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Before Reading

When you look back on your life, what events will you remember most clearly, and why? For some people, favorite memories come from weekend activities, family outings, or adventures. For others, memories come from a specific event which made a lasting impression on their lives. Read “Role-Playing and Discovery” and the excerpt from “The Life and Adventures of Nat Love” to see how two different authors write about their lives.

DISCUSS With your classmates, talk about your favorite activities. Take turns explaining why each activity is important to you and why you might include it in your own life story.

Role-Playing and DiscoveryPersonal Essay by Jerry Pinkney

The Life and Adventures of Nat LoveAutobiography by Nat Love

What makes aMEMORY last?

264

RI 4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings.RI 9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another. RI 10 Read and comprehend literary nonfiction.

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Id

Meet the Authors

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Authors Online

Jerry Pinkneyborn 1939

Artist and Illustrator As one of six children growing up in Philadelphia, Jerry Pinkney had to search for places where he could draw. When he was 11, he worked at a newsstand. To pass the time, he would make sketches of people passing by. One of those people happened to be a cartoonist who encouraged Pinkney to pursue a career in art. Today, Pinkney is best known as an illustrator of children’s books.

Nat Love1854–1921

Cowboy and AuthorNat Love was born into slavery in 1854. By age fi fteen, he left his family in Tennessee to search for adventure and eventually joined a gang of cowboys near Dodge City, Kansas. He was a champion cowboy, earning the nickname “Deadwood Dick” after winning a shooting contest in Deadwood, South Dakota. In 1907, he wrote and published his own life story called The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as “Deadwood Dick.”

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

text analysis: narrative nonfictionLike fiction, narrative nonfiction tells a story. However, in nonfiction, characters, plots, and settings are real, not imaginary. Autobiography and personal narrative are two types of nonfiction. An autobiography is a book-length story of the writer’s own life. A personal narrative is an essay in which the writer presents his or her thoughts and feelings about a topic. As you read the nonfiction narratives by Pinkney and Love, look for the ways the authors express their thoughts and feelings.

reading skill: identify language and toneNonfiction writers use descriptive language to help readers imagine someone or something, usually by appealing to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. Descriptive language often conveys tone. Tone refers to the writer’s attitude—the way the writer feels about his or her topic. As you read each selection, use a chart like the one below to record examples of the descriptive language that each writer uses to create imagery and tone.

Title Descriptive

Language

Tone

“Role-Playing and Discovery”

“The Life and Adventures

of Nat Love”

vocabulary in contextIn “Role-Playing and Discovery,” Jerry Pinkney uses the boldfaced words to help him write about his childhood. To see which ones you know, substitute a word with a similar meaning for each boldfaced term.

1. The impressionable child was easily convinced. 2. The crowd’s intensity increased with each touchdown. 3. She answered his question with a resounding “No!” 4. The blizzard had a profound effect on the small town.

265

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OO n Saturdays, after household chores were finished, I would meet up with my best friends. Off we would rush to the movies. Tickets

were ten cents, and there was always a double feature. I was most excited when there were westerns. As a young boy growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I dreamed of exploring the early frontier.

My friends and I played at being cowboys and explorers. With much enthusiasm and intensity, we inhabited the characters portrayed on the silver screen. We fashioned our costumes and gear from what we could find at home or purchase from the local five-and-dime store. I would whittle out of wood a bowie knife modeled after the one Jim Bowie had at his side while defending the Alamo. I would then take my turn at being Roy Rogers, the cowboy, or Daniel Boone,1 the famous pioneer, journeying through the rugged wilderness. a

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jerry pinkney

1. Jim Bowie . . . Roy Rogers . . . Daniel Boone: Bowie (1796–1836) and Boone (1734–1820) were famous historical figures of the American West. Roy Rogers (1911–1998) was a movie and television cowboy from the 1930s through the 1960s.

R o l e - P l a y i n g a n d

D i s c o ve r y

R o l e - P l a y i n g a n d

D i s c o ve r y

266 unit 2: analyzing character and point of view

a IDENTIFY

LANGUAGENotice the details the author provides. What picture does he convey of himself and his friends?

intensity (Gn-tDnPsG-tC) n. extreme amount of energy or feeling

The Bull-dogger (1923), Ritchey Lithography Corporation. Library of Congress.

What can you infer about Bill Pickett from this poster?

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20

If anyone had asked at that time if my excitement was due to an early interest in history, my answer would have been a resounding, “No!” However, looking back, I realize that answer would not have been entirely true. Yes, we did have fun, and yes, our flights into the past seemed to be more about action than about learning history, but that role-playing seeded my interest in discovery. When I learned as an adult that one out of three cowboys was black or Mexican, that discovery was moving and profound.

I do wonder, though, how we would have been affected as young boys if, at that impressionable time, we had known about Nat Love, a cowboy; Bill Pickett, a rodeo cowboy; Jim Beckwourth, a fur trader; or Jean Baptiste Du Sable, the explorer—all persons of African descent. � b

(1854–1921)Love became famous for his skill as a range rider and marksman. He was also fluent in

Spanish, and he had his autobiography published

in 1907.

nat love

(1745–1818)Du Sable, a trapper

and trader, was born in Haiti. He is credited

as being the founder of the city of Chicago.

(1800–1866)Beckwourth worked

as a trapper and fur trader, as well

as a scout and mule driver for the

U.S. Army.

jean baptiste pointe du sablejim beckwourth


resounding (rG-zoundPGng) adj. unmistakable; loud

profound (prE-foundP) adj. very deep or great

impressionable (Gm-prDshPE-nE-bEl) adj. easily influenced

b PERSONAL NARRATIVE Reread lines 22–26. Why did Pinkney save such a strong statement for the last paragraph?


aving now fairly begun my life as a cowboy, I was fast learning the many ins and outs of the business, while my many roamings over the range country gave me a knowledge of it not possessed

by many at that time. Being of a naturally observant disposition, I noticed many things to which others attached no significance. This quality of observance proved of incalculable benefit to me in many ways during my life as a range rider in the western country. My employment with the Pete Gallinger company took me all over the Pan Handle country, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico with herds of horses and cattle for market and to be delivered to other ranch owners and large cattle breeders. Naturally I became very well acquainted with all the many different trails and grazing ranges located in the stretch of country between the north of Montana and the Gulf of Mexico, and between the Missouri state line and the Pacific Ocean. This whole territory I have covered many times in the saddle, sometimes at the rate of eighty or one hundred miles a day. These long rides and much traveling over the country were of great benefit to me, as it enabled me to meet so many different people connected with the cattle business and also to learn the different trails and the lay of the country generally. a

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20

Nat Love

a IDENTIFY

LANGUAGEWhat duties does Love describe in this paragraph? How are these details different from the details Pinkney provides on page 266?

the life and adventures of nat love 269

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30

Among the other things that I picked up on my wanderings, was a knowledge of the Spanish language, which I learned to speak like a native. I also became very well acquainted with the many different brands1 scattered over this stretch of country, consequently it was not long before the cattle men began to recognize my worth and the Gallinger Company made me their chief brand reader, which duties I performed for several years with honor to myself and satisfaction to my employers. In the cattle country, all the large cattle raisers had their squad of brand readers whose duty it was to attend all the big round-ups2 and cuttings throughout the country, and to pick out their own brands and to see that the different brands were not altered or counterfeited. They also had to look to the branding of the young stock. b

1. brands: marks indicating ownership put on animals with a hot iron. Each ranch had a specific brand to identify its animals.

2. round-ups: gatherings of livestock.

Gu l f o f Mex ico

P A C I F I CO C E A N

DAKOTATERR.

NEWMEXICOTERR.

ARIZONATERR.

UTAHTERR.

COLORADOTERR.

WYOMINGTERR.

MONTANATERR.

IDAHOTERR.

WASHINGTONTERR.

UNORG.TERR.

IOWA

WIS.

ILL. IND.

MICH.

KY.

TENN.

MISS.ALA.

LA.

MINN.

NEBRASKA

KANSAS

CALIF.

NEVADA

OREGON

MO.

ARK.

TEXAS

M E X I C O

C A N A D A

U N I T E D S T A T E S

b IDENTIFY TONE

Love uses words like honor, satisfaction, and duty in lines 20–32. What word or phrase would you use to describe the tone of this autobiography?

270


40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

70

During the big round-ups it was our duty to pick out our brand, and then send them home under the charge of our cowboys, likewise the newly branded stock. After each brand was cut out and started homeward, we had to stay with the round up to see that strays from the different herds from the surrounding country did not again get mixed up, until the different home ranges were reached. This work employed a large number of cowboys, who lived, ate and often slept in the saddle, as they covered many hundreds of miles in a very short space of time… After the general round up was over, cowboy sports and a good time generally was in order for those engaged in it. The interest of nearly all of us centered in the riding of what was known as the 7 Y-L steer. A big long horn wild steer, generally the worst in the herd, was cut out and turned loose on the open prairie. The cowboy who could rope and ride him would get the steer as his reward, and let me assure you, dear reader, that it was not so easy as it sounds. The steer separated from its fellows would become extremely ferocious and wild, and the man who attempted to rope and ride him would be in momentary danger of losing his life if he relaxed in the least his vigilance and caution, because a wild steer is naturally ferocious. Even in cutting them out of the round up I have known them to get mad and attack the cowboys who only saved themselves by the quickness of their horses, or the friendly intervention of a comrade who happened to be near enough to rope the maddened long horn, and thus divert his attention to other things. But in the case of the 7 Y-L steer such intervention is against the rules, and the cowboy who attempts to rope and ride the steer mustat all times look out for himself…. c

The cowboy who is successful in roping the steer must then mount and ride him. If he does that successfully the steer becomes his personal property to do with as he will—only a slight reward for the risking of his life and the trouble of accomplishing the feat. But it is done more for sport’s sake than anything else, and the love of showing off, a weakness of all cowboys more or less. But really it takes a high class of horsemanship to ride a long horn, to get on his back and stay there as he runs, jumps, pitches side ways, backwards, forward, up and down, then over the prairie like a streak of lightning. I have had the experience and I can assure you it is no child’s play. More than one 7 Y-L steer has fallen to my lot, but I had to work for it, and work hard. After all it was only part of the general routine of the cowboy’s life, in which danger plays so important a part. . . . Above all things, the test of a cowboy’s worth is his gameness and his nerve. He is not supposed to know what fear means, and I assure you there are very few who know the meaning of that word. � d

Language CoachMultiple-Meaning Words The word charge can mean “a fee” or “a duty or responsibility.” How is the word used in line 35 of this selection?

c IDENTIFY

LANGUAGEReread Love’s description of roping the steer in lines 42–58. What vivid verbs and adjectives help you picture the scene? Do you think this was something Jerry Pinkney and his friends might have role-played? Explain.

d AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Reread lines 71–74. What insight does Love share about cowboys? How do his examples of the life of a cowboy support his conclusion?

the life and adventures of nat love 271


After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall Who did Jerry Pinkney and his friends pretend to be?

2. Recall What was Jean Baptiste Du Sable most famous for?

3. Clarify What were Nat Love’s duties as a cowboy?

Text Analysis 4. Make Inferences Reread lines 22–26 of “Role-Playing and Discovery.” If, as

a young boy, Pinkney had known about the men “of African descent” he mentions, how do you think it might have affected him?

5. Identify Language In most personal narratives, the author uses an informal, conversational style to express his or her thoughts or feelings. Do you think Jerry Pinkney does this in “Role-Playing and Discovery”? How does his language compare to the language Nat Love uses?

6. Analyze Narrative Nonfiction What differences do you find between the two forms of narrative nonfiction you just read? How does a personal narrative differ from an autobiography?

7. Identify Author’s Purpose What do you think was Jerry Pinkney’s purpose for writing his personal narrative? Why do you think Nat Love wrote his autobiography? Record reasons or clues to each author’s purpose in a chart like the one shown.

Purpose

To Inform or Explain

To Express Thoughts or Feelings

To Persuade

To Entertain

Extension and Challenge 8. SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION Nat Love was only one of

several famous African-American cowboys from the American West. Do some research to learn more about the roles of cowboys and cowgirls in the settling of the American West. Share your findings with the rest of the class.

What makes a MEMORY last?What kinds of events leave you with a lasting impression? Annie Oakley, cowgirl


RI 4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings.RI 9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another. RI 10 Read and comprehend literary nonfiction.

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Vocabulary in Context vocabulary practiceChoose the letter of the phrase that best connects with each boldfaced word.

1. impressionable: (a) an old woman sewing, (b) a van filled with camping supplies, (c) an eager young student

2. intensity: (a) a severe thunderstorm, (b) a relaxing piece of music, (c) a tired factory worker

3. profound: (a) a very noisy crowd, (b) a very moving story,(c) a very mild infection

4. resounding: (a) a nervous speaker, (b) a loud cheer, (c) a peaceful walk

academic vocabulary in writing

What qualities of Nat Love’s life as a cowboy might Jerry Pinkney have admired? How might reading Nat Love’s autobiography have influenced Jerry Pinkney? Write a few sentences to answer these questions. Use at least one Academic Vocabulary word in your response.

vocabulary strategy: the latin root pressThe vocabulary word impressionable contains the Latin root press, which means “to push down.” This root is used to form a large number of English words. Use your knowledge of what this root means, along with context clues in the sentence or paragraph, to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words.

PRACTICE Choose the word from the web that best completes each sentence. Consider what you know about the Latin root and the other word parts shown. Refer to a dictionary if you need help.

1. The _____ policies of the government caused the people to rebel.

2. Many students _____ themselves to excel in both school and sports.

3. The lawyer got in trouble for trying to _____ important evidence.

4. If a(n) _____ is punctured, air or gas may leak out. 5. After his father’s death, he suffered from severe _____.

• convey • create • influence • interact • qualities

impressionable

intensity

profound

resounding

impressionable

compressorrepressive

depression

suppress

press

pressure

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InteractiveVocabulary

role-playing and discovery / the life and adventures of nat love 273

L 4b Use Latin roots as clues to the meaning of a word.

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