Character Traits
Which of the following character traits does NOT describe the Preacher:
busy
shy/withdrawn
outgoing
emotionally distant
What is "outgoing"?
This is the metaphor that Opal uses to describe the Preacher.
What is "a turtle in its shell?"
Gloria Dump has a bottle tree upon which she has hung up all of her "regrets."
Could you safely infer that she has ALWAYS been a kind, caring, and compassionate person?
No. This explains why she convinces Opal to judge people on how she knows them NOW, not based on what they did in the past.
What is the name of the town and state where Because of Winn-Dixie takes place?
What is Naomi, Florida?
Winn-Dixie got his name from this place.
What is a grocery store?
Which of the following character traits does NOT describe Opal?
lonely
cruel
caring
hard-working
What is "cruel"?
"He looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain" is an example of this type of figurative language.
What is a simile?
When Gloria Dump tried a Littmus Lozenge, she said "It tastes sweet, but it also taste like people leaving."
What can we infer about Gloria Dump's life?
We can infer that she is all alone because the people she cared about have left her (probably due to her drinking problem and other regrets hung up on her bottle tree).
What is the special "secret ingredient" in a Littmus Lozenge?
What is sadness (or sorrow)?
Winn-Dixie has a pathological fear of these.
What are thunderstorms?
Which of the following character traits does NOT describe Miss Franny Block?
untrustworthy
kind
lonely
long-winded (tells long stories)
What is "untrustworthy"?
"Miss Franny was so teetery in her high heels that the rain would have knocked her right over if Amanda hadn't held on to her" is an example of this.
What is hyperbole?
To get Otis to come to the backyard to the party, Opal had to coax him - "I talked to him real soft and gentle and low, like he was a wild animal that I was trying to get to take food out of my hand."
What can we infer about how Otis is feeling?
He is feeling very skittish and nervous (like a wild animal) about going to the party and Opal is afraid he may run off.
The Dewberry boys warn Opal against going into Gloria Dump's yard for this reason.
What is "They believe she is a witch?"
What is the "Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi"
Which of the following character traits does NOT describe Otis?
shy
antisocial
musically gifted
dangerous criminal
What is "dangerous criminal"?
"He was covered in dust . . . He looked just like a ghost" is an example of this.
What is a simile?
Before he went to shake the Preacher's hand, Otis wiped his hand on his pants.
What can we infer from this?
Otis' palms are sweaty because he's nervous.
This is the reason why Amanda Wilkinson looks so "pinch-faced."
What is "She is in mourning because her little brother Carson drowned last year when he was five years old?"
The bottles on Gloria Dump's tree represent this.
What are "the ghosts of things she has done wrong", "her regrets", or "things she did when she was drinking"?
Which of the following character traits does NOT describe Gloria Dump?
wise
cold and uncaring
compassionate
friendly
What is "cold and uncaring"?
"...the sky was so clear it seemed I could see every star ever made" is an example of this.
What is hyperbole?
Gloria Dump says that because her eyes can't see too well, she has to see with her heart. What does she mean by this?
She means that she has to judge a person on how they are on the INSIDE, not how they appear on the OUTSIDE.
Tell how the people at the party found Winn-Dixie at the end of the story.
What is "They heard him sneezing because he was smiling when Otis played his guitar, and they found him hiding under Gloria Dump's bed."
This is a synonym for the word "melancholy" (there is more than one correct answer)
What is sadness, sorrow, despair, depression, "darkness"?