[Melina Tlatelpa]

1.The characters are a girl and her mother.
2.The narrator is the mother. The mother is giving advice to her daughter.
3.I believe the girl is a teenager.
4.The mother is doing the most talking. She is giving her daughter advice on what a woman should do and how she should act.
5.I know when the person is talking because the word I is used.
6.I believe that Kincaid uses semicolons to go beyond and more in depth in his writing.
7.The story is about a mother who gives her daughter advice on what should be done and how she should act but also on what not to do as a woman.
8.I do identify with the girl because I was taught what was bad and good and also things like chores.
9. Is there any surprise or irony in the last part about the baker?
The irony in the last part about the baker is that the daughter still doesn’t listen to her advice and she missed everything she was taught.

[Saba Chaudhry]

“Girl” Questions

1) Who are the characters?

The characters are the girl, and her mother

2) Who is the narrator?

The narrator would be the girl’s mother. The advice and the formal language hints towards that.

3) How old is the girl?

The girl is in her early teenage years or a preteen. This is my estimate, because it seems her mother is warning her about something things, and mentions advice that wouldn’t apply to younger girls.

4) Who is doing most of the talking?

The mother is doing most of the talking. The whole short story is the mother guiding her daughter on what she can and cannot do.

5) How do you know when the other person is talking?

I can tell when the other person is talking because the author italicized the thoughts from the other person. There are other indications such as when the mother is speaking, she is speaking to the girl so she uses the word “you”. When the girl is expressing her thoughts she uses “I”.

6) Why do you think Kincaid, the writer, uses semicolons to excess?

I believe the writer uses semicolons to excess because the advice the mother is saying is a lot. The semicolon provides clarity and a breath, while all the information flows together. Since the mother’s advice seems to really revolve around one thing, using semicolons exaggerates that advice and portrays it how the mother is speaking to her daughter. It sort of shows how many things are racing around in the mother’s head, it gives off a sort of delusion on her end.

7) What exactly is the story about?

This story is about what it seems, a paranoid mother giving “advice” to her coming of age daughter. It seems the mother has very strict and assertive rules for her daughter, especially regarding her daughter’s image in society. She does want her daughter to do certain things, that would give off the wrong impression. Because she is passionate about that, the mother comes off aggressive and controlling. The daughter seems confused with all the information.

8) Do you identify with the girl in any way due to things you were taught to do as a youngster?

I definitely can identify with the fact that my mother was also worried about our social image. Coming from a Pakistani household, tradition and culture were important. So if my mother didn’t find something acceptable, I would probably get in trouble for it. I was also taught how to set the table for tea, and dinner; these are vital things in a south asian home. My mother also taught me not chew my food loudly, or with my mouth open.

9) Is there any surprise or irony in the last part about the baker?

The last part about the baker sort of threw me off. It seems as if the mother has this preconceived idea that her daughter is just going to be a “slut”, or something not up to her standards. Her daughter did not say anything except for that last statement, and her mother seems to already have lost all hope.

[BrandonP]

“Salvation”

1) This story is about Langston Hughes himself.

2) He was 12 years old in this narrative turning 13 soon.

3) I had a similar experience however it was never to come to the light. Instead it was just to confess the wrong doings I had done.

4) On this particular day of church a revival is occurring to help the people there find Jesus and live life in a more holy way allowing them to walk away from sinning.

5) The boy says he sees Jesus because he was tired of waiting and didn’t want to be there no longer. So he decided to see Jesus so he didn’t have to wait any longer.

6) I never did anything I didn’t want to because I do not condone peer pressure.

7) Peer pressure is simply when friends or people you hardly know try and forcefully convince you to do something you are not interested in doing. However your “peers” most of the time aren’t the people who want the best for you. Instead your peers are the ones who want you to “fit in.”

8) Peer pressure can be good at times when it’s something benefitting you like getting a job or helping you receive better education. However even though the idea may benefit the individual being pressured, it may still make them uncomfortable.

9) The difference between connotation and denotation is the way things are interpreted. If somebody asks you if you understand what they are talking about, it is connotation. However denotation is the literal meaning as if it was in the dictionary. Therefore connotation is interpreted in its own way depending on the situation, while denotation is a literal meaning no matter what.

10) The boys biggest mistake that day was telling his aunt that Jesus came and saved him, even though he never showed up.

11) Yes a person at a young age can make a decision in having faith. Although I don’t think they should make that decision so early since they have yet to experience much.

“Girl”

1) The characters of the short story are the mother and her young daughter.

2) In the short story there is no true narrator. Everything being said is just a statement being said. There are no true actions in the story to be narrated.

3) The girl is most likely a preadolescent around the age of 10-12.

4) When first reading the story it is easy to perceive the mother is doing all the talking. However after a second or third reading you come to realize that the girl may be the one doing most of the talking, if not all. Girl may be recalling all the information her mother shared with her. Therefore the story can be interpreted both ways.

5) In the story you know when the other person is talking when you see a counter claim brought up.

6) Kincaid most likely uses the semicolon repeatedly to make a point in her writing. The author is writing about all these rules, lessons, and ways of behaving in the story that using regular punctuation could possibly slow the readers and even cause the story to feel repetitive.

7) The story is about a mother who is teaching her preadolescence child all the things she has to do as she grows up and experiences new stages of her life. She is trying to give her daughter advice so she is well behaved and doesn’t become a slut. She also wants her to be just like her mother or she may be giving her advice based on the experiences her mother went through as a child.

8) Yes, I identify with the youngster in certain ways. As a preadolescence my parents always had shared with me a bunch of rules and ways of life just like the girl was however most of the rules were different in my life. The similarities between the girl and I is the way we were told, a long list of rules.

9) The girl finds surprise that the baker will allow the girl to touch the bread even if he has rules about touching it. Her mother states “you mean to say after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?” emphasizing that if she follows all her rules she has given her the baker is going to let her near the bread because she is not a slut. All the rules she gave her was to become a true woman and avoid being a slut.

“Young Goodman Brown”

1. Salem Massachusetts is know for its witchcraft back in the 1600’s.
2. The characters names represent who they are such Faith. She is a good example of actual faith.
3. I don’t recall reading any stories or novels where the characters name represented who they are.
4. The pink ribbon is what is shown frequently throughout the text. We know that it symbolizes her youth.
5. Goodman and his wife got married approximately at the age of 17-19 due to the young marriage thats is portrayed.
6. The newly wed left his wife that night to go into the forrest. From there he went on to meet an elder traveler.
7. The point I noticed something odd was happening where he was walking was when the maple stick instantly dried up?
8. Another unusual thing I noticed is how he threw the maple stick in the air and it never was seen again. When something is thrown in the air it always comes back down.
9. When he got his destination he heard a call out for help in the distance. It sounded like his wife.
10. When he sees his “wife object” he was upset and yelled out “my Faith is gone.”
11. The double meaning behind “my faith is gone” is that his wife’s name was faith and he lost faith in his religion as he feels the devil had to do with this.
12. The narrator of the story is the main character.
13. I personally don’t mind if the story is a dream. As long as I find out what happens in the end it truly doesn’t matter. I haven’t read a story where the plot turns into a dream however I feel like its a good twist to the plot.
14. I typically just enjoy my dreams since most of the time they are cool or funny. I tend to forget my dreams however there are times where some of them stand out and I remember them forever. I am usually relieved when I wake up from my dreams because most of the time you wake up in the middle of a dream. I get to imagine it as a cliffhanger in a good tv show or movie.
15. I feel like people shouldn’t be considered bad or good based on who they are. You should put in a great amount of thought into somebody.

[Prof. Masiello]

Jakia,

Maybe the baker will let her touch the bread becasue she is so ladylike, clean and well-behaved, so though her mother tells her not to be a slut, she does want her to be appealing.

[Prof. Masiello]

Jakia,

You are right: when we are “pressured” to do something good, like go to college, we would be better to call it “motivation.”

[Prof. Masiello]

What I meant by “wife object” was the pink ribbons. I didn’t want to give away an answer!

What character names in Beloved did you mean? I think classmates might like to know.

[Prof. Masiello]

Brianna,

Please see what I previously wrote about the baker. I see it a little differently since he would not want a “slut” near his food, but a charming girl is a different matter.

[Prof. Masiello]

The use of “blue” for connotation and denotation is a good example.

[Prof. Masiello]

Jaida,

I maintain that he semicolons are the girl’s way of saying her mother never stops talking!

[Prof. Masiello]

Makai,

Please see what I said about the baker to others. Remember, a short story can have a bit of a twist.

Also, the author used italics when the girl spoke. She was very creative in her use of punctuation.

[Valentina]

“Girl” answers:

1) The characters in this short story are a young girl, and another person who I believe might be her mother, or mentor.
2) I believe the narrator in the story might be the girl’s mother.
3) The girl’s age is not specified in the story, but I think the girl might be in her young teenage years.
4) The mother is doing most of the talking in this story.
5) I knew when the other person was talking because the author wrote it in italic.
6) I think the reason why Kincaid uses semicolons to excess is to try and come across to how she felt when her mother was telling her all these things. I noticed throughout the story that there were no periods, and instead it’s either commas or semicolons. I think Kincaid does this to show that the mother just keeps going on when talking. Kind of like trying to show that even though that sentence was enough, her mother still chooses to go on and on. It does not end and it may feel overwhelming to hear all this.
7) The story is about a mother trying to teach her daughter how to do household things like cook, clean, iron, etc. The mother also goes on about some tips, and how to become a proper lady.
8) I identify with this girl in some ways. I used to be very tomboy-ish when I was younger, I was always running around and playing like crazy and I didn’t care about getting hurt at all. Because it was only the boys that liked playing non stop, I was always running around with them. I remember one time after school, my grandmother was waiting for us to go home (I was playing an intense match of tag) and me and a couple of friends stumbled into some bushes while running. It was really funny and we were both laughing but then my grandma came over and told me to stop acting like a boy, and that I should be more ladylike. Or there were other times where I wasn’t sitting “properly” so my mom would tell me to sit like a proper lady or something like that.
9) I believe the irony behind the last part is that the mom went non-stop telling her how to act like a proper woman, but then because the girl asks “what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?” the mom is taken back and says something along the lines of “so you are really going to be the type of woman the baker won’t let near the bread after all I taught you?”

[Melina Tlatelpa]

Salvation

1.The author is this story is Langston Hughes.
2.The boy is 12 in his narrative.
3.No, I do not have any experiences.
4.On that particular day the children who are in church were brought up to the front rows of the church so they can be saved by Jesus and so they can be forgiven for their sins.
5.The boy says he sees Jesus because he is guilty that he waited so long to see Jesus. He was the last person left to see Jesus and he lied to prevent trouble.
6.I can’t really think of a time when I felt peer pressured
7.I would define peer pressure as being forced or influenced to do something that you don’t want to do. Peers can be your friends or people you know or people you see on a daily basis.
8.Peer pressure is not always bad it can be good.Someone could tell you to do something really good and you will end up doing it.
9.Connotation is a feeling or an idea that a word has. A denotation is the literal meaning of a word.
10. What was the boy’s actual mistake regarding what his aunt told him?
The boy’s actual mistake was that he believed that he was really going to see Jesus that day.
11.At his age I believe that one doesn’t understand religion and might not understand how it works or what to believe in. Anyone can have faith due to certain experiences as someone starts growing up.

[Valentina]

“Salvation” reading answers:

1) This story is from Langston Hughes.

2) He is 13 years old in this story.

3) Yes. I come from a very religious catholic family. Even though my mom is not very religious herself, my grandparents are, and I used to be very religious too. My grandmother would often volunteer at church, and she was also a teacher for the younger kids (teaching them prayers, etc). Anyway, there is this thing you have to do when you are from age 7 to 14, it’s kind of like a second baptism and you are accepting the body and blood of jesus. My grandmother started teaching me herself for the occasion since I was 13 and old enough to participate. But then the last couple of weeks before the ceremony I started really thinking about it, and debating if I should really go through with it since I am not really religious myself. I discussed it with them and how I felt, but in the end I decided to go through with it because my grandmother is a very big believer, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.

4) In this particular day at church, the young kids are being brought to Jesus to be saved.

5) Towards the end, the boy decided to say he saw Jesus because they had been waiting for a really long time now, and it was getting really late. He felt bad because he was the only boy left and his aunt was crying because he wouldn’t stand up to be saved.

6) Something I may have said or done due to peer pressure is skipped class. I was in spanish when suddenly they announced students in honors class to go to a room for a meeting, and when I went I saw one of my close friends and sat next to her. The meeting was only 10 mins long and then we were free to go back to class. But my friend persuaded me to stay with her instead since I had spanish class anyway and I’m fluent in spanish. I ended up staying.

7) I define peer pressure as having a friend or a group of friends persuade you to do something you didn’t really want to do in the first place. I consider my peers to be friends.

8) I don’t consider peer pressure to be bad all the time. There are times when a group of friends go to six flags or something similar together, and one friend could be scared of going on a ride. Then all of the other friends will start to pressure the friend that he has to get on, and they definitely can’t miss it.

9) Connotation is the feeling and mood associated with a word. Denotation is the primary meaning for a word.

10) The boy’s actual mistake regarding what he told him was that he thought he was literally going to see or hear Jesus. I think what the aunt meant is more of how strong your faith is, and you knowing that Jesus will be there to receive you? But the boy thought he had to actually see something in order to be accepted.

11) I believe that he is entitled to have an opinion regarding his young age. This may be what he believes now, but I know that as he grows to be older his opinion might change, and he will grow more as a person.

[Melina Tlatelpa]

1) I know that it is known for witches and witch trials.
2) They are more descriptive names and the name faith is not too common. It sounds very old fashioned.
3) Cinderella because she had to sweep up the cinders.
4.The object associated with the wife’s appearance is pink ribbons. It symbolizes her innocence.
5.I believe that they are around 18 or 19.
6) He left his wife so nervously because he had to go to the forest but I’m not sure why. It isn’t clear.
7) It was when the elderly man started laughing and saying he knew many people around here. Goodman was beginning to get a weird sense.Also when he saw Goody cloyse he greets her like the devil.
8) When the elder traveler picked a maple branch and as soon as he touched it it withered and dried up. He threw the stick at Goodman and then he vanished. Also the two riders on the horses and he could hear them but couldn’t see them or the horses.
9)He sees an altar with burning trees. There was a congregation. He saw people from his village and an altar with fire
10)When he saw the pink ribbons he was shocked and speechless. He was giving up.
11)The double meaning is that he doesn’t believe in god and his faith is gone.
12)The dialogue is moving the story along. I would say the narrator is the author.
13)I was kind of disappointed that it was a dream. I’ve watched movies where they end up being dreams but I don’t remember their titles.
14) I always have dreams and some can be scary and also leave me questioning things. At times I have dreams about relatives and it makes me want to contact them and check on how they are doing but also at times I forget what I dream about. At times I wake up and I stop dreaming and that is what I don’t like because I don’t know what happens after.
15) People are not as good as they seem but every person deserves a second chance but it depends on the situation because people change.

[Saba Chaudhry]

“Salvation” Questions

1 Whose story is this, i.e. who is the author?

This is Langston Hughes’s story, he is the author.

2 How old is he in his narrative?

He is a twelve year old boy, in his narrative.

3 Do you have any experience in a similar or different house of worship?

I don’t have this particular experience. But i feel everyone who is born into a religion always feels pressure in doing what’s right even if they don’t have that faith. I know for me i didn’t find faith or interest in my own religion up until a few years ago. I’ve felt the pressure to conform as Langston did, with my mother, she is spiritual but doesn’t realize people have different levels of faith.

4 What exactly is happening on this particular day in his church?

There was a “revival” taking place in his church. That is where all the “lambs of god” are guided towards Jesus, and they turn to him. This was particularly for children so their eyes are turned to god, and they can be saved from sin. They are taught if they come running to Jesus, he will accept them and be there for them.

5 Why does the boy say he sees Jesus?

The boy says he sees Jesus, because he was the only one left. It had been hours, it was hot and loud and everyone was counting on him to make the correct decision. The boy felt this pressure, and decided to lie, even though that clearly went against what he was comfortable with.

6 Explain something that you may have said or done because you felt pressured by someone else.

I decided to skip class one day because all my friends were doing it to go to the beach in my sophomore year of high school. I didn’t want to, I felt we would get into trouble; which we did. I did it because I felt if I didn’t everyone would look at me differently and I didn’t want that.

7 How would you define peer pressure? Who are your peers?

I would define peer pressure as someone or a group of people persuading you to do something even if you weren’t thinking of doing it or were on the fence about it. I would consider the people you surround yourself with to be your peers.

8 Is peer pressure wrong all the time or could you be pressured to do something very good?

I believe that any sort of pressure is wrong. People should respect other people’s opinions and their wants. Peer pressuring is a form of force, and it is unfair to the person being pressured.
“Peer pressure” is a phrase that has a negative connotation.

9 Please explain the difference between connotation and denotation.

The Difference between connotation and denotation is that, connotation is the broad and associative meaning of a word. For example, it’s the feelings that are tied to the word that define connotation. Denotation is the literal meaning of the word.

Our five senses are touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste. I feel taste would be the easiest to appeal to in words. Taste can be used in so many different ways. And the advertisement business is the most in food.

I know something is bad or good regarding smell, because of the description the characters use for it, or it is shown on their facial expressions, which in writing would be described.

There was a moment where Langston describes the prayers as wails and moans, and that made me picture the church and the amount of people in it. I also felt this way when he mention it was hot and crowded in the church.

10 What was the boy’s actual mistake regarding what his aunt told him?

His mistake was believing that he would actually see Jesus. He took his aunt’s words literally, and created a false expectation. Because of that he felt even more loss, when Jesus didn’t come.

11 In the end, he implies that he does not believe in God. Do you think a person as young as he is can actually make such a decision in having faith?

I think people underestimate what a child can decide for themselves. in Langston’s case this was the very first thing that made him not believe in god. For him in the moment, he was hurt enough to make the decision he didn’t believe in God, because he felt betrayal from his religion.