English test Flashcards
Symbolism Boys and Girls
Wolves: Restricted to a certain space despite being in a hospitable environment. Similar to how the daughter feels.
Flora: She can escape through the gate after the daughter leaves the door open, but gets shot by the daughter’s father and Henry. This resembles the daughter’s situation as although she is attempting to strive for freedom, she is brought back down to earth almost every time.
Daughter has no name: This could mean that she is not important enough to have a name or because she is the one narrating the story.
Conflict Boys and Girls
Person vs person: She released the female horse and her dad got mad stating “you are just a girl”.
Person vs Society: She was attempting to go against social norms. She wanted to go against the expectations of the family.
Theme Boys and Girls
Individuals who are restricted by gender roles are unable to express themselves and their interests showing how it is a false social construct.
Characterization Boys and Girls
Father - stern, unexpressive, and nonchalant - he always talks about work when he is with his daughter showing how he does not like to express other thoughts he has.
Daughter - hardworking, admires her father, imaginative, curious -
She has imaginative depictions of herself while daydreaming. For example, she imagines herself shooting two rabid wolves.
“I found it reassuringly seasonal, like the smell of oranges and pine needles”
Mom - Hardworking housewife, obedient, submissive - She always does chores around the house and works in the kitchen. She does not ask that many questions to her husband and she wants her daughter to act more like her by making her sometimes do chores as well.
Laird - playful, cheerful - swinging himself sick on the swing catching caterpillars.
Symbolism penny in the dust
The Peter held a great deal of sentimental value to the penny. This resembles the love that Peter and his Father had for one another.
Peter mentions he wanted to use the penny to buy a mowing machine and automobile to make chores easier and spend more time with his dad
Conflict Penny in the dust
Person vs self: Struggles with the loss of the the penny as he held a great deal of sentimental value towards it as his dad gave it to him. He mentions in the story that he wanted to run away from the awful feeling of loss.
Characterization Penny in the dust
Father - unexpressive, does not like showing emotion or affection in explicit ways. Peter mentioned that his father’s presence made him out as a stern father. In one of the passages, his father wouldn’t voluntarily put him up on his oxen unless Peter explicitly made it clear that he wanted to.
Pete - imaginative, and adventurous. Pete mentioned that there was no way to tell it to make it sound like anything more than an articulate man a little at sea with an imaginative child.
Theme penny in the dust
meaningless and insignificant objects can be worth more than a treasure to a person as they can rather be a source of sentiment and attachment.
Symbolism Secret path
Crow: Acts as a guide for the boy in escaping his trauma. Could also be a sign that death is forthcoming.
Matchsticks: Acts as a memory of the warmth of his family.
Masks: Shows the children are celebrating Halloween. This makes it seem like they’re having a great time when in reality they are traumatized. The masks hide the true emotions they feel at the residential school.
Conflict Secret Path
Person vs self: The boy is dealing with trauma deep inside of him and he is trying to find a way to move past that.
Person vs society: Racism against Indigenous People
Theme Secret Path
To find peace a person must let go of the things that bother them or cause distress to be truly free.
Systematic oppression of a certain group of people will only result in pain and suffering that does not benefit either side. ( This is shown by how many indigenous kids died during this time and how the government gained nothing from it)
Characterization Secret Path
Boy - timid, scared, traumatized: He is shown to be curling up in the middle of the railway track because of how traumatizing his past was. He always seems gentle in most situations even when he thinks about his home.
Symbolism Harrison Burgeron
handicaps: It is meant to suppress Harrison’s individuality and his ability to express himself freely.
Diana’s gun: It is meant to destroy the message that Harrison was trying to send to the world.
Characterization Harrison Burgeron
hazel - unintelligent and forgetful. She forgot the death of her son. She can’t keep track of her train of thought.
George - Intelligent and stoic. he is willing to keep the handicap on to maintain order. He has the handicap on to prevent him from using his above average intelligence.
Harrison: rebellious and strong. He breaks through all the handicaps and invades the ballerina dance
Diana: Oppresive and violent. She shoots harrison
Conflict Harrison Burgeron
person vs person: Harrison and DMG have clashing ideals about society. DMG shoots Harrison on live national TV b/c of rebellion.
person vs society: Harrison opposes society’s desire to suppress individualism. Harrison breaks free from handicaps and frees others.
