Oak Ridge High School
1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865) 425-9601 Fax: (865) 425-9678
9 CP/WS Summer Reading Assignment
Dear Freshman English Student,
Martin G. McDonald
Congratulations on your transition to high school! The Freshman English
teachers are looking forward to meeting you in the fall. Over the summer, we
would like you to read “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. A copy of the
short story and audio version will be available as a PDF on the high school’s
website: http://highschool.ortn.edu/. For those without internet access or who
cannot access the public library, a copy of the story will be available in the main
office of the high school.
Assistant Principals
In the story, you’ll meet Madame Loisel, whose desire to appear wealthy costs
her more than she could have imagined. Beginning in paragraph 8 –“Then one
evening, her husband came home proudly holding out a large envelope”—the
reader is introduced to Madame Loisel’s husband, Monsieur Loisel. As you read,
pay close attention to the manner in which the husband and wife treat the
importance of status.
Principal
Beth Estep
Amber Henry
B. Scotty Herrell
Stephanie Thompson
Athletic Director
Mike Mullins
Assignment:
For most of the story, the author focuses mainly on the thoughts and feelings
of Madame Loisel. Write a narrative using the attached rubric that presents
Monsieur’s point of view on the same events. Use what you know about the
character’s feelings and goals based on his speech, thoughts, effect on his wife,
actions, and descriptions found in the text. Use the text to ensure you include all
the main events from that section of the story. Use the questions below to help
you plan your story.
1. What are the differences between Monsieur Loisel’s and Madame Loisel’s
reactions to the party invitation? How might Monsieur feel about those
differences?
2. What do you think is Monsieur’s motivation for giving the money to his wife?
Although her reaction is not included, do you think she was grateful? Overjoyed?
Indifferent?
3. Compare and contrast the actions and behaviors of Madame and Monsieur
during the party.
4. What has Monsieur sacrificed or given up so that Madame could return the
necklace? How might he feel about those sacrifices now? Would he regret giving
up those things? Why or why not?
5. Does Monsieur Loisel long for status as desperately as his wife does? Predict
how the ending of the story would impact their marriage.
Oak Ridge High School
1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865) 425-9601 Fax: (865) 425-9678
Requirements:
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Principal
Martin G. McDonald
Your story should be written in first person (I, me, we, us, our) as if Monsieur Loisel
is the narrator.
You must include imagery, description, reflection, and dialogue (definitions and
examples below).
You must include elements from the TCAP Narrative Rubric (attached).
Imagery: words that appeal to the senses—they describe what something
sounds, tastes, smells, looks, and feels like.
Ex: “She would dream of silent chambers, draped with Oriental tapestries and
lighted by tall bronze floor lamps, and of two handsome butlers in knee
breeches, who, drowsy from the heavy warmth cast by the central stove, dozed
in large overstuffed armchairs.”
Description: sentences that don’t just explain what a character does but how he
or she did it; not just what a character says but how he or she says it.
Assistant Principals
Beth Estep
Amber Henry
B. Scotty Herrell
Ex: “’I’ll retrace our steps on foot,’ he said, ‘to see if I can find it.’ And he went
out. She remained in her evening clothes, without the strength to go to bed,
slumped in a chair in the unheated room, her mind a blank.”
Reflection: sentences that describe what Monsieur Loisel privately thinks and
feels but does not share with the other characters.
Stephanie Thompson
Ex: “He stopped talking, dazed and distracted to see his wife burst out weeping.”
Dialogue: what the characters say out loud to one another. It should be in
quotation marks. While you may use some of the dialogue from the story itself,
make sure you come up with your own description of how each character is
speaking.
Athletic Director
Mike Mullins
Ex: “Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she scornfully tossed
the invitation on the table, murmuring, ‘What good is that to me?’”
Please bring your assignment with you on the first day of school. We look
forward to meeting you in a few months, and we hope you have a delightful
summer. Please contact Mr. Feuer with any questions or concerns at
[email protected].
Thank you,
The Freshman English Teachers
Kayla Gass @ [email protected]
Rebecca Byrd @ [email protected]
Allen Etheridge @ [email protected]