Kurt Vonnegut Uses Cars in the Short Story the Lie As Symbols to Show That a Person S

CLAIM 1. In a single sentence, write an opinion (a claim) that states how the author uses either a specific setting or a specific symbol to show an important element of the story.

Kurt Vonnegut uses cars in the short story “The Lie” as symbols to show that a person’s wealth is not necessarily an indicator of intellectual abilities.

CLAIM DEVELOPMENT 2. In 2-3 sentences, clarify the claim you wrote above as if someone said “Huh?’ about it.

The story shows two boys who both applied to a prestigious private school—Eli Remenzel and the son of Tom Hilyer. Eli, who comes from a very wealthy family, did not get accepted into the school. Tom Hilyer’s son, however, did get accepted, even though he will be a “scholarship boy,” meaning that his parents are not able to pay the full tuition. In fact, Tom’s son scored the highest on the entrance application of any of the applicants. One way Vonnegut shows that wealth does not reflect ability is through the cars that each family drives to the school.

EVIDENCE 3. What part of the story does the quote come from? 4. Write out the complete quote and list the page number afterwards.

As the Remenzels are driving up to the school in their chauffeured Rolls “The Rolls Royce pulled abreast of an old Chevrolet in such bad repair Royce, they see an old Chevrolet and pull alongside it. that its back door was lashed shut with clothesline” (7). EVIDENCE, cont… 5. What are the important details in the quote in terms of the basic plot of the story? 6. How do you think this quote supports the claim you wrote in Box #1?

The Chevrolet is being driven by the Hilyers, and the fact that they Despite not having access to the advantages that wealth provides as have to use a clothesline to keep the back door closed suggests that the Remenzels, Tom’s son still excelled on the entrance exam. This they do not have enough money to fix the car. This inference is further suggests that his lack of wealth did not impede his intellectual growth supported by the fact that the Hilyers are sending their son to the during his childhood. Ironically, Eli’s application was denied because of school on a scholarship. how poorly he performed. The wealth that allowed the Rememzels to afford both a very fancy car AND a chauffeur did not prepare Eli intellectually for an accelerated education. Kurt Vonnegut uses cars in the short story “The Lie” as symbols to show that a person’s wealth is not necessarily an indicator of intellectual abilities. The story shows two boys who both applied to a prestigious private school—Eli Remenzel and the son of Tom Hilyer. Eli, who comes from a very wealthy family, did not get accepted into the school. Tom Hilyer’s son, however, did get accepted, even though he will be a “scholarship boy,” meaning that his parents are not able to pay the full tuition. In fact, Tom’s son scored the highest on the entrance application of any of the applicants. One way Vonnegut shows that wealth does not reflect ability is through the cars that each family drives to the school. As the Remenzels are driving up to the school in their chauffeured Rolls Royce, they see an old Chevrolet and pull alongside it. Vonnegut writes, “The Rolls Royce pulled abreast of an old Chevrolet in such bad repair that its back door was lashed shut with clothesline” (7). The Chevrolet is being driven by the Hilyers, and the fact that they have to use a clothesline to keep the back door closed suggests that they do not have enough money to fix the car. This inference regarding their financial status is further supported by the fact that the Hilyers are sending their son to the school on a scholarship. Despite not having access to the advantages that wealth provides as the Remenzels, Tom’s son still excelled on the entrance exam. This suggests that his lack of wealth did not impede his intellectual growth during his childhood. Ironically, Eli’s application was denied because of how poorly he performed. The wealth that allowed the Rememzels to afford both a very fancy car AND a chauffeur did not prepare Eli intellectually for an accelerated education.