Read the following review of The House on the Lagoon carefully then fill in the first paragraph with the appropriate personal pronoun or possessive adjective: she, her, he or his.
In The House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferré (1995) , a wealthy Puerto Rican woman decides to fulfill ______lifelong dream of becoming a novelist, much to ______husband Quintin's chagrin. Isabel Monfort writes what ______knows--the history of ______family and Quintin's family, dating back to the turn of the 20th century. When Quentin discovers the work in progress, ______is dismayed at ______factual errors and unhappy that she reveals so many family secrets. Every couple of chapters, Quintin interrupts Isabel's narrative to tell ______version of events and worry aloud about ______marriage. At first, he tries not to let ______wife know ______’s reading the novel, but soon ______cannot resist writing comments in the margins. This "he said/she said" format allows Rosario Ferré to explore sexual divisions in Puerto Rican society and evaluate the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction.
Ferré also examines Puerto Rico's severe economic and racial divisions in evocative ways. She describes when Quintin's sisters were children, and they grew weary of playing with one of the servant's babies--the two girls decided it might be more fun if the baby were white, so they painted her. The lead paint made the infant deathly ill, and she had to be rushed to the hospital. "Another half an hour of being white, and Carmelina would have died." Isabel remarks.
At times this book is confusing because there are so many characters to keep track of, but the family tree at the beginning of the text makes it a bit easier to follow. Isabel is an engaging narrator who has plenty of racy and tragic stories to tell. The House on the Lagoon is a fascinating introduction to Puerto Rican history and culture. --Jill Marquis
Match the words in bold letter with its corresponding definition.
……………………….- tr.v. 1. To destroy the courage or resolution of by exciting dread or apprehension. 2. To cause to lose enthusiasm; disillusion. 3. To upset or alarm.
-n. A sudden or complete loss of courage in the face of trouble or danger. –
……………………….- adv. 1. With use of the voice; orally
……………………….- --tr. 1. To make indistinct and hazy in outline or appearance; obscure. 2. To smear or stain; smudge. 3. To lessen the perception of; dim. --intr. 1. To become indistinct. 2. To make smudges or stains by smearing.
……………………….-adj. 1. Physically or mentally fatigued. 2. Expressive of or prompted by fatigue. 3. Having one's interest, forbearance, or indulgence worn out. 4. Causing fatigue; tiresome.
……………………….-n. 1. Something that indicates a border or limit. 2. The border or limit so indicated.
……………………….-n. a. A period of 100 years.