Plot 1
What divides the house into two parts?
The house is divide by a large oak door.
What is something that the brother leaves in the house when they have to leave?
He leaves a substantial amount of money in the closet.
What is tone? Give an example.
What might the house represent?
The house might represent Argentina.
What is a problem with houses in Buenos Aires?
There is a lot of dust in the atmosphere and it makes it difficult to keep clean.
What does Irene do with her knitting and why?
She leaves it behind because a ball of yarn is trapped on the other side of the front door.
What is mood? What is an example of the mood of a horror film?
Mood is the way the reader feels about the story. A horror film might be spooky and unsettling because of the setting.
What does the story say about the idle rich?
The story says if people do nothing but live off their wealth, they mustn't be surprised if they are removed from power.
What might the knitting and the French literature represent?
The knitting and the French literature might represent the idle habits of the rich.
Name three items that get trapped in the back part of the house.
They are missing the collection of French literature, a pair of slippers, folios of stationery, a pipe and a bottle of medicine.
What is the last thing the narrator does?
He locks the door and throws the key down the sewer.
What is an allegory? Give an example.
An allegory is an extended metaphor or when a story has a secondary, hidden meaning. "House Taken Over" is a political allegory about Argentina in the 1940s.
What does the story say about privilege?
The story says people like Irene and her brother are cut off from reality, isolated in their houses.
What might Irene and the brother represent?
Irene and the brother might represent the idle rich.
What is a good thing about having half the house taken over?
They spend less time cleaning and Irene has more time to knit.
Why do they leave the house?
They leave the house because it gets taken over completely.
What tone is this? Is it playful solemn, objective, matter of fact or personal? Give one word choice that lets you know:
"Global average sea level has risen 8–9 inches (21–24 centimeters) since 1880. In 2023, global average sea level set a new record high—101.4 mm (3.99 inches."
This has an objective tone. It gives facts and has no humor.
What does the story say about the pride the characters take in their house?
They obsessively clean it because they are so proud of it but nothing happens there.
What might the intruders represent?
The intruders might represent the working-class people of Argentina gaining political power.
How does Irene react when the brother tells her half the house has been taken over?
She says "are you sure?" and goes back to her knitting.
When is the only time in the story Irene and her brother show any emotions?
When they leave the house Irene is crying and the brother feels terrible.
What tone is this? Is it playful, solemn, objective, matter of fact or personal? Give one word choice that lets you know:
"I can’t believe you ate all those donuts without stopping to breathe!" she said affectionately.
This is a playful tone. We can tell by the exaggeration and the word "affectionately".
How do we know that Irene and her brother are privileged?
They don't do anything and they don't have to work or produce anything useful. They read and knit all day.
The stamp collection might represent inherited wealth.