1 10th Grade Diagnostic/Summative Assessment ANSWER KEY Analyzing Author s Style in Literary Text Reading Unit 3 The following scale will be used to evaluate the constructed responses: Points* Level of Proficiency 3 Proficient 2 Approaching proficiency 1 Attempting 0 No attempt/off-topic 1. The author deviates from a linear plot line through the use of literary devices. Locate one or more examples from the text and explain why the author may have altered the time sequence. The following are excerpts from teacher responses: When the short story begins, it seems as though the narrator (grandson) is stating observations he had made during his childhood, though later in the first paragraph, he flashes back to a much earlier time in his grandfather s life. The second paragraph then flashes forward to a time when the avocado tree was already grown, but in paragraph 3, the avocado tree is in its early years and small enough to jump over. The rest of the story follows the growth of the tree, and the last paragraph flashes forward 20 years later. The author may have used the flashbacks in order to give background information to better develop the character of the grandfather. Jumping back and forth in time gives an interesting perspective on the development of the avocado tree, and also adds to the reader s insight into the characters motivations. The final flash-forward tells the reader that the avocado tree finally began to bear fruit. It helps reveal the theme, showing the importance of family and the strength that can be cultivated through patience and love. In Gary Soto s short story The Grandfather, there are gaps in the time sequence as well as the story telling within the story, that help to create a tale of generations in just two pages. Even in the first paragraph, the reader can picture the grandfather as both a young immigrant and an old man, worn from
2 thirty years of work. In the second paragraph, we sense that the avocado tree is now grown but are taken back to its origins as a seed as we are taken back to Grandfather s origins in Mexico. Then Soto flashes back and the narrator is just a boy who can leap over a small tree. Next, three years have passed, then ten, then five more. The narrator mentions the wasp hive one year and being too old to climb the tree perhaps a teenager. The story ends with the passage of twenty years, then the grandfather s death. I think Soto speeds time to hit home the message that we have to make the most of our time with family because eventually, they will die. This rapid pace creates a sense that time is slipping quickly by us. 2. List three examples of literary/stylistic devices found in the text (other than those related to time sequence) and provide evidence from the text that illustrates each example. Example of Text evidence that illustrates the literary/stylistic device literary/stylistic device personification tight-lipped pockets ate the smile off a watermelon the trunk hugged the ground garden hose gurgling in the rose garden imagery symbolism metaphor simile all his sons standing on each other s shoulders the tree described at different stages of growth heavy yellow fruit ; oranges, juicy and large as softballs ; abundance of red fruit blue jays quarrel The red ants tumbled into my letters and I buried them, knowing dig selves back into fresh air. the avocado tree the statue of St. Francis family standing on shoulders a tree was money shades dark as oil oranges large as softballs
3 Irony contrast The avocado tree hardly bore any fruit, yet it was Grandfather s favorite tree. wind reached all the way from the sea which was blue and clean, unlike the oily water sloshing against a S.F. pier. 3. Building on your examples above (Question #2), explain how the author s use of literary/stylistic devices adds to the quality of the text. Be sure to address the tone, mood and/or theme(s) of the text in your response. The following are excerpts from teacher responses: The symbol of the avocado tree enhances the story s theme; the tree represents the development of life and family. As the tree grows and strengthens itself, so do the grandfather and his family. The tree that he values and protects grows and bears fruit, as does his family. The imagery of the sons standing on each other s shoulders and the tree hugging the ground (personification) also connect with this theme. The imagery used in the description of the fruit growing from the trees helps create a mood of hopefulness and optimism, suggesting richness and abundance. A nostalgic mood is created by the personification of the watermelon. Gary Soto creates tone by revealing the maturity of the narrator by age. He lacks appreciation for the avocado tree as a youth. He reminisces about his observations of how Grandpa cared and spoke of the tree. This creates a mood of tranquility and unity in that the memories go back to peacefulness in the backyard and how his grandpa related the value of the tree. Finally, it took fifteen years to become a fruit-bearing, like the grandfather himself has to wait years before he saw the fruits of his efforts to raise a family, particularly his grandchildren. His choice of words (diction) help us to imagine a grandfather who serves his family as a model of frugality, hard work, and respect for nature. Soto describes how the grandfather hid money, helping us to picture how, He tucked it into the sofa, his shoes and slippers, and into the tight-lipped pockets of his suit. He uses words like haggle, fistfuls of change, and sweaty quarters to create this old man who is cautious with his money.
4 It seems as if the tree is a symbol for the family. The tree offered hope and the promise of more years. The grandson grows up with the tree. The tree is present in the majority of the descriptions of the grandfather. The story ends with the death of the patriarch coupled with a final description of the tree the trunk, thicker than any waist, hugged the ground. The imagery helps to develop a sense of generations, of permanence beyond a single life. 4. Provide three examples of the author s word choice and analyze how the author used words in connotative ways to evoke feelings or associations in the reader. Author s word choice (diction) He sulked about this casting a meager shadow the trunk hugged the ground What deeper meanings might be inferred by the author s use of language? Reveals deep feelings about the success of the tree and the constant revisiting of the problem Meager = small, but also insignificant in the narrator s understanding as compared to the grandfather s Not just deeply rooted, but deep with meaning and love which is symbolically reflected on the family; brings to mind family hugs, loving relationships; holding someone close; love of the earth. water gurgle vs. oily water ice-cold watermelon red fruit fuzzy peaches juicy oranges Aztec warrior Gurgling water in the garden suggests fresh, clean water like you would find in a stream; oily water from S.F. Bay has opposite connotations Connects with the avocado tree bearing fruit ; suggests the abundance of the garden remembered by the narrator Shows pride in Hispanic heritage; strength; intelligence
5 Newspapers lit with matches Simple life. buildings grow campesino and donkey climbing hill Deeply connected to the earth, plants. Connection between man and nature; persevering while facing uphill climb in life (metaphor for getting ahead) *All multiple-choice questions are worth one point. 5. In paragraph 1, the narrator personifies Grandfather s pockets in order to - A. explain Grandfather s ill-fitting suits. B. symbolize that money was as important as the tree. C. further develop the character of Grandfather. D. show how Grandfather hid his money. 6. Which phrase from the story helps to create a nostalgic mood - A. A tree was money. (Paragraph 4) B. Peaches he got from a neighbor who worked the night shift at Sun Maid Raisin. (Paragraph 4) C. Grandfather sprinkled it with salt and laced it with a river of chile. (Paragraph 6) D. During its early years, I could leap over that tree, kicking my bicycling legs, (Paragraph 3) 7. Which sentence from the passage is the BEST example of figurative language? A. taped behind the calendar of an Aztec warrior. (Paragraph 1) B. ate the smile from an ice cold watermelon. (Paragraph 8) C. By then, the tree was tall enough for me to climb to look into the neighbor s yard. (Paragraph 9) D. I ate fruit to keep my strength up, fuzzy peaches and (Paragraph 3) 8. In paragraph 10, when the author describes Grandfather s sons standing on each other s shoulders, he is utilizing A. irony. B. contradiction. C. foreshadowing. D. Imagery.