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Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1

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UNIT 2, Part 1The Power of Memory

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 MAIN MENUMAIN MENU

The Power of Memory (pages 360–398)

Click a selection title to go to the corresponding selection menu.

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 SELECTION MENUSELECTION MENU

Selection Menu (pages 360–372)

Before You Read

Reading the Selection

After You Read

Vocabulary Workshop

http://www.glencoe.com/

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 BEFORE YOU READBEFORE YOU READ

Meet Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan

Click the picture to learn about the author.



The following biography excerpt relates an immigrant’s first impressions upon arrival in the United States. De Kooning spoke no English and arrived with only the desire to create a better life for himself. He eventually became one of the foremost painters in the United States. Before you read, think about the questions on the next page.

Connecting to the Biography



Willem de Kooning was born in the Netherlands in 1904. He eventually became a leader in an artistic movement called Abstract Expressionism. Abstract artists make no attempt to recreate the world as it really exists. The major abstract movements at work in the early twentieth century included Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and Fauvism. All of these movements emphasized the gap between art and natural appearances.

Building Background



As you read this selection from De Kooning: An American Master, notice how Stevens and Swan emphasize de Kooning’s recollections of his arrival in the United States.

Setting a Purpose for Reading

The Power of Memory



The author’s purpose is the author’s reason for writing a literary work. Understanding the author’s purpose enables you to grasp why the author presents certain events and characters as he or she does.


Author’s Purpose



As you read, try to determine what Stevens and Swan hope to accomplish by sharing de Kooning’s first impressions of America with the reader.


Author’s Purpose



When you base conclusions about a text on specific examples, ideas, or anecdotes, you are making generalizations, observations that may relate universal themes and ideas to a text.

Making Generalizations About Events



As you read, make generalizations about the events in this biography by asking yourself: Why are these events occurring as they are? How do they relate to my background information? What do they say about the people involved?




Reading Tip: Taking Notes As you read, record specific examples in the text and then generalize.




obligatory adj. required or necessary (p. 362) The student went to class regularly because the teacher said attendance was obligatory.

artisan n. a skilled craftsman (p. 364) Fine details reveal the cabinetmaker as an artisan.

Click a vocabulary term to listen to the definition.



torrential adj. flowing rapidly and abundantly (p. 366) Walking in the torrential rain left us completely soaked.

belie v. to misrepresent; to give a falseimpression of (p. 366) The warm loving light in the small child’s eyes belied her refusal to hug her mother.



Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 READING THE SELECTIONREADING THE SELECTION

The Power of Memory Think about the following as you read. The authors intertwine anecdotes, description, and quotations to piece together a narrative of de Kooning’s life. How does their use of de Kooning’s recollections help the reader understand the man?



Answer: They offer the reader a glimpse into the man’s hopes, dreams, and desires.



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 362. Why was de Kooning disappointed when he first saw America?

Answer: He expected to see things that were exciting and new—not a place that was like home.



Making Generalizations About Events Read the text highlighted in blue on page 363. Why do de Kooning and his friend avoid the more traditional points of entry into the United States?

Answer: They were entering illegally, and wanted to avoid discovery.

Reading Strategy



Author’s Purpose Read the first text highlighted in purple on page 363. What does this observation reveal about the place de Kooning has come from? What does it help you understand about de Kooning?

Literary Element



Answer: In Holland, life is slower. The United States is much faster paced. De Kooning is used to paying close attention to details and quality of life.

Literary Element



Author’s Purpose Read the second text highlighted in purple on page 363. Why do the authors describe Hoboken, New Jersey, at length and in such detail?

Answer: They are illustrating the timeand the setting, and explaining why so many Dutch immigrants like de Kooning settled there.

Literary Element



Making Generalizations About Events Read the first text highlighted in blue on page 364. What does de Kooning have in common with many people that visit a foreign country?

Reading Strategy



Answer: He is ambivalent about his relocation to America. He embraces his new identity with an American name. However, he feels more comfortable around things that remind him of home.

Reading Strategy



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 364. In what ways did clothing become meaningful to de Kooning as he began his life in America?

Answer: By wearing fine clothing, de Kooning demonstrated his success and newfound American identity. Clothing became a kind of currency to de Kooning, who calculated his earnings in clothes he could purchase.



Making Generalizations About Events Read the second text highlighted in blue on page 364. What general conclusions can you draw from this exchange?

Reading Strategy



Answer: Immigrants are often confronted with significant language barriers in their new homes. They may be unable to fully express themselves. Their lack of knowledge can make them self-conscious and less willing to interact.

Reading Strategy



Making Generalizations About Events Read the third text highlighted in blue on page 364. What insights into Holland and America did de Kooning gain from working as a house painter in Hoboken?

Reading Strategy



Answer: In the American painters’ “willingness to slap new paint over old,” de Kooning was able to perceive the general American preference for speed and innovation over the Dutch concern for craftsmanship and preservation.

Reading Strategy



Answer: It reflects de Kooning’s abandonment of working-class Hoboken for Greenwich Village, where an art world existed.

Viewing the Art

Look at the painting on page 365. What scene in this biography does the painting reflect?



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 366. How does the memory of Holland affect de Kooning’s experience of New York City?

Answer: De Kooning’s memory of the multiplicity of cultures around the seaport of Rotterdam made him feel comfortable in New York, a city with a diverse and vibrant population.



Author’s Purpose Read the first text highlighted in purple on page 367. What insights into de Kooning’s artistic sensibilities do the authors suggest by including these observations?

Literary Element



Answer: The authors introduce the idea that de Kooning’s eventual success as a “pop” artist developed out of his early exposure to the glitz, decadence, and freedom of 1920s New York.

Literary Element



Author’s Purpose Read the second text highlighted in purple on page 367. Why do you think de Kooning is ready for a change?

Answer: Although de Kooning has founda trade for himself, he does not work among artists and intellectuals as he did in Holland. This artistic milieu is important enough to him to make a change.

Literary Element



Answer: The seaside setting for swimming, the colorful structures, the Ferris wheel

Look at the painting on page 368. What does this painting help viewers understand about Coney Island’s appeal?

Viewing the Art



Making Generalizations About Events Read the text highlighted in blue on page 369. What does this story illustrate about the experiences of many immigrants to America?

Answer: Immigrants may be surprisedthat they cannot rely on their old ways of doing things in order to succeed.

Reading Strategy



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 369. What do you think changed for de Kooning?

Answer: He realizes that being free to express himself might be worth some sacrifices.



Answer: The bold hues and sweepingbrushstrokes indicate a spontaneousand free-spirited mood.

Look at the painting on page 369. What does the painting suggest about de Kooning’s disposition? In your opinion, what elements of this painting most vividly demonstrate de Kooning’s originality?

Viewing the Art


Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 AFTER YOU READAFTER YOU READ

Respond

Answer: Answers will vary.

Responding and Thinking Critically

1. What did you consider most interesting or surprising about de Kooning’s experiences? Explain.



Answer: (a) The Statue of Liberty andEllis Island (b) He was disappointed.

2. (a) What was missing from de Kooning’s first glimpse of the United States? (b) How did his first impressions affect him?

Recall and InterpretResponding and Thinking Critically



3. (a) What differences did de Kooning notice between life in Holland and life in the United States? (b) What impact did these differences have on de Kooning?




Answer: (a) While people in the United States did not take as much time with their crafts as in Holland, they were freer to express themselves. (b) The freedom to express himself allowed him to develop as an acclaimed artist.




4. (a) What reasons do Stevens and Swan cite for de Kooning’s departure from Hoboken? (b) Why might the move have helped his career as an artist? Explain.




Answer: (a) He no longer needed or wanted to be among his countrymen. (b) It introduced him to a community of artists.





5. De Kooning eventually becomes an influential and innovative abstract painter. Do you believe that the biographers’ description of de Kooning’s arrival in the United States helps you understand his eventual success? Explain.

Analyze and EvaluateResponding and Thinking Critically




6. To be successful, a biographer must provide facts about a person’s life and must also capture the essence of that person. Do you believe that Stevens and Swan accomplish this goal? Explain.




7. At first, de Kooning viewed success in the United States in terms of income. Later, his views of success shifted. Analyze de Kooning’s transition and determine what brought about the change in his attitude.




Answer: De Kooning loved the idea of being free to express himself. The only way to pursue this type of success was to delve into the American art world.





8. From the comparisons between Holland and the United States, do you believe that de Kooning would have achieved the same artistic success had he remained in Holland? Explain.

ConnectResponding and Thinking Critically

The Power of Memory



Authors often write to achieve one or more of the following purposes: to persuade, to inform, to explain, to entertain, or to describe. One might attribute severalof these purposes to Stevens and Swan’s biography of Willem de Kooning.

Author’s Purpose



1. Which purpose do you think most applies to this selection? Explain.

Answer: To persuade readers that the seeds of de Kooning’s artistic sensibilities were sown in his early impressions of the United States.

Author’s Purpose



2. Cite several passages that support your claim.


Author’s Purpose



As you learned on pages 318–319, a biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else. In addition to describing a person’s life, a biographyprovides insight into the time and place in which the person lived.

Review: Biography



Partner Activity Pair up with a classmate and examine the selection you just read. Determine how the authors’ use of quotations helps provide a historical and cultural context.

Review: Biography



Working with your partner, create a two-column chart similar to the one on the next slide. Fill in the left-hand column with examples from the text that demonstrate the author’s use of quotations from other sources. In the right-hand column, explain how each example provides a historical or cultural context.

Review: Biography



Review: Biography



Making generalizations helps readers understand the main points and implications of a work. For example,considering de Kooning’s experiences enables us to generalize about other immigrants’ lives at the time.




1. (a) What generalizations can you make about de Kooning’s reasons for coming to the United States? (b) What does the selection suggest about how the United States could both confound and reward the expectations of immigrants?




Answer: (a) You may say that de Kooning wanted to experience the American Dream or that he wanted to experience the feeling of being completely free to express himself. (b) It suggests that although immigrants might have to change their previous ways, they would experience a freedom without parallel.




2. Find three examples from the text that support your ideas. Explain.





Practice with Analogies Choose the word pair that best completes each of the following analogies.

Practice



Practice

1. fallacy : truth ::

A. honesty : policy

B. cowardice : bravery

C. delusion : deception



Practice

2. artisan : craft ::

A. craftsman : trade

B. wood : carpenter

C. artist : paint



Practice

3. promise : obliged ::

A. marriage : divorced

B. pledge : committed

C. vow : uncertain



Here are two words from the vocabulary list.

Academic Vocabulary

overseas adj. relating to travel over the seas

migrate v. to move to another place



Answer: De Kooning traveled from Europe to Newport News, Virginia, on an English ship. He worked on board the ship to pay his way.

1. Describe de Kooning’s overseas route.

Academic VocabularyPractice and Apply



Answer: Artistic freedom

2. Why did he migrate to the United States?




Respond to Mood Mood is the emotional quality or ambiance of a literary work. Many elements come together to create mood, including diction, syntax, setting, tone, rhetorical devices such as imagery, and sound devices such as rhythm.

Writing About Literature



Write a brief essay in which you identify and respond to the mood in “First Impressions.” In your response, remember to refer to specific elements that create mood.




Before you begin drafting, take notes using agraphic organizer like the one below.




Include quotations that exemplify the mood of the piece. Once you have completed your diagram, begin drafting. After you complete your draft, meet with a peer reviewer. Evaluate each other’s work and suggest revisions. Then proofread and edit your draft for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.




With a partner, do research about de Kooning and his fellow New York “rebel artists” who helped develop Abstract Expressionism. Who were they? How did they become friends? What made their art so groundbreaking?

Interdisciplinary Activity



Use your research to create a multimedia presentation about the Abstract Expressionists. You may include elements such as photographs, art reproductions, and music. Share your presentation with the class.




Before You Read


After You Read




Meet Frank McCourt

BEFORE YOU READBEFORE YOU READ




The following selection tells of the author’s early experiences with love while bedridden in a hospital. Before you read, think about the following questions:


Connecting to the Memoir

• When you are sick, what do you do to keep your mind occupied?

• When was the first time that something made you realize part of your childhood had vanished.



Typhoid fever is an infection spread via food, water, and milk contaminated with the Salmonella typhi bacteria. If not treated effectively, typhoid can cause widespread damage to the body and can be fatal. Today typhoid is common in disaster-struck regions and impoverished areas with inadequate sanitary systems. It can be prevented by vaccine and treated with antibiotics.


Building Background



Diphtheria is a disease caused by bacteria that have been infected by certain viruses. If left untreated, death can result from inflammation of the heart or suffocation brought about by a buildup of dead tissue in the throat. The disease is treated with antibiotics and can be prevented by vaccination.


Building Background



As you read this selection from Angela’s Ashes, think about how McCourt portrays his childhood decades after he lived it.



The Power of Memory



Voice is the distinctive use of language that conveys the author’s or narrator’s personality to the reader. Voice is determined by elements of style such as word choice and tone. Noting an author’s voice can help you understand his or her perspective.



Voice



Style consists of the expressive qualities that distinguish an author’s work, including word choice and the length and arrangement of sentences, as well as the use of figurative language and imagery. Analyzing style can reveal an author’s attitude and purpose.


Analyzing Style



Reading Tip: Asking Questions Ask yourself questions about style as you read and record them in a chart like the one shown on the next slide:


Analyzing Style



Analyzing Style



induce v. to lead or move by persuasion; to bring about; p. 377 The physicians decided to induce labor.

potent adj. having strength or authority; powerful; p. 377 The black widow spider injects a potent poison into its victims.

rapier n. a narrow, long-bladed, two edged sword; p. 379 The pirates drew their rapiers and dueled on deck.




Analyzing Style Keep the following question in mind as you read. Which parts of the selection seem like genuine memories and which seem fictional?

READING THE SELECTIONREADING THE SELECTION

Answer: The dialogue is probably somewhat fictionalized.



Analyzing Style Read the text highlighted in blue on page 375. McCourt does not use quotation marks to set off dialogue. What effect does this style have?


Answer: makes the narrative flow, like a conversation.

Reading Strategy



Voice Read the text highlighted in purple on page 376. What does McCourt’s use of voice convey about Patricia’s personality?


Answer: McCourt’s use of voice helps to portray Patricia as straightforward and clever.

Literary Element



Analyzing Style Read the text highlighted in blue on page 376. What does McCourt’s use of voice convey about Patricia’s personality?


Answer: His writing style mimics the way a child speaks and thinks.

Reading Strategy



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 377. Why might McCourt remember this so many years later?


Answer: Perhaps McCourt grew to admire and appreciate Shakespeare, and therefore his first exposure to Shakespeare’s writing became a significant event in his life.



Voice Read the text highlighted in purple on page 378. What does the McCourt’s use of voice in this sentence tell you about his personality as a child?


Literary Element



Answer: Young Frank loves to read, even when he does not understand all of the words. The words seem magical to him, and he is impressed by Shakespeare. He is straightforward about what he feels.


Literary Element



Voice Read the text highlighted in purple on page 379. What does this statement tell you about the narrator’s personality?


Answer: He is young, somewhat naive, and romantic.

Literary Element



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 379. Why do you think McCourt remembers and is able to recreate details like this?


Answer: The experience in the hospital must have affected McCourt deeply for him to remember it in such detail. Other students may argue that McCourt probably has embellished some of the details in order to create a more effective story.



The Power of Memory If, in reality, McCourt did see Patricia on his way past, why do you think he would have changed it in this memoir?


Answer: In not revealing what she looks like, McCourt maintains the mystery and romance surrounding the friendship. In being faceless, Patricia comes to represent the concept of unattainable love.



Voice Read the text highlighted in purple on page 380. What does this tell you about the narrator’s level of maturity?


Answer: The narrator seems very mature for his age; he knows exactly what the adults are trying to shield him from.

Literary Element



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 380. How do you think Patricia’s death and her sorrow over McCourt’s departure affected McCourt?


Answer: You will probably say that he was very sad after her death. Possibly he felt badly that he was not in the room next to hers when she died.



The Power of Memory Do you think McCourt thinks he could have saved or rescued her, like the highwayman in the poem?


Answer: The romantic part of him probably thinks he could have rescued her, but the mature part of him knows that there was nothing he could have done.




1. (a) How did you feel after reading the selection? (b) What specifically about the selection made you feel this way? Explain.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyRespond



2. (a) What is the first reason Sister Rita gives or telling Frank and Patricia not to talk to each other? (b) What does this tell you about the time period and setting in which this selection takes place?

Responding and Thinking CriticallyRecall and Interpret



Answer: (a) There should be no talking between rooms, “especially when it’s a boy and a girl.” (b) The story takes place in a very strict and rigid setting and time period in which girls and boys are kept separate.




3. (a) What are the subjects of McCourt’s and Patricia’s poetry? (b) What does their love for these written passages tell you about their different tastes in literature?




Answer: (a) Frank reads about English history, while Patricia reads about an owl and a pussycat and also about a highwayman’s romantic rescue of a red-lipped woman. (b) McCourt likes the serious and dramatic. Patricia likes the fanciful and playful. Both like the highwayman, a poem of love and conflict.




4. (a) Which patients had Frankie’s new ward previously housed? (b) How does this knowledge affect the mood of the selection?

Answer: (a) Victims of the Great Famine (b) It creates a somber, oppressive, or depressing mood.




5. Does Frank and Patricia’s dialogue sound like the dialogue of a ten-year-old and a fourteen-year-old? Illustrate your answer with examples from the text.


Responding and Thinking CriticallyAnalyze and Evaluate



6. Describe the adults that appear in the excerpt. What kind of effect do you think the portrayal of the adults has on the excerpt as a whole?

AFTER YOU READAFTER YOU READ




Answer: The nuns do not sympathize with the children; Seamus is a comforting and kind figure. This conveys that most adults do not want to connect with or understand children.





7. In memoirs, authors have the chance to present their past using a narrative style and structure. Do you think this selection reads more like fiction or nonfiction? Explain.

Answer: Answers will vary


Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect The Power of Memory



An author uses voice to communicate his personality or opinions to the reader. The voice in an autobiographical work such as Angela’s Ashes is the voice of the author’s younger self as perceived by his adult self. When analyzing a writer’s voice, look at how the writer uses elements such as sentence structure, word choice, and tone.


Voice



1. Does the voice in this selection sound like that of a young boy or that of an adult? Explain.



Voice



2. What stylistic devices does McCourt use to create his narrator’s voice?

Answer: McCourt uses short, clipped sentences, such as his replies to Patricia; run-on sentences with simple vocabulary and images; and picked-up adult expressions.


Voice



As you learned on page 354, memoir is a type of narrative nonfiction that presents the story of a period in the writer’s life. It is usually written from the first-person point of view and emphasizes the narrator’s own experience of this period. It may also reveal the impact of significant historical events on his or her life.


Review: Memoir



Partner Activity With a classmate, discuss “Typhoid Fever” as a memoir. Working with your partner, create a two-column chart similar to the one on the next slide. Fill in the left-hand column with examples of historical details or events referenced in the text. In the right-hand column, describe each example’s effect on the author’s life.


Review: Memoir



Review: Memoir



An author’s style affects how a reader responds to a piece of writing. Long sentences are often characteristic of a fluid, poetic style that connects many ideas.


Analyzing Style



Simple word choice can reflect the voice of the narrator or can be a way to communicate ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. Use of imagery and figurative language is a common technique of poetic writers. Style can also be a clue to the author’s purpose.


Analyzing Style



1. From this selection, how would you characterize McCourt’s style of writing?

Answer: McCourt uses casual or everyday speech. His poetic style may remind some students of oral storytelling.


Analyzing Style



2. What do you think might be McCourt’s purpose in writing this piece? What elements of McCourt’s style hint at this purpose?


Analyzing Style



Answer: To show that young people can experience wonderful but also unjust events and both have the power to shape the adults that they will become is his purpose. McCourt’s used imagery, humor, and wistful thoughts.


Analyzing Style



Practice with Word Origins A word’s origins often give clues to its meaning. Match each vocabulary word with its corresponding root word. Use a dictionary for assistance. Then write a sentence using each word.


Practice



Practice

1. induce

2. potent

3. rapier

A. rapiere, sword

B. inducere, to lead in

C. potens, powerful

___

___

___

B

C

A



These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selection.


Academic Vocabulary

expose v. to make unknown or visible; to make vulnerable

medical adj. of or relating to treatment by physicians; relating to medicine



1. How was Patricia exposed to an unknown disease?

Answer: Her father’s experiences in Africa may have resulted in her exposure to the unknown sickness.





2. What medical procedures do the doctors and nurses administer to Frank?

Answer: They give injections and dispense medicine to him.





Respond to Plot McCourt describes a number of events from his childhood in this selection, such as his and Patricia’s trading of poetry, Seamus’s attempts to help them, punishment at the hands of the nurses and nuns, and Patricia’s death.





In your opinion, is Frankie and Patricia’s relationship romantic? Did you find Seamus’s character humorous? How did you feel after the author tells of Patricia’s death? Write a one or two-page analysis in which you explore your personal responses to these events. Use evidence from the text to help explain your responses





Before you begin writing your first draft, take notes on your reactions to the events in the selection in a two-column chart, such as the one on the next slide.





Include quotes from the text related to the events, as well as any impressions or ideas that strike you as you read. Once you have completed the chart, begin drafting.





After finishing your first draft, trade essays with a peer reviewer. Evaluate each other’s work and suggest ways to improve each other’s essays. Then proofread and edit your work for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.





In a small group, gather facts about the historical and scientific context of “Typhoid Fever.” What was happening in Ireland and the rest of the world in the early 1940s? What was the state of medical research just before and during this time? Then analyze how these scientific and historical facts influenced the events of “Typhoid Fever.”





Narrating in the Present Tense McCourt narrates “Typhoid Fever” in the present tense, even though he experienced these events fifty years prior to writing Angela’s Ashes. The most common writing tense is actually past tense, especially when writing about the past.


McCourt’s Language and Style



She leaves and there’s silence for awhile. Then Patricia whispers, Give thanks, Francis, give thanks, and say your rosary, Francis, and I laugh so hard a nurse runs in to see if I’m all right. She’s a very stern nurse from the County Kerry and she frightens me.



Note McCourt’s use of tense in the following passage:



Here is the same passage written in the past tense. Read and compare it to McCourt’s original passage:

She left and there was silence for awhile. Then Patricia whispered, Give thanks, Francis, give thanks, and say your rosary, Francis, and I laughed so hard a nurse ran in to see if I was all right. She was a very stern nurse from the County Kerry and she frightened me.





Did the past tense version make you feel differently than the first? How did it affect the narrator’s voice? By writing in the present tense, McCourt makes his memories seem active and alive. Also, because he frequently combines narration and dialogue, writing in the present tense maintains tense consistency and thus prevents confusion





1. She shook her head at Seamus and he gave her a sad shake back.

Activity Change the sentence to present tense.



Answer: She shakes her head at Seamus, and he gives her a sad shake back.



2. The nurse said I was the only typhoid patient and I was a miracle for getting over the crisis.




Answer: The nurse said I am the only typhoid patient and I am a miracle for getting over the crisis.



3. I would have liked to have seen my father, too, but I was out of danger, crisis time was over, and I was allowed only one visitor.




Answer: I would like to see my father, too, but I am out of danger, crisis time is over, and I am allowed only one visitor.



Consistency of tense is an important element of writing. With a partner, go through your essay about your response to the events in “Typhoid Fever” and make sure you use tense correctly and consistently.

Revising Check: The Present Tense



Before You Read


After You Read





Author Frank McCourt, who spent his childhood in Limerick, Ireland, revisits his early years in Angela’s Ashes. In this selection, Hughes discusses why McCourt was inspired to write a memoir of his childhood in Limerick.

Building Background




Read to learn about McCourt’s personal journey in writing Angela’s Ashes.

Set a Purpose for Reading




Recognizing the author’s purpose involves identifying the author’s intent for writing a literary work. Authors may write for any or all of the following purposes: to persuade, inform, explain, entertain, or describe. As you read, use a web diagram like the one on the next slide to take notes on the details of the interview.

Recognizing Author’s Purpose




Recognizing Author’s Purpose




The Power of Memory What does McCourt believe is the best writing inspiration or subject matter? How does writing affect his well-being?

Answer: He believes personal experiences are the best inspiration or subject matter for writing. Writing gives him a great sense of accomplishment. He feels that he was born to be a writer




Recognizing Authors Purpose What does this sentence imply about the author’s purpose?

Answer: It implies that the author’s purpose is to show the development of McCourt as a writer.

Reading Strategy




The Power of Memory How can negative memories affect the present?

Answer: Bad memories, like McCourt’s difficult, impoverished upbringing, can affect a person’s emotional well-being and make that person feel negatively toward himself or herself. They can also affect how a person views the world and create a pessimistic attitude toward life.




Recognizing Authors Purpose Do you think McCourt could have written Angela’s Ashes any earlier than he did?

Answer: You may say no because he needed time to remember his past. Others will say that he could have written it earlier had he realized his calling sooner.

Reading Strategy




1. What is your opinion of McCourt’s claim that “anything is worth writing about”?






2. (a) For what reason(s) did McCourt decide to use a child’s point of view to narrate Angela’s Ashes? (b) What might this say about his perspective on childhood?





Answer: (a) The idea came to him in a dream, and he wanted his story to contain humor. (b) McCourt thinks that children are playful yet more resilient and observant.





3. (a) What was the most important quality that McCourt realized he must have in order to be a good teacher?

(b) How did he apply what he learned as a teacher to his work as a writer?





Answer: (a) Honesty (b) In his memoir, McCourt approached his past with the same honesty he used in the classroom. McCourt “learned more from his students than they did from him” and used his experiences as “a rich vein” to tap into.





4. (a) Hughes delves into McCourt’s upbringing, his offbeat methods of teaching, and his brief stint as an actor. Why do you think she includes these details of McCourt’s life? (b) Do these details support McCourt’s message about writing? Why or why not?





Answer: (a) Hughes was trying to show the stark contrast between McCourt’s painful childhood and his energetic personality. Hughes was also creating a parallel between McCourt’s activities and his philosophy about life. (b) Students should realize that McCourt values life experience over traditional methods of learning how to write.





5. (a) Hughes says that “one of the major reasons it took McCourt so long to write Angela’s Ashes was that he didn’t understand the truth of his own lesson.” What do you think Hughes means by this comment? (b) What do you think Hughes believes the act of writing can teach a person?





Answer: (a) Some may refer to the “shame” McCourt said he felt about being poor, which kept him from approaching his story honestly, or that McCourt said he spent most of his life as a “writer not writing.” (b) Hughes thinks that writing allows a person to gain a richer understanding of his or her life and self.





6. McCourt attempted to write a book about his life in 1969. It took another twenty-five years before he wrote Angela’s Ashes. Do you think the passing of time distanced him from or made him more aware of his memories of the past? How do you think the passage of time colors your memories?

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect


The Power of Memory



Answer: (a) Answers will vary. (b) Hughes thinks that writing allows a person to gain a richer understanding of his or her life and self.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect


The Power of Memory



Before You Read


After You Read




Meet Annie Dillard





In An American Childhood, Dillard recounts stories about her childhood. The author’s intent in this excerpt is to reveal her mother’s depth and wit through a series of humorous family memories.





Before you read, think of someone in your life who reminds you of Dillard’s mother.



• How do you use humor in your daily life?

• How does humor affect your mood and how you go about your day?



An American Childhood is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the 1950s. At that time, most middle-class married women did not work outside the home or pursue their own careers. Women who were fortunate or wealthy enough to attend college were generally assumed to be looking for a husband. Even a well-educated married woman of the 1950s was expected to be content to take care of her husband and children.


Building Background



As you read this selection, notice how Dillard links her humorous memories of her mother to incidents in childhood that helped her to develop her insights as a writer.



The Power of Memory



An anecdote is a brief account of an interesting occurrence. Anecdotes add depth and variety to the flow of text and help the reader to better visualize the characters and events. As you read the story, notice how Dillard uses anecdotes to deepen our understanding of her mother’s approach to life.



Anecdote



Often authors write about situations, settings, or characters to which or whom the reader can relate. Connecting to personal experience can help you better understand the author’s message. As you read, find situations in the text that remind you of instances in your own life.


Connecting to Personal Experience



Reading Tip: Making a Chart You might choose events, characters, or something else from the excerpt that seems familiar to compare to your personal experiences. Record your thoughts on a chart like theone on the next slide.





tremulously adv. in a trembling or vibrating way (p. 391) After he heard the knock at the door, he tremulously asked, “Who’s there?”

eschew v. to keep apart from something disliked or harmful; avoid (p. 391) Because I dislike music with violent lyrics, I eschew it.





advocate v. to publicly support (p. 393) I advocate the passing of that law, and I will be sure to vote for it.


stolid adj. showing little or no emotion (p. 394) Her face was stolid after hearing the bad news; we never knew how sad she was.



The Power of Memory How did the author feel about her mother’s antics while she was growing up? How have her attitudes changed?


Answer: While growing up, the author was embarrassed by her mother’s unusual behavior. The author now respects her mother’s intellect and ingenuity.



Anecdote Read the text highlighted in purple on page 376. How does this opening anecdote draw the reader in?


Answer: It introduces the author’s mother and her unusual sense of humor.

Literary Element



Connecting to Personal Experiences Read the text highlighted in blue on page 376. What does the author reveal here about her mother’s personality?


Answer: She is eccentric or odd, dramatic, and loves to play with words and phrases.

Reading Strategy



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 376. Why do you think her mother is trying to remind the author that she does not “know it all just yet”?


Answer: Her mother was trying to teach her to keep learning or to avoid being overly proud of what she already knows.



Viewing the Art

Look at the painting on page 392. What idea in the selection does this advertisement help illustrate?



Look at the painting on page 392. What idea in the selection does this advertisement help illustrate?


Answer: This advertisement helps illustrate the importance of marketing through the use of attractive graphics and exciting sensationalized language. The author’s mother would feel impressed by the circusman’s boldness and confidence, much as she was impressed by the Ivory soap adman.

Viewing the Art



Anecdote Read the text highlighted in purple on page 393. What does the exchange with the surgeon reveal about what Dillard’s mother values in life?


Answer: She appreciates people who can think outside the box or who can challenge her intellect.

Literary Element



Connecting to Personal Experiences Read the text highlighted in blue on page 393. Which option do you think the author might have chosen in this situation? Why?


Reading Strategy



Answer: The author would have chosen to act out the part of Cecile to please her mother, or she would have told the caller it was a wrong number because she was embarrassed.


Reading Strategy



Anecdote Read the text highlighted in purple on page 394. What does this sentence reveal about how some women of that generation may have felt?


Answer: They may have felt their intelligence and abilities were going to waste as housewives, since there were not many opportunities for them outside the home.

Literary Element



Connecting to Personal Experience Read the text highlighted in blue on page 395. Why do you think people like Dillard’s mother may prefer theorizing and inventing to running a business?


Reading Strategy



Answer: You may point out that independent thinkers like Dillard’s mother are happiest when they can develop new ideas and be free from routines.


Reading Strategy



The Power of Memory Read the text highlighted in tan on page 395. Why do you think the author used the words “and would be each separately capable of taking” here?


Answer: She is making the point that her mother taught them to think for themselves and stand for what they believed to be right, even if they had to do it alone.




1. What questions would you like to ask the author about her mother?




2. (a) Why does Dillard’s mother enjoy the phrase “Terwilliger bunts one”? (b) What does her mother’s reaction to and use of this phrase suggest about her personality?




Answer: (a) The phrase may seem absurd, or she may like the combination of sounds. (b) a whimsical sense of humor; enjoys the absurdities of language and life.




3. (a) Dillard’s mother finds humor in situations that ordinarily would not be considered funny. Give an example and explain why the situation is comical. (b) What can you infer about her mother’s philosophy of life from the way she responds to rules and regulations?




Answer: (a) Finds humor in bureaucratic forms, answers the questions literally (b) Life should not be taken too seriously.




4. (a) Describe two incidents that illustrate how her mother’s unexpected behavior flusters people. (b) Do you think the author’s mother cares about the consequences of her actions?




Answer: (a) Pretends to know a young man sitting with his girlfriend; purposely misplays a bridge hand (b) She does not seem to care about the couple and she seems to try to upset her bridge partners.




5. Explain what Dillard means when she says that the “spirit of American enterprise never faded in Mother.”

Answer: Dillard’s mother continually thinks of ways to improve products and invents new and useful ones.




6. (a) Identify places in the selection that illustrate the author’s attention to detail. (b) How do these details enhance your appreciation of the selection?

Answer: (a) Details of the Tamiami Trail; “Pittsburghisms”; and card game antics (b) Details add humor and affection and enliven scenes.




7. (a) How do you think most people would react to the mother’s treatment of the young couple at the zoo? (b) Does this incident make you respect Dillard’s mother more, or less?




Answer: (a) Most people would disapprove of causing strife for entertainment. (b) Some may respect her fearlessness; others may disapprove of her cruelty.




8. How does the author’s mother compare with your mental picture of an ideal mother? Explain.

Answer: Her humor and zest for life would make her an ideal mother for some; others would not want a quirky, restless mother.

Responding and Thinking CriticallyConnect The Power of Memory



Anecdote

If you wanted to explain a friend’s personality to someone who had never met him or her, you might tell an anecdote about you friend, such as a funny story that revealed your friend’s sense of humor.



Anecdote

Anecdotes can be used for many different purposes within a work of literature. Essayists often use anecdotes to support their opinions, clarify their ideas, get a reader’s attention, or entertain. Biographers often use anecdotes to illustrate a point about their subjects.



Anecdote

1. What main point do you think Dillard wanted to make through her anecdotes about her mother?

Answer: She wanted to portray her mother’s uniqueness, and significant influence as a role model.



Anecdote

2. When you read how Dillard’s mother subjected hopeful suitors to a fast and furious card game to test their merits, what insight did you have into the mother-daughter relationship?



Anecdote

Answer: Their mother cared about the quality and character of men who wanted to marry her daughters, but she was also very controlling to want to judge their worth by her rules.



As you learned on page 374, voice is the distinctive use of language that conveys the author’s or narrator’s personality to the reader. Voice is determined by elements of style such as word choice and tone.

Review: Voice



Partner Activity Pair up with a classmate and discuss Dillard’s use of voice in An American Childhood.

Review: Voice



1. Make a list of passages from the text that reveal Dillard’s voice as she describes her memories of her mother.

Review: Voice

2. Explain how each passage illustrates the author’s personality.



Review: Voice



Readers bring personal experiences to what they read. These experiences guide readers toward insightful analysis of the text.




1. Which of your personal experiences most helped you relate to Dillard’s stories about her mother?


Answer: Answers should include mother, parental, or family relationships



2. Do you think most readers would be able to connect to these stories? Why or why not?


Answer: You may say that it is difficult to relate to this story since the mother was unique. Others may find that their familial relationships were similar.



Practice

Practice with Word Parts Read the roots and definitions on the next slide. Then pick the best definition for each of the boldface vocabulary words.



Practice

Latin Root: tremulus– “trembling”

Old French Root: eschiver– “to shun”

Latin Root: advocare– “to call for”

Latin Root: stolidus– “firm”



Practice

1. She approached the door tremulously, for she did not know what awaited her.

A. bravely

B. constantly

C. timidly



Practice

2. She eschewed taking the train and instead called a taxi cab.

A. looked forward to

B. enjoyed

C. avoided



Practice

3. The doctor did not advocate taking massive doses of vitamins.

A. recommend

B. refuse

C. oppose



Practice

4. His face remained stolid even when he found out that his mother had died.

A. uncertain

B. sad

C. emotionless



Academic Vocabulary

Here are two words from the vocabulary list.

intelligence n. the ability to learn

rational adj. having the ability to reason or understand clearly



Practice and Apply

Answer: You should recognize the type of person her mother holds in esteem—someone who can think for himself or herself and avoid conformity.

1. How would Dillard’s mother define intelligence?

Academic Vocabulary



Practice and Apply


2. Was her mother’s behavior rational? Explain.

Academic Vocabulary



Analyze Comic Devices Dillard makes use of hyperbole as a comic device. Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used to emphasize a point or to create a certain effect. Hyperbole is a figure of speech, and it is not meant to be taken literally.





For example, when Dillard says, “Mother’s energy and intelligence suited her for a greater role in a larger arena—mayor of New York,” she does not actually mean that her mother should have been mayor of New York City. She is using hyperbole.





Because New York City is one of the largest, most complex cities of the world to govern, Dillard wants her readers to imagine what it would be like to live with someone who has the energy to run a city like New York.





Find another example of hyperbole in the story and analyze its use as a comic device. Then write a brief essay explaining your analysis. Include an introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion.





After completing your first draft, exchange essays with another student. Evaluate each other’s work and make suggestions for improvement. Make sure you proofread your own essay for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.





Spoken humor can range from joke telling to relating amusing anecdotes. With a small group, discuss performances by comedians or humorists whom you admire. Then prepare a joke or humorous anecdote and practice telling it with your group.


Listening and Speaking



Some anecdotes may cause your classmates to laugh, while other anecdotes may evoke amused recognition. In your group, discuss what makes a joke or anecdote effective. Then tell your group’s best story or joke to the class.


Listening and Speaking



Using Subject and Object Pronouns Pronouns such as I, he, and they are used as subjects and predicate nominatives in sentences. Object pronouns such as me, her, and them are used as objects of verbs or prepositions. Note how Dillard uses a variety of subject and object pronouns in the passage on the next slide.


Dillard’s Language and Style



“She dearly loved to fluster people by throwing out a game’s rules at whim—when she was getting bored, losing in a dull sort of way, and when everybody else was taking it too seriously. If you turned your back, she moved the checkers around on the board. When you got them all straightened out, she denied she’d touched them; the next time you turned your back she lined them up on the rug or hid them under your chair.”





Do you think that Dillard’s use of the second person—the subject pronoun you—is an effective method for describing the checkers game to the reader? Why or why not?





Activity Meet with a partner and complete the following exercise. Choose the correct subject or object pronouns.





1. (We, Us) children wholly sympathized and so did Father.



Answer: We



2. If she answered the phone on a wrong number, she dragged the receiver to Amy or (I, me).



Answer: me



3. During a family trip to the Highland Park Zoo, Mother and (me, I) were alone for a minute.



Answer: I



Review the essay you wrote about Dillard’s use of comic devices. Make sure that you used pronouns correctly. Are there places that are better suited to another pronoun? In the future, as you check your essays for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, make sure that your subject and object pronouns are

Revising Check: Pronouns



Understanding Jargon

Technical Words

Connecting to Literature Unless you are a painter or have read a good deal about art, you probably are not familiar with the word artisanal. You may, however, have read or heard the word artisan, meaning “a skilled worker,” and know many words with the suffix –al, which means “like” or “characterized by.”

VOCABULARY WORKSHOPVOCABULARY WORKSHOP



Technical Words

The context, or setting in which the word appears, also gives you a clue that artisanal means “skillfully crafted.”



Technical Words

Words like artisanal, which are related to a specific field or trade, are called jargon. This specialized language also includes specific meanings given to common words.




Technical Words

For example, in “First Impressions,” a painter is described as naïve, which generally means “lacking experience and understanding.” In its use as jargon, though, it refers to a painting style characterized by a lack of formal training.




Technical Words

Likewise, reference to a brush in this selection most likely indicates a paintbrush, not a hairbrush. See the chart on the next slide for some common examples of jargon.



Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 VOCABULARY WORKSHOPVOCABULARY WORKSHOP

Technical Words



Exercise

Identify the jargon in each of the following sentences related to “First Impressions.” Then use the context to write a definition for the jargon you found. Check your answers using a dictionary.


Technical Words



1. De Kooning learned about how to mix pigments with oil and water while painting houses.


Answer: pigment—coloring substance

Technical Words

Exercise



2. In Holland, housepainters always stripped windows down to the wood before repainting them.

Answer: strip—to remove paint

Technical Words

Exercise



3. De Kooning created new paintings and illustrations for his portfolio to show employers.


Answer: portfolio—collection of an artist’s work

Technical Words

Exercise



4. Hoboken was very much like North Rotterdam, and not the bohemian setting he had expected.

Answer: bohemian—unconventional, devoted to art

Technical Words

Exercise



Jargon is the specialized or technical language of a trade such as law, medicine,art, and sports.


Technical Words

Vocabulary Terms



When you encounter unfamiliar jargon in a reading selection, look for word parts you already know.

Then consider the subject of the selection and the context of the sentence to determine the meaning of the word.


Technical Words

Test-Taking Tip



I didn’t think there were any artists in America.

Why might a person who has never visited the United States think this is true?

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 BELLRINGERBELLRINGER


I do believe, induced by potent circumstances / that thou art mine enemy and The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, / The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.


Which lines of poetry do you like more? What are some of your favorite poems or lines of poetry?


Humor is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility. —James Thurber

A sense of humor . . . is the ability to understand a joke—and that the joke is oneself —Clifton Fadiman


Do you agree with these quotations? Which is more accurate?

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 BELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCYBELLRINGER OPTION TRANSPARENCY

Click on the image to see a full version of the Bellringer Option Transparency.


0%

0%

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0%A. the Dutch Seaman’s Home in

Hoboken, New JerseyB. on Barclay Street in Manhattan

C. an artists’ community in Greenwich Village

D. a brownstone building on Canal Street

Where did de Kooning live when he first arrived in the New York area?

CHECKPOINT QUESTIONSCHECKPOINT QUESTIONS


0%

0%

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0%A. learning the English language

B. making wealthy friends

C. getting a job

D. wearing fine clothes

What did de Kooning see as a badge of success and a symbol of a new identity?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. friends from Rotterdam

B. other artists

C. a woman to marry

D. a better job

What did Leo Cohan tell de Kooning he would find in Manhattan?



0%

0%

0%

0% A. to return to housepainting in Hoboken

B. to change his name to Bill

C. to live in the neighborhood of art

D. to move back to Europe

What essential decision did de Kooning make after his first week working as a commercial artist?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. She thinks he might damage internal

organs.B. She thinks hospitals are no places for

laughter.C. It is against their religion to laugh.

D. She doesn’t want him disturbing all the other patients.

Why doesn’t the nurse want Frank to laugh?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. His father’s boss sent him many get-

well cards.B. He is suddenly given much better

care.C. He receives many presents sent by

his father.D. Mam brings him a chocolate bar.

How does Frank know that his father has a job?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. talking to Patricia

B. reciting Shakespeare

C. taking his medicine

D. singing songs with Seamus

What activity does Frank compare to having jewels in his mouth?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. Sister Rita takes away Patricia’s

poem and books.B. He is released from the hospital.

C. He is moved to the big ward upstairs.

D. Patricia gets very ill.

What happens just before Frank hears the ending to Patricia’s poem?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. to write it on the walls

B. to have it published in the “Limerick Leader”

C. to recite it aloud so Sister Rita can hear him

D. to write a musical score for it

What did Seamus threaten to do with Patricia’s poem?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. his hunger

B. his poverty

C. his father’s abandonment of his family

D. his being an American in Ireland

What was the greatest challenge McCourt had to face as a child in Limerick?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. honesty

B. Shakespeare

C. acting techniques

D. writing ideas

What did McCourt “discover” in the classroom as a teacher?



0%

0%

0%

0% A. writer’s block

B. low self-esteem

C. depression

D. low motivation

According to McCourt, what personal problem did he experience when he was in his twenties and thirties?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. It was exactly one year since the day

he began writing the novel.B. It was Jonathan Swift’s birthday.

C. It was the same day McCourt’s father left the family.

D. It was his wedding anniversary.

What was significant about the date on which McCourt submitted the final draft of Angela’s Ashes?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. P. T. Barnum

B. Wayne Terwilliger

C. Andrew Carnegie

D. her father

What person does Dillard mention when discussing a coat of arms?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. to remind them that they didn’t know

everythingB. to emphasize her love of words

C. to show off her impressive vocabularyD. to help them win spelling contests at

school

Why did Dillard’s mother often test her children’s spelling?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. comedian

B. zookeeper

C. grocery store clerk

D. anarchist

What “career” did Dillard’s mother resume when her children were older?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. by having them play the betting card

game “Michigan”B. by quizzing them on difficult words to

spellC. by asking them if they collected Top

Value or Green stampsD. by asking them to which political party

they belonged

How did Dillard’s mother test her daughters’ suitors?



0%

0%

0%

0%A. laziness

B. greed

C. conformity

D. conceit

What does Dillard say her mother considered a kind of sin?



► Literary Terms

Handbook

► Reading Handbook

► Foldables

► Writing Handbook

► Business Writing

► Language Handbook

► Test-Taking Skills

Handbook

► Daily Language

Practice

Transparencies

Unit 2, Part 1Unit 2, Part 1 REFERENCEREFERENCE

► Grammar and Writing

Workshop

Transparencies


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