English 9 Midterm Study Guide
Pd. 4 – Tuesday, Jan. 9
Pd. 5- Thursday, Jan. 4
Pd. 6 – Friday, Jan. 5
Pd. 7 – Monday, Jan. 8
Short Story Unit: Match the following words to the correct definitions.
- ____ Literary Devices
- ____ Protagonist
- ____ Antagonist
- ____ Conflict
- ____ Theme
- ____ Setting
- ____ Imagery
- ____ Foreshadowing
- ____ Irony
- ____ Characterization
- ____ Mood
- ____ Symbolism
- ____ Point of View
- ____ First-Person Point of View
- ____Third-Person Limited Point of View
- ____ Third-Person Omniscient Point of View
- ____ Third-Person Objective Point of View
- ____ Tone
- ____ Simile
- ____ Metaphor
- ____ Personification
- ____ Hyperbole
The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
A man named Rainsford falls off a boat and ends up on a strange island. General ______lives on the island, and he has a game. His game is that he likes to hunt ______. Rainsford soon learns that he is to be hunted. After killing one of Zaroff’s best ______, killing ______, and injuring ______, Rainsford sneaks back to Zaroff’s castle. The two men have a duel, and ______is the winner. We know this because in the last line, Rainsford says he has never ______.
- How is irony shown in this story?
- Rainsford says while on the boat “The world is made up of two classes – the hunters and the huntees.” This is an example of what literary device? ______
- Which best describes the theme?
a. It’s better to be strong and powerful than weak.
b. It’s important to take advantage of others before they take advantage of you.
c. It’s important to learn survival skills.
d. Never underestimate the strength of others.
The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe
Prince ______wanted to avoid the ______, so he took some of his closest friends and escaped to his most remote palace. In this castle, there were ______rooms. The seventh was black with ______curtains. The palace also had a clock. Every time the clock struck, everyone ______. Suddenly a masked figure appeared at the party. Prince Prospero chased the figure through the seven rooms, then in the seventh room, the figure ______Prince Prospero. Shortly after, all the guests of the palace died from the Red Death.
- What does the seventh room symbolize?
- What does the clock symbolize?
- The death of Prince Prospero from the Red Death is which literary device? ______
- The masked figure is which literary device? ______
- Describe the mood of the story.
- Which best describes the theme?
a. Death and sickness can ruin even the happiest of times.
b. It’s best to help the world in its time of need, not to hide from it.
c. Wealth only results in greed and selfishness.
d. Regardless of wealth and power, death finds everyone.
Every Day Use by Alice Walker
The story begins with ______and ______waiting for ______to return home. ______can be described as shy and backward, while ______can be described as confident and stylish. When Dee comes home, she brings her boyfriend, who Mama calls ______. Dee and Maggie eventually have a conflict over a ______that their grandmother had made. Dee wants it so she can ______while Maggie wants it to ______. In the end, Mama sides with ______.
- What is the tone of this text?
- Which best describes the theme?
a. Honor your heritage by living with it, not preserving it.
b. Showing favoritism toward one child will always end badly.
c. Elements of tradition should be cherished.
d. It’s admirable to stand up to older siblings.
Stone Boy by Gina Berriault
The major event in this story happens in the beginning when ______accidentally shoots ______while going to pick peas. Arnold still ______before returning home, which surprises his family. He said he picked the peas because ______. Throughout the rest of the story, his family and friends can’t believe that he is showing no ______, which contributes to the title. At the end, Arnold sneaks to his ______’s room, and wants her to comfort him. She turns him away by saying “Is night when you get ______?” By turning him away, she is in fact turning him into ______.
- How is irony shown in this text?
- What is the Point of View of this text? Why is that Point of View important?
- Which best describes the theme of the text?
a. Everyone handles tragedy in their own way.
b. Everyone deserves a second chance.
c. Life on a farm can be both difficult and rewarding.
d. It’s best to use caution when handling guns.
The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst
The narrator’s brother was born in a caul and crawled backwards, so they nicknamed him ______. The narrator felt ______of his brother and became determine to teach him to ______. When he learned that, he wanted to teach him to swim and run and do things other boys could do. One night at dinner, the family sees a ______struggling and weak. The Scarlet Ibis dies and Doodle ______. Shortly after, Brother pushes Doodle too hard, and after running in the rain, Doodle ______.
- What character trait of Brother’s leads to Doodle’s death? ______
- How is the Scarlet Ibis symbolic of Doodle?
- Which best describes the theme?
a. Family loyalty is more important than anything else.
b. Siblings can be a blessing or a curse.
c. Pride can result in both success and tragedy.
d. It is wrong to be ashamed of those with a disability.
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut creates a ______society where everyone is equal, but at a great cost. The Handicapper General assigns handicaps based on how ______and ______people are. George has quite a few handicaps. Hazel has none because ______. The readers learn their son ______had been arrested, and he soon appears on the TV screen. On TV, he removes his handicaps, calls himself the ______, dances with a ______, and then is shot. Hazel and George aren’t even upset because George ______and Hazel ______.
- What are some qualities of a Dystopian society?
- What does Harrison symbolize? ______
- Which best describes the theme?
a. Superior people should be celebrated not limited.
b. Absolute equality is an ideal that is dangerous in reality.
c. Sometimes life isn’t fair, and it’s best to accept it.
d. Rebelling against authority always ends in tragedy.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
For each of the following characters, know who they are and how they contribute to the story.
- Trackers:
- Juana:
- Pearl Buyers:
- Priest:
- Apolonia:
- Coyotito:
- Doctor:
- Kino:
- Juan Tomas:
Literary Devices
- What does the canoe symbolize?
- What does the pearl symbolize? How does the symbolism change?
- What does the scorpion symbolize?
- What are motifs? What are the motifs in the novel?
- Identify a theme related to greed.
- Identify a theme related to cultural oppression.
- Identify a theme related to fate.
Significant Quotes – Explain the significance. Who is speaking/ being referenced? What does it reveal about characters? Is it a literary device?
- “This is safety. This is warmth. This is the Whole.”
- “And my son will make numbers and these things will make us free because he will know-he will know and through him we will know.”
- “Kino refinished his canoe with the hard shell-like plaster by the secret method that had also come to him from his father.”
- “and Juana stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before the butcher.”
- “old yellow plastered buildings hugging the beach.”
- “The poison sacs of the town began to manufacture venom.”