"The Fight"
Why did the narrator fight his friend?
His friend broke the eggs.
Why couldn’t Joshua talk with his sister?
She is deaf and he is not/ he does not know sign language
“in their cradle / of feathers, twigs, earth.”
What does this quote tell us about the nest?
The eggs were innocent/ the nest was safe/ they were like babies, etc.
Define the term: Impulse
Acting without thinking of the consequences first.
An example of an impulse in the story.
The narrator fights his friend/ the narrator gets his friend/ the friend breaks the eggs, etc.
What were two performance techniques used by Joshua Bennett?
Sign Language/ facial expressions/ tone/ speed/ volume/ etc.
“To count them, one by one / into his cold palm, a kind / of trophy or offering.”
What does this quote tell us about the friend’s hand?
His friend was expecting something/ his friend had bad intentions/foreshadowed his friend breaking the eggs, etc.
Define the term: Perspective
The way someone sees the world
What word was never used in the story, but appeared in everyone’s summaries?
Eggs
Who did Joshua blame at the beginning of the poem?
He blamed his sister/ her disability
“...anticipating the second / her ears would open like lotuses / and allow my sunlight sentences to seep / into her insides.”
What does this quote tell us about Joshua?
Joshua doesn't understand her disability/ he is naive/ he is innocent/ he is impatient/ he is young/ he thinks his words are important/ etc.
What does this tell the reader: Sunlit Stone
The stone stands out/ it is warm and bright compared to the cold and cruel act, etc.
What was one way the eggs were described?
Fragile/ speckled/ warm, etc.
Who did Joshua blame at the end of the poem?
He blamed himself
“So I will use these hands to speak volumes…I will shout at the top of my fingertips...”
What does this quote tell us about Joshua’s growth?
Joshua learned sign language/ he is taking accountability/ he is sorry/ he understands her now/ etc.
What does this tell the reader: Beautiful Blasphemy
The words contradict each other/ they are not expected to go together