"Salvation"
Name _____________________
What do you think about the way the story begins? How does it add or take away from your
enjoyment of the piece?
At what point in the story are you most engaged and interested? Why?
If someone isn't a Christian or even spiritual and hasn't had this type of experience, can they still
understand why this is important? Why and how?
Why do you think Hughes remembers this event?
What do you think Hughes learned?
This can be described as a private narrative—one in which the events here are probably never
known by anyone else other than Hughes. Do you think that makes the lessons learned here any
less important? Explain.
What specific ideas or techniques can you learn from this essay to help you tell your own
personal narrative?
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
Name ___________________________
Explain the plot of what happened in the story. Be specific, using at least 5 sentences in order to
include memorable details and adequate reflection.
That plot probably doesn’t sound like much of a story. What is the theme or bigger idea of this
story? Why does the narrator even say or think these things?
If someone asked her why this day was important, what would the narrator say?
This is another example of a private narrative—the importance of which only the narrator really
knows. No one else in the whole world will ever know it happened… so why does it still work as a
narrative?
Make comparisons to Langston Hughes’ “Salvation.” Write at least 3 sentences.
“Heart of the Fields”
Name ___________________________
Though it is written in third person (using “he”), this short story has many elements of a
narrative. Imagine if Benny told this story in first person (using “I”), it would really feel like a
narrative. It shares and explains a life-changing moment for its main character, Benny.
Read the first four paragraphs. What is the mood of this piece as indicated by the situation and
the characters?
Write two sentences from these first four paragraphs that are evidence of the mood:
On page 60 (the second page), what special connection do you learn that Benny has with his
grandfather? What evidence of this connection is given in the story?
Read the paragraph in the middle of page 60 (beginning “Benny drew his glove…”). What
decision does Benny make that he might regret? If you, as a reader, become suspicious that it
could be a foreshadowing technique by the author, what do you think might happen in this
story?
What is suggested about the grandfather at the bottom of page 61?
Continue reading to p. 62. How does Benny react to the other hunters, and why?
Why did Benny run toward the Ford?
What did Benny discover upon arriving, and how did Benny react?
Read the last three sentences. Why are they important?
On page 62 near the bottom, this sentence is written: “In the silence, the Ford’s thumping idle
beat in the air like the heart of the fields.”
This sentence should remind the reader of a sentence near the beginning of the piece (bottom
of 59 and top of 60): “By its constancy, the Ford’s dull, thumping idle was a part of the
landscape of pines and snow and field, a sound that, like a steady breeze, went unnoticed until
it died.”
These two sentences could be argued to be the most important thematic sentences in this
whole story. What comparison is being made? What can the two sentences mean or
symbolize? How and why is it important to the theme or meaning of this story? Write several
sentences in response, using the story to build your ideas and make a case for why this story is
a life-changing moment for Benny.
“The Pie” by Gary Soto
Name __________________________
As you read, highlight the following in different colors or mark with different symbols.
1. Words or images that are sensory: sound, sight, taste, touch, or smell
2. Words, images, or ideas that are related to spiritual beliefs
3. Other surprising words and images (like “Cross-eyed Johnny”)
 Circle sentences you think reveal big ideas or lessons learned from this event.
 Put a star next to your two favorite sentences. They can be your favorites for any reason.
The writer tells us that he’s 6 years old. Write down 2 sentences besides that direct statement that also
suggest that he’s a child.
What are your impressions of the speaker from reading only the first paragraph? What’s he like, and
what’s important to him?
Besides being cross-eyed, what would cross-eyed Johnny look like? How and why is his appearance
important to the reader’s interpretation?
What props (besides a pie) would you need to have for your movie? Make a list of four physical items
and why they’d need to be shown.
Prop
Why this prop would be important to show:
This story has a lot of spiritual references. How does that affect the meaning of the story?
ON THE BACK: A thesis statement is a sentence that tells what the main idea or lesson is of the writing.
Write a sentence that could serve as a thesis statement for this story. Don’t copy a sentence from the
reading, though you may combine ideas from a few sentences to create one overall thesis statement.
“The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant”
Name _____________________________
The first sentence makes a declaration or statement of truth. Write it here:
If you take just that sentence, take a guess of what the LAST sentence of this piece will be:
What are some of the things the narrator likes about Sheila Mant? Share at least 3 examples from the
story.
1.
2.
3.
What are some things the narrator doesn’t like about her? Share examples of how and why he’s not quite
sure she’s perfect. What things does she do and say that do not impress him?
1.
2.
3.
Write a PLOT SUMMARY of this story in 2-3 sentences.
What is the “big idea” or theme of this piece—something not dependent upon plot, but which can be
applied to other experiences or individuals?
What does the character care more about, the fish or the girl? Make a case, using specific examples from
the story, for each. Include a supporting quote for three of these six examples:
He cares more about the fish
He cares more about the girl
How the narrator changed by this experience? Did he make the right choice? Would he choose
differently next time? If so, why? What lesson does he learn that he’ll never forget?
Students often notice two important elements of this story:
1. They are interested in the story, even if they don’t fish. It’s not really about fishing.
2. The story effectively communicates a conflict—deciding between two things the boy loves.
Think back to our other narratives. What could you learn from each of them?
Narrative sample Things that make this a good narrative
How I might be able to “imitate” the story.
“Salvation”
“Eleven”
“Heart of the
Fields”
“The Pie”