Guided Group Discussion Questions and Study Guide
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown”
This assignment is due on 4/21/2017; you have all class period on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to work on this.
**** We will be discussing this story on Friday 4/21/2017 if you miss this day, you will need to speak with a friend who was in class; this discussion will help prepare you for the quiz which will take place on 4/24/17.
Directions: Answer the following questions about “The Treasure of Lemon Brown.” Record your answers in your composition books. Please be detailed in your answers, but do not write an essay; as sentence or two is just fine, but you must include the detail needed to thoroughly answer the questions. You can use bulleted lists when appropriate.
Literary Analysis Question
1. What is the mood or atmosphere of “Treasure of Lemon Brown” throughout most of the story?
What was the tone that led you to your answer? Cite an example from the text and provide the page number.
“The dark sky, filled with angry, swirling clouds, reflected Greg Ridley’s mood as he sat on the stoop of his building.” eerie/suspenseful
2. What is the mood or atmosphere of “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” at the end of the story?
(a.) What was the tone that led you to your answer? Cite an example from the text and provide the page number.
“Greg exhaled in relief as Lemon Brown made his way slowly back up the stairs” demonstrates a change in mood and tone to relief
3. We have learned that setting can be an integral part of the story. Is the setting important in this story? Why or why not? The setting is an integral part of the story
4. From what point of view is the story told? Third person omniscient
(a.) What element of plot does the point of view affect the most for the reader? conflict
(b.) How would the story be affected if the story were told from the dad’s point of view?
The reader would be able to better understand the reason behind the dad’s reaction to Greg’s grade.
The reader would be unable see the dad’s struggle with his decision to prevent Greg from playing basketball.
The reader would know that the dad had Greg’s best interest at heart
5. Compare the two father/son relationships in this story:
Lemon Brown’s relationship with his son helps Greg appreciate his father’s perspective.
Lemon Brown understood that his son was proud of his accomplishments and Greg needed to learn that what his dad had done were accomplishments.
6. What do the following items symbolize?
(a) Lemon Brown’s Harmonica Lemon’s feelings toward his son and past life
1. Name a theme supported by this symbol. Explain Everyone has a treasure; it depends on the value we place on things.
(b) Greg’s dad’s Post Office Story
1. Name a theme supported by this symbol. Explain
7. Who is the protagonist? Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Why? Greg Ridley is a dynamic character.
8. Who or what is the antagonist? Greg’s poor grades
9. Identify one theme embedded in the story. Explain your reasoning (theme must be different from the ones identified in question number 6).
Parents want us to be successful.
Parent/child relationships are important
10. Why is the title of the story significant? It foreshadows the theme of the story
11. Find an example of hyperbole in the story. “He reached the house just as another flash of lightening changed the night to day for an instant . . . ”
“’Yessir. Sweet Lemon Brown. They used to say I sung the blues so sweet that if I sang at a funeral, the dead would commence to rocking with the beat . . .’”
12. Find an example of foreshadowing in the story, and it explain its purpose to the plot. “’What do you mean, if I have one.’ Lemon Brown said. ‘Every man got a treasure. You don’t know that, you must be a fool!” To provide the reader with an incite as to what Lemon Brown considers a “treasure”
13. Lemon keeps speaking of his treasure many times throughout the story. Why is this significant? Treasure is a theme and symbol
14. Pick one adjective to describe Greg and one to describe Lemon. Cite on example of indirect characterization that best supports the character trait for each character.
(a.) Example: Scrooge is a vile person. This adjective used to describe Scrooge is supported when the character says, “If they would rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surpluses population. “
15. Use your plot mountain handout to plot the events in the story. Make sure you really think about the central conflict and match it with the correct resolution.