Vocabulary
Sociable; fond of the company of others
gregarious
In "Everyday Use," what do the quilts symbolize?
In "Everyday Use," what household items does Dee/Wangero want to take from her mother's house?
The quilts and the butter churn/dasher
This character's old dog is shot by Carlson, which foreshadows a major event at the end of the novel.
Candy
In "The Fly," what does the boss repeatedly drop on the fly that keeps trying to escape?
ink
a habitual, repetitive routine or procedure
rote
What/Who in "Rip Van Winkle" serves as frame narrative and why does Irving format his story like this?
Diedrich Knickerbocker, the narrator, who documents the story of Rip Van Winkle. This gives the fantastical style of writing some kind of historical like credibility.
In "Rip Van Winkle," this historical event occurs during the 20 years that Rip is asleep, transforming the political landscape of his village.
The American Revolution
George and Lennie dream of owning this, where Lennie would be allowed to tend the rabbits.
The farm/piece of land/a ranch of their own
In Of Mice and Men, this character is the boss's son who likes to pick fights with big guys.
Curley
a natural leaning or tendency
proclivity
Candy's old dog being shot alludes to what event in Of Mice and Men? What is this device called?
It alludes to Lennie's death and the literary device is called "foreshadowing."
In "Everyday Use," Maggie's willingness to let Dee have the quilts reveals this aspect of her character, which ultimately influences Mama's decision.
Her selflessness, generosity, lack of materialism, or her understanding that heritage is about connection, not possession
The death of Lennie's puppy happens right before he accidentally kills Curley's wife. Both Candy's dog and Lennie die by the end. Explain how Steinbeck uses these animal deaths to prepare readers for human deaths in the novel.
The animal deaths foreshadow human deaths; they show a pattern that things who are "weak" or "different" or "make mistakes" don't survive; Candy's dog being shot shows mercy killing, which prepares us for George shooting Lennie; the puppy's death shows Lennie can't control his strength, warning us something worse will happen.
In "Everyday Use," what is Dee's new name after she rejects her birth name?
Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo
arrogant and stubborn about one's beliefs
dogmatic
What does the fly symbolize in Katherine Mansfield's "The Fly"?
The fly symbolizes helplessness against fate/the boss's inability to control death/his son's fate/victims of war.
In "Rip Van Winkle," Rip avoids his wife and responsibilities by going to the mountains. In "Everyday Use," Dee leaves home and changes her name. Compare these two characters: what are they both trying to escape from, and does it work for either of them?
Both are trying to escape from their current lives/responsibilities - Rip from his nagging wife and chores, Dee from her poor rural background and family. Rip's escape fails because he loses 20 years and his family, and Dee's escape fails because she loses her real connection to her heritage and family
Curley's wife is never given a name in the entire novel. Explain what Steinbeck is suggesting by not giving her a name.
She is defined only by her relationship to her husband; women on the ranch are seen as property or objects, not individuals; she represents the objectification and powerlessness of women in that time period; she has no individual identity in the male-dominated world
In Of Mice and Men, Lennie hallucinates and sees a giant rabbit at the end. What does the rabbit criticize Lennie for, and what does this reveal about Lennie's state of mind?
The rabbit criticizes Lennie for getting in trouble and ruining their dream; it reveals Lennie's internalized guilt and fear of disappointing George
an intense feeling of devotion or eagerness
ardor
Lennie is described using animal imagery throughout Of Mice and Men - give two examples and explain what this characterization technique reveals.
Examples include "like a bear," dragging his feet "the way a bear drags his paws," drinking "like a horse"; reveals his strength, innocence, and lack of human sophistication
Choose ONE story ("Everyday Use," "Rip Van Winkle," OR "The Fly") and explain how a key object or symbol in that story reveals the main theme. Name the story, identify the symbol, and explain what it represents.
Answers may vary.
At the end of the novel, Carlson asks "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" about George and Slim walking away sadly. What does this final line reveal about the difference between characters like Carlson and characters like George and Slim?
Carlson doesn't understand emotional bonds or friendship; he can't comprehend why George is upset about killing Lennie; this shows some people (like Carlson and Curley) lack empathy and can't understand love or loss, while others (like George and Slim) understand the depth of human connection and sacrifice; Steinbeck is showing that not everyone is capable of understanding true friendship or emotional pain.
Both Crooks in Of Mice and Men and Maggie in "Everyday Use" have physical markers that set them apart. Explain what Crooks's crooked back and Maggie's burn scars symbolize about their social positions.
Both physical differences symbolize their lower social status and marginalization; Crooks's back represents how racism has literally and figuratively bent him down, while Maggie's scars represent her trauma and how she's been marked/damaged by poverty and circumstances; both show how society marks and isolates certain people