Exam Review: Part 1—FicTion Concepts
Use your annotation skills to answer each of the following questions about “The Wallet”:
1. Infer at least one trait of the story’s main character, Elaine. What clue(s) led to this inference?
At the start of the story, it seems that Elaine is a rather meek individual. (Meek = Lets others push her
around.) For instance, her male co-workers treat her poorly—“Troy left his food regularly” and
“deliberately rubbed his body up against hers”—but she doesn’t seem to do anything about it. Similarly,
she puts up with Jose “always” checking her out and blowing smoke into her booth.
2. Make one good inference about the setting of “The Wallet.” Explain the clue(s) that led to it.
“The Wallet” probably takes place in the early 2000s; the author made a point of saying that the woman’s
1980s car was rusty and old. It also takes place on an American highway. The car is an American brand
(“Chevette”) and she uses U.S. coins (quarters and dimes) for change.
3. Describe the central conflict in “The Wallet.” What does each side want?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Elaine VS. Troy. Elaine wants Troy to respect her; he treats her poorly.
Elaine VS. the driver of car. Elaine wants her to pay the toll; she doesn’t have the money.
Elaine VS. Jose. Elaine wants to help the driver; Jose doesn’t want her to.
Elaine VS. herself. Elaine isn’t quite sure whether and how she should help the driver.
4. Which best describes the climax of the plot in “The Wallet”?
A. It’s when the woman pulls up in her car, because the external conflict between the women is
introduced.
B. It’s when the woman asks for money, because Elaine’s internal conflict gets more intense.
C. It’s when Elaine reaches for Troy’s wallet, because it’s the turning point in Elaine’s internal
conflict.
D. It’s when the car speeds away from Elaine, because we realize that the other woman has won the
external conflict.
5. What is the narrator’s tone toward the male characters in “The Wallet”?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Creepy/gross (The MEN are creepy and gross, not the narrator’s attitude.)
Mysterious/tense
Gloomy/dark
Critical/disgusted
6. Classify the imagery in this passage from “The Wallet.” Also, interpret its purpose for the story.
At about three o’clock a car came toward her too fast, weaving like a firefly, before
picking her booth. The brakes screeched, the muffler roared: it was a little yellow
Chevette, an eighties car pocked with rust.
This passage has two types of imagery: visual (“weaving like a firefly”) and auditory (“screeched,”
“roared”). Its purpose is to foreshadow the desperate situation that the woman is in; she’s driving
recklessly because she’s making a hasty escape. Also, the imagery introduces a new mood of tension and
suspense.
7. Make a character motivation inference about the woman in the car: WHY is she on the road, asking
Elaine for money, at 3AM? Explain the clue(s) that led to your conclusion.
The woman asking Elaine for money because she is escaping an abusive relationship—and rescuing her
children from the same situation. The clues are on her face: “an ugly gash below one eye” and “an older
scar on her nose.” Also, the car has been hastily packed: “a small beat-up suitcase overflowing with
clothes.”
8. Make an inference about Elaine’s big change in “The Wallet”:
As I explained in question #1, Elaine is initially a push-over. She doesn’t stand up to the men in her life.
But in this story, the conflict changes her. When she gives the woman the money from Troy’s wallet, she
is standing up for herself—and taking a stand against men who treat women poorly. It’s almost like she
realizes that she could become the woman in the car if she keeps letting men have power over her.
9. Which best describes the narrative structure of “The Wallet”?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It’s a linear narrative that tells the story’s events in the order they occurred.
It’s a parallel narrative that develops two stories at once: Elaine’s and the driver’s.
It includes one major flash-forward to 3AM, when the driver pulls up to Elaine’s booth.
It includes one major flashback to when Troy first left his wallet in Elaine’s booth.
10. Interpret the symbolism of the story’s most important object: the wallet. What does giving away
Troy’s wallet represent for Elaine?
Troy’s wallet may represent power. At first, Elaine lets Troy keep his power (the wallet) by letting him
rub against her. But after seeing the abused woman, Elaine takes the power (the wallet) and gives the
money to the girl, so that both of them have power in their own hands. For Elaine, it represents her taking
control over her life and how others treat her.
Conduct a close reading of this passage from “The Wallet”:
She had been trained to signal in a certain way if she was being held up, and José seemed
to be waiting for this gesture. Instead, she gave him a thumbs up and surreptitiously
reached for Troy’s wallet. She opened the wallet to find ninety-two dollars inside. She
pulled these bills out, wadded them in her fist and reached out to the woman, who took
the money, gripped the wheel harder and sped away. The older girl’s face, framed by the
back window, receded into the darkness, her eyes like glowing stones.
11. Set the context for the scene:
This scene, which is the climax and resolution of the story, takes place in/near Elaine’s tollbooth.
It involves two women—Elaine and the driver—and the driver’s two children. The woman has
just asked for money, and Elaine has just realized that the driver is trying to escape an abusive
relationship.
12. Establish the basic meaning of a key line or two from the passage. (Be sure to include a paraphrase.)
The “thumbs up” is a gesture that means “everything is okay,” and “surreptitiously” means
secretively. So the first line could be paraphrased this way: “She let Jose know she didn’t need
his help. Then she reached for Troy’s wallet in a way that he wouldn’t see.”
The final line says “older girl,” which means that the two young kids are daughters. “Receded”
means “faded and got smaller.” The final image is a simile, meaning that her eyes are sparkling,
perhaps in the light from the tollbooth. It can be paraphrased this way: “The older daughter
looked back at Elaine through the back windshield. As the car pulled away, her eyes sparkled.”
13. Analyze the deeper meaning of what you just established in question #11. (Be sure to include an
interpretive question and your answer to it.)
It’s interesting that Elaine gives Jose the “thumbs up” just before she takes Troy’s money. It
connects back to the “thumbs up” that Jose always gives Elaine, “a gesture he thought was cute.”
Elaine is basically taking Jose’s awkward, flirty gesture and using it against him. The author’s
choice seems to be significant: now the “thumbs up” means “I don’t need your help, you gross
man. I’m going to stand up for myself and help this woman.”
The fact that the female driver has two daughters seems significant. It increases the sense that
this story is about gender—women standing up for themselves against men. Also, the visual,
light/dark imagery of the final sentence is meaningful. It may connect back to the headlights of
the car, “weaving like a firefly” in the pitch-black night. Mood-wise, the story is a dark, gloomy
one, but there are little hints of “light” or hope. So, does this story end in a sad way or a hopeful
way? Yes, the women in the story have been mistreated, but now they are standing up for
themselves. So, the image of “glowing stones” reinforces the sense that the story ends on a
hopeful note.
14. What’s the central theme (and message!) that “The Wallet” offers to its readers?
•
•
•
•
gender
power
right vs. wrong
social class
It’s important for women to stand up for themselves and not allow
men to hold power over them.
Sometimes, the “wrong” thing to do is actually right.
15. Make a text-to-self, text-to-text, or text-to-world connection with the theme you described above. (Be
specific about the similarities!)
Lots of options here. But one possibility is a text-to-text with The Pearl. Gender is a minor
theme in Steinbeck’s novel, because we see Kino and Juana negotiate who has more power
within their family. Kino eventually tries to dominate Juana—and he even abuses her—but she
ultimately proves to be the wiser (and perhaps more powerful) one in the end. In the story’s
resolution, they walk side by side as equals. Similarly, in “The Wallet,” we see the women stand
up for themselves against the men who abuse them. They may not be “equals” just yet, but the
women have taken a necessary step.