A Childs Christmas In Wales Flashcards
How did the narrator and his friend, Jim, try to help put out the fire?
the threw snowballs into the smoke
How did Mrs. Prothero attempt to summon the fire brigade?
she beat on a gong and yelled “Fire!”
What two kinds of presents were there?
-Useful presents: mufflers, mittens, pictureless books, scarves, tall fur hats, knitted caps that cover most of the face = balaclavas, socks, woolen vests, etc. (practical things)
- Useless presents: candy, false nose, engineer cap, whistles, toys, etc. (fun things)
What frightened the boys when they were singing carols?
they heard a small, dry, eggshell voice join in from inside the dark, scary house
On Christmas night, what activities did the adults and children share?
they all sang, there was always singing on Christmas night; they all ate lots of food, decadent desserts
How does Thomas indicate in the first paragraph that his essay will be very subjective and personal?
“One Christmas was so much like another”; his memories have no order
How does Thomas establish the point of view of a child at the beginning of the essay?
fills the second paragraph of the essay with fantasy and exaggeration
What is gained by introducing another child on page 308, who asks the grown man about his childhood?
Uses the child to introduce topics: postmen, church bells, presents, uncles. He shows adult’s Christmas is magnified by memory.
Give two examples of where the boy passes from the real world into the imaginary one.
When the boys become arctic hunters; when recalling Wales’s wolves; fantasizing hippos; becoming snow-blind travelers
What are some of the differences between the child’s and the adult’s Christmas? What in Christmas do adult and child share?
-Child’s Christmas is outside and full of imagination; adult’s seems preoccupied with food preparation, eating, and sleeping.
-Everyone shares Christmas meal, music, and stories.
What impression do you get of Thomas as a man from the way he tells about Christmas in Wales?
He loved his childhood; adult world can never equal richness of childhood
In the author’s memory, December was described as what?
white as Lapland
