Study Guide for 9th grade Spring Semester Final Exam

Terms to know: be able to identify within a passage and define.

Allusion: reference to person, place, or thing, made for a specific reason.

Epic Simile: elaborate comparison between two unlike things, using the words like, as, or than, which is longer than two lines (usually found in an Epic)

Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sounds

Epithet: repeated phrases in an epic, used to fulfill metrical units in a line

Connotation: feelings or emotions associated with a word

Metaphor: comparison between two unlike things, not using words like, as, or than

Denotation: dictionary definition of a word extended metaphor: metaphor extended for a period of time; sustains the comparison for several lines or the entire poem

Personification: giving human characteristics or qualities to a non- living thing, or idea rhyme scheme: regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem

Symbol: anything that stands for or represents something else

Rhythm: pattern of stresses (unstressed/stressed syllables) in spoken or written language formal rhetoric: long speech found in an epic epic hero: a hero who displays larger than life characteristics, along with human qualities, who has to overcome challenges set before him simile: a comparison between two unlike things, using the words like, than, or as lyric poetry: a highly musical verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker

Prose: an ordinary form of writing (non-fiction/ fiction) To Kill a Mockingbird

I. Matching characters: 1. Atticus Finch (D) A. presiding judge at the trial 2. Scout (F) B. Atticus' sister 3. Jem © C. Scout's brother 4. Calpurnia (L) D. lawyer who defends a Negro 5. Aunt Alexandra ( B) E. old lady who yells at the children 6. Dill (G) F. narrator 7. Judge Taylor (A) G. summertime neighbor of the Finch children 8. Miss Maudie (K) H. mysterious neighbor 9. Mrs. Dubose (E) I. the sheriff 10. Arthur (Boo) Radley (H) J. attacks the children 11. Tom Robinson (N) K. open-minded neighbor friendly to the children 12. Heck Tate (I) L. the cook 13. Bob Ewell (J) M. she was allegedly raped 14. Mayella Ewell (M) N. the defendant on trial for rape 15. Walter Cunningham, Sr. (O) O. farmer who won't take charity 16. Rev. Sykes (S) P. gossipy neighbor 17. Stephanie Crawford (P) Q. the prosecuting attorney 18. Caroline Fisher (T) R. pretends to be a drunk 19. Mr. Gilmer (Q) S. Cal's preacher 20. Dolphus Raymond ® T. first grade teacher

Who were the two symbols of the “mockingbirds”? (1) Boo—was an outcast/ did not do anything by bring songs to society/ (2) Tom Robinson—was killed because of a lie and he did not mean anyone any harm remember what Atticus said about mockingbirds—it is a sin to kill a mockingbird ( a very important statement because Atticus has never said anything was a sin before) Maudie also says they never mean anyone any harm, they just provide us with songs

Who kills Mr. Ewell? Why? is killed/stabbed by Boo Radley in the end/ he was protecting the children. Why is this called a “coming of age” novel? Jem and Scout grow up and learn about life and its sometimes unpleasantness.

Symbols: the mad dog: could symbolize: (1) The town: for all appearances the town is fine looking on the outside/ but underneath there is a danger, an illness brewing underneath the surface—prejudice (2) Mr. Ewell: he is “crazy” and poses a danger to the community just like the dog

Symbols: the treehouse: could symbolize: (1) Childhood/safety: in the beginning of the book, the children use the treehouse quiet often, but as the book progresses, they use it less and less, indicating they are growing up (2) Innocence as well; Jem and Scout are innocent at the beginning, but learn and grow, mature throughout the story based on events that happen

Symbols: the gun: could stand for: (1) The jury: they hold the “gun” that eventually kills the “mockingbird” Tom by finding him guilty (2) Growing up: Jem wants a gun because he thinks that will help make him a man, after all Walter Cunningham has a gun, but he learns that it is a danger after his father kills the mad dog in one shot

Notes:

Scout is wiser than her years; she has learned a lot in her years/through the book and the events that she goes through. She also has shown that she knows the difference between right and wrong and how people should be treated; in the end she looks like she is not paying any attention to the sheriff and Atticus, when Atticus thinks his son Jem killed Mr. Ewell. Sheriff says he did not; starts to hide the fact that Boo actually killed Mr. Ewell; says he will not tell anyone who killed Mr. Ewell, because everyone will start to pay attention to him—Boo is introverted, very shy, says it would be a sin—why? Why is it a sin to free Boo from how he lived? Because Boo had accepted himself for who he was and it would be a sin for Boo to have to endure the speculation and attention from the society after all these years.

Tom Robinson—why is he a mockingbird? What really happened? Atticus had told Tom Robinson to not lose heart/ not loose faith after the court found him guilty. But Tom did. He knew in his society, he would not be let free. He knew he was going to die. He was going to try to get away, or perhaps the deputy made Tom to run. The jury was the one to “pull the trigger” by finding him guilty.

What sin has Tom really committed? In this society, he committed the sin of feeling sorry for a white person, even someone who was from a lower class white society. How dare a black man feel sorry for a white person—that is what the jury really was angry about/ that was Tom’s really sin. That was not part of society back then.

How did Jem loose his pants? What did he find when he went back to get them? He took to free himself from the fence when they snuck Boo’s yard/ when he goes back to find them, he finds them folded and mended (fixed—sewn up) and hanging nicely over the fence Describe the relationship between Aunt Alexandra and the children. The kids and the aunt were at odds with one another (they often argued and disagreed with one another on topics)

Why did Dill run away from home back to Maycomb? He runs away from his foster family; he hates them.

What do Dill and Scout learn from Mr. Raymond? People aren’t always what they appear to be; appearances can be deceiving; don’t judge a book by its cover

What were Atticus' closing remarks to the jury? The case should never have been brought to trial; there was no medical evidence to suggest that Mayella had been raped.

Why did Jem cry? He cries because he was shocked at the injustice of the jury

Why did Aunt Alexandra come to town to stay with the Finches? To bring more feminine influence to Scout and Jem

What does Aunt Alexandra want from Scout? to act like a lady

Aunt Alexandra doesn't want Scout playing with Walter Cunningham. Why not? He is a Cunningham and is not of equal status with the Finches

What happened to Jem and Scout on the way home from the pageant? They are attacked by Mr. Ewell and Boo Radley saves them

Why did Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife? He does not want to subject Boo to the public’s view because Boo is not used to that; he is covering for Boo to protect him.

Why does Mr. Ewell attack Jem and Scout? For what reason? Mr. Ewell attacks them because he feels that Atticus has destroyed his pride and dignity and Mr. Ewell did not attain the social status that he thought the trial would bring to him. True / False

False 1. Miss Maudie left fires going (for warmth) and her house burned down. She was devastated by the fire and the loss of her home, and never quite recovered.

True 2. Cecil Jacobs was a boy at Scout's school who made Scout aware that Atticus was defending a black man.

True 3. Scout agreed with Francis' attitude towards Atticus' case.

False 4. Jem had to read to Miss Maudie each afternoon after school for a month.

False 5. Atticus hated Boo Radley.

False 6. Heck Tate's mob wanted to get Tom Robinson and inflict their own justice on him.

True 7. Scout saved Atticus and Mr. Robinson from a mob.

True 8. Scout wanted Boo Radley to be normal.

False 9. Robinson was a troublemaker.

True 10. Miss Gates was a hypocrite.

Miss Gates—was a teacher who talked about Hitler and his prejudice toward Jews but then she spoke of how the jury would put black people back in their place; she did not recognize the prejudice in herself.

Short Answer:

1. Scout and Jem learn that one must have respect for individuals. Explain how they learned about respect for the individual from Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, Mr. Raymond, Cal, Aunt Alexandra, and Tom Robinson. Atticus—Jem did not realize until later that his father, Atticus, was considered something other than an “old man” who could “do nothing” until his dad shot the “mad dog” / Scout—when she asked Atticus why are you defending a black man? Atticus, has the discussion with her about how he needed to do this because it was the right thing to do, that everyone should be afforded the opportunity to an equal trial, fair trial, regardless of what color they were.

2. Describe the acts of prejudice as seen in the book. Also describe how characters in the book tried to dispel the prejudice and treat people fairly.

Prejudice: Mr. Ewell, accusing T. Robinson of raping his daughter because he was black; the jury—even though evidence proved T. Robinson innocent, he was still found guilty, because he was black; Mrs. Gates—she was prejudice, because she was taking about Hilter and what he did with the jews and how bad it was, at same time, she saying the trial for T. Robinson was going to “put colored people in their place.”

Mr. Finch, defending T.Robinson, and talked the “codes” of social behavior and how they were wrong; Scout—accepted Boo Radley for who he was; sat in the “colored” section of the court house; she treated Walter Cunningham as anyone else

3. Describe the social class structure of the book. Why would some in Maycomb feel this is important? Compare the social class structure back in the ‘30’s to that of now. Social Class structure—bottom up- 1930’s it was “colored” then “white trash” then “cunninghams” then “middle white class” like the Finches, and then “upper white class” / Mr. Ewell, the reason he won the case—he wanted to move up the social class structure, but it backfired and he did not get anywhere because Atticus made a fool of himself/ Aunt Alexandra, talked “we are Finches” and how important they were in Maycomb, not mixing with the other “social classes” below the finches like the Cunninghams.

Different from now—segreation is gone; people are considered equal, not only based on color, money, gender, appearances; still have issues with inequality/ justice system sometimes does not work, but most of the time it does

The Odyssey

Odysseus, the epic hero, after the Trojan War finds himself trying to get home to Ithaca; it takes him 20 years to return home. Written by Homer, called an Epic. An Epic deals with a hero, someone who has human qualities but also godlike characteristics, a person who is larger than life and has to undergo through many challenges to return home.

Odysseus, we read, deals with the lotus eaters, the Cyclops, the land of the dead, the Cattle of the Sun God, and Scylla and Charybdis. Through each of these adventures Odysseus learns something of himself and the role the Gods play in his society and in his life.

Which of the following quotations contains an example of a physical characteristic of an epic hero? a. “Now I let go with hands and feet, plunging / straight into the foam beside the timbers, / pulled astride, and rowed hard with my hands / to pass by Scylla.” b. “I rather dwelt on this part of the forecast, / while our good ship made time, bound outward down / the wind for the strange island of Sirens.” c. “In the next land we found were Cyclopes, / giants, louts, without a law to bless them.” d. “So one day I withdrew to the interior / to pray the gods in solitude, for hope / that one might show me some way of salvation.”

While Odysseus’ men want to steal the Cyclops’ cheeses and animals and depart immediately, Odysseus wishes to see what “the cave man … had to offer.” Considering Odysseus’ character, what character trait is Odysseus portraying by wanting to stay to see the cave man? a. generosity c. independence b. bravery d. curiousity

What is the following literary technique called? "Dawn with fingertips of rose" a. epithet b. simile c. formal rhetoric d. alliteration

Which trait does Odysseus demonstrate by lying about his name to the Cyclops? a. Ruthlessness c. Creativity b. Loyalty d. Stubbornness

What does Odysseus realize from his failure to wake up and prevent his men from slaughtering the sun god’s cattle? a. Eurylochus’ skills as a leader c. The power of the gods b. Odysseus’ exhaustion d. The disloyalty of the crew

Which of the following is an example of a simile? a. Odysseus in one motion strung the bow. b. Odysseus stood watching the unruly suitors like a captain surveying a rough sea. c. The suitors, both strong and weak, tried and failed to string the bow. d. The setting of the epic is the Greek isles.

Choose the phrase that best defines epic simile. a. A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else b. Literary technique that involves differences between meaning and intention c. A work done in imitation of another d. A long elaborate comparison between two dissimilar actions or objects

The definition of Formal Rhetoric is a. a long, formal speech by a character. c. a simile which goes on further than three lines. b. a simile comparing two unlike things. d. a two line statement that describes a person.

An epithet is a. a description of the setting. c. a repeated description oftentimes used to meet rhyming/meter requirements. b. a two line verse that is a speech. d. a simile using "as" instead of "like".

Identify the literary technique used below: "We served under Agamemnon, son of Atreus-- / the whole world knows what city / he laid waste, / what armies he destroyed." a. formal rhetoric c. epithet b. epic simile d. allusion

Critical Reading

The two passages below are followed by questions based on their content and on the relationship between the two passages. Passage 1

“The Street Musician” by James Reeves

(based on the words of a song by Schubert)

With plaintive fluting, sad and slow, The old man by the roadside stands. Who would have thought such notes could flow From such cracked lips and withered hands?

On shivering legs he stoops and sways, And not a passer stops to hark; No penny cheers him as he plays; About his feet the mongrels bark.

But piping through the bitter weather, He lets the world go on its way. Old piper! Let us go together, And I will sing and you shall play.

Passage 2

“Choir Tryouts” by Kristine O’Connell George I hear birds. I sing frogs. My heart hears every note, Yet my song is locked Inside my throat. Someone laughs, I’m way off-key.

The teacher holds my hand And opens a special box Of things with secret voices.

I get maracas and triangle. I am aria. I am madrigal. With silver bells and tambourine I can sing! Which sense are both passages most concerned with? Hearing

Both Passage 1 and Passage 2 are lyric poems—express the speaker’s emotions and thoughts

Which line contains an illustration of the sound device alliteration?

“with plaintive fluting, sad and slow”

Which statement best describes the speakers in the two passages? In passage 1—the speaker is listening to the musician, whereas in passage 2 the musician is the speaker

Which line would you read by coming to a full stop at the end? “Neither of them can carry a tune.” (where there is an end punctuation mark)

Based on the information in the passages, what do you think do the two musicians have in common? They both love making music

What problem does the speaker in Passage 2 have? The speaker sings off-key In Passage 2, what are the “things with secret voices” that are inside the “special box”? Maracas, triangles, bells and tambourines