Literary Analysis

Exploring World Geography

Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis by Bethany Poore

(except Know Why You Believe analysis by Ray Notgrass)

First Edition (2022 Printing).

You may print copies of this material for your family,

but you may not redistribute it without permission from the publisher.

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What Do You Think About What He Thinks?

A Primer for Analysis of Non-Fiction

Anon-ctionarticle,essay,orbookhasadierentapproachfromaworkofction.Itwill

likelymakeanargument,teach,orconveyinformation.Ofcourse,aworkofctionmightalso

beanaempttomakeanargument,teach,orconveyinformation;butnon-ctionpresentsthe

informationandtheauthor’sperspectiveinastraightforward manner. The non-ction piece

mightbeintheformofastory;butitisastoryfromreallife,asinabiography.

Part of education is considering perspectives other than your own and developing your

responsetothem.Inapersuasivework,awriterhassomethingtosaythathehopesotherswill

at least consider and per haps agree with. Even the author of a biography writes for a purpose,

not only to inform but perhaps also to convince readers about something regarding his subject:

that he was instrumental in a war,or inuential in Congress, or had some other signicant

impact.

By reading a work of non-ction, you might be conrmed in what you believe about

something or you might be convinced that you need to change your opinion. You might obtain

more information that helps you have a more realistic perspective on an issue. You shouldn’t

fear this process. You don’t want to cast aside basic truth and fall for every new idea you hear,

but part of growing and maturing is gaining a more complete understanding of truth. No one

has a grasp of all truth or the perfect application of that truth in every situation. Everyone can

grow in some areas of life, whether that means learning more truth or learning the application

ofthetruthyouknowtomoresituations.ThisprocessispartofgrowinginwhattheBiblecalls

discernment (see Hebrews 5:13-14).

A text can beany wrien material. We analyze every text thatweread,whether it is an

encyclopediaarticle,abookofpoliticalcommentary,oranadvertisement,evenifonlybriey

andsubconsciously.Aswiththeanalysisofction,wedon’twanttolosethejoyofreadingby

over-analyzing,butitisgoodtodoseriousandconsciousanalysisforseveralreasons.Analysis

willhelpyouunderstandthemeaningandpurposeofatext;youmightevendiscernameaning

beneaththesurface.Itcanhelpyouconnectthetextwithitsbackground,suchasthetimein

whichitwaswrienorsomethingabouttheauthor.Youcanprotablycomparethetextwith

othertextstoseewhicharemoreconsistentandbelievable.Analyzingatextcanhelpyouprove

a thesis. A summary of a text is a report of its content, but an analysis of a text is an evaluation

ofitsmeaningandsignicance.

Inanalyzingaworkofnon-ction,youwanttoaskquestionsofthetext.Youprobablywon’t

answereveryquestionbelowabouteverytext,butherearethingstoconsiderwhenanalyzing

non-ction:

• Whatistheauthor’spointorpurpose?

• Whatistheargumentheismaking?

• Whatisthemotivationforthepiece?Whatproblemdoesitaddress?

• Whatevidenceorlogicdoesheusetosupporthisthesis?

• Whatisthecontextfromwhichtheauthorwrites(time,place,pointofview,background

andexperience)?

• Whatassumptionsdoestheauthorbringtowritingthispiece?

• Whatwordsorideasarerepeated?Thesewilloftenbecluestotheauthor’spoint.

• Whatwordchoicesseemsignicant?Doestheauthoruseanyguresofspeechtomake

hisargumentmorepersuasive?

• Whatisthestructureofthetext?Forinstance,The Art of War is a series of pithy observations

and bits of advice, Here I Stand is a scholarly biography, Bridge to the Sun is a memoir,

and The Abolition of Man is based on a series of lectures. How does the author build his

argumentthroughthework?Howdoesthestructurehelpmaketheauthor’spoint?

• Whatarethekeypassagesinthework,andwhyaretheyimportant?

• Whatissurprising,odd,ortroublinginthetext?(Thesepartsarelikelychallengingyour

current understanding.)

• Whatcontradictionsandinconsistenciesdoyoundinthetext?

• Whatassumptionsdoyoubringtothetext?

• Isthetextconvincingtoyou?Whyorwhynot?(Itisentirelylikelythatyouwillagree

with some things and disagree with others.)

• Whatquestionsdoyouhaveafterreadingit?Whatfurtherstudydoyouneedtodo?

Whenyouwriteananalysisofanon-ctionwork,gatheryourinformation,impressions,and

answerstothesequestions,thenwriteacoherentessaythatrespondstothepiece.Depending

onthelengthofyouressay,youwillprobablywanttosummarizetheauthor’spurposeand

argument,emphasizethecentralpointsasyouseethem,notewhereyouthinktheauthoris

correctandwhereheismistaken,andwhereheiseectiveandwherehecouldhaveexpressed

his ideas dierently. Keep inmindthe nature of yourassignment, whatthe teacher expects

fromyou,andwhatthereaderofyouranalysisneedstounderstandabouttheworkyouare

analyzingandaboutyourresponsetoit.

Theauthorwhoseworkyouhavereadwantsyoutothink.Showthatyouhavethought.

Expressing your thoughts on paper indicates how well you understand what he has said and,

more importantly, how well you understand your own thoughts about the subject.

Analysis of Poetry

Youcannotreadpoetrythewayyoureadanovel,anewspaper,atextbook,orothernon-

ctionwriting.Poetryaimsfortheheart,foranemotionalresponse,aswellasforthemind.

Poetry is concentrated language, so how the poem expresses thoughts is extremely important.

Don’tbeafraidtoreadapoemaloudandslowly.Youwillprobablyhavetoreaditmorethan

once to grasp its message fully.

Asyoureadapoem,askthesequestions:

• Whoisspeaking?Isthepoemrst-person,orisitathird-personspeaker?

• Whatistheoccasion?

• Isitamonologueofonepersonspeakingtoanother?Isitanelegyoraremembrance

honoringthedead?Isitalyricoranodethatmeditatesonaparticularsubject?Isita

narrativepoemthattellsastory?

• Whatisthetone,themood,theatmospherethatthepoemexpresses?Doesitsuggest

oatingthrough theair?Is itadirge orlament?Does ithavea military beat?Does it

expresslongingorjoyfulpraise?

• Is the language of the poem stately, colloquial, humorous, or mysterious, or can you

characterizeitinanotherway?

• Whatliterarytechniquesdoesthepoetuse(seethelistintheanalysisofction)?

• Arethereimportantthoughtsthatareunexpressedinthepoem,suchasanybackground

informationthatitassumes?

• Isiteectiveingeneratingthedesiredemotion,aitude,ormemoryinyou?

Poetrytraditionallyutilizestherhythmofwords,calledmeter.Thedeterminationofmeteris

called scansion or scanning the lines. Traditional poetry also uses rhyme to produce a particular

emotion. Rhyming can occur at the end of lines (end rhyme) or within lines (internal rhyme).

Approximaterhymeuseswordsthatsoundsimilarbutdonotrhymeexactly.Blankversehasa

denedrhythmbutdoesnotrhyme.Freeversedoesnotuseconsistentrhymeormeter.Atthis

point,simplytakenoteofhowthepoem’suseofwords,rhyme,andrhythmaectyou.

Whenyouarecalledupontoanalyzeapoem,useyourresponsestothesequestionstowrite

an essay that addresses the main points of the poem. Analysis tends to focus on the mind, but

remember to include your heart-response to the poem as well.

Who, What, How, Why, and Why Not:

A Primer for Literary Analysis of Fiction

Peoplereadbooks.Somebooks(thinkShakespeare,CharlesDickens,andJaneAusten)are

stillwidelyreaddecadesandevencenturiesaftertheywerewrien.Many,manybooks(think

ofthehighlyforgeableonesyouseeinusedbooksales—overandover)areaashinthepan

orareevenlessnoticeable.What’sthedierence?Isitjustthatmostpeoplelikethisbookand

mostpeopledislikethatone?Sortof,butitismorenuancedthanthat.

Literary analysisisstudyingthepartsofaworkofliterature(suchasplot,seing,characters,

andnarration)toseehowtheauthorusesthemtocreatetheoverallmeaningoftheworkasa

whole.Professors,teachers,students,critics,andeverydaypeopleanalyzeworksofliterature:

novels,shortstories,poems,andnon-ction.Theythinkaboutthestoryorplotofthebook,how

itdevelops,thecharactersinthebook,thewordsandstructurethattheauthoruses,andother

elementsofthework.

Peoplewhoanalyzeliteraturehavedevelopedstandardmethods.Primarily,thisinvolves

lookingforelementsthatarefoundinmostliteraryworks.Thepurposeofliteraryanalysisisto

understandhowapieceofliteratureworks:howthewriterconstructshisorherstory,andwhy

theworkaectsreadersthewayitdoes.

Didyoueverseeyourselfdoingliteraryanalysis?Doesthephrase“literaryanalysis”make

washingdishesorchoppingrewoodseemexciting?Iunderstand.Butitismoreinteresting

thanitmightsound.Thinkofitasndingtheanswerstosomebigquestions:“Whatmakesa

storygood?”“Whatarethebuildingblocksofgreatwriting?”“WhydoIkeepthinkingabout

thatbookandwanttoreaditagain?”“Whatisthedierencebetweenabookyoustayuplate

toreadandonethatshouldberepurposedasarestarter?”Evenifyoudon’twanttomakea

lifelonghabitofliteraryanalysis,asaneducatedpersonyoushouldknowthebasicsofhowit

works.Itcanalsobekindoffun.

Literaryanalysiscanhelpyouappreciatethepowerofaworkofliterature.Itcanprovide

youwithinsightsforadeeperappreciationofthenextnovel(orpoemorhistory)youread.On

a practical level, literary analysis is often what a classroom teacher wants students to do in order

tounderstandabook.Soliteraryanalysisisgoodaslongasitisameanstoagoodendand

achieves a worthy goal. However, if literary analysis becomes an end in itself, or a way to show

howmuchsomeoneknowsorthinksheknowsaboutliterature,orsomethingthatgetsinthe

wayofenjoyingaworkofliterature,itnolongerservesagoodpurpose.Inotherwords,literary

analysishasitsplace;butitisnotthepurposeofliterature.

Writersdo notwritein ordertohavetheir worksubjectedto literaryanalysis.Nathaniel

Hawthorne did not write The Scarlet Leer,nordidCharlesDickenswriteA Tale of Two Cities, for

Englishteacherstoanalyzethemtodeathorsothatprofessorswouldhavematerialforexams.

Theywrotebecausetheyhadstoriestotell;theywantedtoconnectonanemotionallevelwith

readers.Theseauthorsweresuccessfulbecausetheydidthatwell,andthisiswhytheirbooks

areconsideredclassicworksofliterature.

Here are some standard elements of literary analysis.

Plot

The plot is the story of a piece of .Fictionisaworkofimaginednarratedprose,usually

eitheranovelorashortstory.Theplotiswhathappenstomakeitastory.

Gustav Freytag was a nineteenth-century German novelist who found a typical paern

ofplotdevelopmentinGreekandShakespeareandramas.Thesamepaernisfoundinmost

ctionalliterature.Freytagdepicteditasapyramid.

Exposition

(including Narrative Hook) Denouement

Rising Action

Falling Action

Climax

Inciting Incident

Resolution

The examples below refer to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Exposition: laying out the situation and background, introducing the characters. (Within this

element will often be a narrative hook, an event or description that gets you interested in the story and

wanting to read more.) Four children come to stay in a professor’s country home. The narrative

hookiswhenLucyndsamagicwardrobeinabackroomandvisitsNarnia:whatwillhappen

next?

: something that gets the story moving.

Lucy meets the faun, who expresses inner conict over what he is doing.

:buildingdrama;eachsignicanteventiscalledacomplication.

All four children go to Narnia, they meet the Beavers, Edmund betrays his siblings to the White

Witch, and so forth.

Climax:thesinglekeyeventorturningpoint;themomentofgreatesttension.

AslansacriceshislifeonbehalfofEdmund.

: events that occur as a result of the climax.

ThegoodandevilcreaturesinNarniahaveabale.

Resolution: the event in which the main issue is resolved.

Aslan’ssidewins.Thefourchildrenareestablishedaskingsandqueens.

Denouement(day-new-maw):thenishingoutandtyingupofthedetailsofthestory.

The four children grow up, rule Narnia, and then return to their own world.

Freytag’sPyramid is only a typicalplotdevelopment.Itaccurately describes the plotsof

manypiecesofction,buttherearemanyvariationsandexceptions.Writersdonotnecessarily

writetotheFreytagPyramid.Don’ttrytoforceaworkintothepyramidifitdoesn’tseemto

t.Inaddition,peoplewillsometimeshavedierentideasaboutwhatisthenarrativehook,

inciting incident, resolution, or even the climax in a really dramatic story.

The key question to ask about theplot of a piece of literature is,“What is the ?”

Whatistheissuethatthemaincharacterneedstoresolve?Isitconictwithinhimself,perhaps

betweenwhathewantsandwhatheactuallyhas?Isitaconictbetweenhimselfandanother

character,orbetweenhimselfandtheexpectationsofothers?Isittheconictofwantingtoreach

agoalbutbeingunabletodoso?Whatkeepsormovesthecharacteroutofstabilityandcauses

tension?ThetensionbetweenPipandEstellaisoneconictinGreat Expectations.Thequestfor

theringisacontinuingconictinThe Hobbit and The Lord of the Ringstrilogy.Askillfulwriter

mighthaveseverallinesofconictinaworkandinterweavethemintoagrippingnarrative.

Conictandstrugglearehowwegrowaspersons,sotheconictinastoryisanimportantway

for us to identify with the characters in the story.

The time, place, and social environment of a story is the . The plot unfolds in these

surroundings. Is the story set among the working class of early ninteenth-century England,

amongshermenofrst-centuryIsrael,amongslavesinthesouthernUnitedStatesjustbefore

theCivilWar,oramonghomeschoolingfamiliesoftwenty-rstcenturyAmerica?Theseing

will aect what characters know, their assumptions and aspirations, and how they act and

speak.Thegeographicseingalwaysimpactsthedevelopmentofthestory:isolatedmountain

villagerswillactandspeakdierentlyfromurbandwellers.Theruralandurbanseings—and

theconictbetweenthem—inCry, the Beloved Country are crucial to the story.

Another key element of the plot is the  of the story, how it is told. A straight

 is simplest, but an author might want to use  (descriptions of

events that happened earlier, out of chronological order) and  (hints at things

thatwillcomelater)toconveyaributesofcharactersorparticularfeelingstothestory.

(ARK-eh-types)aretypicalorstandardplotelements,suchasacharacterona

quest,thepursuitofanelusivegoal,thelossofinnocence,oraninitiationintoanewsituation.

Manyoftheworld’smostfamousworksofliteratureincludeoneormoreoftheseelements

becausethesesituationsmakeforagoodstory.Everyonegoesthroughthesetimesorhasthese

dreams.

Characters and Characterization

• The  are the people in a story.

• The isthemaincharacterofthestory(JoinLile Women).

• The isthecharacterwhoworksagainsttheprotagonistandprovidessome

degreeofconict(theWhiteWitchinThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe).

• The issomeonetowhomacharacterrevealshisthoughtsandmotives(Margaret

playsthisroleforBessyandMr.BellplaysthisroleforMargaretinNorth and South).

• Thementorteachesanothercharacteraboutlife(MarmeeinLile Women).

• A foil is often a minor character who by being a contrast illuminates another character

(forinstance,theslickoperatorwhoservestohighlighttheintegrityoftheprotagonist).

• Other typical characters are the hero (Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlet Pimpernel), the

 (Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird), and the (DonQuixote

andSanchoPanza).

• A  is three-dimensional, one whose personality is well-developed and

whohassomeinternalstrugglesexpressed.Inotherwords,heisbelievableandrealistic.

DavidCoppereldisaroundcharacter.A is not developed in the story

(JethroinThe Cat of Bubastes). A  portrays a stereotypical role, such as the

cruel stepmother in Cinderella,theslowanddimwiedpoliceman,ortheunemotional

accountant.Astockcharactermightberoundorat.A changes during

thestory(maturesorregresses,asMargaretHaledoesinNorth and South), while a 

 does not change (Fanny in North and South). A good author uses each character

toadvancethestoryinsomeway,notjusttocluerthepages.

 is the way that the author reveals the nature and personality of the

characters.Thisishowtheauthormakesacharacterreal.Whatdoyoulearnaboutacharacter

inthecourseofthestory?Howdoyoulearnabouthimorher?Thenarratormighttellthereader

about a character (),ortheauthormightrevealacharacter’saributes

by what the character says or does ( ). Typical methods of indirect

characterizationincludeacharacter’sactionsandhiseectonothers,acharacter’sdressand

appearance, how he talks andwhathe says, and thethoughts hereveals.The author might

convey information about a character through his interactions with others, by what others say

about the character, or by discrepancies between the character’s reputation and his real actions

or between what he says and what he does. A narrator (and through the narrator the author)

mightexpressanevaluationofacharacterbycommentsheorshemakes.Ifacharactergrows

or changes, how does the author show this: insights that she gains, experiences that teach her

lessons,orbydemonstratingdierentwaysofactingorspeakingoverthecourseofthestory?

Conictwithinacharacterorbetweencharacterscanbedistinctfromconictinthestory.

In A Tale of Two Cities, for example, the conict between the Defarges and the other French

revolutionariesononehandandtheFrencharistocracyontheotherisdierentfromtheconict

withinSydneyCartonhimself.Whatdoesacharacterdoaboutconict?Doeshetrytoescapeit,

doesherepressit,ordoesheaddressit?

Narrative

The Narrator.Whoistellingthestory?Onekeyelementofthenarrativeisthepointofview

of the narrator. The narrator might be ,acharacterinthestory.Arstpersonnarrator

mightbeamajororaminorcharacterinthestory.ThecharacterDavidCoppereldistherst

personnarratoroftheCharlesDickensnovelbythatname;therst-personnarratorIshmaelin

MobyDickisarelativelyminorcharacterinthatbook.Anarratormightbe, one who

is not a character in the story. The narrator might be ,meaningthatheorsheknows

the thoughts and motives of each character, or he might be ,knowingthe

thoughts and motives of just one person. A narrator might be ,notknowinganything

abouttheinnerthoughtsofthecharactersexceptwhatthecharactersthemselvesreveal.One

waytodescribeanobjectivenarratoristhatheknowsandconveysonlywhatacamerasees.A

rare form of narration is , by which the author describes the reader himself going

through the events of the story. Another rare form of narration is the 

approach, in which the narrator relates the jumble of his own (or one character’s own) thoughts as

theyoccurtohim.WilliamFaulkner’sThe Sound and the Fury is told in a stream of consciousness

approach.

Anauthorchoosesthenarrativeapproachforareason.InGreat Expectations, the reader has

muchmoresympathyforPip,themaincharacterandrstpersonnarrator,thanhewouldif

thestoryweretoldbyathirdpersonnarrator,althoughDickensusedthirdpersonnarratorsin

manyofhisworks.

Whatisthe or toneofthenarration?Isthenarratorlight-hearted,

angry, skeptical, condescending,or sad and defeated? The mood of the characters might be

dierent from the tone the author conveys. The characters might be harsh and judgmental,

butthenarratorcouldbesympathetictothevictimsoftheharshness.SimonLegreeisaharsh

characterinUncleTom’sCabin;buttheauthor/narratorHarrietBeecherStoweissympathetic

toTom,thetargetofSimon’sharshness.Theauthormighthaveanagendaorcauseheistrying

togetacrossthroughthewaythebookisnarrated.Arareapproachistheunreliablenarrator

whoissoprejudicedthatthereadercannottrustwhatthenarratorsaysandhastolterwhat

thenarratorsaystodeterminethetruth.Itispossibleforanauthortohaveatoneoragenda

thatisdierentfromthetoneoragendaofthenarrator.Forinstance,theauthormightwantto

condemnthelifestyleoftherichandfamous.Todosohemakesthenarratorsofawningtoward

andacceptingoftherichandfamousthatitturnsthereadero.Thisisasubtleformofsarcasm

as a tone.

Narrative Style. An author will use a particular style,suchasformalorcolloquiallanguage,

ortakealogicaloremotionalapproachtothestory.Doestheauthoruse, which is the

recordingofdirectquotesofconversationsbetweencharacters,toadvancethestory?

Howdoestheauthorusewordstotellhisstory?Hehasseveraltools

at his disposal.

•  is using descriptive language to convey appearance or other aributes. It is

paintingpictureswithwords.Compare“Wewalkedbetweentwolargerocksandcame

toabigeld”to“Thenarrowpassagebetweenthetoweringclisopenedintoameadow

lushwithwildowers.”

• Simileisacomparisonusinglikeoras.“Hisencouragementwaslikeabreathoffresh

airtome.”

• Metaphorisacomparisoninwhichonethingissaidtobeanother.“Youarearockof

stabilitytome.”

•  is the use of one thing to represent another. Literature often uses 

toconveycertainideas:nightoftenportraysmysteryorevil;amountaincan

representanobstacletoovercome;winterandspringcanrepresentdeathandrebirth.

•  is an extended comparison, in which every or almost every character or event

represents something else. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution.

• Apostrophe is addressing someone who is not present or something that is not human.

“Caesar,thouarerevenged”(fromJulius Caesar,spokenafterCaesarwasdead).

• (sih-NEK-doh-key)isusingapartforthewhole.“Tenthousandfeetmarched

downthestreettoanendlessbeatofdrums”(peoplemarched,notjustfeet).

• Metonymy(meh-TONN-eh-mi)issubstitutingonetermforanotherbecauseoftheclose

associationbetweenthetwo.“TheWhiteHouse announcedaneweconomicstimulus

package today” (meaning the President or an administration ocial did so, not the

physicalstructureat1600PennsylvaniaAvenueinWashington,D.C.).

• isintentionaloverstatement.“Ithinkofyouamilliontimesaday.”

• Litotes(LIH-tuh-teez)isintentionalunderstatement.“His donationto thecharity was

notinsignicant”(meaningitwassignicant).

• Irony is a contrast between appearance and reality. Irony can be situational (a man

proposingmarriagetoawomaninacomicalseingsuchasbeingstuckinaelevator,

or characters trying to keep from laughing out loud in aquiet museum), verbal(one

character doing something foolish and another character saying the opposite, such as,

“That wasan intelligentthing to do!”), or dramatic (the readerknows more than the

characterdoes,sothereaderknowsthatitisironicthatthecharacterisdoingthisbecause

it is fruitless or dangerous).

• Oxymoron(ox-ee-MORE-on)isacontradictioninterms.“Thesilencewasdeafening.”

•  is a phrase or statement that appears to be contradictory but in fact might convey

adeeptruth.“IknowthatIknownothingatall.”

• Antithesisispuingtogethertwooppositeideastoachievetheeectofacontrast.“It

wasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes.”

•  is thegiving of humantraits to non-human things. “The trees waited

eagerlyfortherisingofthesun.”

• Alliterationistherepetitionofthesameinitialverbalsound.“Billybouncedaballby

the backyard barbecue.” To be more specic: assonance is the repetition of the same

vowel sound; consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound. Alliteration

givesrhythmtoastatementorphrasethatcanincreaseitsemotionalimpact.“Andthe

raven,neveriing,stillissiing,stillissiing/OnthepallidbustofPallasjustabovemy

chamberdoor.”

.Abookwillusuallyhaveatopicandatheme.Thesearetwodierent

aributeseventhoughtheysoundsimilar.Aisabriefdescriptionofthebook,suchas,

“TheFrenchRevolution,”“HowLenin’sCommunistRussiaoperated,”or“Lifeinanineteenth-

centuryEnglishfactorytown.”Atheme can usually be stated in one sentence and often expresses

a universal idea that the story conveys. Cry, the Beloved Countryisaboutredemption,making

something good out of something bad. The theme of North and South is prejudice.

Howdoestheauthordealwiththeconictandthetheme?Theauthormightconveyhisbelief

thattheconictisaresultoftheprotagonist’soutdatedorirrationalmindset;ifthecharacter

wouldbemoreopen-minded,hewouldnothavethisconict.Thethememightbetheprivilege

ofthewealthy,whichtheauthorapproacheswithsarcasmbecausehethinksthewealthyought

not to have such privilege.

Your Response to the Story

Asyoureadaworkofliterature,whetherction,poetry,ornon-ction,interactwiththe

text. Even more, interact with what the text is saying about life, or history, or whatever the

topic is, and what the text says to you and about you. Are the plot and characters realistic and

plausible?Iftheyareunreal,doestheauthorintendforthemtobeunrealanddoesthisapproach

work?Howarethecharactersproductsoftheirtimeandplaceandsocialseingandhowdo

theytranscendtheirseing?Whatisespeciallymeaningfultoyouintermsofparticularscenes,

characters,dialog,oroverallimpact?Howdoesthestorymakeyoufeel,whichisdierentfrom

whatyouthinkaboutit?Howdoesitmakeadierenceforyou?

Literaryanalysisishelpfulwhenitclarieshowtheauthorconstructedthework.Youcan

moredeeplyappreciatewhatheorshedidandhowtheworkconveystheintendedmessage

andmood.However,literaryanalysiscansometimesbeemphasizedtothepointofmakingit

seemmoreimportantthantheworkitself;andananalystcancomeupwithideasaboutawork

thattheauthorneverhadinmind.Muchofliteraryanalysisisandshouldbesubconsciouson

thepartofthereader,thewayweenjoyagoodmealwithoutover-analyzingalloftheindividual

ingredients(althoughyoushouldcomplimentthecook,and,ifyouareinterested,askhowheor

shepreparedit).Asyougivethoughttoliteraryanalysis,youcanbeerappreciatethemental

feastoeredtoyoubywhatyouread.

The Great Story

It’swhatweallwant,whetherwerealizeitornot.Wewantourlivestomaer.Wewantto

believethatourlivesamounttosomethinginspiteofourmistakesandfailures.Wewantto

overcomehardshipsandreboundfromsetbacks.Wewanttondsomethinggoodinthebad

things that happen.

We call it redemption. It’s the athlete who comes back from a terrible season and leads

histeamto the championship. It’s themanwhorecoversfromaddictionor bankruptcy and

accomplishesgood.Itchokesusupinamovieorbringsforthatearaswereadabook.

Redemptionisoneofthegreatthemesinliterature;somemightsayit’stheonlyrealtheme

inliterature.It’sthestoryofScroogeinA Christmas Carol.It’sAnneofGreenGablesachieving

successafteralmostnotbeingabletostaywithMahewandMarilla.It’sthereasonwhythe

parable of the prodigal son is so powerful.

Thereal,true,greateststoryofredemptionisthestoryofJesusChrist.HegaveHimselfto

redeemmankindfromsin.Godredeemedtheterriblecrossbymakingitthebeautifulmeansof

salvation.Godredeemsusbytakingoursinful,brokenlivesandmakingsomethingworthwhile

out of them: we become His children. The cross is the ultimate story of God bringing good from

something bad.

RedemptionisattheheartoftheentirestoryofScripture.GodredeemsIsraelfromslaveryin

Egypt.HeredeemstheJewishcaptivesofBabylonfrombondage.Hepredictsthatonedaythe

SueringServantwouldbearthesinsofallandsetusfree.ThestoryoftheOldTestamentpoints

towardandisfullledinChrist.Redemptioniswhatissobeautifulandpowerfulaboutthe

gospel:whatwelongforsodesperatelyChristaccomplishes.Wecanknowthatwedoindeed

maerenoughthattheSonofGoddiedforus.Wecanbesaved,reconciled,redeemed.

Asyoureadabook,whetherctionornonction,lookforthestoryofredemption.Whena

maincharacterrisestotheoccasion,completesajourney,orturnsoutbeerthanitlookedas

thoughhewould,that’sredemption.Wewantpeopletoturnouttobewinnersbecausethat’s

whatwewanttobe.InJesus,weare.

Know Why You Believe

Paul Little

Ifsomeonehastaughtyouthetruthsofthegospel,thankGodforthat.Theyhavegivenyou

a great gift. To face life from the perspective of faith is to live with the strongest foundation you

canhave.InKnow Why You Believe,PaulLiledoesyouaservicebycollectinginoneplacethe

reasons why faith is a logical and reasonable position.

Lilealsoprovidesaservicetothosewhodon’thaveafoundationoffaith.Noteveryone—

not even everyone inAmerica—grows up with this foundation. Many voices in our culture

expressskepticismaboutChristianity.Forthosewhohearthesevoicesandhavequestionsabout

theChristianfaith,Lileoerssolid,carefullyresearchedanswersthatwillpointpeopleinthe

direction of faith.

Along-timestamemberofInterVarsityChristianFellowship,aparachurchorganization

that ministers primarily to college students, Lile heard many questions from students, but

theygenerallyboiled down to the twelve that are the chaptersinthisbook.Lilewrote the

booktoextendhisministrytothosewithwhomhecouldnotconversepersonally.Heprovides

theevidence,buthealsonotesthatfaithisadecisionofthewillandnotjustamaerofbeing

convinced in the mind.

Christianapologeticsisnotwhatitmightsoundlike.Itisnotanapologyforbelievingin

Jesus.Instead,thetermcomesfromtheGreekwordthatmeansspeakinginone’sowndefense.

Apologetics is a discipline that presents carefully reasoned arguments in defense of the

truthfulness of Christianity. A term that has a similar meaning is Christian evidences.

Know Why You Believe informs and supports a Christian worldview. As we say many times

in this curriculum, your worldview has a profound impact on your life. There is a real and

signicantdierencebetweenlivingonthebasisofaChristianworldviewandlivingonthe

basisofuncertainty,skepticism,oroutrightrejectionofChrist.Know Why You Believe provides

answersforallthosewhoseekthetruth.

Having said this, however, we need to point out what we believe are a couple of weak

pointsinthebook.TherstisChapter9,“DoScienceandScriptureAgree?”Thechaptermakes

some good points. For instance, Lile is justly critical of what he calls “scientism,” the idea

thatanythingcontemporaryscientistssaymustbetrue.Wehaveseenthe“assuredndingsof

science”changesooftenthattobelievethemostrecentscienticconclusionsorassumptions

arethenalwordisshort-sighted.Healsocorrectlypointsoutthattheisticevolutionassumes

that the intelligent, rational God uses an illogical, irrational, chance-based process of evolution,

whichsimplydoesnotmakesense.

However, when Lile introduces the subjects of science and Scripture at the rst of the

chapter,hesays,“Nodoubtthereisconict.”Heseemstobereferringtoconictbetweensome

scientistsandsomereligionists.Scriptureistrueandscienticrealityistrue,andtruthdoesnot

conictwithtruth.

Lileappropriatelysupportstheideaofmicroevolution,withinkinds.However,hespeaksof

mutations as potentially helpful or favorable. Experience has shown that at least some mutations

are harmful.

Heseemstosupporttheideathatwemust“remainagnostic”abouttheageoftheearth.

Agnosticismnotonlysaysthatwedon’tknowbutthatwecannotknow.Evidenceforayoung

earthexiststhatwecanknow,butthebookdoesnotdealadequatelywithit.

Lilementionsa1992announcementthatscientistshadfound“stunningconrmation”ofa

bigbangcreationevent,buthedoesnotgivedetailsofit.Thissoundslikeaclaimmadeinthe

media (claims which are notoriously sensational and inexact), and whatever it was certainly did

notendthecontroversy.Moreover,thesupposedclaimdidnotdealwiththequestionofwhat

banged, that is, the origin of the dense material that supposedly exploded. Even if you assumed

abigbang,therstandmostvitalquestionishowsomethingarosefromnothing;forthatto

happenrequiresaCreator.No“bigbang”theoryaddressesthisquestion.

Lileendsthechapterbysayingthat“scienceandScriptureshowsomesignsofbecoming

strongallies.”ScienticfactandScriptureproperlyinterpretedhavealwaysbeenandalways

willbestrongallies.Lile’sdiscussioninthischaptershowsthatsomeonecanberightabouta

lotofthings—whichheisinthebookasawhole—butmissitonsomeissues.Wecanallgrow

inourunderstandingofGod’struth.Ifnothingelse,thesepassagescanhelpyoudeneand

sharpenyourpositionsonthesemaers.

Thesecondweakpointcomesattheveryendofthebook,inLile’sdescriptionoftheyoung

manwhowas“stuckbetweenthescreendoorandtherealdoor”intermsofcomingtofaith

inJesus.Theyoungman’sprayermovedhimanimportantstepclosertoJesus,butnowhere

in the New Testament is anyone told to pray alile prayer in order to besaved. Jesus calls

peopletodenythemselves,takeuptheircross,andfollowHim.Callstorespondtothegospel

thatChristiansproclaiminthebookofActs—certainlybasedonfaithandrestinginthegrace

ofGod—speakofrepentance,confession, baptism, and a change of lifestyleand worldview.

BecomingaChristian,adiscipleofJesus,goesmuchdeeperthanintellectualassenttothetruth

ofJesusoreventheadmissionofaneedforJesus.Jesusdoes notcall peopleto aminimum

essentialsreligion—whateverittakestogetby—buttoadecisiontobeallin,respondingtoHis

word as Lord.

However,thesetwoweaknessesinthebookdonottakeawaythevalueofthebookasawhole

inpresentinganeectiveapologeticforwhyfaithisnotjustapossiblechoicebutacompelling

one and the best one. Believers always have room to grow in understanding why their faith is

reasonable, logical, and defensible.

Content Questions

1. WhatwasthemaingroupofpeoplePaulE.Lileworkedwithandministeredto?

2. WhatisoneoftheevidencesfortheexistenceofGoddiscussedinChapter2?

3. WhathistoricaleventintheNewTestamentdoesLilesayisthefoundationstoneofthe

Christianfaith?

4. WhathavemodernarchaeologicaldiscoveriesshownabouttheBible?

5. Does Lile agree with thestatement, “It doesn’t maer whatyou believeas long as you

believeit?”

Analysis Questions

1. Whatisoneofthequestionsinthisbookthatyouhavewonderedaboutbefore?Howhelpful

wasLile’sanswertoyourquestion?

2. Whatisonequestionortopicinthebookthatyouwouldliketodelveintofurther?What

wouldbesomegoodsourcesforinformationonthetopic?

3. Whyisitimportantforapersontoknowwhytheybelievewhattheybelieve?

Blood Brothers

Elias Chacour with David Hazard

Blood Brothers centersonatopicclosetotheheartofmanypeople.TheIsraeli-Palestinian

conictmaerstoChristians,toJews,andtoMuslims.Thetopicisfraughtwithcontroversy,a

long and tragic history, and strong opinions.

Blood Brothers includes the timeline of Israel’s recent history. After the Holocaust, Jews

sought a secure place to live in their historic homeland of Canaan. But that was a country with

apopulation:PalestineofthePalestinians.Muslims,Christians,andJewslivedtheretogether.

Withsupportfrommanypowerfulcountriesoftheworld,JewishZionistsdeclaredthenation

ofIsraelinPalestinein1949.ThearmyofIsraelforciblyremovedPalestine’sresidents.Some

Palestinians defended their homeland. Israelis and Palestinians, each supported by other

countriesandgroups,havecontinuedtobaleoverthelandeversince.

Blood Brothers presents a point of view we seldom hear in this ongoing, heated, violent debate.

Elias Chacour is a Palestinian Christian who has lived through this timeline of turbulence in the

landof hisbirth.Instead oftaking oneofthe usualsidesin theconict—”We mustsupport

theJews”or“WemustsupportthePalestinians”—Chacoursayswemustsupportanddefend

humanbeings;wemustliveoutthecallofChristtobepeacemakers.

Blood BrothersdeepensourunderstandingoftheIsraeli-Palestinianconictinseveralways.

Itevendeesaneasycategorizationofthekindofbookitis.Itwouldbewell-placedinmultiple

sections of the library.

Wewouldn’tbesurprisedtondBlood Brothers in the biography section since it is the life

storyofEliasChacour.Hislifedidnotstartoutlikeonedestinedtobewrienabout.Hewasthe

youngest of many children in a farming family in a tiny out-of-the-way village of Galilee. Yet he

wasbornatapivotaltimeforhispeople,thePalestinians.Hisearliestyearsweremarkedwith

the peace and security his family had enjoyed for generations until their world was violently

andpermanentlyshaeredwiththecreationofthestateofIsrael.Hisentirelifesincehasbeena

pathofndingahome,ndingthewayofforgivenessandunderstanding,becomingavoicefor

his people, ministering to people of all races and faiths, and building bridges of reconciliation.

Fromhishumblestart,EliasChacourgrewintohisspecialcallinginthekingdomofGod.

Blood Brothersalso belongs with non-ction books onthehistoryof the Middle East. The

purpose of Blood Brothersisnotforyoutogetacquaintedwiththelifeofoneparticularman.

HisautobiographybroadensourunderstandingbecausehislifeandeventsintheMiddleEast

haveoverlappedandshapedeachother.Hedoesn’thaveinformation,theories,andknowledge

abouttheIsraeli-Palestinianconict.Hehasmemories,wounds,lovedones,anddreamswithin

theIsraeli-Palestinianconict.Hecantellusaboutgovernmentleaderslying,villagesrazed,

and family members rounded up, not from reading, interviewing, and digging documents out

oflibraries,butbecausehewastheonethatwasliedto,itwashisvillagethatwasrazed,andit

was his family members who were rounded up.

Blood BrotherswouldbeequallyathomeamongbooksabouttheChristianlife.Blood Brothers

includes a brief discussion on Biblical prophecies regarding one of the most hotly-contested

sections of the globe. Perhaps Chacour’s view on Biblical prophecy helped to clarify what you’ve

foundconfusing.Ormaybeyoudisagreewithhisinterpretation.ManyChristianswhostudy

theBibleandseektounderstandtruthwillndpointsofdisagreementabouttheinterpretation

of those prophecies. However, there’s another part of the Bible we can all agree applies to the

story.Chacourdevotedmuchmorespaceandplacedmuchmoresignicanceonthepartof

theBiblethatsays,“Blessed arethe peacemakers,fortheyshallbecalledsonsofGod,” and

“Loveyourenemies.”Theradical,simple,profound,andlife-alteringmessageJesusgaveinthe

SermonontheMountbringsusnottobierdebatebuttohumbledsilence.MichaelChacour,

Elias’sfather,tookJesusabsolutelyatHiswordandtaughthisfamilytodothesame.Thecost

wasgreatforMichaelChacourandeverymemberofhisfamily.AswillingservantsofGod,their

interpretationofScriptureledthemonapathofsacrice,patience,andfaith.

Blood Brothers is autobiography, history, and teaching on the Christian life. And yet it is more.

Chacourdidnotwriteittoleaveyouthinking,“Thatwasinteresting,”“Hmm,Ineverknew

allthathappened,”nor“Wow,whatanamazingman.”Itwaswrienasacalltosearchyour

ownsoul,acalltothinkthroughyourownassumptionsandmisunderstandings,andacallto

applywhatyou’velearnedtoyourownconvictionsandactions.EliasChacourseeksalliesin

hisbaleagainstfalseassumptions,bierness,andhate.ThemessageofBlood Brothersspeaks

toeveryfollowerofChrist.Ourgoalmustnotbetond“theeasylifeofblindnesstopain,”as

Elias Chacour wrote. Blood BrotherscallsustoserveGodinandthroughbierconict,losses,

andpain,andtoloveourneighbor,nomaerthecost.

Content Questions

1. WhatkindofworkdidEliasChacour’sfamilydointheirvillageofBiram?

2. WhatwasMichaelChacour’sreactionwhenhisgorchardwastakenfromhim?

3. WhydidEliasChacour’sparentstakehimtoHaifawhenhewastwelveyearsold?

4. WhatwasthepurposeoftheZionistmovement?

5. WhydidEliaschangehismindandchoosenottoacceptoerstoworkinEurope?

Analysis Questions

1. What principles of peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation did Elias see modeled in his

parents?

2. WhatdierentreactionsdoPalestiniansinthebookhavetowardtheconictwithJewsand

theirownlossanddisplacement?

3. HowwouldyoudescribeEliasChacour’sworldview?

Patricia St. John Tells Her Own Story

Whywouldsomeonewriteanautobiography?Thepossibilitiesareinnite.Somewriteto

recordhistoryastheywitnessedit.Somehopetheywillnotbeforgoen.Somewritetocorrect

falsereports.Somewishtorecordtheirthoughtsandmemoriesfortheirdescendants.Someare

burstingwithadventuresbeggingtobetold.Somemightwishtosharelifelessonslearnedthe

hardwaytogivesomeoneelseaheadstart.Somemightwanttogivehonortootherpeoplewho

shapedtheirlives.Somewritewithprideintheirownaccomplishment.

Anauthor’smotivationinwritingcomesthroughinwhattheysayandhowtheysayit.It

is appropriate to raise an eyebrow when an author of an autobiography is the hero of every

adventure.Itisworthafact-checkwhentheauthor“corrects”awidely-heldunderstanding.Itis

good to remember that a person’s memory is one-sided and selective. And it’s easy for an author

toskipovertheirmostunaeringmomentsandunwisedecisions.Thoughwetrytobesubtle

andbalanced,ourbiasesandagendawillalwayscomethrough.It’sagoodhabittoaskofan

author,“IsthisapersonIcantrust?Whyorwhynot?”

WhydidPatriciaSt.Johntellherownstory?Herswasaremarkablejourney,alifeunparalleled.

Herlegacycontinuesassucceedinggenerationsofchildrenandtheirparentsdiscoverherbooks

inspired by people and places that she knew. Yet she didn’t seem to see herself as a heroic

missionarywarrior,abuilderofaworld-changinglegacy.Sheshareshermemoriesasahumble,

normalperson,servingwhereshewascalledtoserve.Shewassimplyherselfinawidevariety

ofcircumstances,fromtheordinarytotheextraordinary.Shewasjoyfullyawarethatherstory

was authored by the Creator of all. Her own journey pointed to His truth and glory with every

step.ShealsosharedtheLord’sworkinthelivesofherparents,siblings,andextendedfamily.

PatriciaSt.John’sautobiographypointscontinuallytotheOnetowhomshe gaveher lifeto

serve and glorify.

Whatdoyouthinkshewouldwantyoutotakeawayfromherbook?PatriciaSt.Johnsawand

lovedindividualpeople.Inhercountlessone-on-oneencountersacrosstheglobe,shewanted

eachpersontoknowofGod’slovethroughthegospel.Everyreaderofherbookessentiallyhas

theprivilegeofaconversationwiththisgenuineperson.DoesherfaithhelpyouknowtheLord

beer?DoherstorieshelpyouseethatyoucantrustHim?Doessheinspireyoutothinkofhow

youmightservewheretheLordhasplacedyou?

Content Questions

1. Towhat continentdidPatriciaSt. John’sparentsgo asmissionariesright aftertheywere

married?

2. WhatdicultdecisiondidPatricia’sparentsmakerightbeforeshewasborn?

3. WherewasPatriciaSt.John’sbrotherworkingwhenshejoinedhiminforeignministry?

4. Patricia and her sister traveled from Beirut to North Africa to retrace the journeys of what

man?

5. InwhatcountrydidPatriciaSt.Johnspendthelastyearsofherlife?

Analysis Questions

1. HowdidPatriciaSt.John’sworldviewshapeherlifepriorities?

2. WhatarethreeGod-givengiftsyounoticeinPatriciaSt.Johnthatfurtheredherministry?

3. Atwhattimeandplaceinherstorywouldyoumostliketodropinandvisitherorjoinher

journey?Why?

A Long Walk to Water

Linda Sue Park

A Long Walk to Water has two parallel narratives that eventually intersect: the story of Nya

andthestoryofSalvaDut.Also,thoughthebookiswrienasction,thenarrativeofSalvaDut

isbasedonarealpersonandhisrealexperiences.Theauthororganizedtheinformationand

eventsofSalvaDut’slifeintoastory.Almosteverystoryhasaplot,orachronologyinwhich

the events unfold.

Inthefollowinganalysis,wewilllookatA Long Walk to Water(specicallythenarrativeof

SalvaDut)throughthelensofFreytag’sPyramid,whichyoureadaboutonpage6.Beloware

theelementsofplotaccordingtoFreytag’sPyramid.Referbacktothediagramanddenitions

forFreytag’sPyramidaswelookateachelementandhowtheauthorusesitinA Long Walk to

Water.

Exposition: layingoutthesituationandbackground,introducingthecharacters.

Lookatpages1-4ofA Long Walk to Water.Writedownatleastthreethingstheauthortellsus

tohelpusquicklygettoknowSalvaDutandthelifeheleads?

something that gets the story moving.

Lookatthelowerhalfofpage5andupperhalfofpage6inA Long Walk to Water. How would

youdescribeinonesentencethiseventthatservesasthestory’sincitingincident?

buildingdrama;eachsignicanteventiscalledacomplication.

Chapters 2-13 (pages 8-82) in A Long Walk to WatercontaintherisingactionofSalvaDut’s

story.ThissectionincludesSalva’slongjourneysonfoottorefugeecampsinEthiopiaandKenya.

Itcoversmanyyears,includessomeoftheimportantpeoplehemetalongtheway,andtellsof

themanytimeswhenhislifewasspared.Flipbrieythroughthissectiontojogyourmemory.

Writedownthreesignicanteventsfromtherisingaction.

Climax: thesinglekeyeventorturningpoint;themomentofgreatesttension.

WhatwastheturningpointinA Long Walk to Water?WhathappenedthatchangedSalva

Dut’slifecompletely?(Hint:Seepage89.)Writeonetotwosentencesexplaininghowtheclimax

turnedthestoryinadierentdirection.

events that occur as a result of the climax.

Asaresultoftheclimax,SalvacomestoliveintheUnitedStates.Howwouldyousummarize

Salva’sadjustmenttotheUnitedStatesinonetotwosentences?

Resolution: the event in which the main issue is resolved.

InA Long Walk to Water,theresolutionbringstogetherSalva’sbackgroundinSudan,thenew

opportunitieshehadaftermovingtotheUnitedStates,andhisdreamtondawaytohelp

hiscountrymen.TheresolutionforSalvawasalsotheresolutionforNyaandhervillage.What

happenedthatprovidedtheresolutionforbothparallelnarratives?Summarizethisinoneto

two sentences.

thenishingoutandtyingupofthedetailsofthestory.

InthedenouementofA Long Walk to Water,welearnofachainofgoodeectsthatwillcome

toNya’svillagebecauseofthewell.Seepage113.Howwouldyoudescribethebook’smessage

ofhopeandredemption?

The Day the World Stopped Turning

Michael Morpurgo

AuthorMichaelMorpurgosethisbeautifulnovelThe Day the World Stopped Turning in a real

place: the Camargue region in the south of France. The Camargue is not a place that we hear

aboutoften.It’snottopofmindformosttravellists.Theshroudofmysteryandwonderabout

thiscorneroftheworldmakesthebookmoreeective.FlamingosinFrance?Whatisthisplace?

Theseingisessentialtothewaythestoryunfolds.Thoughthecharactersarectitious,they

liveinaplacethatisreal.TheyalsohaveexperiencesparalleltomanyrealonesduringWorld

WarII.Thishelpstomakethecharacters,andthebook,relatableandbelievable.

MorpurgodynamicallyusedtheseingofThe Day the World Stopped Turninglikeanother

importantcharacterinthestory.Weather,bodiesofwater,landforms,oldbuildings,musicof

windandbirds,lightsofdaytimeandnighimeallplayapartinwhathappensandcan’tbe

ignored. The events of The Day the World Stopped Turning could not happen anywhere else than

the Camargue.

LookatamapofFranceandndthecityofArles.ItissouthofAvignon,betweenMontpellier

andMarseilleneartheMediterraneanCoast.Arlesisthegatewaytotheriverdeltaformedby

the Rhône. The Grand Rhône continues its southbound journey past Arles while the Petit Rhône

branchesotothewest,thensouth.ThedeltabetweenthesearmsoftheRhôneistheCamargue.

The human population of the Camargue is sparse, surrounded by carefully preserved

naturalbeauty.Camarguefarmersraiseafamousblackcaleforracing,bullghting,andfood

production. Marshy rice elds wave in the wind that comes from the sea. Manmade ponds

for extracting saltash rosy pinkin the brightsun, white Camarguehorses gallop over the

openland,sharingtheunspoiledcountrywithfourhundreddierentkindsofbirds,including

amingos.

From the beginning of The Day the World Stopped Turning, the Camargue pulls us into the

story.Vincent,narratorofthebook,wasdrawntotheregionbyabeautifulVanGoghpainting

that hung over his bed.

VincentVanGoghmadehishomeintheCamargueregionfromFebruary1888toMay1889.

This period was the most productive of his life, with an output of three hundred paintings

anddrawings.SomeofVanGogh’sbestworkasanartistcaptureslifeintheCamargueata

particular moment in time, as well as the natural beauty that remains unchanged.

Inthebook,Vincent(thenarrator)makeshiswaytotheCamargueasavisitorandaccidentally

becomes involved in the lives of two of the region’s lifelong residents, Lorenzo and Kezia.

Morpurgousesanintriguingdevicetotellthestory.Vincentdoesn’tactuallytellit;thebookis

mostlylongmonologuesbyKezia.Sincesheexperiencedthestory,hearingitfromhergivesa

muchmorepersonaltouch.WehearitasVincentheardit:observersfromtheoutsidewhomthe

story draws into its beauty and warmth.

Lorenzo’sfamilyhadtheirownpieceoftheCamargue,asmallfarmnearthevillageofAigues-

Mortes(arealplace).Lorenzo’sfamilyraisestheblackbullsandwhitehorsestheCamargueis

famous for, in addition to other farming on a small scale.

Kezia’s family is Roma, a people sometimes known as gypsy. Her family drew their

livelihoodfromacarouseltheytransportedandsetupallovertheCamargue.Kezia’shomewas

the traditional caravan of her people.

Many things have not changed since the ctional Kezia and Lorenzo grew up in the

Camargue.Farmingisstillavitalpartofthefabricoflife.ManyRomastillmaketheirhomein

the Camargue. Every year, thousands of Roma from all over Europe gather for a big festival and

religiouspilgrimageatSaintes-Maries-de-la-Mer,asKeziamentionsonpage273ofThe Day the

World Stopped Turning.

Inthestory,Lorenzo,Kezia,andtheirparents,whobelongtotheCamargue,standinsharp

contrasttotheGermansoldierswhoinvadeit.Waranditsdestructionmovedoutinanever-

widercircle,eclipsingevenquiet,remoteplaces.Itfeelsjoltingthatabeautiful,isolated,unspoiled

placewasliabletoinvasionanddesecration.TheGermansoldierswiththeirbalements,camps,

weapons, and uniforms never blend with the landscape. They always stand out, never belonging.

TheancientrhythmsoftheCamarguehadtoholdtheirbreathforafewterribleyears.Inthe

end, the German army left, defeated. The Camargue remained. The farms, the villages, the birds,

theseacontinuedtheirancientrhythms.Butthewarleftitsmarks.

KeziaandLorenzoandtheirparentscarriedonafterthewar,butborescars.Theydidthe

workofpuingtheirlivestogetherandmovingforward,liketherebuiltcarousel.Therewas

healing,hopeand purpose, in returning to the paern ofworkonthefarmand going from

villagetovillagetooperatethecarousel.Theylived,workedandgrewolderintheplacewhere

they had always belonged.

Redemptionplaysapartinthestory.Thestormthatdestroysthecarouselcouldsymbolize

thestormofwarthatdestroysthecommunity.ButKezia’sfatherissurethattheycanrebuildthe

carouselanditwillworkagainoneday,aspeoplepickuptheirlivesafterthewar.Papahates

the Germans, but the caporal’s assistance with the carousel and his warnings to the Roma people

redeemhimintheeyesofKezia’sandLorenzo’sfamilies.

Attheendofthestory,Vincent,thenarrator,choosestostay.Heputsdownrootsandcomes

tobelongtoKezia,Lorenzo,andtheirCamargue.OneverypageofThe Day the World Stopped

Turning,placemaers,notjustasabackdrop,butasacharacterinthestory.

Content Questions:

1. HowwouldyoudescribeLorenzo?

2. HowdidKeziarstgettoknowtheSullyfamilywell?

3. WhydidKezia’sfamilyneedtohideontheSully’sfarm?

4. WhatstorydoLorenzoandKeziaactoutatthecastle?

5. WhatjointprojectdidKezia’sandLorenzo’sfamiliesworkontogetherforyears?

Analysis Questions:

1. Howwouldyouexplainthemeaningofthebook’stitle?

2. HowwouldyoudescribetheworldviewofthecharacterWilliBrenner?

3. Whatplaceorplaceshavemeaninginthestoryofyourlife?

Kidnapped

Robert Louis Stevenson

You will read the following before reading Kidnapped to help you understand

thehistoricalbackgroundtothebook.Thequestionsthatfollowareforyoutoanswerafteryou

have read Kidnapped.

Eviluncles,lostfortunes,shipboardkidnappings,chasesthroughtheHighlands,befriending

wantedmen:RobertLouisStevensonknewhowtowriteapage-turner.HecraftedKidnapped

withamixofhistoryandctionsetinhisnativeScotland.

Kidnappedtakesplacein1751.Theprotagonistandnarrator,DavidBalfour,wasStevenson’s

owncreation.AlanBreckStewart,anotherkeycharacter,wasarealperson.Severalotherreal

peoplecomeintothestoryamongstctitiouscharacters.Thesubtitleofthebookmakesitsound

likeatrueautobiography,butthiswasaliterarydevice.

Woven in and around the adventure, is a complicated historical timeline that can leave

modernreadersrathermuddled.Don’tletthatstopyoufromenjoyingthethrillingjourneythat

is Kidnapped.We’reheretohelp.

Kidnapped was published in 1886, which is a long time after 1751. Nonetheless, the watershed

historicaleventssurrounding the story would havebeen wellknowntomostcontemporary

readers.Therefore,Stevensondidnotfeeltheneedtoexplainthebackgroundofwhatwasgoing

on. Imagine an historical novel based in the time of theAmerican Revolution or Civil War.

Theauthorwouldnotnecessarilyexplainthehistorical/politicalbigpicture,norwhathadled

uptothecurrentstateofaairs.However,twenty-rstcenturyreadersmightnotbequiteas

familiarwithJacobites,Whigs,GloriousRevolutions,andScoishclanpoliticsasStevenson’s

rstreaderswere.Therefore,wehumblysubmittoyouacrashcourseintheaboveforyour

beerenjoymentofKidnapped. Bear with us. Here goes:

King James II succeeded the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1685. He was

Catholic. The majority of his subjects were Protestant, so he was unpopular. They feared an

eventualreligiousandpoliticaltakeoverbytheCatholicChurch.

InJune1688,sevenEnglishleaderssentamessagetoWilliamofOrange,aProtestantfrom

theNetherlands,askinghimtocomeandtaketheEnglishcrown.WilliamwasnotonlyJames

II’sson-in-law(hiswifewasMary,daughterofJamesII),hewasalsothenephewofJamesII.

(Europeanroyaltywasatight-knitfamilyinthosedays...ornot.)Ironically,WilliamofOrange

was already planning an invasion of England. His personal motive was to get England involved

in his current war with France.

WilliamarrivedinEnglandinNovember1688withanimpressiveghtingforce.KingJames

IIplannedtoresist,buthisremainingalliesandsupportevaporatedquickly.Heedthecountry

inDecember1688.

TheEnglish Parliamentoeredthecrown to WilliamandMaryjointly.This is known in

historybooksastheGloriousRevolution.Ofcourse“glorious”dependsonyourpointofview.

It’salsocalledtheBloodlessRevolution;butnomaeryourpointofview,itwasn’t.

ManypeopleinScotlanddidnotapproveofthisbusinessofanewking.Thosewhosupported

theoustedKingJamesIIwerecalled Jacobites. In Latin, James is “Jacobus.” (Yes, they were

tryingtoconfuseus.)ScotsmenwhosupportedWilliamandMarywerecalledWhigs.Withus

sofar?

TheJacobitesrstclashedwithKingWilliam’sarmyin1689.TheJacobitesprevailed,but

their leader, Viscount Dundee, died in the bale. Without a leader, the Jacobite movement

quietedforawhile.

The Scots meanwhile accumulated plenty more reasons to dislike England. This fueled

anotherriseoftheJacobitecause.France(sharingScotland’saversiontoEngland)realizedthat

supportingtheJacobiteswasa perfectopportunity totake aswing atEngland. JamesII had

diedinFrancein1701.Hisson,alsonamedJames(sorry),wasnicknamedthe“OldPretender.”

FranceaemptedtobringhimtoScotlandandinciteawide-scalerebellionin1708.But...it

didn’twork.

In 1715, Jacobites aempted another rebellion. Many Scots were still frustrated at their

treatmentbytheEnglish.JacobitesfoughtanotherbalewithEnglishforcesandwereagain

defeated.

In1719,SpaintriedtobringdownEnglandbygeinginleaguewiththeJacobites.Again,the

Englishhadnotroublesquashingtherebellion.

EnterthemostfamousJacobite:CharlesEdward,akathe“YoungPretender,”aka“Bonnie

PrinceCharlie.”HewasthegrandsonofJamesII.(Remember?TheCatholickingwhomWilliam

and Mary replaced in 1688?) Bonnie Prince Charlie left France and landed in Scotland with

abouttwelvemenin1745.SoonthousandsofJacobitesralliedtohisside.Theysoonhadcontrol

ofScotland.TheJacobitesaemptedtoadvanceuponEnglandtodisastrousresults.TheEnglish

armydecisivelyroutedtheJacobitesattheBaleofCulloden.

Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped into the Highlands where he was chased by the

Englisharmyuntilhemanagedtoescapein1746.TheJacobiteshadsueredtheirnaldefeat.

HardfeelingsbroiledbetweenJacobitesandWhigsandbetweenJacobitesandtheEnglish.

TheEnglishcrownwasdeterminedtocrushtheJacobitecauseonceandforall.The a r m y

roundedupJacobitestobeimprisonedorexecuted.Landownerslosttheirestates.Theentireclan

system changed as chiefs lost their power and their weapons. Even the distinctive clothing and

instrumentsthatrepresentedScotlandanditsancientclanswereoutlawed.Englandstationed

soldierstomakesuretheJacobitesdidnotriseagain.Scotlandwaschangedforever.

AsDavidBalfour(thectionalheroofKidnapped) learned, 1751 was an interesting time to

ndoneselfinScotland.ThefailureofthelastJacobiterebellionwasfreshnews.BonniePrince

Charliehadpracticallyjustleft.Jacobitesupporterswereinrealdanger.Withsomanyfactions

andeverythinginupheaval,itwashardtoknowwhototrust.

There’sonemorethingyouneedtoknowaboutbeforeyoucangoforthandreadthebook

condently educated: an incident famous in Scoish history known as The Appin Murder.

Robert Louis Stevenson was fascinated by this story and built Kidnapped around it. Here’s

whathappened:TheCampbellclanwereWhigs,loyaltothekingofEngland.Theirimmediate

neighborswereJacobiteswhoconsideredtheCampbellstobetraitorstoScotland.AlanBreck

Stewart (the real person/character in the book) stirred up his clan, the Stewarts, against the

Campbells.ColinCampbell,aka“TheRedFox,”wasaleaderloyaltotheEnglishcrownwho

hadtheunwelcometaskofcollectingtaxesandevictingJacobitesfromtheirland.OnMay14,

1752,ColinCampbellwasshotinthebackasherodealongaquietHighlandroadnearthetown

ofAppin.We’llstopherebecause:nospoilers!

Content Questions:

1. HowdidEnglish-bornDavidBalfourendupinScotland?

2. WhatadjectiveswouldyouusetodescribeAlanBreckStewart’spersonality?

3. HowwouldyoudescribethemoodofthepeopleintheHighlandsatthetimeofthestory?

4. WhatwastheoriginofDavid’sfather’squarrelwithhisbrotherEbenezer?

5. How would you write a synopsis of Kidnappedinthreeorfoursentences?

Analysis Questions:

1. Whataresomewaysloyalty,orlackthereof,isexploredinKidnapped?

2. Chooseoneofthestory’svillainsandexplainwhatyouthinkwerehismotivationstoactthe

way he did.

3. WhydoyouthinkDavidandAlanBreckStewartbecamefriendsandjourneyedtogether?

Lost in the Barrens

Farley Mowat



Author and activist Farley Mowat had a special connection to and respect for the land

andpeopleofCanada’sFarNorth.Thislandandpeoplewerelargelyforgoen,ignored,and

misunderstoodbymanyintherestoftheworld.FarleyMowathadamessage:Respectthese

peopleandtheirland.Takecareofthem.Don’tdestroythem.Mostofhisbooksoerthissame

messageinadierentway.Lost in the Barrens conveys this message in the form of an absorbing

ctionalsurvivaladventure.

InadditiontohelpingthoseoutsidetobeerunderstandandrespecttheFarNorth,Lost in

the Barrensexploresrelationshipsbetweendierentgroupsofpeoplewholivethere.

AwasinandJamiearethecharacterswegettoknowthebest.AwasinisCree.Jamieisof

European descent and grew up in Toronto. They appreciate and respect each other from the

start, but over the course of their ordeal, they rely on one another’s individual strengths and

skillsandlearnfromeachother’svaluesandtraditions.

TheChipewayansseekhelpfromtheirancientenemies,theCree.TheCreesacricetohelp

the Chipewayans in their time of need.

Supposeddangerfromthe“Eskimo”peopleisathemethroughoutthestory.Peopleseem

to fear meeting them above any other danger. The boys and their community learn by accident

thatthesefearsareunfounded.Furthermore,the“Eskimo”arethemeansofJamieandAwasin’s

rescue.

JamieandhisuncleareabletohelpPeetyukcometounderstandhislatefatherandconnect

with his father’s way of life.

Alongsidethebook’scharacters,welearnthatstereotypes,reputation,andourownfears

about others do not always hold true.



Theword“Eskimo”haslongbeenacommongeneraltermforindigenouspeoplewholive

inthe farnorthernparts oftheworld. Farley Mowat was notintendingto usetheterm ina

derogatory manner when he published Lost in the Barrensin1956.“Eskimo”isstillafamiliar

term today, but it is growing less common as most people who are native to the region prefer

othernames.Becausemanydierentpeoplegroupsliveinthearcticregion,itisbesttousetheir

owntribalnames,suchasInuit,Yupik,andAlutiiq.



Peopleapparentlyenjoysurvivalstories.Wekeepreadingthem:everythingfromclassics

likeRobinsonCrusoeandSwissFamilyRobinsontothelatest“amazingtruestory”bestseller.

It’sapopularthemeformoviesandTVshows,too,bothfactandction.Weloveholdingour

breathasaseriesofunfortunateeventscutspeopleofromcivilizationandtheycrackthecode

ofsurvival.It’sfuntoimagine(fromacomfortablearmchair)whatitwouldbeliketofendfor

ourselveswithnext-to-nothing.Weliketoaskeachotherhypotheticaldesert-islandquestions

aboutwhatoneperson,twofoods,threetools,fourmovies,orvebookswewouldtake.

Survivalstoriescontainseveralcommonelementsthatleadusintothestory,keepusriveted,

andresolvethesituationintheend.Thefollowingchartcontainsthreecolumnsforyoutollin.

Intherstcolumn,brieyexplainhowthiselementwasusedinLost in the Barrens.Intheother

twocolumns,you’llcreateideasfortwodierentsurvivalstoriesfromyourownimagination.

Makeonerealisticandonefantasy(Silly?Epic?Mysterious?Allegorical?Yourchoice.)Wantto

takeyourideasandwriteasurvivalstoryortwolater?Goforit!

Survival Story Elements

Createachartonaseparatepieceofpaperorvisitnotgrass.com/ewglinkstodownloadthe

chartwedesigned.Itshouldhavefourcolumnsandfteenrows.Thecolumnsshouldhavethe

headersasshownandeachrowshouldhaveoneofthequestionsfromthelistbelow.

Survival Story

Elements



Lost in the Barrens?







survival story?







survival story?

1.Whoarethe

characters who must

survive?

1. Whoarethecharacterswhomustsurvive?

2. Whatistheinhospitableseing?

3. Howdotheycometobethere?

4. Whattimeofyeardoestheordealbegin?

5. Whatdangersdotheyexpect?

6. Whatdotheydoforshelter?

7. Whatdotheydoforfood?

8. Whatunexpectedhelpdotheynd?

9. Whatunexpecteddangersbefallthem?

10. Whatconictdotheyhave?

11. Whatisonethingtheylearnaboutthemselves/eachother?

12. Whatisonewaytheygrowaspeople?

13. Whatwasthe#1thingthatenabledthemtosurvive?

14. Howdotheymaketheirescape/getrescued?

Analysis Questions

1. What good eventually came of Jamie andAwasin’s foolish decision to separate fromthe

huntingparty?

2. ThoughJamieandAwasinsurvived,whatwasthecostoftheirordeal?

3. WhatwasthemainwayJamieandAwasin’srespectiveworldviewsclashed?

Boys Without Names

by Kashmira Sheth

ThousandsofrealchildrenhavelivesthatlookverysimilartoGopalandhiscoworkersin

Boys Without Names.AuthorKashmiraShethcarefullyresearchedtherealityofchildlaborand

metrealpeopleinIndiawhoinspiredhercharacters.ThoughGopalandhisstoryarectional,

theyarearealisticrepresentationofchildlaborthatillegallythrivesinIndiaandmanyother

countries.ThectionalGopalandhisfriendshaveahappyendingandndreleasefromtheir

slavery. Many real children do not escape; they have not had a happy ending to their real

enslavement.

Boys Without Names is a story of contrasts and transitions. The boys in the frame factory

move from becoming isolated, anonymous individuals to boys with names. They become real,

peoplewithidentitiesandbackstories,toeachotherandtous.Theymovefrombeingisolated

andsometimesopposedtoeachothertoadynamicofworkingtogether.Theydeveloptrustand

haverealrelationships.ThroughGopal’sredemptivesacriceofcomingbackforhisfriends,the

story transitions from hopelessness to hope for the boys’ future.

ShethalsogivesusafascinatinglookattheIndiancultureinwhichshegrewup.Sheuses

manywordsthatareforeigntous.Shedenesthemwithatranslationimmediatelyfollowing

the word or by creative context clues in the text that follows. This device not only teaches us

aboutIndiaandthewayIndianpeoplethink,italsohelpsustobe“present”inthestory.Indian

folktalesformasignicantthreadthroughthestory,illustratingforuswhatisalikeandwhat

isdierentfromthefolktaleswe’refamiliarwith.Shealsoillustrateseectivelyhowstrongly

Hindu religious beliefs and traditions inuence everyday life in India. We nish the book

understandingIndiabeerthanwedidbefore.

Onthefollowingchart,wehavelistedseveralcontrastsexploredinBoys Without Names.In

theblankspaces,writeanexampleinonesentenceofhowthiscontrastwaspartofthestory.We

lledintherstoneforyoutohelpyougetstarted.

Country - Gopal feels secure in the quiet of the

country.

City - Gopal feels bewildered in the bustle of the

city.

Familiar Unfamiliar

Safety Fear

Kindness Cruelty

Trust Distrust

Freedom Slavery

Hope Despair

Determination Resignation

Generosity Greed

Cooperation Self-service

Identity Anonymity

Friends Enemies

LovedOnes Strangers

Courage Cowardice

Found Lost

Analysis Question

WhatisyourpersonalresponsetoBoys Without Names?Doesitpresentnewthoughtstoyou

about your own life, the businesses you and your family support, and the responsibility that

comeswithfreedomandplenty?Writeonetotwoparagraphsaboutyourpersonalresponseto

Boys Without Names.

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party

Ying Chang Compestine

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party:

A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing

embroidery; it cannot be so rened, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous,

restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which

one class overthrows another. —MaoZedong

This provocativequote from Mao Zedonginspired the title ofYing Chang Compestine’s

semi-autobiographical novel Revolution is Not a Dinner Party.Maowrotethesewordsin1927,

almostfortyyearsbeforethestartofChina’sCulturalRevolutionwhichistheseingforthis

book.MaoZedonghadalonghistorywithrevolutionsinChina.

Here is a brief timeline of his life and China’s turbulent history during his lifetime:

1893:MaoZedongwasborninthesmallvillageofShaoshaninHunanprovince.

1911: Revolution of 1911 erupted in China. The people of China were frustrated with the

weakManchu(alsocalledQing)dynastythathadallowedtheUnitedStatesandsome

EuropeannationsgraduallytogainsignicantpowerinChina.

1912:ThelastQingemperorabdicated.Thenewgovernmentestablishedintherevolution

quicklycrumbled,leavingChinaindisorder.

1918:MaobecameinvolvedintheMayFourthMovement.ThismovementsoughtChina’s

independence, individual freedom, and rebirth in society and culture.

1921:MaojoinedthenewChineseCommunistPartyasoneofitsrstmembers.

1923:Mao joinedtheNationalist Party,whichworked alongsidetheChinese Communist

Party to bring China together under a strong nationalist government.

1926:MaoworkedtoinvolveChina’sruralpopulationintheeorttouniteChinaunderone

government.

1927:TheNationalistPartyandtheChineseCommunistPartybeganworkinginopposition

toeachother.Mao,workingwiththeCommunists,triedtoorganizepeasantuprisings.

The Nationalist army easily crushed these uprisings.

1928:MaoedwithhisfollowerstoamountainstrongholdinsoutheastChina.Therehe

trained peasants in guerilla warfare and tried collective agriculture.

1929:Maolefthismountainstronghold.HejoinedotherChineseCommunistPartyleaders

andestablishedaCommunistbaseinJiangxiprovince.

1931-1934: The Nationalist Party tried to completely eradicate Communist power in China

withrepeatedaacks.

1934:Communistleadersdecidedtoseekanewbase.Maoled 80,000loyalCommunists,

calledtheRedArmy,ontheLongMarch,ajourneyofmorethansixthousandarduous

milestoanewbaseinYan’aninShaanxiprovince.

1937:JapaneseinvadedChina,beginningawarthatwouldlastuntil1945.ChineseCommunists

andNationalistsswitchedtoghtingJapaninsteadofghtingeachother.

1943:MaobecametheChairman(topleader)oftheChineseCommunistParty.

1945: Japanese were defeated in World War II and evacuated China. Soon, war erupted

again between Chinese Nationalists and Communists.

1947: The Nationalist army had initial success, but the Chinese Communist Party forces soon

prevailed in the war.

1949:ChairmanMaoannouncedtheformationofthePeople’sRepublicofChina.Nationalist

forces,ledbyChiangKai-shek,edtotheislandofTaiwanandestablishedagovernment

there, claiming to be the true government of China. This government is active to this

day, generally called Taiwan or the Republic of China. The People’s Republic of China

claimsthatTaiwanistheirterritoryandmustbeovertaken.

1950-1953:ChinesetroopsunderMaosupportedNorthKoreaintheKoreanWar.

1956: Chairman Mao encouraged the Chinese toopenly express theiropinions about the

government.Thenextyear,thosewhohadrespondedbycriticizingtheCommunist

Party were arrested and sent to prison or labor camps.

1958:ChairmanMaolaunchedtheGreatLeapForwardeconomicprogram.Theaimwasto

increaseindustrialproductionbyutilizingChina’slargelaborforceandtoincrease

agriculturalproductionthroughcollectivefarming.Theprogramwasanuerfailure,

resulting in plummeting production and extensive famine.

1966:MaolaunchedtheGreatProletarianCulturalRevolution,usuallyreferredtosimplyas

theCulturalRevolution.“Proletariat”meanslaboringclass.Maorecruitedstudents

and young adults to serve in his Red Army to carry out the revolution. Their mission

wastodestroy“counterrevolutionaries”andoldtraditions.TheCulturalRevolution

purposelypiedneighboragainstneighbor,studentsagainstteachers,childrenagainst

parents.TheCulturalRevolutionbroughtchaostoChinaasviolenceandterrorlled

the country.

1976:MaoZedongdiedattheageof82.

Late1970s-1980s:ThePeople’sRepublicofChinaworkedtodecollectivizeagricultureand

openmarketstotradewithothernations.

1990s:ChineseleadersincorporatedaspectsofafreemarketsystemintoChina’seconomy.

While Chinese leaders spent the years following Mao’s death rolling back many of his

policies,theChineseCommunistPartycontinuestosuppressitscitizens.Thegovernmentstrictly

controlsthemedia(entertainment,news,publishing,Internet).CriticsofChina’sgovernment

are routinely imprisoned without trial. The government also denies freedom of religion to its

people.



IntheCulturalRevolution,MaosoughttocontrolChinathroughviolentlyforcinganew

culture.Heplacedhimselfatthecenterofthatculture.The“LileRedBook,”ociallytitled

Quotations from Chairman Mao, was one of the most widespread and successful propaganda

campaignsinhistory.Itcontained427quotesfromMao’sspeechesandwritingsdatingfrom

1926onward.Thequotationsweredividedbysubject(suchas“WarandPeace,”“Discipline,”

and“CorrectingMistakenIdeas”)intothirty-threechapters.

TheChinesegovernmentestablishedhundredsofnewprintinghousesspecicallytoprint

this lile ve-inch-high book with a red cover. Total output was roughly a billion copies.

Bymid-1966, nearlytheentire publishing industryinChina wasdevotedto Mao’swritings.

Chinesecitizenswereexhortedto“studyChairmanMao’swritings,followhisteachingsandact

accordingtohisinstructions.”Schoolsandworkplacesrequiredstudyofthe“LileRedBook.”

ItbecameanunocialrequirementduringtheCulturalRevolutionforpeoplenotonlytoown

andreadQuotationsfromChairmanMao,buttocarryitatalltimes.

SoonafterMao’sdeathin1976,theCulturalRevolutiondrewtoaclose.Hissuccessorsin

governmentdecidedin1979thatthe“LileRedBook”hadexerteda“widespreadandpernicious

inuence”andorderedthebookstobedestroyedthroughoutChina.

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party:

ItwouldbealostopportunitytonishRevolution is Not a Dinner Party unchanged, to leave

its lessons unconsidered.

WhatdidyouthinkaboutRevolution is Not a Dinner Party?

WhatisyourreactiontotheeventsofChina’sCulturalRevolution?

WhatareyourthoughtsaboutLingandherfamily’sresponsetowhathappensaroundthem?

TheCulturalRevolutioninChinaisnottheonlytimethatarulingpartyhasaemptedor

willaempttocrushopposition,establishabsolutepower,andwinovertheheartsandminds

ofagroupofpeople.Sadly,sinfulhumanbeingspredictablyactthatwaywhentheycomeinto

a position of power, whether it’s ruling a playground or a country.

Ling lived through the horror of watching her life crumble around her until it was

unrecognizable.TheeviloftheCulturalRevolutionreachedeverypartofherlife.Sheshowed

enormouscourageandstrength in the face of this horror. She refused to comply or jointhe

popular tide of opinion. But she had weaknesses. When she was personally threatened by

her schoolmates, she responded with violent thoughts, wishes, and threats toward those who

threatenedher.Whilewecanallunderstandthisreaction,whatdoesthisresponseoftenleadto?

Violencebegetsviolence,astheCulturalRevolutiontragicallydemonstrates.IfLinghadacted

onherviolentwishes,wheremightthathaveled?Wouldithelptomoveeventsinapositive

direction?

Inthehistoricalbackgroundsectionattheendofthebook,YingChangCompestinecomments,

“Today,ChinaisstillaCommunistcountry,butperhapsinnameonly.”Economically,China

has seen sweeping changes in recent decades. People in China have far more opportunities in

makingcareerchoicesandowningbusinesses.Thishasincreasedthestandardofliving.Many

people enjoy a more comfortable, healthier lifestyle. However, the Chinese government still

deniesitscitizensmanyfreedoms.Chinesecitizensarenotfreetocriticizetheirgovernment

ortopracticereligionastheyseet.Thegovernmentcontrolsthenumberofchildrenfamilies

may have and many other aspects of daily life. China has made economic progress, but the

governmentstillseekstocontrolthroughfearandrepression.

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party is an important warning for people of any time or any place.

Freedoms we take for granted are not guaranteed to us forever.Governments, policies, and

cultureschange.WhatshouldwetakewithusfromRevolution is Not a Dinner Party?Thebook

leadsustoconsidertheanswerstothesequestions:

Howdoruthlessdictatorsendupinpower?

Whathappenswhendissentersaresilent?

Whatislostwhenopendebateandthefreedomtodisagreearesquashed?

Whyisacountryandculturecenteredononehumanbeingdoomedtofailure?

Whathappenswhenpeoplefeeljustiedinenactingviolence?

Wheredoesrevengelead?

Whatcannotbetakenawayfromuswithoutourpermission?

Content Questions:

4. WhatisLing’sfather’sconnectiontoAmerica?

5. HowisLing’srelationshipwithhermotherdierentfromherrelationshipwithherfather?

6. HowdidthegovernmentportrayChairmanMaotothepeopleofChina?

7. HowdidtheCommunistPartycontinuetobenetfromLing’sfatheraftertheyimprisoned

him?

8. WhatweretheChinesepeopleforcedtomournpubliclybeginningSeptember9,1976?

Analysis Questions:

1. Intwoorthreesentences,howwouldyouanalyzetheCulturalRevolutioninChinafroma

Christianworldview?

2. Whydoyouthinkfearisapowerfulmotivator?

3. WhydoyouthinkMao’sregimecrumbledsoquicklyafterhisdeath?

Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma

Sharon James

InAnn Judson: A Missionary Life for BurmayoumetAdoniramandAnnJudson,twoofthe

most famous and inuential missionaries inthe historyofthe church. During their lifetime,

and in all the years since, they have stood as heroes and examples for Christians who would

followthecallofGodfortheirlives.TheJudsons’storyisworthknowingfortheirimportance

inworldhistory,churchhistory,andgeography.SharonJames’biographyalsohelpsustothink

abouttheJudsonsashumanbeings:weak,fallible,andnite,yetfaithfultoafaithfulGod.The

extensivequotationsinAnn’sandAdoniram’sownwordsgiveusafrontrowseattotheirlives

and thoughts.

Christians have been telling others the good news of salvationin Christ ever sinceJesus

commissionedHisfollowers,“AllauthorityhasbeengiventoMeinheavenandonearth.Go

thereforeandmakedisciplesofallthenations,baptizingtheminthenameoftheFatherandthe

SonandtheHolySpirit,teachingthemtoobserveallthatIcommandedyou;andlo,Iamwith

youalways,eventotheendoftheage.”(Mahew28:18-20)Beingamissionaryhasalwaysbeen

apartofbeingaChristian.ThewayAmericanChristiansandchurchesthinkof“missions”and

“missionaries”now,inthetwenty-rstcentury,wasgreatlyinuencedbyAdoniramandAnn

Judson.

WhentheJudsonsbecamesomeoftheveryrstmissionariestoleavetheshoresofthenew

UnitedStates in 1812, the large mission sending organizations and systems ofsupport from

individualchurchesdidnotexist.AdoniramJudsonwasapioneerinthiseortinadditiontoall

hisotherpioneereorts.Imagineleavingpermanentlyfortheothersideoftheworldwithyour

supportersstilllearninghowtosupportyou,nanciallyandemotionally.Ontopofthat,due

totheJudsonsstudyoftheBibleenroute,theycouldnolongeringoodconscienceacceptthe

support they had arranged from Congregationalist churches. Their conviction on the teaching

ofbaptismledthemtoseeksupportalloveragain,fromadierentdenominationwithwhich

theyhadnopreviousconnection,fromtheothersideoftheworld!ThatwasfaithintheLord’s

provision.

Inourday,weenjoycomparativelysafe,easy,andaordabletraveloptionstoalmostevery

spotontheglobe.ItisimpossibleforustounderstandthepermanentchoiceChristianswere

making when they movedto landsacross the oceanin the 1800s. Imagine a suitor oftoday

askinghispotentialwife’sfather,“Ihavenowtoask,whetheryoucanconsenttopartwithyour

daughterearlynextspring,toseehernomoreinthisworld...”(AdoniramJudson’s1810leer

toJohnHasseltine).Also,trytoimaginemissionarylifeforyourselforalovedonebeforethe

Internet,beforeinternationalphonelines,andbeforereliableairmail!

Serving as an overseas missionary usually means learning a new language. In our

interconnected world, language learning is available many dierent ways. For most any

languageyoucanndapps,classes,books,audio,video,andmaybeevenanativetutortochat

withonline.TheJudsonshadnoneofthat.AdoniramJudsonhadtomakehisownlanguage-

learningtoolswithyearsofpatient,disciplinedlabor.HeandAnnkeptupadailygrindofhours

of study to reach their goal of communicating with the people of Burma.

TheJudsonsandtheirneighborsinBurmahadessentiallynoheadstartfromtourists,books,

magazines,anddocumentariesforunderstandingeachother.Itwaslikeameetingofcreatures

fromtwodierentplanets.Toourtwenty-rstcenturysensibilities,theJudsonsseemsometimes

condescending, with an “us/them” aitude regarding their Burmese neighbors. Some of the

termstheyuse,suchas“natives”and“heathen,”havefallenoutofusebecausetheycanbe

oensive.Withovertwohundredyearsseparatingus,it’simpossibleforustoknowhowthey

intendedthosewordsandwhattrueaitudeofthehearttheyrepresented.Itispossiblethat

Adoniram andAnn Judson were somewhat condescending to the people of Burma in their

wayofspeakingofthemandtheirwayofinteractingwiththem.Afterall,theywerehuman

beingswithblindspots.Everyoneactsthatwaysometimestowardpeopleweseeasdierent

(or,ifwe’rehonest,towardourclosestrelatives!).Whateverwecaninferbyreadingtheirwords

centurieslater,thebookgivesusaclearerandbiggerpictureofhowtheJudsonsfeltaboutthe

peopleofBurma:theylefteverythingtheyknew,sueredbeyondimagination,andgavetheir

livesbecausetheywantedthemtohearthegoodnewsofJesusChrist.

Whenwelookatthelivesandpresumedaitudesofpeoplefromthepastorpresent,itis

easytondsomethingtocriticize.We’requicktofocusonwhatwewoulddodierently,where

theholesareinsomeone’soutlook,andwhatiswrongwiththepicture.Thatexercisepusus

uptofeelbeeraboutourselves.Italsoshieldsusfromuncomfortablecomparisonsthatmight

revealsomethinginourselveswedon’twanttosee.Ifwefocusonthebad,wedon’thaveroom

forthepossibleconvictionfromthegood.IftheJudsonsdidhaveasomewhatcondescending

aitudetowardBurmesepeople,doesthatnegatethepositiveimpactofhowGodusedthemin

Hiskingdom?Arewesoperfect,fromour“enlightened”postinthetwenty-rstcentury,that

noonecouldndweakspotsinourlives,nowortwohundredyearsfromnow?

SharonJames’Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma shows us up-close two people who

signeduptosuerfortheirfaith.Whentheyhadaneasyout,theydidn’ttakeit.Ifyoulookedfor

asweet,satisfyingHollywood“happyending,”youdidn’tndit.Settothesidedryhistorical

facts,academic considerationof“inuence onmissions,”leers inantiquatedlanguage, and

mapsoflongseajourneysandlookinsteadatthesetwopeoplewhohaveawhite-hotquestion

foryou,now,today:WherewillyourjourneywithGodtakeyou?

Content Questions

1. InwhatU.S.statewereAnnHasseltineandAdoniramJudsonborn?

2. WhatdenominationoriginallyfundedandsentouttheJudsonsandtheirassociates?

3. WhydidtheJudsonsseeksupportfromtheBaptistdenominationaftertheirjourneytoIndia?

4. In what two countries didAnn Judson spend time in 1822-1823 to recover from serious

illness?

5. After war broke out between England and Burma, Adoniram was imprisoned on what

charge?

Analysis Questions

1. WhatworldviewledAnnJudsontogoasamissionarytoBurma?

2. DoyouthinktheJudsons’missioninBurmawas“successful”?

3. Writeaone-paragraphreviewofAnnJudson:AMissionaryLifeforBurma.

The Country of the Pointed Firs

and Other Stories

Sarah Orne Jewett



The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories has strong, rounded characters. For our literary

discussion on The Country ofthe PointedFirs andOther Stories wewillfocus on character

sketches.Youwillreadone,thenyouwillwriteone.

Acharactersketchcanbeseveraldierentthings.Itcan:

• Introduceactionalcharacter

• Introducearealpersonfromhistory

• Introduceapersonthewriterknowspersonally

• Aidanauthorofctioninplanningtheintricaciesofacharacterinhisorherwork

• Aidanauthorofnon-ctioninunderstandingapersonheorsheiswritingabout

Here’sanexampleofacharactersketch:

The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories

Mrs. Blacke is a small, elderly woman of eighty-six years. She has bright eyes and an

aectionateface.Shecommunicatesherfeelingsforpeopleinhergentle,armingvoice,and

with loving touches of her hand.

Mrs.Blacke’sdaughterisMrs.Todd.Mrs.Todddecidesonedaythatsheandherfriend,the

book’snarrator,willvisithermotheratherisolatedhomeonGreenIsland.WerstmeetMrs.

Blackeinthebookwhenshecomestotheshore,“atinygurewithhankerchiefedhead”to

meettheboat.ThenarratordescribesMrs.Blackeas,“adelightfullileperson...withbright

eyesandanaectionateairofexpectationlikeachildonaholiday.YoufeltasifMrs.Blacke

wereanoldanddearfriendbeforeyouletgohercordialhand.”Therewasnoadvancewarning

forMrs.Blackethatshewouldhaveguestsfortheday,butshewasallwelcome,delight,and

hospitality.Aftertheyrstvisitedintheparlor,Mrs.Blackewasreadytomakedinner.She

tellsherguests,“Yes,docomerightoutintotheoldkitchen;Ishan’tmakeanystrangerofyou.”

Mrs.Blackeshowsdeepcontentment.ShehaslivedinthesamehouseonGreenIslandfor

alongtime.Mrs.Toddisaroundtheageofsixty,andwelearnthatshewasborninthehouse

wherehermotherandbrotherstilllive.Itissimpleandfarfromotherhumandwelling,butMrs.

Blackespeaksonlywithgratitudeofherhomeandherlife.Shesaysthatsheneverwishesfor

another home.

Shetakesexcellentcareofherhome.Thedescriptionsofthehouseandgardenallindicate

neat,clean,carefulhousekeeping.Mrs.Blackeisdelightedandstands“proudlyerect”when

Mrs.Toddisfullofsurpriseandpraisethathermotherrecentlyturnedandcleanedhercarpets

withonlyhersonWilliam’shelp.

Mrs.Blackeloveshertwochildren,Mrs.ToddandWilliam,andarmstheminhaving

chosen the lifethat suits them. She expresses gratitude that Mrs. Todd is able to livein the

activityofthetown.Shedescribesherselfas“thegainer”thatWilliam’spreferenceistostayon

theislandwithher.Throughthevisit,weseeglimpsesofhowMrs.Blackeandhersonwork

inharmonytogethertomaintaintheirlifeontheirislandhomeandfarm.Mrs.Blackedevotes

herselftohelpingWilliamhaveapeaceful,happyhome.Inonetouchingconversation,Mrs.

BlackedescribestheSundaynightteassheandWilliamenjoy,whenshemakes“something

goodforasurprise”andsetsoutthebestdishes.

Mrs. Blacke’s purpose in life centers around loving people. Touched by her loving

hospitality,thenarratorsaysMrs.Blackehas,“aperfectself-forgetfulness.”Later,whenMrs.

Blackeaendsalargefamilyreunion,shespeaksofherpleasureatthegoodweatherthatwill

allowthe“oldfolks”toaend.Shesays,“I’malwaysgladnottohavethemdisappointed.”She

seems to forget that she is one of the oldest people there.

Mrs.Blacke’smissionandgiftsarebeautifullydisplayedinthescenewhereMrs.Blacke

invitesherguest,thenarrator,toseeherrockingchairinherbedroom.Thenarratortakesinthe

cherished view from the window, Bible, reading glasses, thimble, and the neatly folded shirt

Mrs.Blackeismakingforherson.Thenarratorseesrepresentedhere,“Thosedearoldngers

andtheirlovingstitches,thatheartwhichhadmadethemostofeverythingthatneededlove.”

Her children, her old and new friends, and her extendedfamily are drawnto Mrs. Blacke

because of her self-forgetful love.



Choose a character that you enjoyed from The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories

foracharactersketchofatleastonepage.Youcanchooseanycharacterthatisamainsubject

ofatleastonechapter.YoumightchooseMrs.Todd,William,CaptainLilepage,Joanna,or

the narrator. While thinking about theinformation to include,you mightnd thefollowing

questionshelpful:

• Whatisthecharacter’sageandphysicalappearance?

• Wheredoesthecharacterlive?

• Whatdoesthecharacterdoinhisorhereverydaylife?

• Whatisthecharacter’sbackground(family,childhood,education,career)

• Whatistherstthingpeoplenoticeaboutthecharacter?

• Whatareoneortwokeytraitsinthecharacter’spersonality?

• Whatarethecharacter’spriorities?

• Whatisthecharacter’sambition?

You will need to reference The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories for details about the

character.Takenotesincludingpagenumbersoninformativepassages.Youmightnotndthe

answerstoalltheabovequestions.Youmightndrevealingfactsaboutthecharacterbeyond

theabovequestions.Directquotationsfromthebookmayhelprevealinsightsintotheperson.

Organizetheinformationintoalogicalorder.

Note: There are no content or analysis questions for this book.

Tales from Silver Lands

by Charles Finger

What’s in a Folk Tale?

TalesfromSilverLandsisafolktalecollectionfromCentralandSouthAmerica.Theauthor,

CharlesJ.Finger,indicatesinthebookthathecollectedthesestoriesrst-handashetraveled

throughtheselands.ItwasoneoftherstbooksforchildrencontainingSouthAmericanfolk

tales collected from the people who told them.

Whatplacedofolktaleshaveinalifeandinaculture?Dotheyhavevaluebeyondafew

minutesofinterestingdiversion?What’sinafolktale?

A Story

Folktalesarestoriescreatedbyregularfolks.Storiesareacentralpartofbeinghuman.We

lovestories!Welovehearingaboutacrazyadventureourfriendhadonvacation.Welovethe

storyofthatembarrassingthingourmomordaddidintheirteens.Welovehearingaboutthe

funnythingthathappenedyesterdayatthegrocerystore.Welove“Cinderella”and“TheThree

Bears”andallthosefabulouspeopleandtalkinganimalswedon’tremembernotknowing.In

histeaching,Jesususedstoriescalledparablestoteachvitaltruth.EventheBibleisonebigstory

madeofmanystories—notfairytales,buttruestories!Weconnectwithstories,welearnfrom

themnaturally,andwerememberthemwithouteort.



Folktalesandallstoriesteachusaboutlanguage,sentencestructure,andthewaylanguage

reectswhatisreal.Babiesandtoddlersdonotlearnlanguagebyhavingsomeonesitdown

andsay,“ThesearetennounsIwantyoutolearntoday,”nor,“WhenIjusttoldyou,‘Sitdown,

Sam!’thatwasanimperativesentenceandImeantthatyouhavetositdown.”Childrenlearn

languagenaturallybyhearingpeoplespeakallaroundthemandbyslowly,graduallypuing

wordstogetherthemselves.Whenachildhearsstories,theirexposuretolanguageexplodes!

Theaveragechildwon’thearwordslike“porridge,”“brave,”“woodsman,”or“coage”ona

normalday—unlessthatchildishearingstories!Thatrichlanguagelearningthroughstories,

wrienandspoken,carriesonthroughalloflife.Withoutevenrealizingit,welearnnewwords,

newways of puing them together, and new possibilities of thought when wehear or read

stories.



Folktalesrevealawealthofinformationaboutthecultureandworldviewtheycomefrom.Is

thestorysetinadarkforestorjungle?Doesthepoormaidenliveinathatchedcoageoragrass

hut?Doesthestoryhaveatalkingbearormonkey?Aneagleoraparrot?Whatweatherdothe

charactersencounter?Whataretheirclothes,food,andweapons?Whatdoesthestorysayabout

culturalprioritiesandexpectations?Allthesmalldetailsoffolkstoriesarelikepuzzlepiecesto

show us an informative picture of a people and a place.

Cues for Life

Folk stories have unifying themes that transcend cultures. The path of loyalty, bravery,

honor,hardwork,andfaithfulnessistherightpath,nomaerwhereyoucomefrom,orwhether

you’refacingawitch,adragon,oranogre.Doestheprincegiveuphalfwaythroughtheforest

ofthornsbetweenhimandtheprincess,andjustgobackhomeandmarrysomeoneelse?Dothe

evilogrestakeoverthekingdomwhilethewould-beherodecides“ifyoucan’tbeat‘em,join

‘em?”DoesRedRidingHoodleaveGrannytofendforherself?No!Infolkandfairytales,good

guysandgoodgirlswin.Theymaymakemistakes(givingusamoreinterestingstory),butthey

persevereandwinintheend.Thesestoriesteachushowlifeworksandwhatweshouldstrive

todoevenbeerthandirectlessonsforgoodbehavior.Doyouthinkachildwillrememberto

respectotherpeople’spropertybeerfrombeingtold,“Respectotherpeople’sproperty,”orto

betold,“Onemorningthreebearssatdowntobreakfast,buttheirporridgewastoohot...“

(Chancesare,she’llwanttohearthelessonthatwayahundredtimes!)



Folk tales loom larger than life: big castles, scary dragons, beautiful princesses, giant

beanstalks.Thesebigthingshelpusmakesenseofthereal-life,normal-sizedthingswemeet

everyday.Folktalesgiveuswordsforourmixed-upfeelingswhenwefacea(gurative)dragon

ordreamofhappilyeverafter.Lookingthroughthewrongendofatelescope(asDr.Seussis

reported to have said), or at a world of fantasy, helps us in our lifelong challenge to truly see and

to understand the real world.



“I’m going to make a book of your stories.” Imagine a person who feels small, normal,

uninteresting, and insignicant hearing that something about them is worth writing down.

Whateveritisapersonhastooer,handed-downfolktales,memories,orwisdom,preserving

itisamarkofhonor.Thisexercisesays,“Yourculturemaers.Thepeopleinyourculturehave

valuable wisdom, experience, humor, and memories to contribute to the human conversation.

Thethingsthatmaerinyourlifemaer.Youmaer.”



Lastly, folk tales give us connection. There’s something special that happens around the

tellingof a story.Itmakes a connectionthatdoesn’t happeninanyother way.Itbecomes a

shared experience, a shared language, a magnet drawing people around the same thoughts and

feelings.BoysWithoutNamesshowsbeautifullyhowsharingstories,ourownstoriesandfolk

tales,canbreakdownwallsandbuildcaringrelationships.Itevenhappensinatransientway

in theaters and cinemas. Have you ever felt a sudden connection with a stranger as you laughed

atthesamejokeorgaspedatthesamedanger?Storiestouchourhearts,andwhenweshare

stories, our hearts touch.

Content Questions

1. Chooseoneofthestoriesandwritedownthemoralthatyouthinkitillustrates.

2. Writeaone-paragraphsynopsisofanotheroneofthestories.

3. WhatarethreedierencesyounoticedinthesestoriesversusstoriesofEuropeanorigin?

4. Theauthorgivestheseingforwhereheheardtherststoryinthecollectiononpages2-3.

Howwouldyoudescribetheseinginonesentence?

5. Didanyofthetalesremindyouofafolktaleyouwerealreadyfamiliarwith?Why?

Analysis Questions

1. Whatarethreecultural/geographiccluesaboutSouthand/orCentralAmericayoulearned

fromthetales?

2. Howdothetalesportraytheresultsofselessness?

3. How would you communicate the good news of the gospel to the culture and worldview

reectedinthesestories?

Comparisons of Literature

Patricia St. John Tells Her Own Story and A Long Walk to Water are both set on the continent of

Africa.

Lost in the Barrens and The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories are both set on the

continent of North America.

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party and Ann Judson: A Missionary Life for Burma are both set (or

largely set) on the continent of Asia.

A major part of Blood Brothers, A Long Walk to Water, and The Day the World Stopped Turning

are descriptions of warfare.

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party and Boys Without Names both involve people being forced to

do things they don’t really want to do.

A Long Walk to Water, Boys Without Names, and Lost in the Barrens all involve young men who

show great strength of character.

Paul Lile, Elias Chacour, Patricia St. John, andAnn Judson were all motivated by their

Christian faith.

Theliteratureyoureadgaveyouexamplesofdierentkindsofnarration.Someauthorstold

their own stories, some were narrators separate from the stories they were telling, and some

narrators were characters in the stories.

Bookswhoseauthorstoldtheirownstories:Blood Brothers and Patricia St. John

Booksthathadnarratorsseparatefromtheirstories:Lost in the Barrens, Boys Without Names,

and Ann Judson

Booksthathadnarratorswhowerecharactersintheirstories:The Day the World Turned Upside

Down, Kidnapped, Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party, and The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other

Stories.













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