Day 7: Interpretive Questions and Literary Terms

Today, we examined how the collective answers to an interpretive question can yield larger, more encompassing understandings of the story.

We began with the question: Why does Miriam smash the vase of imitation flowers on the ground?

To make sure that we had a firm grasp of just what the question was asking and to refresh our memories, we read the paragraphs in question, which appear in the middle of page 8.

Then, we brainstormed, and you yielded up a wide variety of answers:

• She didn't like imitation flowers.
• She was testing Mrs. Miller's resolve.
• She was angry that she did not get a good night kiss.
• She wanted to provoke the old woman to react.

This brainstorming also led to other recollections:

• She likes beautiful or luxurious things, like the brooch or almond cakes or glazed cherries.
• She is well (if inappropriately) dressed, with high-end materials.
• She often ignores Mrs. Miller's questions in a way that is rude.
• She demands that Mrs. Miller behave in certain ways (e.g. telling her to "sit down," etc.)

Once we looked at all of these answers, we saw that collectively, they yielded a pretty full picture of who Miriam is as a character.

Then, we looked at the "Literary Terms" sheet, and, using the description and questions to guide us, we determined that Miriam is certainly the story's antagonist and that you could argue that she is static (her approach to Mrs. Miller remains insistent and bizarre) or dynamic (she grows more intense and complex in her wants). Miriam remains a largely flat character, as the only expository or background information given to us is mere physical description. That, however, is nonetheless telling, providing us with indirect characterization, through which we may make our own interpretations about this creepy little girl.

In the course of our study today, we came across a vocabulary term we didn't know: wanly. For every unknown word you find that cannot be deciphered from context, you should LOOK IT UP. http://www.dictionary.com is your friend, one you should consult often.

We also talked more broadly about how literary terms are used to help clarify this sort analytical work. Tonight, we will be working on our understanding of the two main characters is "Miriam": Miriam the younger and Mrs. H.T. Miller. Please be sure to check out the wikispace if you need either of the handouts from class ("Literary Terms" & "Miriam and Characterization"). I also passed out a new syllabus for the unit. There, you can see what we will be focusing on, when your quizzes will be held, etc. See me with questions on any of it.