Assignment 9-A Hanging

p.1167
Objective:  I will be able to infer the author's perspective to understand the essay.

1.  Essential Question:  Do you believe some crimes merit the death penalty, or do you oppose any use of capital punishment?  Write your view.  Be sure to include examples of people you thought were innocent or guilty.

2  Vocabulary-  Define the following words:  anecdote, formality, genially, oscillate, and timorously.  Now write the sentence each word was in.

3.  Author's Perspective:  To identify, you have to infer it from clues from details, opinions, or language.  Make a list of details, opinions, and language that reveals the author's perspective as you read the story.

4.  Clarifying Details:  List words and phrases that the author uses to describe the prisoner.

5.  Author's Style:  p. 1170, first column/second paragraph.  The author's style changes here.  What can you infer about his perspective from this paragraph?

6.  Theme:  Themes are sometimes announced in the title or final words of the essay, but not always.  How might the final six words of the story be the theme?

7.  Hyperbole:  The sentence (p. 1171) last sentence, second column--"Minutes seemed to pass" is marked as hyperbole by the word "seemed."  Cany you recall a situation in which time seemed to stand still?  Explain in a paragraph.

8.  Irony:  Find examples of irony in the story.  Example:  dead silence.

9.  Inferring Mood:  As everyone watching the hanging changes color, how do you think the mood changes at that moment?

10.  Summarize what has occurred on p. 1172 first column/last paragraph which finishes in the second column.

11.  How do you think the intrusion of the dog affects the mood of the essay?

12.  What can you infer about the author's perspective on the subject of the essay by the notes you took for question #3.

Write a one paragraph answer with a topic sentence using evidence from the literature.