EngI Formative 1.5B
Some questions (c) 2012 by NWEA.
Page 2
GO ON
excerpt from
Incident at Valley Forge
by Walter Hackett
Characters:
MRS. CATHERINE GREENE
MARTHA WASHINGTON
ETHAN JONES
OFFICER
SCENE 1
BEFORE RISE: A Continental Officer enters. He reads from a sheet of paper.
OFFICER (Reading): “Headquarters. Valley Forge, December 24, 1777. To all regimental and company
commanders of the Continental Army. It is with deep regret that we inform you that tomorrow will be no
different from any other routine day of the week. Because of our inability to gather provisions, the entire army
will continue on short rations. This restriction, of course, affects commissioned officers as well as non­
commissioned officers and privates. We realize that this unfortunate circumstance may be the cause of
discontent among the men, many of whom are at low ebb; but we ask that you explain matters to them. We ask
that you inform them that as soon as supplies come through, they will benefit. Signed, Nathanael Greene,
Commissary General, Continental Army.” (Exits)
SETTING: General Nathanael Greene’s quarters at Valley Forge. AT RISE: MRS. GREENE and MARTHA WASHINGTON are sitting at a small table. (Both
are sewing on clothes.)
MRS. GREENE: I’m so pleased you came over this afternoon, Martha. I do need help. I have so much work
to do, I don’t know where to begin.
MARTHA: I couldn’t put my time to better advantage. I am sure that our poor boys will appreciate our
Page 3
GO ON
efforts. (She places sewing on table and picks up a long strip of cloth.) I believe I’ll start to roll
bandages. It’s important that we have a big supply of them.
MRS. GREENE: You had better not remove your cloak, Martha. The fire is quite low and goodness knows
when we will get more wood. It’s as precious as gold.
MARTHA: A little cold won’t hurt us. We are fortunate to have even a little wood to burn. There are
thousands of our men, living in those little hovels outside your door, who have none. (Pause) Is General Greene
still away?
MRS. GREENE: Yes—poor Nat. He’s still off foraging for supplies. He’s in Chester, I believe. I’m
expecting him back late tonight.
MARTHA: I hope he is successful.
MRS. GREENE: I’m inclined to doubt it.
MARTHA: And so am I, with all due respect to your husband. After all, the Pennsylvania farmers aren’t
willing to exchange supplies for worthless American certificates.
MRS. GREENE: Of course Nat could force them to hand over what food supplies they have on hand, but he
won’t. He’s too honest for that. (Pause) How is General Washington? I haven’t seen him in nearly a
fortnight.*
MARTHA: Worrying, still worrying ... sick at heart. An army of but eleven thousand men, and over three
thousand unfit for any kind of duty.
MRS. GREENE: And the remainder slowly freezing and starving. It has been a terrible winter. So cold.
Sometimes I wonder what will happen. I wonder if we can last. But I immediately put away such thoughts,
because I am positive that the thirteen Colonies will win out in the long run.
MARTHA: We will win because we are fighting for something that is dearer to us than life itself. We are
fighting for democracy.
MRS. GREENE: A few days ago I received a letter from a dear friend in Rhode Island. I wish you could
have read it. I wish our poor troops could read it. It would open their eyes to the fact that the folks back home
are counting heavily on them to win this struggle.
Page 4
GO ON
MARTHA: On the other hand, if the people at home could see what is going on here at Valley Forge—
misery, suffering, sickness—perhaps they might contribute more heavily to the cause. The other evening, my
husband said to me: “Martha, we need more than spirit to win. We need more men, more money, more
supplies.” (She sighs.)
MRS. GREENE: Desertions are mounting higher and higher—men leaving to go to their families. (Knock
on door is heard.) I wonder who that can be at this hour? (Calling.) Yes? Come in. (ETHAN JONES, wearing ragged uniform and rags wrapped around his feet, enters.)
JONES: Mrs. Washington.
MARTHA: Yes—what is it?
JONES: (In a surly tone.) Got a message from General Washington. He left word that he wants you to
invite Mrs. Greene for supper tonight at his quarters.
MARTHA: Kindly inform the General’s aide that Mrs. Greene will be there. (Turning to MRS.
GREENE.) I presume it is all right, Catherine? You said you didn’t expect General Greene until late this
evening.
MRS. GREENE: I’ll be delighted.
MARTHA: That will be all, private. (JONES turns to leave.)
MRS. GREENE: Private. (JONES stops.)
JONES: Yes, ma’am?
MRS. GREENE: What is your name?
JONES: Ethan Jones, private, First Rhode Island Regiment.
MRS. GREENE: One of our Rhode Island boys. Where in Rhode Island is your home?
JONES: Providence. I was a carpenter afore this war. (Bitterly.) Now I’m just just a ... a— MRS. GREENE: A what, Private Jones? (JONES stands there in sullen silence.) Ethan Jones, do
Page 5
GO ON
you see that pair of boots standing there by the door?
JONES: (Following her gaze.) Yes, ma’am.
MRS. GREENE: Take them along with you on your way out. (JONES stares at her in
amazement.) Yes—take them.
JONES: (Unbelieving.) You—you mean they’re for me to wear? They’re mine?
MRS. GREENE: Yes, Ethan Jones, they’re yours. They belong to you. (JONES snatches up boots.)
JONES: (Hesitantly.) That’s mighty good of you, Mrs. Greene—mighty good of you. (Overcome, he
starts to leave.)
MRS. GREENE: Ethan Jones. (JONES turns.)
JONES: Yes, Mrs. Greene?
MRS. GREENE: Please don’t mention where you got the boots.
JONES: No, ma’am, I certainly won’t. Thank you again, Mrs. Greene. (He exits.)
MARTHA: That was a most charitable gesture, Catherine.
MRS. GREENE: It was more than a gesture, Martha ... much more. Did you notice his feet? He wasn’t
wearing boots. His feet were wrapped in strips of cloth—bloody cloth. There are hundreds of other men here at
Valley Forge without boots. Their bare feet leave trails of blood wherever they walk in the snow. I wish I had
more boots to give away. (She suddenly starts to laugh.)
MARTHA: Why are you laughing?
MRS. GREENE: I was just trying to picture the expression on General Greene’s face when I tell him that
I’ve given away his favorite pair of boots. (Curtain)
*fortnight: two weeks
Incident at Valley Forge, by Walter Hackett, from Patriotic & Historical Plays for Young People, copyright ©
1975, 1987 by Plays. Reprinted by permission of Plays Magazine.
Page 6
GO ON
Page 7
GO ON
1
Read these lines.
MARTHA: That will be all, private. (JONES turns to leave.)
MRS. GREENE: Private. (JONES stops.)
JONES: Yes, ma’am?
MRS. GREENE: What is your name?
JONES: Ethan Jones, private, First Rhode Island Regiment.
What does Mrs. Greene’s question to Private Jones reveal about her point of
view regarding the soldiers fighting the war?
A
Mrs. Greene is afraid of working with the soldiers.
B
Mrs. Greene recognizes the soldiers as individuals.
C
Mrs. Greene is concerned about the welfare of the soldiers.
D Mrs. Greene believes that the soldiers are experiencing low morale.
2
Martha Washington’s statements
3
Mrs. Greene’s statements in
in “excerpt from Incident at Valley
“excerpt from Incident at Valley
Forge” best suggest that her
Forge” best suggest that her
character is
character is
F
impatient.
A
haughty.
G optimistic.
B
enthusiastic.
H stubborn.
C
considerate.
J
D dishonest.
peaceful.
Page 8
GO ON
4
What does General Greene’s letter
to his commanders reveal about
his character?
F
He is a fair and compassionate
leader.
G He is without fear of failure.
H He is unmoved by the struggles of
his men.
J
5
He is hesitant to reveal the truth.
At the end of the scene, why does
Mrs. Greene give General Greene’s
favorite pair of boots to Private
Jones?
A
so that Jones can give them to
another soldier
B
so that Martha will be amused
C
to play a joke on General Greene
D to motivate and inspire Jones
Page 9
GO ON
My Mom, the Himalayan Mountain­Climber!
by Jennifer Choi
1
I am sitting at the computer, ready to interview my mom about her struggles coming to America. She is
sitting on the couch across the room. We are positioned in the manner of patient and therapist. Truthfully,
I’m apprehensive about interviewing her. I’m afraid that if I learn anything outside of her being a mom, then
it will force me to be more sympathetic and understanding towards her. I ready myself to put an invisible
wall between my mom’s story and me.
2
I feel guilty pretending to be stoic,* but I change my mind. Maybe that is what I need—a reality check
that forces me to understand that my mom is not an automaton** that tends to my every whim, but rather a
human being with emotions and thoughts. So I begin to question her.
3
“Mama, why did you come to America?”
4
Since I was little, I always sensed that weight of extra stress on her shoulders. I always wondered,
“Why work so hard here, why not move back to Korea?”
5
But Koreans said America was a place where dreams come true. My mom came to America because
my dad wanted to. As my dad explained how charming America was, my mom never considered the life of
an immigrant.
6
She was on top of the world—young, employed as a respectable teacher, and in love. She had studied
English and even trained to become an American translator for the Olympics of 1988. Foreigners told her
she spoke English very well, so she believed it would be easy to adjust to a new life.
7
“But Mom, didn’t anybody stop you from going?” I asked next.
8
She remembers her grandfather telling her, “Your roots are established here. Don’t go!”
9
Her older brother, who had already moved to America also told her not to come. He said life was too
difficult and stressful.
10
She remembers thinking, “Why don’t people want me to go to America? America is such a great
place!”
Page 10
GO ON
11
So, my mom ended up coming. She needed a job. However, her only job opportunities were to be a
cashier, grocery store helper, or a seamstress. She needed to start her own business.
12
Mom’s first “home” was a small apartment in Flushing, Queens. Four people shared the cramped and
uncomfortable one­bedroom apartment. She recalls asking herself, “Where is America? This is not
America!”
13
“It was like living in a cardboard box,” she said, because she had no television or radio and she couldn’t
communicate with people.
14
And, English proved to be an obstacle. One day, she wanted to go sightseeing in Manhattan.
15
“Which train do you take to MahnHanTahn?” she asked five people with her heavy accent.
16
Each person had no idea what she was trying to say and she became frustrated. Finally, one person did
understand and said, “Oh, you mean ManHATtan,” and directed her.
17
She would never forget that experience. It made her realize that her spoken English was horrible, and
that she needed to improve.
18
I asked, “Why didn’t you go back to Korea?”
19
She said that she stayed because of my younger sister and me. In Korea, education is very strict and
stressful. America would be an easier place to conquer once we had an education, she felt.
20
My mom equates her life with that of a Himalayan mountain­climber. She started out as a skinny, frail,
naive bride, ready to conquer the world. On her way to the peak, she’s gotten lost and experienced
snowstorms and avalanches. But she has enjoyed the view, the fresh air, and the stars. Today, she says
she’s climbing down that mountain. She’s a new woman. A woman with strong legs, a wide perspective, a
big heart, and lots of gray hair. She’s ready now to conquer a whole new universe.
*stoic: unaffected by emotion
**automaton: a moving mechanical device resembling a human being
“My Mom, the Himalayan Mountain­Climber!” by Jennifer Choi from Skipping Stones, Sept/Oct 2004, Vol.
16, No. 4, copyright © 2004 by Jennifer Choi and Skipping Stones. Used by permission of Skipping Stones.
Page 11
GO ON
6
In Paragraph 20, the mother
8
In Paragraph 20, why does the
compares her life to that of a
mother say she is climbing down a
Himalayan mountain climber
mountain?
because
F
F
she has overcome many
education and has nothing new to
obstacles.
learn
G she has traveled to faraway
G because she has been unable to
places.
accomplish her goals in life and
has given up on her dreams
H she has attained her highest
career goals.
J
because she has completed her
H because she has grown tired of
she has learned to work well with
the view from the mountaintop
others.
and seeks new adventures below
J
because she has gained a new
perspective on life and is confident
about the future
7
What type of information does the
author use to characterize her
mother?
A
events from her mother’s life
B
quotes from her mother’s journal
C
descriptions of her mother's
9
What is the main conflict the
mother experiences in America?
A
strong.
physical appearance
D relatives’ descriptions of her
Desires to return to Korea grew
B
Her daughter did not understand
her decision.
mother
C
The realities of life did not fit her
expectations.
D Tensions arose when she ignored
family advice.
Page 12
BE SURE YOU HAVE RECORDED ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS
ON YOUR ANSWER DOCUMENT
STOP