Literary elements/terms
Time and place where the story occurs. In short stories, this is often tightly woven into the plot and theme, providing atmosphere and context.
What is setting?
This is the ending of "Pancakes" and what Jill realizes at the end of the story.
What is Allen Feinman and his mom help Jill at the Pancake House, she realizes trying her hardest is enough and she doesn't need to be perfect, and her and Allen makeup?
This character considers herself a perfectionist as well as her mom and her ex-boyfriend.
Who is Jill?
“Made coffee. More coffee. Told everyone I was the only waitress here, if they were in a hurry, they might want to go someplace else. But no one left. They just kept coming, storming through the restaurant like Cossacks.”
What is “Pancakes”?
This country is where the author of "Daughter of Invention," Julia Alvarez, was born.
What is The Dominican Republic?
Characterization where the author tells us exactly what the character is like.
What is direct characterization?
The three main characters of "Daughter of Invention."
What is the narrator (Cukita), the mother, and the father?
This character likely breaks up with Jill because of her perfectionism. He was not fond of her selfless offer to alphabetize his CD collection.
Who is Allen Feinman?
“‘What every household needs: a shower like a car wash, keys ticking like a bomb, luggage on a leash?’ By now, as you can see, it’d become something of a family joke, our Thomas Edison Mami, our Benjamin Franklin Mom.”
What is “Daughter of Invention”?
This author wrote the short story "Pancakes."
Who is Joan Bauer?
The underlying message or central idea of the story. In short stories, this is often universal or deeply focused on one subject.
What is Theme?
The reason why Allen Feinman breaks up with Jill.
What is because she is a perfectionist and her perfectionism is overbearing?
This character is the chef who makes the food for the customers in the Pancake House. He flirts with Jill a little and thinks of his profession as an art.
Who is Andy?
“The problem with you, Jill, is that if the least little thing goes wrong, you can’t handle it. Everything has to follow this impossible path to perfection.”
What is “Pankcakes”?
The name for a literary device in which a story, poem, or picture is used to present a hidden meaning, often a moral, political, or spiritual one. It's essentially a sustained metaphor. All of "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" can be characterized as this.
What is an allegory?
A type of characterization where the author shows us the character’s traits through: What they say, What they do, What they think, How they look, How others react to them.
What is indirect characterization?
The core conflict of "Daughter of Invention."
What is the narrator’s desire to express herself freely as an American clashing with her father’s Dominican values? This comes to a head when she writes a speech for school that her father considers disrespectful.
This character enjoys inventing things at the end of the day. She draws inventions in her notebook. She thinks she could make millions from her inventions.
Who is the mother in "Daughter of Invention"?
“An old woman, small, fat and laughing, is passing out flowers from a basket. Tall young men wear her flowers in their shining hair. A child of nine or ten sits at the edge of the crowd, alone, playing a wooden flute.”
What is “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”?
This author wrote "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas."
Who is Ursula Le Guin?
A type of writing that breaks down a topic to understand its parts. It's not just summarizing what happens. It's about explaining how or why something happens.
What is an analysis paragraph?
The age that children in Omelas see and find out about the child living in horrid conditions in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas."
What is ages 8-12?
This character is upset with her mother because instead of helping her navigate life as an immigrant in the U.S., she spends her free time making inventions that benefit American families.
Who is the daughter (cukita) in "Daughter of Invention"?
“I guess she was right. Downstairs, I found him setting up a brand new electric typewriter on the kitchen table. It was even better than the one I’d been begging to get like my mother’s.”
What is “Daughter of Invention”?
The name of the dictator in The Dominican Republic who ruled from 1930 to 1961. Those who criticized him would disappear.
Who is Rafael Trujillo?