The Golden Goblet

Cana Academy® Guide

LEADING A DISCUSSION ON THE GOLDEN GOBLET

Mary Frances Loughran & Julia DeCelles-Zwerneman

PUBLISHED BY

CANA ACADEMY® www.canaacademy.org

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INTRODUCTION

The Golden Goblet was written in 1961 by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. The book follows the story of twelve-year-old Ranofer and takes place in the ancient city of Thebes, which served as the capital of Egypt at the time the story takes place. Queen Tiy, wife of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten, is the current queen of Thebes. She lived roughly between 1390 and 1353 BC, setting the story sometime during the 14th century BC.

This guide includes the following:

• A brief introduction to some geographic and historical background

• A glossary of important terms

• Discussion questions for each chapter

• A list of broader questions suitable for closing discussions and writing assignments

THE WORLD OF RANOFER, SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Golden Goblet takes place during the reign of Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt as pharaoh from 1390 to 1353 BC. His wife was Queen Tiye, and his successor was the famous pharaoh, Akhenaten.

Central to the plot is ancient Egyptian religion. Although difficult to summarize briefly, this religion was marked by a fascination with the role of the dead, ancestors, and the afterlife. Burial was an important and revered practice in ancient Egyptian culture. After loved ones died, they were buried with whatever belongings would be necessary to protect and sustain them in the afterlife, including food, furniture, and clothing. Members of the royalty were often buried with jewelry and other expensive goods. The presence of this buried treasure tempted tomb robbers to loot the royal tombs, selling the burial goods for a fortune. Tomb robbery was considered highly sacrilegious and a serious crime, often punishable by death.

The pharaoh was viewed as an important link between humanity and the gods, and he was revered both during life and after death. Some pharaohs, including Amenhotep III, even went so far as to be deified during their own lifetimes. Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic, but the most important deity was Ra, the god of the sun. His importance was due in part to the significance of solar cycles to farming in the fertile land of the Nile region.

Traditionally, ancient Egyptian religion held that there were three important elements of a person’s spiritual essence. Here is the Encyclopedia Britannica's brief description:

The most significant of these were the ka, which was the vital essence of a person that was transmitted from one generation to the next, the ba, which granted freedom of movement and the ability to take on different forms, principally in the next world, and the akh, the transfigured spirit of a person in the next world.1

Although it is not essential for the teacher to cover all facets of ancient Egyptian religion, students will need to have some basic familiarity with some of these ideas.

IMPORTANT GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS

City of the Dead: located on the western side of Thebes; most artisan shops and craftsmen operated here

Thebes: the capital of ancient Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdoms, located along the Nile and about 500 miles south of the Mediterranean

Street of Good Fortune: the street on which Zau lives and works

Street of the Crooked Dogs: the street on which Gebu and Ranofer live

Street of the Masons: the street on which Wenamon lives Valley of the Kings: the valley near Thebes where many pharaohs and other members of ancient Egyptian royalty were buried

1 https://www.britannica.com/topic/ancient-Egyptian-religion/The-Gods

GLOSSARY

To augment student understanding, we have included the following glossary of important terms. The number in parentheses indicates the page on which the word is first used.

Adder (12) Common venomous snake

Amulet (8) A charm often inscribed with a magical incantation or symbol; used for protection against evil

Ankh (41) A cross with a loop for its upper vertical arm; emblem of life

Anneal (22) Adder To heat and then cool; used in the process of softening and making metals less brittle

Anubis (49) Jackal-headed god of death in Egyptian mythology

“By Amon” (13) Analogous to “by God”; Amon was a major Egyptian deity

Crucible (7) A vessel for melting substances at high temperatures; in this context, used to melt gold

Deben (22) Ancient Egyptian unit of weight

Goldhouse (8) A workshop where gold objects are made

Ingot (7) A mass of metal cast into a convenient shape for storage or transportation

Ka (20) One third of the soul, as conceptualized by the Crucible ancient Egyptians

Kheft (18) Ghost of the deceased

“Land of the West” (28) Reference to the afterlife

Maat (18) Egyptian goddess of truth, justice and harmony

Month of Hathor, season of growing (8) The third month of the ancient Egyptian calendar; corresponds to November 10 through December 9

Osiris (39) Egyptian lord of the afterlife

Ouzait (41) An amulet shaped like the Eye of Horus; symbol of wealth and good fortune; used as protection for the wearer

Papyrus (29) A tall perennial plant of the Nile valley; commonly made into strips and pressed into a material to write upon

Ra (31) Egyptian sun god

Shenti (30) Piece of linen fabric commonly worn around the waist

Thoth (18) Egyptian god of writing, magic, wisdom and the moon

Waif (36) A stray person, often homeless and malnourished

CAST OF CHARACTERS

The names of many of the characters are unusual and, as a result, may be difficult for students to remember. We have therefore included a short list of the main characters below. Teachers may direct students to keep track of these with page references in an index of their own making. They are listed here in alphabetical order.

Gebu: Ranofer’s abusive half brother

Heqet: one of Rekh’s apprentices; close friend of Ranofer

Ibni: Rekh’s Babylonian porter

Pai: foreman at Gebu’s stone-cutting shop Amulet depicting Ra Queen Tiy: Queen of Thebes Ranofer: the main character, 12 years old

Rekh: the goldmaster at the shop where Ranofer works as a porter

Sata: the First Craftsman at Rekh’s goldhouse

Setma: a Nile-boat captain; acquaintance of Gebu

Thutra: Ranofer’s deceased father

Wenamon: a cloaked stonemason; associate of Gebu and Setma

Zaohetep: craftsman at Gebu’s stone-cutting shop

Zau: a famous goldsmith and friend of Ranofer’s deceased father; held in high esteem at the Pharaoh’s Palace

We recommend reading assignments of approximately one chapter per assignment, about twenty to thirty pages.

These discussion questions are intended for the teacher’s use only. They should not be given to the students, nor should they be used as the basis for comprehension quizzes or tests. Rather, the questions are intended to help the teacher lead lively, penetrating discussions.

The list of broader questions at the close of the guide should be consulted occasionally, as the relevance of those questions may arise in the discussions earlier than anticipated.

Chapter 1

1. What does Ranofer enjoy doing? Why is he unable to do it?

2. What does the “sharp glint” in Ibni’s eyes indicate (11)?

3. What is Gebu doing with the wine with which Ibni sends Ranofer home?

4. What is happening with the gold from the goldhouse?

5. What do the stripes on Ranofer’s back indicate? What is happening to him? Why doesn’t he tell Rekh what he endures at home?

6. What does it mean to be apprenticed? Why is it so important to Ranofer that he be apprenticed instead of being a porter?

7. Describe Ranofer’s old life. How does it compare to his current situation?

8. Describe how Ranofer refers to the sun. Why does he refer to it this way?

Chapter 2

1. Where does Ranofer live? What is this place called? Why does it have this name? Why do the craftsmen make items for tombs? Explain.

2. Describe Gebu. Explain his relationship with Ranofer. How does he diminish Ranofer?

3. What are Ranofer’s suspicions? How does Gebu respond to Ranofer’s suspicions? Is that how Ranofer expected him to respond? Explain.

4. Is Ranofer still right about Gebu? Are Gebu and Ibni stealing the gold? Explain.

5. What does Ranofer hate about Gebu, even more than the physical abuse he endures at his hands?

6. What does Ranofer eat for dinner? What does Gebu eat for dinner? What do you think of this?

Chapter 3

1. Describe what Ranofer is doing in the sand at the beginning of Chapter 2. What does he see everywhere in everyday objects?

2. What task does Rekh give Ranofer? Why does this make him so happy?

3. What does Ranofer do to Ibni? Why does he become so uneasy on his way home from the goldhouse?

4. What does Gebu do to Ranofer when he gets home? What threat does he make at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 4

1. What does Ranofer think his father’s ba did in the night?

2. Why does Ranofer take food to his father’s tomb?

3. What is Ranofer and Heqet’s plan? Why do they have to delay it for a few days?

Chapter 5

1. What does Ranofer witness at the beginning of this chapter? What have the men who are being executed done? Why is their crime considered worthy of execution?

2. Why is Gebu suddenly disinterested in the wineskins? What does he mean when he says that “there are far bigger birds in the air than Rekh the goldsmith” (84)?

3. What devastating news does Gebu deliver to Ranofer about his work at the goldhouse?

Chapter 6

1. How does Ranofer feel about stone-cutting? Why does he feel this way? How is this work different from the work he used to do at the goldhouse?

2. What is disconcerting to Ranofer about Zahotep? Why? What is Ranofer thinking about when he looks at the injured thumb?

3. Describe the stone-cutting shop. What does it look like? Feel like? Sound like? How does it compare to the goldhouse?

4. What does Ranofer discover about Gebu at the end of the chapter? Explain what is happening.

Chapter 7

1. How does Heqet’s expression change when he realizes that the scary-looking man he has seen with Wenamon is Ranofer’s half-brother and master? Why? Why does Ranofer flush when Heqet realizes this?

2. What offer does Heqet make to Ranofer? What is he worried about? Why? Why does Heqet say he hates cheese but loves lotus root?

3. Who joins the boys in the thicket?

Chapter 8

1. Of what does the Ancient remind Ranofer when he complains about how much he hates stone-cutting?

2. What does Heqet invite Ranofer to do with him after work?

3. What does Zau invite Ranofer to do? Why doesn’t he do more to help him? Is his offer surprising? What must Ranofer do to be able to work for Zau?

Chapter 9

1. What do we learn about the possessions Gebu has been accumulating recently? Does his change in fortune indicate anything? What does Ranofer think this may mean?

2. What is Heqet’s plan to discover Gebu’s nefarious secret? What does the Ancient think of this plan?

3. Where does Ranofer discover Gebu going after work?

Chapter 10

1. Where do Gebu and Wenamon go the night Ranofer is almost discovered by them?

2. What does Ranofer realize about Gebu’s activities when he overhears Gebu leaving again during the night?

3. Why is Ranofer frightened to travel outside at night? What are the words that he says to himself? Why does he say them? How does he believe they will protect him?

4. What happens to him in the alley? What did Ranofer think attacked him? What actually attacked him?

5. What does Ranofer discover on the tomb plans in the stone-cutting shop? How does Gebu respond to Ranofer’s discovery? Why does he respond this way?

6. What does Ranofer discover in Gebu’s room? To whom does the goblet belong? Why is this so significant?

7. What has Gebu done to his bedroom door in order to prevent intruders?

Chapter 11

1. What is Ranofer’s new plan to expose Gebu? What does he discover when he goes home at midday?

2. What does the Ancient think is going on between Gebu and Setma?

3. What happens to the goblet?

Chapter 12

1. Why does Ranofer avoid telling Heqet and the Ancient about the goblet? What does he fear will happen if he reveals to anyone what he knows?

2. Heqet overhears Gebu and Wenamon. What does he overhear? To what does Ranofer think this refers?

3. Why are Gebu and Wenamon waiting until the Festival to travel to the Valley of the Tombs?

Chapter 13

1. What does Ranofer realize about the hidden entrance into the tomb?

2. Describe how Gebu’s system of secret tunnels works.

3. What do Heqet and the Ancient surmise about Ranofer’s behavior, and what do they subsequently do?

Chapter 14

1. Why is it considered so dangerous to enter a tomb?

2. What do they see as they enter the tomb? Why is there a statue of a servant girl inside? Why do Gebu and Wenamon destroy the eyes of the statue?

3. What is Ranofer’s response to the inside of the tomb? What was he expecting? How do his expectations contrast with the reality of what he finds? What feeling overwhelms him as he looks at the tombs of the couple?

5. What does Ranofer do to trap Gebu and Wenoman inside the tomb?

Chapter 15

1. What is Ranofer sure Gebu will do to him if he finds him? What does he do despite this fear?

2. What do Heqet and the Ancient do to help Ranofer?

Chapter 16

1. Describe the inside of the palace. Contrast this to the City of the Dead and to the interior of all the other locations we have seen in the book.

2. What does Ranofer ask for? What kind of a request is this? Why doesn’t he ask for more? Given what we know of Ranofer, is his request surprising? Explain your answer.

BROADER QUESTIONS SUITABLE FOR LARGER DISCUSSIONS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

The following questions are aimed at a more comprehensive examination of the text; they can only be properly and thoroughly addressed after a careful reading of the entire story. They would be appropriate for a larger discussion at the close of the book, and some could also be used as writing assignments.

1. At several points in the story, Ranofer’s reactions to the actions of others seem to be driven by intense pride. Do you think that his pride hurts or helps him? Point to specific examples in making your argument. Do not moralize.

2. Ranofer is abused repeatedly by Gebu. Aside from the physical damage Gebu wreaks on Ranofer, how else is Ranofer affected by Gebu’s cruelty? How does it affect the way he sees himself? How does it affect the way he interacts with others?

3. Why does Gebu treat Ranofer so badly? Why does he seem to hate him so much? If he hates him, why does he take Ranofer in when Thutra dies?

4. When Ranofer comes to him for help, Zau tells Ranofer how to become his apprentice. At the end of the book, Ranofer vows to return to Zau and tell him, “I have done as you told me, I have reshaped my life into another form” (248). What does he mean by this? How has Ranofer reshaped his life into another form? How was he living his life at the beginning of the story, and how does this contrast to how he is living now? Use specific examples.

10 ©2019 Cana Academy® 5. The Ancient is a major character in this novel, despite the fact that we never even learn his real name. What important lesson does he teach Ranofer? Does Ranofer heed the advice of the Ancient?

6. Ranofer has only heard about the royalty of Thebes and glimpsed the palace from a distance for most of his life until he is directly exposed to the luxury and life of the queen and her consorts at the end of the story. How does this section of the book contrast with the rest of the story? How is Ranofer treated during his visit? Was this expected? Why or why not?

7. Contrast the trades of stone-cutting and goldsmithery, using specific examples from the book.

IMAGES USED IN THIS GUIDE

Adder, photographed by Flickr and English Wikimedia Commons user Airwolfhound, uploaded on April 9, 2017. Used under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed. en.

Painting of Maat, uploaded to English Wikimedia Commons by user Lunazagor on May 2, 2014. Used under PD-Old.

Osiris, photographed and uploaded to English Wikimedia Commons by user Ignati on July 16, 2011. Used under PD-Art.

Amun-Re, amulet, between 1070 and 730 BC, silver with gold plating 7.8cm x .1cm x 3.2cm, Walters Art Museum. Used under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en.