Spring 2014 English 10 Final Review Guide
*Review notes on authors and thematic themes of the literary works
The Harlem Renaissance
1) The Harlem Renaissance began in _________.
2) The Harlem Renaissance was originally called ___________________
3) Langston Hughes was nick-named the "Oh-Henry of Harlem" because of his folksy humor.
4) By the time of The Great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance began to fade.
5) Lorraine Hansberry was born _________________.
6) Hansberry was the first black playwright to win a New York Critic's Circle Award.
7) Around the Great Depression, Hansberry was beaten by her classmates at age 5 for wearing
____________ to school.
8) Hansberry's father planned to move her family to ____________ to escape racism.
9) While Hansberry was in the hospital suffering from _______________, she continued to write
in support of civil rights and women's rights in America.
10) In Hughes' "Harlem", when a dream is "deferred" it is ______________.
a) destroyed b) forgotten
c) postponed d) none of the above
A Raisin in the Sun
ith the conditions of the Younger’s apartment.
Be familiar with the characters and their personalities. (Mama, Beneatha, Walter, Big Walter,
Travis, Joseph Asagai, George Murchison, Mr. Karl Lindner, Bobo and Willy Harris, and Mrs.
Johnson)
The city in which the action of the play occurs is Chicago
Be familiar with the plot
Terms and Themes:
– Giving up your individual culture and integrating with the larger
community.(Ex: dress, speech, hair etc..)
Symbols:
Mama’s Plant symbolizes:
doesn’t get much water, sunlight or the opportunity to grow and bloom as a result of
its environment, just like the Younger family.
Major Conflicts:
1. Younger family vs. Society – Black family moving into a white community
2. Beneatha vs. Society – Black female wants to be a doctor
3. Mama vs. Walter – Different ideas for insurance money
4. Walter vs. Willy Harris – Steals the insurance money
5. Beneatha vs. Self – Should she assimilate or not
6. The value of life and the issue of Ruth’s thoughts of having an abortion
Thank You Ma’m by Langston Hughes
Characters: Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones
Initial Conflict: Roger attempts to steal Mrs. Johnson’s purse
Themes: Forgiveness, Love, Dignity, and Trust
The themes, therefore, are illustrated through Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones' ability to
both love and forgive Roger, her desire to treat him with dignity (after taking him to her house),
and her desire to prove him trustworthy. Roger realizes, as he leaves Mrs. Luella Bates
Washington Jones' home, that she has loved him, trusted him, forgiven him, and treated him with
dignity.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Setting
The action takes place on an English farm on the outskirts of the fictional town of Willingdon.
At the beginning of the novel, the farm resembles an oppressed human society. The animals then
rebel against its owner and form their own communal society. However, a power-hungry pig,
Napoleon, seizes control and operates the farm like a Communist police state.
Main Characters:
Old Major: Dying pig who inspires animals on a farm to plot a rebellion against the cruel owner
of the farm.
Mr. Jones: The owner of the farm. The animals overthrow him and take over the farm.
Mrs. Jones: Wife of Mr. Jones.
Napoleon: Ruthless, power-hungry pig. After the animals overthrow Jones and establish their
own society and their own form of government, called animalism, Napoleon eventually seizes
control of the farm and abolishes the animals' idealistic rules of government.
Snowball: Intelligent pig who helps establish animalism and becomes Napoleon's rival for
power. Napoleon's attack dogs drive him out of Animal Farm.
Squealer: Napoleon’s clever propagandist. He becomes so fat living off the plenty produced by
the hard-working animals that he can hardly see out of his eyes.
Minimus: Poet pig who writes propagandistic poems and songs for Napoleon. He composes two
versions of national anthems for Animal Farm after the pigs reject a rallying song written by Old
Major.
Mr. Frederick, Mr. Pilkington: Owners of the neighboring farms. They worry that the rebellion
at Animal Farm will inspire animals on their farms to rebel. The narrator says they had "given
out that the animals [at Animal Farm] practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot
horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was what came of rebelling against the laws
of Nature." Frederick attacks Animal farm with armed men but is repulsed. Pilkington later
becomes friendly with Napoleon and the other pigs.
Boxer: Hard-working cart horse of advanced age who becomes ill with a lung ailment.
Clover: Mare who looks after Boxer, as well as other animals.
Benjamin: Smart old donkey who is a cynic. He is a survivor who believes life will go on no
matter who controls the farm. Benjamin comforts Boxer during his illness.
Pigeons: Messengers sent out to inform animals at other farms of the rebellion at Animal Farm.
Blackbirds: Birds that whistle the tune of "Beasts of England," the rallying song of Animal
Farm, on other farms.
Mollie: Self-seeking mare who enjoyed the attentions of human beings and leaves the farm. She
became a cart horse for a man whom the pigeons saw "stroking her nose and feeding her with
sugar."
Muriel: Intelligent old goat capable of reading. When she learns that the pigs are changing the
rules of government, she informs Clover.
Pinkeye: Pig who tastes food prepared for Napoleon. If Pinkeye becomes ill or dies, Napoleon
will know that an enemy has poisoned the food.
Moses: Raven (crow) that visits Animal Farm and tells its inhabitants about a place called
Sugarcandy Mountain, where animals that have led a good and productive life will go after they
die.
Mr. Whymper: Broker whom Napoleon hires to maintain relations with humans and to obtain
products the farm needs. Whymper also provides alcoholic beverages for Napoleon and other
pigs.
Bluebell, Jessie: Dogs that together give birth to nine puppies. Napoleon takes the puppies from
them, saying he intends to educate them.
Pincher: Another dog. He is the father of the puppies.
**** REVIEW HARRISON BURGERON – LITERATURE TEXTBOOK
Xingu by Edith Wharton
Review notes on Edith Wharton, American Renaissance, and the Gilded Age
Setting/Summary:
A group of middle class ladies are members of a lunch club. They competitively and snobbishly
concern themselves with issues ‘culture’ without any really serious understanding of the works
they read.
Nobody knows what the term Xingu means, but they discuss the concept in entirely abstract
terms as if they do – treating it as if it were a philosophic idea. Mrs Roby’s assumption of
prominence annoys Mrs Ballinger, who insists that they discuss Osric Dane’s latest novel. But
Mrs Roby excuses herself, saying that she hasn’t read any of Osric Dane’s works, and leaves –
but Osric Dane leaves with her, and wants to hear more about Xingu – something ‘long’, and
‘deep’, with ‘difficult passages’.
Main characters:
Mrs Ballinger
founder of the lunch club
Mrs Plinth
lunch club member
Miss Van Vluyck
lunch club member
Mrs Leveret
lunch club member
Mrs Osric Dane
celebrity novelist, author of Wings of Death
and The Supreme Instant
Miss Fanny Roby
‘naive’ enthusiast
Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Review notes on Shakespeare
Know the following Major characters:
Antony: Friend of Caesar, and Triumvirate of Rome after Caesar's death
Artemidorus: philosopher who attempts to warn Caesar about the conspiracy.
Brutus: Friend of Caesar, and leading member of the conspirators.
Caesar: Ruler of Rome.
Calpurnia: Caesar's wife.
Casca: Conspirator.
Cato: An ally of Brutus.
Cassius: Leader of the conspiracy against Caesar.
Cicero: Roman Senator
Cinna: Conspirator
Cinna the Poet: Mistaken by a mob of citizens for Cinna the conspirator.
Claudius: Soldier in Brutus' army.
Clitus: Soldier in Brutus' army.
Dardanius: Soldier in Brutus' army.
Decius Brutus: Conspirator
Flavius: A tribune of Rome, angry with Caesar.
Lepidus: A member of the Triumvirate. (Historically was Caesar's deputy leader)
Ligarius: Conspirator.
Lucilius: An ally of Brutus.
Lucius: Brutus' servant.
Marullus: A tribune.
Messala: An ally of Brutus.
Metellus Cimber: Conspirator.
Octavius Caesar: Caesar's nephew and adopted heir, member of the triumvirate.
Pindarus: Cassius' servant.
Popilius: Senator.
Portia: Brutus' wife.
Publius: Senator.
Soothsayer: Who tries to warn Caesar.
Strato: An ally of Brutus.
Tintinius: An ally of Cassius and Brutus.
Trebonius: Conspirator..
Review “Enormous Radio” and “HE” in short story book
A Lesson Before Dying Essay
**Review Vocabulary (cumulative) Lessons 1-15
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