavery) for money said prayers with their families on Sundays?
They were good Christians, and Christians respect and love everyone. These men went to church with their families on Sunday's and studied the Bible but did not practice what they read.
Definition and part of speech
eloquence
Noun
ability to write or speak gracefully and convincingly
Harriet Tubman was known as “the Moses of her people.” What inference about Tubman’s character can you make from this comparison?
Tubman helped people escape slavery
On Tubman’s first stop on the Underground Railroad, the man wouldn’t let the group stay. Why was this? (RI 8.1)
It was too large of a group and his home had been searched.
What was the author’s purpose in writing this selection?
To educate readers about Tubman’s experiences.
What literary device is the use of “Moses” in the text?
Allusion
Definition and part of speech
invariably
adverb
in every case or on every occasion; always
Make an inference about why the masters may have heard inauthentic birdcalls.
The call was a special signal that alerted the slaves.
What do the repeated references to eleven fugitives, eleven thousand dollars, and Canada suggest about Tubman’s mission and her character?
The mission carried a huge risk and she had to be determined to attempt the challenge
When does this story take place?
Winter, 1851
Why does Petry include intermittent flashbacks at the end of each chapter?
Give a historical account of relevant national events taking place and further contribute to the novel's strong historical framework.
Definition and part of speech
anecdote
noun
a short personal story
What can you infer about the fairness of slavery in regards to Old Rit’s promise of freedom?
There is no fairness even in Bordas's promise of her family's freedom because in the end there was no way he was going to keep his promise, and there would be no way that people will take her seriously when she tells the jury about her supposed promise of freedom. On Page 71, the narrator says " The master promised to free Old Rit, but he hadn't. He had never been cruel to his slaves." This shows how Bordas used the promise of freedom to get Old Rit to trust him and work as hard as he could so she could be released when he was dead.
“Even on this trip, she suddenly fell asleep in the woods. The runaways, ragged, dirty, hungry, cold, did not steal the gun as they might have. They set off the ground near her and waited patiently until she was awakened” (150).
What are two words to describe how the slaves regard Tubman?
They trust and respect her.
When she tells them "and freedom's not bought with dust", what does she mean?
Freedom doesn't come easy; you have to work hard for it