Multiple Choice Questions for Passage #1

1 "Two men, short, hooded, black boots, black cloaks, black hats were waiting either side of the water-gate. As Jack came through, panting from his run, the men seized his body, pinioned his arms, threw a rough damp torn sack 5 over him and bundled him into a waiting boat.

    'Be this the one?'

    'This be the one sure as I have a tongue and one ear."

    His accomplice laughed. 'If he be not the one, you shall have a tongue or one ear but never both on the same head."

10   'Quiet, you water-rat! Give him the drink.'

    The man held back Jack's head and opened his mouth with his fingers, as you would to a dog, the other fellow poured a think red liquid down Jack's throat. Jack spat and coughed and choked, but he had to swallow some of it. It 15 tasted bitter. It was gritty. It was like fire ashes or fine-ground oyster shells mixed up in red vinegar.

    The men shoved Jack into a closed coop at the stern of the boat. It was a poultry boat and there was a big slatted wooden hen-coop perched at one end where the fowls were 20 rowed to market. Jack looked out through the torn sack and the slats of the boat; the boat was being rowed rapidly east. Jack wanted to shout out, but he couldn't because he was dizzy, and the last thing he saw were the boats on the river no longer going up and down, but round and round  25 and round and round like at a fair.

    Jack felt a great dullness, like the world spinning to a stop at the end of time. He passed into a dead and dreamless sleep, a black place.

    The men in the boat sat still without speaking. One lit a 30 clay pipe.

    As the boat reached its mooring place, several servants dressed in grey came to meet it. Jack was carried from the coop, and the boat and the two men rowed on, distant now, towards Limehouse.

35    The servants took Jack down and down and down. They laid him there and walked away. There was nothing more to do.

    At home, his small spaniel could not be quieted, and ran up and down, down and up, stopping and crying in a dark 40 corner of the room. Jack's mother, standing at the water-gate, had a sense, an instinct, that her son was alive but in danger.

    'He is a boy, he's fallen over, he's eating apples, he's met with a friend,' said the groom, wondering why women      45 never used good commonsense but fretted and worried over simple foolish things.

    'He was to be here at twelve midday,' said Jack's mother, 'and if he comes not to be here by twelve at midnight, then shall I go to him.'

50    'And how shall that be done?' said the groom, laughing at her, 'in all the teeming city of London, its lanes, lodgings, highways and byways, inns and dens, how shall you, a woman, find one strayed boy?'

    But Jack's mother knew how she would find her son. She 55 went up to her room and opened the little door in the wall, and took out a small leather bag with something inside." (7-9)

1.      The use of dialect in the beginning of the scene is best used to:

a.       Show the joking tone of the scene

Not correct, because the tone isn't completely joking.

b.      Give character to the men

Correct, because the use of diction provides the reader with an opinion.

c.       Inform the reader of what is happening by

telling

Not correct, because the test doesn't say what is happening.

d.      Make the reader curious

Not correct, because the text doesn't put anything in suspense.

e.       Introduce colloquial language

Not correct, because it is more strongly used to give characterization.

2.      The purpose of telling the reader, “He passed into a dead and dreamless sleep, a black place.” (lines 27-28) is to:

a.       Give a physical description of where he is

Not correct, because this quote tells nothing about his whereabouts.

b.      Show that he is content

Not correct, because "dead and dreamless" (27-28) is not a content tone.

c.       Foreshadow what is going to happen next, by incorporating darkness

Correct, because darkness usually comes before something bad.

d.      Give the time of day by saying he is asleep

Not correct, because he was drugged so no reference can be made.

e.       Tell the reader that Jack was tired

Not correct, because he was drugged so his own emotions were not in control.

        3. The authors tone in this passage is best described as:

a.       Critical

Not correct, because there is no evidence of any criticism.

b.      Frightened

Not correct, because the tone is more confused than scared.

c.       Dramatic

Correct, because the use of foreshadowing creates suspense.

d.      Informative

Not correct, because the writing style is descriptive and story-like.

e.       Determined

Not correct, because the author shows no determination while writing.

        4. The point of the mothers dialogue in the lines 45-47 is to:

a.       Show the connection between mother and son

Correct, because the tone of the mother is loving and is important to the novel.

b.      Portray her determination

Not correct, because her love for her son is more important.

c.       Give background information

Not correct, because no new information is given that is detrimental to the novel.

d.      Hint at the time period

Not correct, because the dialogue has already done that.

e.       Tell the reader what is going to happen next

Not correct, because the relationship is more important than the foreshadowing.

 

        5. All of the following are FALSE EXCEPT:

a.       Jack tried to fight off the kidnappers but they drugged him

Not correct, because they didn't drug him because he fought.

b.      Both of the men that took Jack are positive that he is the one they need

Not correct, because of the lines, "'If he be not the one, you shall have a tongue or one ear but never both on the same head." (8-9)

c.       Jack was given a drink that made him fall asleep

Correct, because the men poured a liquid down his throat that made him sleep.

d.      The men that kidnapped Jack are the same ones laid him down

Not correct, because of the line, "Jack was carried from the coop, and the boat and the two men rowed on, distant now" (33)

e.       Jack's mother isn't worried because Jack misses his curfew a lot

Not correct, because of the line, "'He was to be here at twelve midday'" (47)         

Multiple Choice Questions for Poem #1

The Adamantine Perfection of Desireby Jane Hirshfield

1 Nothing more strong
   than to be helpless before desire.

   No reason,
   the simplified heart whispers,
5 the argument over,
   only This.

   No longer choosing anything but assent.

   Its bowl scraped clean to the bottom,
   the skull-bone cup no longer horrifies,
10 but, rimmed in silver, shines.

   A spotted dog follows a bitch in heat.
   Gray geese flying past us, crying.
   The living cannot help but love the world.

1.      The author most likely believes that desire is:

a.       Insufferable

Not correct, because of the line. " The living cannot help but love the world" (13).

b.      Admirable

Not correct, because the tone is not of admiration, it is darker.

c.       Impeccable

Not correct, because the tone complains about desire, it does not build it up.

d.      Unavoidable

Correct, because of the line, "The living cannot help but love the world" (13).

e.       Painful

Not correct, because the author never even mentions pain.

2.      Lines 3-6 serve to:

a.       Explain that nothing can defeat desire

Not correct, because the text is vague, no explanation.

b.      Tell the reader to try to listen to their heart

Not correct, because the author is saying the opposite, to give up.

c.       Say that the heart is too weak to fight desire

Not correct, because that isn't the main point.

d.      Emphasize that reasoning is the only option

Not correct, because the text says, "No reason" (3).

e.       Prove that desire always wins

Correct, because the text says nothing can defeat desire.

3.      In the line, “ . . .the skull-bone cup no longer horrifies,” (line 9) the cup most likely represents:

a.       Death

Not correct, because death is talked about nowhere else.

b.      Goals

Not correct, because the tone is negative so goals wouldn't even make sense.

c.       Desire

Correct, because of the invisible subject. The subject is implied.

d.      Nightmares

Not correct, because the text isn't about sleep or dreams.

e.       Fantasies

Not correct, because the text has a negative tone, not optimistic.

4.      The separation of stanzas and usage of punctuation in this poem serves best to:

a.       Make the reader stop and think about what is happening

Not correct, because that isn't a strong influence on the poem.

b.      Create pauses in the reading

Not correct, because the poem actually has a constant pace.

c.       Separate thoughts

Not correct, because it isn't the most important.

d.      Lead to a conclusion

Correct, because it keeps the reader reading and builds on itself.

e.       Keep a constant pace

Not correct, because it isn't the most important reason for the punctuation.

5.      The purpose of this poem is to:

a.       Allow the author to express her feelings about desire

Not correct, because she doesn't write in a diary tone.

b.      Persuade the reader to give up all hope and submit to desire

Not correct, because the author isn't telling the reader to do anything.

c.       Inform the reader that desire conquers all

Not correct, because the poem isn't informative.

d.      Show the reader that desire is self-inflicted

Correct, because of the line, "The living cannot help but love the world" (13).

e.       Question the actions of society

Not correct, because there are no questions in the poem.

Response to Passage #2

Story Telling

            Jeanette Winterson's usage of literary devices, lists made of threes and scene changes in her book The Battle of the Sun add a deeper layer to the book that helps the reader decipher the underlying meaning. Through her literary devices she is able to keep the writing easy to read as well as interesting. She also uses the magic number three to provide support for her main points and to show that there is something magical happening. The scene changes hand the spot light from character to character to give different views of the same occurrence.

            When Winterson says, " BANG! went a goblin's head. CRASH! went an imp in a cart. MASH! went a pair of evil eight-legged things with beady eyes and nasty fur. SLASH! went her sword . . ." (352) her use of threes and onomatopoeia creates a vivid picture in the readers head of what is happening. Not only is the reader able to visualize what is happening, but he, or she, is also able to acquire another sense; hearing.

            Winterson also uses a strong metaphor in her novel. "The Queen was on her feet, her lion heart alive with battle." (352) Not only does the reader know that the Queen is upset because of the fact that she stands up, but also because of the metaphor of her heart being alive and like a lions. The fact that the animal Winterson chooses is king of the forest and smart is no coincidence. She knows that a perfect way to convey how strongly the Queen feels about the battle is to compare her to something that doesn't back down in a fight; something that will do it's best to win.    

            The point of bringing in the Queen to the story line at all is not just to make a point about her drive in the battle. It is to show one of the many people that care for Jack. Winterson also brings, " . . . [a] brave little dog Max . . . [who] jumped out and landed on his feet. . . Mistress Split . . . [who] [sprang] off her one leg . . . [and] the Keeper of the Tides . . ." (352-353) to show all of the people who love him and are willing to risk their lives to help him, just like he risked his to help them.

            Winterson's The Battle of the Sun, incorporates many different ways to show the reader instead of telling them, numerous techniques to draw the reader into the novel without giving too much information away and various literary devices to keep the pace of the novel where it needs to be for the exact scene. Without all of her detail, the story would not be anything special. It would simply be a story.



Response to Passage #1

Depth

            Jeanette Winterson, in her book The Battle of the Sun, has a very unique writing style, which she uses to establish meaning and to communicate her purpose. She incorporates wonderful imagery to create a picture for the reader and also to provide a tone for the scene of the novel. Her usage of punctuation and syntax serve to give the reader the fullest experience while reading her novel. The dialogue used shows the culture of the people and that the time period that they lived in. All of these combined create a perfectly woven story that the reader can’t stop reading.

            The rising action of the novel begins with, “Two men, short, hooded, black boots, black cloaks, black hats, were waiting either side of the water-gate.” (7) Not only does this form a dark image in the reader’s mind, but it also sets the tone. The fact that everything is black produces an instantaneous feeling of dread in the reader for Jack, and the tone of the piece foreshadows that something bad is going to happen. The commas used also keep the pace fast and help keep the reader intrigued. If the sentence read differently, or specifically, more slowly, then the reader might not understand the urgency of the situation.

            When the men dressed in black begin to speak the audience begins to get an idea of who the men are and where they are from. “’Be this the one?’ /’This be the one sure as I have a tongue and one ear.’” (7) The encounter between the two men shows that they are less educated, due to the way they speak to each other. When one of them says, “If he be not the one, you shall have a tongue or one ear but never both on the same head.” (7) The word “shall” gives an inclination that the time period that the novel takes place is much earlier than current time. The seriousness in the joke from one man to the next shows that even though they laugh with each other, the person they work for isn’t someone to disappoint.

            Winterson’s writing style makes the novel easy to follow and interesting to read. On the surface everything looks straightforward; but after digging deeper into the structure of the novel and paying close attention to the small details, a much larger meaning begins to show itself. And that meaning is what keeps the reader reading.



Passage #2

The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson Pages 351-353

   "The Magus rode alongside Jack and reined in his horse.

    'Jack, my Jack, this is all folly. I have defeated you before and I shall defeat you now. Why do you try and fight me? Yet I will offer you a chance. Bow your head to me, kneel before me, and you shall have a share in my treasure and in my power. You shall not be my rival, you shall be like a prince to me. You are too young, you cannot use this untruly power that is in you. Offer it me, and you shall know what power is. I shall soon rule England, and from England, I shall soon rule the world.'

    'You will never rule me,' said Jack. 'I would die first.'

    The Magus regarded him. 'Die, Jack, would you? The you shall!'

    And the Magus galloped forward, his clack flying out behind him, and from the streams of his cloak came every kind of evil - came goblins and devils, red-eyed demons and hook -faced birds, came creatures without heads, came heads without bodies, came silent furies and whistling deaths, came claws, beaks, talons, came the tearing, ripping, shearing racket of dark power.

    As Jack ducked and swung his sword, Mother Midnight in the poop-house pulled her own cloak around her and flew straight out of the window, calling like a bird of prey, but the birds of prey who came at her call were light and clear and aimed themselves fearlessly at the flapping hells that covered the sky.

    As soon as the window was open, the brave little dog Max, seeing his beloved Jack in the thick of the fray, jumped out and landed on fast feet and ran at hounds of hell six times his size.

    When Mistress Split saw this, she thought only to save her Boojie, and springing off her one leg, she abseiled down the sunflower, and pulled out her huge sword from beneath her skirts and set to work at every monster that came near her or threatened the dog.

    'Slash Mash Crash Bash!' she shouted. 'Come here to be beheaded.' BANG! went a goblin's head. CRASH! went an imp in a cart. MASH! went a pair of evil eight-legged things with beady eyes and nasty fur. SLASH! went her sword, and down went an homunculus with a red face.

    'Bless my wig!' cried the Keeper of the Tides. 'Am I to be here helpless while my friends perish?'

    And he pushed his ceremonial cannon into the window and began firing cannonballs into the squawking air.

    'Take that, and that, and that!' he cried, as a hideous harpy thudded at his feet.

    At the house on the Strand Roger Rover took command of the Queen's troops and they poured out on to the river, and never were men braver, their swords flashing, their double-headed axes slashing the sky.

    The Queen was on her feet, her lion heart alive with battle. Fearlessly she stood in the fully open window and shouted out, 'The Queen of England is with you!'

    And it was time for Silver to do her part.

    She ran downstairs and into the armory and fastened on herself a breastplate and helmet and took a small light sword. The she went to find Jack."(351-353)

Passage #1

The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson Pages 7-9

"Two men, short, hooded, black boots, black cloaks, black hats were waiting either side of the water-gate. As Jack came through, panting from his run, the men seized his body, pinioned his arms, threw a rough damp torn sack over him and bundled him into a waiting boat.

    'Be this the one?'

    'This be the one sure as I have a tongue and one ear."

    His accomplice laughed. 'If he be not the one, you shall have a tongue or one ear but never both on the same head."

   'Quiet, you water-rat! Give him the drink.'

    The man held back Jack's head and opened his mouth with his fingers, as you would to a dog, the other fellow poured a think red liquid down Jack's throat. Jack spat and coughed and choked, but he had to swallow some of it. It tasted bitter. It was gritty. It was like fire ashes or fine-ground oyster shells mixed up in red vinegar.

    The men shoved Jack into a closed coop at the stern of the boat. It was a poultry boat and there was a big slatted wooden hen-coop perched at one end where the fowls were rowed to market. Jack looked out through the torn sack and the slats of the boat; the boat was being rowed rapidly east. Jack wanted to shout out, but he couldn't because he was dizzy, and the last thing he saw were the boats on the river no longer going up and down, but round and round and round and round like at a fair.

    Jack felt a great dullness, like the world spinning to a stop at the end of time. He passed into a dead and dreamless sleep, a black place.

    The men in the boat sat still without speaking. One lit a clay pipe.

    As the boat reached its mooring place, several servants dressed in grey came to meet it. Jack was carried from the coop, and the boat and the two men rowed on, distant now, towards Limehouse.

    The servants took Jack down and down and down. They laid him there and walked away. There was nothing more to do.

    At home, his small spaniel could not be quieted, and ran up and down, down and up, stopping and crying in a dark corner of the room. Jack's mother, standing at the water-gate, had a sense, an instinct, that her son was alive but in danger.

    'He is a boy, he's fallen over, he's eating apples, he's met with a friend,' said the groom, wondering why women never used good commonsense but fretted and worried over simple foolish things.

    'He was to be here at twelve midday,' said Jack's mother, 'and if he comes not to be here by twelve at midnight, then shall I go to him.'

    'And how shall that be done?' said the groom, laughing at her, 'in all the teeming city of London, its lanes, lodgings, highways and byways, inns and dens, how shall you, a woman, find one strayed boy?'

    But Jack's mother knew how she would find her son. She went up to her room and opened the little door in the wall, and took out a small leather bag with something inside." (7-9)