for FINAL EXAM
1. hue = color, shade, or tint
2. subside = to lessen, sink, or descend
3. ephemeral = lasting a short time; fleeting, evanescent
4. culpable = guilty
5. gallant= brave, chivalrous
6. aloofness = the state of being distant or uninterested
7. ornery = cranky, angry, unpleasant
8. cunning = skilled or scheming in a sly manner
9. apprehensive = fearful, nervous, uneasy
10. defiance = resistance to authority
11. ceaseless= unrelenting, never ending
12. plaintively = sorrowfully, with melancholy
13. strenuous= vigorous, active
14. avarice = greed
15. unsubstantial = lacking substance, strength, value
16. obscured = hidden, shrouded, covered
17. receding = retreating, withdrawing.
Literary Devices/ Terms
18. allusion = reference to a piece of literature, art or music
19. paradox = a statement that is seemingly contradictory, yet is also perhaps true. Or a statement that seems true but is ultimately false or an impossibility
20. couplet = two successive lines of a poem ending in rhyme
21. context = the environment, setting or conditions in which something exists
22. parable= a simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson
23. irony= the use of words usually meaning the opposite or of the literal meaning or the opposite of what was expected.
24. dramatic irony= a plot device in literature or theatre in which the audience’s or reader’s knowledge of the events surpasses that of the characters.
25. juxtaposition= the act of placing two or more things side by side, especially to show irony or contrast
GRAMMAR:
Be prepared to identify the parts of speech below in a sentence. In a separate section, you will need to identify subject, verb, direct object and indirect object.
1. noun: person, place, thing, idea: Timing is everything in comedy.
2. pronoun: replaces a noun (subject ); I, he, she, it, we, they; replaces a noun (object) me, him, her, it, us, them; replaces a noun (possessive) my, his, her, its, our, their
3. verb: shows an action (The leaves fluttered off the tree) or a state of being (The yellow leaves are glorious.)
4. adjective= modifies the noun: I like Italian pasta . I am happy now.
5. adverb= modifies verb, adjective or adverb. – commonly has the –ly suffix other soon, very, always, too, fast, really
6. preposition= shows position in time/space: about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but, by, despite, down, during, with, in to
7. interjection = inserted words to show emotion – these are fun. What?! NO! Rad! Cheers! Amazing! etc.
8. conjunction=used to connect words or a group of words: , while either, although, because PLUS FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
In-Class Essay Topics:
Choose one of the following essay questions to answer in an in-class essay. You may bring to class a handwritten outline including the foundations of your body paragraphs (context, quote, what the quote is saying, analysis of quote), but not a pre-written essay.
1. How does Steinbeck use literary devices to create suspense, complexity, and to communicate his message to the reader?
• Choose three devices, three specific examples from the text, and discuss the effects of each.
• OR you may choose one literary device, such as irony, symbolism, foreshadowing, the motif of music, etc. and look at three different examples of this one device throughout the text.
2. Compare and contrast two different characters in the novella. Explore motivations, actions, and personal growth or lack thereof. Use three examples from the text. Ultimately conclude whether these characters are more similar than different or more different than similar.
3. Explore the central conflicts in the novella. Cite three examples of different kinds of conflicts: character vs. character; character vs. nature; character vs. society, character vs. machine (knife/rifle); character vs. himself. Then conclude with what you think the ultimate antagonist is in the book and whether you think the conflict is resolved.
4. Discuss the elements of nature/fate versus human agency in the novel. Which do you think is the driving force in the novella? Use three examples of ways in which Kino’s circumstances change either due to his own actions or due to elements of nature/fate, which were out of Kino’s hands.
5. Although the pearl is associated with evil music, thoughts, and actions throughout the novella, is the pearl itself evil? Use three examples from the text and conclude where the real evil lies in this novel.
6. Examine the motif of darkness and light, day and night in the novel. How are these images used in connection with good and evil? (Look both at the time of day that good and bad things happen, as well as Steinbeck’s use of the word “dark” with the “dark men” and “darkness” used to describe Kino’s thoughts and fears.
7. As you discovered in the beginning of this unit, a pearl is created accidentally or haphazardly as a reaction to a harmful piece of sand, shell, or impurity. Therefore, a pearl is technically a beautiful gem that is the outcome of an unwanted or unintended occurrence. Think about how something bad in a person’s life could ultimately be a gift due to the lesson a person or a society learns along the way. In Steinbeck’s novel, how could the pearl be viewed as a blessing? What moral lesson did it teach the family and community?
