Literary Road Map: “There was an old woman she had so many children she didn’t know what to do”

Essential Questions • What does it mean to be a good parent? • Are people responsible for each other in a community? • What does it mean to respect yourself? Literary Terms • simile: comparing two very different things using “like” or “as” (ex. Her eyes are like a starry night. His eyes are as sharp as a snake’s.) • ambiguous: unclear

Getting Things Straight—complete sentences are not necessary. 1. Who is Rosa Vargas, and why is she always tired?

2. Why does she cry?

3. Who is Mr. Benny?

4. Is he being nice? Or, is he being mean?

5. Who is Efren and what happened to him?

6. Who is Refugia and what happened to her?

7. Who is Angel and what do you think happened to him? (you might think this is ambiguous)

Going Further—complete sentences are not necessary. 1. Find the three similes in the story. State the two objects being compared in each instance. Why do you think Cisneros chooses to use these similes? 2. What does this mean: “they are without respect for all living things, including themselves”? 3. Why didn’t anybody look up when Angel fell? 4. “But after a while you get tired of worrying about kids who aren’t even yours.” How do you feel about this quote? Do you agree with the narrator?

Delving In Questions/Paragraph—please answer in a paragraph. 1. Is Mr. Benny being nice, or is he being mean? (Prove your point with evidence from the story!) 2. Who should we blame (if anyone) for what happened to Angel Vargas? (Prove your point with evidence from the story!) Member Name  Organization  About Curriki  Team  Blog