Poetry
What are the requirements of a haiku?
3 lines/verses
Verse 1=5 syllables
Verse 2=7 syllables
Verse 3=5 syllables
subject is nature
Which character has an internal conflict in "Aaron's Gift"?
Aaron: thinking about how he can get a gift for grandma; should he join the gang even though his mom told him not to hang out with Carl
Name one internal conflict involving Helen Keller.
Helen vs. Herself because she cannot understand or communicate since she is blind, deaf and mute.
Name the items that make up the exposition of the novel.
1960s, Oklahoma, The Curtis Boys' House
Pony, Soda, Darry, Johnny, Two-Bit, Dally, Steve, Cherry, Marcia, Bob, Randy
Name examples of external conflicts.
Jake vs. James
Jake vs. Mavis
Jake vs. SKelly
What is the mood of the Haiku at the end?
Peaceful and calm
What are Cossacks? Why does Aaron shout this word at the gang members?
Cossacks - Russian men on horseback; killed innocent people and animals like Grandma's goat
Aaron screams this word at the gang members after they tried to burn pidge in the fire. They were going to hurt an innocent form of life like the real Cossacks
What is the high point or climax of "Water"?
When Annie takes Helen out to the water pump and runs the water on her one hand and sells out the word in the other hand.
Why is Dally considered to be the toughest hood out of all of the Greasers?
He ran the streets of NY at a young age and was arrested at the age of 10
What is comic relief? How is it best portrayed in the novel?
Comic relief is a character or event that is used to lighten the mood after something serious happens.
Best portrayed through Alma Russell
She honks Jake's nose, sings "I see London, I see France...", pillbox hat joke on Graduation night
What is the subject of the poem, "The Sidewalk Racer"? How does its form connect to the subject?
Subject: skateboarding/riding a skateboard
Form: It is shaped like a skateboard or torpedo to focus on the importance speed and being in charge.
What is a theme in Aaron's Gift?
Freedom: Pidge was able to fly away and be free and they symbolized Grandma's goat being free as well. Pidge's freedom is what grandma wanted. Aaron is free from Carl and the gang too
What action causes Helen Keller to understand her first word?
The water from the pump flowing in her hand
What does the sunset symbolize in the novel?
Unity between the Greasers and Socs
What is the purpose of the character Thorbert Piddler?
To show how Skelly helps people and lift their spirits and confidence.
State the rhyme scheme and meter of a limerick.
Rhyme Scheme: a, a, b, b, a
Meter: 3, 3, 2, 2, 3
Explain the climax of "Aaron's Gift".
Carl and his gang tied pidge up and going to throw him into the fire. Pidge would survive and Aaron would be happy or not survive and Aaron would be devastated. This is why it is the climax.
After Helen Keller begins to learn to communicate, what is the "strange, new sight" that comes to her?
Helen understands that everything has a name, and the names give her new thoughts
What is irony?
Name examples of irony in novel.Irony: when you expect one thing to happen, but the complete opposite occurs
Examples: Johnny and Pony, the quietest boys in the gang, are involved in murder; Hiding out in the abandoned church on Jay Mountain; Cherry falling in love with Dally; Dally's unloaded gun that he pulls out in front of the police
What is a theme in the novel?
Family relationships
Surviving life's obstacles
Acceptance
How does the poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay" relate to Johnny's last words to Pony?
Johnny's last words to Pony were "stay gold." The poem's title is Nothing Gold Can Stay. Johnny wants Pony to remain true to himself; he should stay innocent and not grow up too fast by getting involved in fights. All good things come to an end and Johnny wants Pony to live a life of goodness; one that he can be proud of.
What does Aaron's mom mean when she says "...we are all strangers in the the land of Egypt..."
Explain the two figurative language used in this excerpt.
She means that Aaron and his family are new to the area and they will adjust just as the Israelites did when they left. They are to help each other and all with whom they come in contact.
Allusion because it is from the Bible
Metaphor: comparing the Aaron and his family to the Israelites
One of the events in "Water" tells how impatient Keller becomes when Miss Sullivan attempts to teach her the difference between "m-u-g" and "w-a-t-e-r." What was the author's purpose in including this event and her feelings about it?
It was included to compare her feelings then with her later feelings when she gains understanding
What is the climax of the novel?
Pony finds Johnny's letter and reads it.
How does the author deliver a humorous, yet sad tone with the subject matter of Alzheimer's Disease?
She uses the literary element of comic relief after a serious Alzheimer's episode that Skelly had.