M A N Y V O I C E S L I T E R A T U R E

Teaching and
Assessment Resources
American Short Stories
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Features of the Teaching and Assessment Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Using the Teaching and Assessment Resources with the Student Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Common Core Reading and Writing Standards 11–12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Literary Lens Topics in American Short Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Special Focus: Author’s Style in American Short Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Using the Introductory Essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Active Reading Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Active Reading Model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Active Reading Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Prior Knowledge Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Unit ONE Finding an American Voice 1820s to 1850s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Unit One Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Unit One Selections
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Motif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Determine Theme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Masque of the Red Death Edgar Allan Poe
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street Herman Melville
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Responding to Unit One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Writing About the Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
In Your Own Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Unit One Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Unit One Style Quiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Unit One Writing Prompts and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Many Voices: American Short Stories 3

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Unit TWO New American Voices 1860s to 1910s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit Two. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Unit Two Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Unit Two Selections
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Mark Twain
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Frame Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Ambrose Bierce
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Sensory Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
The Real Thing Henry James
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Paradox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
A Pair of Silk Stockings Kate Chopin
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Compare and Contrast Character. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Wife of His Youth Charles Waddell Chesnutt
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Explore Characterization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Stephen Crane
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Color Imagery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament Willa Cather
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Characterization and Theme. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
A Retrieved Reformation O. Henry
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Antihero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Responding to Unit Two. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Writing About the Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
In Your Own Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

4 Many Voices: American Short Stories

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Unit Two Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Unit Two Style Quiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Unit Two Writing Prompts and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Unit Three Voices of Modernism 1920s to 1940s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit Three. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Unit Three Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Unit Three Selections
In Another Country Ernest Hemingway
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Examine Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
He Katherine Anne Porter
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Babylon Revisited F. Scott Fitzgerald
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Explore In Medias Res and Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
The Far and the Near Thomas Wolfe
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Mood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Sucker Carson McCullers
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Point of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Symbolism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Why I Live at the P.O. Eudora Welty
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Characterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
The Black Ball Ralph Ellison
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Word Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty James Thurber
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Antihero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

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The Lottery Shirley Jackson

Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze a Parable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Miriam Truman Capote
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Examine Author’s Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Responding to Unit Three. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Writing About the Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
In Your Own Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Unit Three Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Unit Three Style Quiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Unit Three Writing Prompts and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Unit Four Post-War Voices 1950s and 1960s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Unit Four Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Unit Four Selections
The Veldt Ray Bradbury
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Barn Burning William Faulkner
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Examine Stream of Consciousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Angel Levine Bernard Malamud
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Archetype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Quiz: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
The Wrysons John Cheever
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Examine Satire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Quiz: Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Harrison Bergeron Kurt Vonnegut
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Identify Irony in Absurdism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

6 Many Voices: American Short Stories

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Everything That Rises Must Converge Flannery O’Connor

Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Motif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
A & P John Updike
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Voice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
The Sky Is Gray Ernest J. Gaines
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Point of View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Responding to Unit Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Writing About the Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
In Your Own Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Unit Four Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Unit Four Style Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Unit Four Writing Prompts and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Unit Five Voices of Diversity and Disillusionment 1970s and 1980s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit Five. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Unit Five Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Unit Five Selections
The Key Isaac Bashevis Singer
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Symbolism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
The Flowers Alice Walker
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Mood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy? Tim O’Brien
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Figures of Speech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Everything Stuck to Him Raymond Carver
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Minimalism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Detroit Skyline, 1949 Bobbie Ann Mason
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze a Coming-of-Age Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

Many Voices: American Short Stories 7

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American Horse Louise Erdrich

Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Investigate Imagery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
The Writer in the Family E. L. Doctorow
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
The Fish Russell Banks
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze a Fable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Rules of the Game Amy Tan
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Characterization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Responding to Unit Five. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Writing About the Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
In Your Own Style. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Unit Five Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Unit Five Style Quiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Unit Five Writing Prompts and Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Unit SIX Contemporary Voices 1990s and 2000s

Differentiated Instruction for Unit Six. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Unit Six Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Unit Six Selections
Ladies and Gentlemen: Joyce Carol Oates
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Satire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Fault Lines Barbara Kingsolver
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Interior Monologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Top of the Food Chain T. Coraghessan Boyle
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Tone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Letters from My Father Robert Olen Butler
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Examine Analogies and Comparisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

8 Many Voices: American Short Stories

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This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona Sherman Alexie

Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Trace Flashbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Mortals Tobias Wolff
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Write a Morality Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Charlie Hogle’s Earring Paul Theroux
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Identify Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Quiz: Vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
A Collection of Short Shorts Justin Kahn, Martha Wilson, Matt Bell, and Gabriel Orgrease
Responding and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Develop Conflict. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Responding to Unit Six. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Writing About the Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
In Your Own Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Unit Six Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Unit Six Style Quiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Unit Six Writing Prompts and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310

End of Book Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

Writing Workshops
Writing About Literature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Six Traits of Writing Rubric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 8
Writing to Inform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Six Traits of Writing Rubric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Writing to Persuade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Six Traits of Writing Rubric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
General Standards and Criteria for Project Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

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Introduction
Encouraging Successful Readers
It surely comes as no surprise to you that successful readers are engaged readers: they are actively involved in
their own reading process. They monitor their own understanding, relate deeply to the texts they read, and
use what they already know to understand new material.
In their interactions with text, good readers are not only learning about the information they are reading,
they are developing the literacy and thinking skills necessary to become lifelong readers.
American Short Stories helps readers learn about historical and social concerns in American literature from
1820 to the present. The selections the students read have been assembled to encourage a passion for reading.
Students who enjoy reading short stories learn to enjoy reading news items about social issues as well as
essays in science. The literary and reading skills pages offered in this Teaching and Assessment Resources book
call for higher level and creative thinking from students.

Second Language Learners

Classrooms today are comprised of a rich variety of heritages and languages reflecting the diverse cultural
nature of our society. The terms English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Second
Language (ESL) were developed to recognize those students whose heritage language is other than English.
These English Language Learners (ELLs) enter the classroom at various English language levels. They are faced
with challenging content in an unfamiliar language. An appropriate instructional model must be in place for
these students. ELL instruction is designed to meet the needs of all students by providing instruction based on
their level of English proficiency.
When developing instruction using ELL strategies, it is important to remain sensitive to the students’ first
languages and cultural backgrounds while also encouraging the acquisition of English in a nonthreatening
and productive learning environment. Students’ individual learning styles and preferences must also be
considered.

Using the Matrix Program

The Perfection Learning Matrix Program as a whole, and American Short Stories specifically, offers students
in your classroom the opportunity to learn and grow together. ELL students, struggling readers, advanced
students, students who are working at grade level, and students with differing learning styles can all find
success reading selections from the same books—along with supplementary texts that can be combined
specifically for each student.
The use of graphic organizers, visual mapping, charts, tables, and Venn diagrams benefit students of all
levels. Cooperative learning groups can help students of all abilities—offering support and encouragement
to ELL students, a chance for on-level students to learn by helping others, and a way for advanced students
to discover new ways to enhance the teaching process. Following are suggestions for whole-class involvement
with American Short Stories.

Before Students Read the Selection

All students will benefit by going over the vocabulary highlighted for any given selection in the anthology.
ELL students, in particular, may have trouble reading context clues, understanding idioms, or relating to the
themes or plots of many stories. Pair struggling students with more advanced learners to work together on
vocabulary lists. Have them act out meanings or share their own learning techniques. Ask advanced students
to think of ways to make vocabulary learning engaging and rewarding. Try some of the techniques listed
below.
• Encourage communication among all students in your class. ELL students gain much by listening to
their peers, and all students gain by hearing their classmates’ opinions, interpretations, and experiences.

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• Use prereading techniques with the entire class, such as asking them to make predictions based on the
title of and accompanying image for a selection. Some images may not be familiar to ELL students. Be
sure that images and their relationship to the content are discussed.
• Read the Literary Lens information as a class and clarifiy the definition of the term. Encourage students
to find examples of the Literary Lens as they read.
• Use the suggested activities in this resource book to build background knowledge. As you guide
students, be sure to restate, expand, paraphrase, repeat, and speak slowly and clearly.
• Use graphic organizers.
• Use gestures, visuals, and concrete examples to illuminate text, and ask students to help you with this.
• Use the Differentiated Instruction chart at the beginning of each unit to help focus understanding based
on your students’ various learning styles and challenges.

As Students Read the Selection

Remind students that they must be active readers. If necessary, go over the six strategies for active reading, or
give those who need some extra help copies of the Active Reading Strategies found on pages 28 and 29 and
the Active Reading Model on pages 30 and 31 of this book. If students need practice in reading actively, have
them work on the Active Reading Practice reproducibles that begin on page 32. Additionally, you may help
ELL students in the following ways.
• If students seem puzzled by any literary terms, go over the appropriate ones (such as plot, theme, setting,
satire) before they begin the selection.
• Work with students to answer the Read and Think Critically questions that follow each selection. You
may wish to share these before they begin the selection to help them focus on important aspects of the
story.
• Advise students to refer to the vocabulary and footnotes that accompany the text.
• Encourage students to take notes and jot down ideas and responses in their journals as they read.
• Record selections for those students who need auditory input.
• Allow ELL students the extended time they may need to read through the text and to process their
thoughts and responses.

After Students Read the Selection

Always be available to discuss the selection after students finish reading. Encourage them to voice their
concerns, impressions, or any plot elements that sparked their imaginations. To keep track of students’
progress, use the many pages in this resource provided for each selection. Discussion questions appear on
the Read and Think Critically page, followed by comprehension, Literary Lens Thinking Skill, and vocabulary
worksheets. Also provided are objective and essay tests, tests of literary and reading skills, and vocabulary tests.
In addition, the strategies below should be of help to you.
• Encourage students to express personal reactions through written, oral, or multimodal activities.
• Arrange students in cooperative groups to complete various worksheets.
• Offer ELL students the opportunity to answer questions on the tests provided in this resource book
orally rather than in writing.
• Apply the suggestions found in the Differentiated Instruction charts before each unit in this guide to
further aid students’ understanding of text they have read.

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Features of the Teaching and Assessment Resources

Literary and Reading Skills
Charts for each unit identify the Literary Lens, Common Core standards, and author’s style content.

Using the Introductory Essays

To the Reader Discuss this introductory essay with your students by asking questions that target key
points in the essay.
On Style Review the main concepts of style by creating an outline of the concepts presented in this essay.
Literary Elements of the Short Story Use prompts to explore elements of the short story as presented
in this essay.

Active Reading Reproducibles

These reproducibles are offered to help students understand and use strategic reading.
Active Reading Strategiesfound on pages 28–29, describe for students the six strategies that good
readers use and explains how to apply them.
Active Reading Modelfound on pages 30–31, illustrates how an active reader would go about reading the
selection “The Flowers,” by Alice Walker.
Active Reading Practicefound on pages 32–35, encourages your students to interact with the text while
reading Thomas Wolfe’s “The Far and the Near.” Students begin by answering questions, and then continue
reading and writing their own questions and comments.

Prior Knowledge Guide

To help set the tone and context of the book, administer the Prior Knowledge Guide on page 36. Tell students
that the questions are not meant to test them but to explore what they already know about American short
stories. (They probably already know more than they realize.)

Differentiated Instruction
Ideas for teaching students who learn in various ways are offered for each selection in the book. The
Differentiated Instruction chart appears at the beginning of each unit. Creative ideas are offered for helping
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners, as well as ELL and struggling students. In addition, the selections are
designated as Easy, Average, or Challenging.

Unit Vocabulary Handouts

All the vocabulary words defined in the margin of the anthology are listed by selection title in this resource.
Pass these lists out to students to help them prepare for the vocabulary tests.

Responding and Writing

Each selection in the anthology is supported with at least one teaching resource page containing the following
elements: a selection summary, a vocabulary list and definitions, suggested answers to the questions in the
student book, and a brief writing assignment tailored to the selection.

Comprehension and Analysis Quiz

A comprehension quiz is provided for each selection in the student book. The quiz contains five multiple-
choice questions and two short answer questions. At least one of the short answer questions requires
analytical thinking.

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For Struggling Learners or ELLs  The comprehension and analysis quiz provides a quick way of
checking that students have understood the basic events and themes of the selection. Students may benefit
from working in small groups to answer the questions.
For On-Level Learners These students should be able to answer the quiz questions without additional
help.
For Advanced Learners You should not have to use this with advanced students. However, you may
wish to challenge them to write their own tests that can then be taken by other members of their group.

Literary Lens Thinking Skill Activity 

A skill development page is offered to help students in their understanding of the Literary Lens or other
literary skills. Students use a graphic organizer to analyze, investigate, or evaluate a specific literary technique
used in the selection.
For Struggling Learners or ELLs These students may need help understanding some of the instructions
that accompany the graphic organizers. You may want to go over the information and the directions with
them before they begin working. These pages are very helpful in imparting the literary knowledge and
reading skills necessary for ELL students. Also you may need to explain that the term “Literary Lens” is a
header used to identify a literary device they will focus on while reading a selection and that the terms
“literary lens” and “literary device” are not interchangeable.
For On-Level Learners These students should be able to answer the questions without additional help,
particularly those who learn visually. If any of your average learners seem to have trouble with a particular
skill development page, team them up with students who are adept at these kinds of activities.
For Advanced Learners Advanced students should benefit from the literary focus of most of these
pages. Literary techniques such as symbolism, sensory details, and paradox will probably augment their
understanding of literature as well as their own writing skills. You can pick and choose which pages your
advanced students will best benefit from using.

Vocabulary Quiz
Any selection with a vocabulary list of five or more words has a one-page assessment of the students’
understanding of these words. Students match words to definitions or choose the correct vocabulary word to
complete sentences.
For Struggling Learners or ELLs The vocabulary quiz is a good way to check that students have
understood the important vocabulary used in the selection. Have these students work in pairs or with an
advanced student to learn any words that they do not understand.
For On-Level Learners These students should be able to answer the questions without additional help;
however, if there is a list that seems to you particularly challenging, have them work together to use these
words in sentences.
For Advanced Learners You will probably want to give your advanced students only those pages with
challenging word lists. Advanced learners may benefit from helping struggling or ELL students learn the
vocabulary in these selections by devising vocabulary “bees,” vocabulary flash cards, or other games to
play with them.

Unit Assessments
Three tests and a quiz accompany each of the six units. The tests include a 12-question multiple-choice
vocabulary test based on the vocabulary words highlighted in the anthology; a 5-question multiple-choice
reading test that assesses understanding of a specific passage provided in the test; and an essay test in which
students choose from one of three prompts that are focused on Experiencing, Interpreting, and Evaluating.

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For Struggling Learners or ELLs All of these tests are a good way to check that students have under-
stood important elements in the selections. You may want to offer support by reading the tests with
them, helping with any questions they have, or giving them extra time to finish. After taking the test, have
students work with an advanced student to discuss the items they missed and make corrections.
For On-Level Learners These students should be able to do well on these tests without additional help;
however, if there seem to be problematic areas, discuss this with the students and allow them to go over
their tests.
For Advanced Learners Advanced students will probably have no trouble completing these tests success-
fully. Ask for volunteers to help struggling students go over items they missed on the tests and help them
make corrections.

Style Quiz
A unique feature of this book is a style quiz at the end of each unit. Meant more as a challenging and fun
exercise than an actual test, students are given three brief passages from authors in the unit, taken not from
the stories in the book but from other works of these authors. Based on what they have learned about the
authors’ styles—Ernest Hemingway’s spare prose, for example, or Kurt Vonnegut’s black humor—students are
asked to match each passage to one of the authors in the unit.
For Struggling Learners or ELLs These students may have some trouble distinguishing the nuances
of style contained in these short passages. You may want to offer support by reading a passage with the
student and then reading another passage by the same author and discussing the similarities.
For On-Level Learners These students should be able to do reasonably well on these tests without
additional help; however, some passages may present problems. Help them by discussing the tone, subject,
and writing style of the passage and then comparing these to a work the students know by the same writer.
For Advanced Learners Advanced students will probably have no trouble completing these quizzes
successfully. You may want to team them up with struggling students or ELLs.

Writing Prompts and Projects

At the end of each unit there are two pages of writing prompts and project ideas divided into these five
categories: Writing About Literature, Writing Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Writing Research Papers, and
Presentations and Projects.

End of Book Test

At the end of the book, students are presented with two passages that come from authors represented in the
book but not from works that appear in the book. The idea is for them to extend their understanding of the
style of those authors by reading a selection from another of their works. Each of these passages is followed by
five multiple-choice reading questions and three essay prompts that focus on Interpreting, Experiencing, and
Evaluating the literature. They choose one prompt to write about from each passage.

Writing Workshops
There are a number of pages at the end of the book dedicated to academic writing in depth. One workshop
is entitled Writing About Literature and the others are Writing to Inform and Writing to Persuade. After each
workshop a rubric based on the Six Traits of Writing is provided.

General Standards and Criteria for Project Evaluation

Use or adapt this convenient rubric prior to assigning and while assessing students’ work.

1 4 Many Voices: American Short Stories

 Using the Teaching and Assessment Resources
with the Student Book
Student Book Feature Support in Teaching and Assessment Resources

Before Reading the Active Reading Strategies and Reproducibles, pp. 28–35
Student Book • Models how to be active readers
Prior Knowledge Guide, p. 36
• Explores what students know about American literature

Book Introduction Using the Introductory Essays, p. 27

Unit Introductions Differentiated Instruction:
Unit One, p. 37
Unit Two, p. 71
Unit Three, p. 127
Unit Four, p. 177
Unit Five, p. 222
Unit Six, p. 268
Selections Unit Vocabulary Lists:
Unit One, pp. 38–39
Unit Two, pp. 73–75
Unit Three, pp. 129–130
Unit Four, pp. 179–180
Unit Five, pp. 224–225
Unit Six, pp. 270–271
Comprehension and Analysis Quiz for each selection:
• Checks reading comprehension of selection
Vocabulary Quiz for each selection:
• Checks comprehension of vocabulary words
Read and Think Responding and Writing page for each selection:
Critically • Defines vocabulary words
• Gives answers to Read and Think Critically questions
• Describes a short writing assignment

Responding to the Unit Answers to Responding to the Unit questions and support for
and Writing About the Writing About the Literature assignments:
Literature Unit One, pp. 60–63
Unit Two, pp. 115–118
Unit Three, pp. 166–169
Unit Four, pp. 211–214
Unit Five, pp. 257–260
Unit Six, pp. 300–303
After Each Unit The following can be found at the end of each unit:
Unit Assessments
Style Quiz
Writing Prompts and Projects
After Reading American End of Book Test, pp. 312–314
Short Stories
Writing Support Writing Workshops, pp. 315–330
General Standards and Criteria for Project Evaluation, p. 331

Many Voices: American Short Stories 15

 Common Core Reading and Writing Standards (Grades 11–12) *
CC Writing Standards
Unit One: Finding CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12)
(Gr. 11–12)
an American Voice
1820s to 1850s ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
The Legend of SB, SB, p. 53, Standard 3:
Sleepy Hollow, p. 53, Q6 TAR, p. 41, Writing with Motifs
Washington Irving Q1 TAR, pp.
38 and 44,
Vocabulary
TAR,
p. 43,
Literary Lens
Young Goodman SB, SB, SB, p. 69, Standard 3:
Brown, p. 69, p. 69, Q2 & Q3 TAR, p. 46, Writing to Create
Nathaniel Q1 Q7 TAR, pp. a Mood
Hawthorne 38 and 49,
Vocabulary
The Masque of the SB, SB, SB, Standards 3 and 4:
Red Death, p. 77, p. 77, p. 77, Q2 TAR, p. 51, Writing About Setting
Edgar Allan Poe Q6 Q1, Q6 TAR, pp.
38 and 54,
Vocabulary
Bartleby the SB, SB, TAR, SB, Standards 3 and 4:
Scrivener: A Tale p. 115, p. 115, pp. 38 p. 115, Q6 TAR, p. 56, Writing from
of Wall Street Q2 Q6 and 59, Bartleby’s Point of View
Herman Melville Vocabulary
Responding to SB, TAR, SB, SB, SB, Standards 1 and 2:
Unit One p. 116, p. 64, p. 116, Q5 p. 116, p. 116, TAR, pp. 66, 67
Q1 Vocabulary SB, Q7 Q6 Standard 2:
Test p. 117, TAR, p. 69
Trouble Standard 3:
Everywhere SB, p. 117, TAR, p. 69
TAR, Standards 7 and 8:
p. 70, Q1, TAR, pp. 69, 70
Writing Standard 9:
Research SB, p. 117, Trouble Everywhere
Papers TAR, pp. 66, 67, 69, 70
Standard 10:
TAR, pp. 66, 67

CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12) CC Writing Standards

Unit Two: New (Gr. 11–12)
American Voices
1860s to 1910s ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
The Celebrated SB, p. 129, SB, p. 129, Q1 Standard 9:
Jumping Frog Q3 SB, p. 129, Q2 TAR, p. 76, Writing About
of Calaveras TAR, pp. the Story
County 73 and 79,
MarkTwain Vocabulary
An Occurrence SB, TAR, p. 83, SB, p. 141, Q1 Standard 3:
at Owl Creek p. 141, Literary Lens SB, p. 141, Q2 TAR, p. 81, Writing with
Bridge Q4 TAR, pp. SB, p. 141, Q5 Sensory Details
Ambrose Bierce 73 and 84,
Vocabulary
The Real Thing SB, SB, p. 169, Standard 4:
Henry James p. 169, Q3 TAR, p. 86, Writing
Q4 TAR, pp. Complex Sentences
73 and 89,
Vocabulary
A Pair of Silk SB, TAR, pp.
Stockings p. 177, 74 and 94,
Kate Chopin Q5 Vocabulary

* See [Link] for correlations for states that have not adopted the Common Core State Standards.
1 6 Many Voices: American Short Stories
 CC Writing Standards
Unit Two: New CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12)
(Gr. 11–12)
American Voices
continued ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
The Wife of His SB, p. 193, SB, p. 193, Q3 Standard 3:
Youth Q5 TAR, p. 96, Writing a
Charles Waddell SB, p. 193, New Ending
Chesnutt Q6
TAR, pp.
74 and 99,
Vocabulary
The Bride SB, SB, p. 207, Standard 4:
Comes to Yellow p. 207, Q1 TAR, p. 101, Writing Color
Sky Q4 SB, p. 207, Imagery
Stephen Crane Q7
TAR, p. 103,
Literary Lens
TAR, pp.
74 and 104,
Vocabulary
Paul’s Case: SB, SB, SB, TAR, Standard 2:
A Study in p. 231, p. 231, p. 231, pp. 74 TAR, p. 106, Writing a Case
Temperament Q4 Q5 Q3 and 109, Study
Willa Cather Vocabulary
A Retrieved SB, TAR, pp. Standard 1:
Reformation p. 241, 74 and 114, TAR, p. 111, Writing About
O. Henry Q2 Vocabulary the Antihero
Responding to SB, SB, SB, p. 242, TAR, SB, Standards 1, 2, 5, and 9:
Unit Two p. 242, p. 242, Q4 p. 121, Essay: p. 242, Q5 SB, p. 243
Q1 Q2 TAR, p. 119 Evaluating SB, Standards 1, 2, 7, and 9
Vocabulary p. 242, Q6 TAR, p. 125
Test SB, Standard 1:
p. 242, Q7 TAR, pp. 121, 123
SB, p. 243, Standard 2:
Writing SB, p. 243
About the Standard 3:
Literature SB, p. 243
TAR, p. 125
Standards 7 and 8
TAR, pp. 125, 126
Standards 9 and 10:
TAR, pp. 121, 123

Unit Three: CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12) CC Writing Standards

Voices of (Gr. 11–12)
Modernism ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1920s to 1940s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
In Another SB, p. 255, SB, p. 255, Q1 Standard 4:
Country Q3 TAR, p. 133, TAR, p. 131, Writing
Ernest Hemingway Literary Lens One True Sentence
TAR, p. 129,
Vocabulary
He SB, TAR, p. 129, TAR, p. 136, Standard 3:
Katherine Anne p. 269, Q2 Vocabulary Literary Lens TAR, p. 134, Writing a
Porter Character Sketch

continued

Many Voices: American Short Stories 17

 Unit Three: CC Writing Standards
Voices of CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12) (Gr. 11–12)
Modernism
ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1920s to 1940s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
continued
Babylon Revisited SB, p. 293, TAR, pp. TAR, p. 139, Standard 3:
F. Scott Fitzgerald Q1 129 and 140, Literary Lens TAR, p. 137, Writing
Vocabulary Regrets
The Far and the SB, p. 299, SB, p. 299, Q5 Standard 3:
Near Q4 TAR, p. 129, TAR, p. 141, Writing
Thomas Wolfe TAR, Vocabulary Far and Near
p. 143,
Literary
Lens
Sucker SB, p. 311, TAR, p. 129, Standard 3:
Carson McCullers Q5 Vocabulary TAR, p. 144, Writing
Fictional Journal
Entries
The SB, TAR, pp. Standard 3:
Chrysanthemums p. 325, Q4 130 and 150, TAR, p. 147, Writing
John Steinbeck TAR, Vocabulary the Mysterious
p. 149, Stranger
Literary
Lens
Why I Live at the SB, TAR, p. 130, SB, Standard 3:
P.O. p. 341, Q2 Vocabulary p. 341, TAR, p. 151, Writing
Eudora Welty Q5 Snapshots
The Black Ball SB, SB, p. 353, Q2 Standard 3:
Ralph Ellison p. 353, Q1 TAR, p. 156, TAR, p. 154, Writing
Literary Lens Pathos
The Secret Life of SB, p. 361, Q5 SB, Standard 3:
Walter Mitty TAR, p. 130, p. 361, TAR, p. 157, Writing a
James Thurber Vocabulary Q4 Fantasy Life
The Lottery SB, p. 373, SB, TAR, p. 130, Standard 3:
Shirley Jackson Q1 p. 373, Q4 Vocabulary TAR, p. 160, Writing a
TAR, Cautionary Tale
p. 162,
Literary
Lens
Miriam SB, SB, p. 389, TAR, p. 165, Standard 3:
Truman Capote p. 389, Q3 Q5 Literary Lens TAR, p. 163, Writing
SB, TAR, p. 130, an Enigma
p. 389, Q4 Vocabulary
Responding to SB, SB, p. 390, SB, p. 390, SB, p. 390, Q4 SB, p. 390, SB, Standard 1:
Unit Three p. 390, Q3 Q2 Q1 TAR, pp. Q5 p. 390, SB, p. 391
170–171, Q6 Standards 2 and 9:
Vocabulary Test SB, TAR, pp. 172, 173,
p. 390, 175
Q7 Standards 2, 7 and 8:
SB, TAR, p. 175, 176
p. 390, Standard 3:
Q8 SB, p. 391
TAR, p. 173, 175
Standard 9:
TAR, p. 173, 176
Standard 10:
TAR, pp. 172, 173

1 8 Many Voices: American Short Stories

 CC Writing Standards
Unit Four: CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12) (Gr. 11–12)
Post-War Voices
1950s and 1960s ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10

Barn Burning SB, p. 433, SB, p. 433, Standard 3:

William Faulkner Q2 Q3 TAR, p. 185,
SB, p. 433, Writing Stream of
Q2 Consciousness
TAR, p. 179
and 188,
Vocabulary
Angel Levine SB, TAR, p. 179 Standard 3:
Bernard Malamud p. 447, Q3 and 192, TAR, p. 189, Writing in
Vocabulary the Style of a Folktale

The Wrysons SB, p. 457, SB, p. 457, SB, Standard 2:

John Cheever Q6 Q3 p. 457, Q1 TAR, p. 193, Writing
TAR, p. 180 TAR, About Appearances
and 196, p. 195,
Vocabulary Literary
Lens
Harrison Bergeron TAR, p. 180 SB, p. 467, Standard 3:
Kurt Vonnegut and 200, Q4 TAR, p. 197, Writing
Vocabulary TAR, Satire
p. 199,
Literary
Lens
Everything SB, p. 485, TAR, TAR, p. 180, Standard 3:
That Rises Must Q5 p. 203, Vocabulary TAR, p. 201, Writing a
Converge TAR, Literary Mystery
Flannery O’Connor p. 203, Lens
Literary
Lens
A&P TAR, SB, TAR, p. 180 Standards 3 and 4:
John Updike p. 207, p. 495, Q2 and 206, TAR, p. 205, Writing
Literary Vocabulary with an Attitude
Lens

The Sky Is Gray SB, SB, p. 525, TAR, SB, Standards 2 and 4:
Ernest J. Gaines p. 525, Q1 Q5 p. 210, p. 525, Q4 TAR, p. 208, Writing
TAR, p. 180 Literary About Manhood
Vocabulary Lens

Responding to SB, TAR, p. 215, SB, SB, p. 526, Standard 2:

Unit Four p. 526, Q1 Vocabulary p. 526, Q4 Q5 TAR, pp. 217, 220
Test SB, p. 526, Standards 2, 4, and 9:
Q6 SB, p. 527
SB, p. 526, TAR, p. 217, 218, 220
Q7 Standards 2, 7 and 8:
TAR, TAR, p. 220, 221
p. 220, Standard 3:
Writing SB, p. 527, TAR,
About p. 220
Literature Standard 10
TAR, pp. 217–218

continued

Many Voices: American Short Stories 19

 Unit Five: Voices CC Writing Standards
CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12)
of Diversity and (Gr. 11–12)
Disillusionment ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1970s and 1980s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
The Key SB, p. 543, TAR, p. 224, Standard 3:
Isaac Bashevis Q3 Vocabulary TAR, p. 226, Writing an
Singer TAR, Epiphany
p. 228,
Literary
Lens
The Flowers TAR, p. 231, SB,
Alice Walker Literary Lens p. 547, Q1
TAR, p. 224,
Vocabulary
Where Have You SB, p. 559, SB, Standard 3:
Gone, Charming Q1 p. 559, Q2 TAR, p. 232, Writing with
Billy? TAR, p. 234, Repetition
Tim O’Brien Literary Lens
TAR, pp.
224 and 235,
Vocabulary
Everything Stuck SB, p. 567, TAR, Standard 3:
to Him Q3 p. 224, TAR, p. 236, Writing in the
Raymond Carver SB, p. 567, Vocabulary Minimalist Style
Q5
TAR,
p. 238,
Literary
Lens
Detroit Skyline, SB, p. 587, SB, TAR, SB, Standards 2 and 3:
1949 Q3 p. 587, p. 224, p. 587, TAR, p. 239, Writing About
Bobbie Ann Mason SB, p. 587, Q2 Vocabulary Q1 Change
Q5

American Horse SB, p. 601, Standard 3:

Louise Erdrich Q1 TAR, p. 242, Writing
TAR, p. 244, Everything into Stories
Literary Lens
TAR, p. 224,
Vocabulary
The Writer in the SB, TAR,
Family p. 617, Q1 pp. 225
E. L. Doctorow SB, p. 617, and 248,
Q2 Vocabulary
SB, p. 617,
Q5
The Fish SB, TAR, Standard 3:
Russell Banks p. 627, pp. 225 TAR, p. 249, Writing
Q3 and 252, Surrealism
Vocabulary
Rules of the SB, p. 641, TAR, TAR, Standard 3:
Game Q6 p. 255, pp. 225 TAR, p. 253, Writing About
Amy Tan Literary and 256, the Games We Play
Lens Vocabulary

2 0 Many Voices: American Short Stories

 Unit Five: Voices CC Writing Standards
CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12)
of Diversity and (Gr. 11–12)
Disillusionment ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1970s and 1980s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
continued
Responding to SB, p. 642, SB, TAR, p. 261, SB, SB, Standard 1:
Unit Five Q1 p. 642, Vocabulary p. 642, p. 642, TAR, p. 264
Q2 Test Q2 Q6 Standard 2:
SB, p. TAR, p. 266
642, Q7 Standards 1 and 9:
SB, p. 643, TAR, p. 264
Standard 3:
SB, p. 643, TAR, pp. 263,
264, 266
Standard 4:
SB, p. 643
Standards 4, 5, 7, and 8
TAR, p. 267
Standard 9:
TAR, pp. 263, 266
Standard 10:
TAR, pp. 263, 264

Unit Six: CC Writing Standards

CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12)
Contemporary (Gr. 11–12)
Voices ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1990s to 2000s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10

Ladies and SB, p. 657, Q3 SB,

Gentlemen: TAR, pp. p. 657,
Joyce Carol Oates 270 and 275, Q1
Vocabulary SB, p.
657, Q2
TAR,
p. 274,
Literary
Lens
Fault Lines SB, SB, SB, p. 669, Q4 SB, p. 669, Standard 3:
Barbara Kingsolver p. 669, p. 669, TAR, p. 270, Q5 TAR, p. 276, Writing
Q3 Q6 Vocabulary Repartee
Top of the Food TAR, p. 270, SB,
Chain Vocabulary p. 677,
T. Coraghessan Boyle Q1
SB, p.
677, Q2
TAR,
p. 281,
Literary
Lens
Letters from My SB, p. 687, Q1
Father TAR, p. 270,
Robert Olen Butler Vocabulary
TAR, p. 284,
Literary Lens
This Is What It TAR, p. 270, SB, p. 701, Standard 3:
Means to Say Vocabulary Q1 TAR, p. 285, Writing
Phoenix, Arizona SB, p. 701, Anecdotes
Sherman Alexie Q6
TAR,
p. 287,
Literary
Lens

continued

Many Voices: American Short Stories 21

 Unit Six: CC Writing Standards
Contemporary CC Reading Literature Standards (Gr. 11–12) (Gr. 11–12)
Voices
ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
1990s to 2000s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 Standards 1–10
continued
Mortals SB, p. 713, Q4 Standard 2:
Tobias Wolff TAR, pp. TAR, p. 288, Writing About
271 and 291, the One Quality
Vocabulary
Charlie Hogle’s SB, TAR,
Earring p. 729, pp. 271
Paul Theroux Q5 and 295,
Vocabulary
A Collection of SB, SB, p. 739, Q2 Standard 3:
Short Shorts p. 739, TAR, p. 271, TAR, p. 296, Writing Short
Justin Kahn, Martha Q2 Vocabulary Short Stories
Wilson, Matt Bell,
Gabriel Orgrease
Responding to SB, TAR, SB, p. 740, SB, SB, Standards 1 and 9:
Unit Six p. 740, Q2 pp. 304–305, Q4 p. 740, p. 740, SB, p. 741, TAR, pp. 308,
Vocabulary Q3 Q5 310
Test Standard 2:
SB, p. 741, TAR, pp. 306,
308, 310
Standard 3:
TAR, p. 310
Standard 9:
TAR, p. 306
Standards 7 and 8:
TAR, p. 310
End of Book Standards 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
Resources and 10:
SB, pp. 742–757
Standards 1 and 9:
TAR, pp. 313, 314, 315–319
Standard 3:
TAR, p. 314
Standards 1, 4, 5, and 9:
TAR, pp. 315–319
Standards 2, 4 and 5
TAR, pp. 320–325
Standards 1, 4 and 5
TAR, pp. 326–331

2 2 Many Voices: American Short Stories

 Literary Lens Topics in American Short Stories
Literary Lens Selections Literary Lens Thinking Skill
(The Literary Lens is introduced on the first (Page numbers refer to the reproducible
page of the selection and reinforced in the master in the Teaching and Assessment
Read and Think Critically questions on the Resources.)
last page of the selection.)
Absurdism Harrison Bergeron, pp. 458–467 Identify Irony in Absurdism, p. 199

Allusions Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament, Analyze Characterization and Theme, p. 108
pp. 208–231
Analogies and Comparisons Letters from my Father, pp. 678–687 Examine Analogies and Comparisons, p. 284
Antihero A Retrieved Reformation, pp. 232–241 Analyze Antihero, p. 113
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, pp. 354–361 Analyze Antihero, p. 159
Archetype Angel Levine, pp. 434–447 Analyze Archetype, p. 191

Characterization The Wife of His Youth, pp. 178–193 Explore Characterization, p. 98

Why I Live at the P.O., pp. 326–341 Analyze Characterization, p. 153
Rules of the Game, pp. 628–641 Analyze Characterization, p. 255
Color Imagery The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, pp. 194–207 Analyze Color Imagery, p. 103
Coming-of-Age Story Detroit Skyline, 1949, pp. 568–587 Analyze a Coming-of-Age Story, p. 241

Conflict Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street, Analyze Conflict, p. 58

pp. 78–115
He, pp. 256–269 Analyze Conflict, p. 136
Charlie Hogle’s Earring, pp. 714–729 Identify Conflict, p. 294
The Fable The Far and the Near, pp. 294–299 Analyze Mood, p. 143
The Fish, pp. 618–627 Analyze a Fable, p. 251
First-Person Point of View The Sky Is Gray, pp. 496–525 Analyze Point of View, p. 210

Flashback This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, Trace Flashbacks, p. 287
pp. 688–701

Frame Narrator The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Analyze Frame Narrator, p. 78
County, pp. 122–129

Imagery American Horse, pp. 588–601 Investigate Imagery, p. 244

In Medias Res Babylon Revisited, pp. 270–293 Explore In Medias Res and Setting, p. 139

Interior Monologue Fault Lines, pp. 658–669 Analyze Interior Monologue, p. 278
Minimalism Everything Stuck to Him, pp. 560–567 Analyze Minimalism, p. 238
Mood In Another Country, pp. 248–255 Examine Mood, p. 133
The Flowers, pp. 544–547 Analyze Mood, p. 231
Morality Play Mortals, pp. 702–713 Write a Morality Play, p. 290
Motif The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, pp. 22–53 Analyze Motif, p. 43
Everything That Rises Must Converge, Analyze Motif, p. 203
pp. 468–485
The Parable The Lottery, pp. 362–373 Analyze a Parable, p. 162
Paradox The Real Thing, pp. 142–169 Analyze Paradox, p. 88
Point of View Sucker, pp. 300–311 Analyze Point of View, p. 146

continued

Many Voices: American Short Stories 23

Satire The Wrysons, pp. 448–457 Examine Satire, p. 195
Ladies and Gentlemen:, pp. 648–657 Analyze Satire, p. 274
Sensory Details An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Analyze Setting, p. 53
pp. 130–141
Setting The Masque of the Red Death, pp. 70–77 Analyze Sensory Details, p. 83
Similes Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?, Analyze Figures of Speech, p. 234
pp. 548–559
Stream of Consciousness Barn Burning, pp. 412–433 Examine Stream of Consciousness, p. 187
Style A Collection of Short Shorts, pp. 730–739 Develop Conflict, pp. 298–299
Symbolism The Chrysanthemums, pp. 312–325 Analyze Symbolism, p. 149
The Key, pp. 532–543 Analyze Symbolism, p. 228
Theme Young Goodman Brown, pp. 54–69 Determine Theme, p. 48
The Veldt, pp. 396–411 Analyze Theme, p. 183
The Writer in the Family, pp. 602–617 Analyze Theme, p. 247
Tone Top of the Food Chain, pp. 670–677 Analyze Tone, p. 281
Turning Point A Pair of Silk Stockings, pp. 170–177 Compare and Contrast Character, p. 93
Voice Miriam, pp. 374–389 Examine Author’s Voice, p. 165
A & P, pp. 486–495 Analyze Voice, p. 207
Word Choice The Black Ball, pp. 342–353 Analyze Word Choice, p. 156

2 4 Many Voices: American Short Stories

 Special Focus: Author’s Style in American Short Stories
Author’s Style Focus Selections
Literary Arrested Motion Barn Burning, pp. 413–433
Techniques Case Study Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament, pp. 209–231
Characterization A Retrieved Reformation, pp. 233–241
He, pp. 257–269
The Wrysons, pp. 449–457
Letters from My Father, pp. 679–687
Charlie Hogle’s Earring, pp. 715–729
Conflict A & P, pp. 487–495
Figurative Language The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, pp. 23–53
Imagery The Flowers, pp. 545–547
Imaginative Tale Miriam, pp. 375–389
Juxtaposition The Wife of His Youth, pp. 179–193
Ladies and Gentlemen:, pp. 649–657
Meaningful Settings Young Goodman Brown, pp. 55–69
Metaphors Angel Levine, pp. 435–447
Pathos The Black Ball, pp. 343–353
Plot Structure American Horse, pp. 589–601
Repetition Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy?, pp. 549–559
Setting The Chrysanthemums, pp. 313–325
Stories in a Story This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, pp. 689–701
Style A Collection of Short Shorts, pp. 731–739
Surprise Ending An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, pp. 131–141
Suspense The Lottery, pp. 363–373
Tone The Sky Is Gray, pp 497–525
Unique Narrator Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street, pp. 79–115
Unusual Details The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, pp. 195–207
Unusual Pairings Top of the Food Chain, pp. 671-677
Use of Narrator A Pair of Silk Stockings, pp. 171–177
Word Choice The Far and the Near, pp. 295–299
Philosophy of Emotional Impact The Masque of the Red Death, pp. 71–77
Writing Iceberg Principle Everything Stuck to Him, pp. 561–567
Influence of Magic The Veldt, pp. 397–411
One Simple Sentence In Another Country, pp. 249–255
Scrutiny Mortals, pp. 703–713
The Unexpected Everything That Rises Must Converge, pp. 469–485
Unresolved Conflict Rules of the Game, pp. 629–641
Writing and Reality The Real Thing, pp. 143–169

continued

Many Voices: American Short Stories 25

Commonly Attitudes Fault Lines, pp. 659–669
Used Themes
Family Tensions The Writer in the Family, pp. 603–617

Loneliness Sucker, pp. 301–311

Opportunities Lost Babylon Revisited, pp. 271–293
Pessimism Harrison Bergeron, pp. 459–467
The Power of Naming The Key, pp. 533–543
Social Forces Detroit Skyline, 1949, pp. 569–587
Whimsy and Reality The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, pp. 355–361
Influences Local Color Why I Live at the P.O., pp. 327–341
of Literary Regionalism The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,
Movements pp. 123–129
Surrealism The Fish, pp. 619–627

2 6 Many Voices: American Short Stories

Name ____________________________________________________ Class _ ______________________ Date __________________________

Active Reading Strategies

Active Reading means being an interested and focused reader. It involves thinking about what you are going
to read, what you are reading, and what you have just read. Use the information below to become an active
reader.

Prereading
Before you even begin reading, ask yourself, “Why am I reading this? What do I hope to learn from it?”
Look at the title, and think about what it might tell you about the text. Skim over the pages, looking for
subheadings, captions, sidebars, or illustrations that give you clues about what you are going to read.

During Reading
If you own the book you are reading, you should highlight, underline, and annotate as you read. If you are
not able to write in the book, write notes on self-stick notes and place them in the book next to important
content. This emphasizes the information and helps transmit it to your brain. You can also easily review these
important points later. Always be sure to monitor your reading by constantly mulling over the information,
images, impressions, and so on, that you are receiving from the text. The best way to do this is to use the six
Active Reading strategies outlined below. The more you employ these strategies, the more help they will offer.
They should become second nature to you.

• Questioning
Ask questions as you read.
Continually questioning the text will help you stay alert and interested in what you are reading.
As your questions are answered, think of new ones.

• Predicting
Use what has happened to guess what will happen next.
As you read, make guesses about what will happen next. Think about what the characters are
like, where the plot is going, and how the characters will respond to events in the story. Keep
making predictions right up to the end of the reading.

• Clarifying
Clear up any confusion about the text and resolve any questions.
If you have trouble understanding something you have read, clear it up right away. Go back
and reread the passage until you understand it. Think about the main idea of the passage.
Continually clarify what the author is telling you throughout your reading.

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• Connecting
Compare the text with your own experience.
Connect what you read to something you have read, seen, or experienced yourself. Ask
yourself, “What does this remind me of?” Visualize the information—try to see it in your mind.
When you connect with the characters and situations you read about, your reading is more
meaningful.

• Summarizing
Review what has happened so far.
Every now and again as you read, stop to review what you have read so far. Determine what you
know, what you think you know, and what has changed about what you thought you knew.

• Evaluating
Form opinions and arrive at conclusions about your reading.
Make judgments as you read. Use your common sense as well as the evidence in the text to
arrive at sound opinions and valid conclusions.

After Reading
When you finish reading, stop to think about what you have read. Go over the entire piece in your head. Try
to remember the main points and the relevant details. Use a response journal to jot down your feelings about
what you’ve read.

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Differentiated Instruction
Unit One: Finding an American Voice
1820s to 1850s
Share with students the introductory material
on pages 18–21 to help them understand the Differentiated Classroom Tip:
development of American literature during this With a longer, more difficult selection, arrange
time period. Invite small groups of students to students into groups of five or so, mixing their
conduct research and present to the class different learning styles and abilities. Assign each one a
aspects of culture and history in America from 1820 different aspect of the selection to investigate, for
to 1860. What was daily living like—travel, dress, example, theme, plot, character motivation, setting,
communication, religion and morality, communities? or viewpoint. Each member of the group will
What political events were occurring—wars, elections, research the assignment at his or her own reading
presidencies; and how was the country expanding level. Then groups split up so that all students
both geographically and socially? investigating the same aspect compare notes and
teach one another. Finally, students return to their
original groups so that every member of each group
can report to the others and share their knowledge.

Name of TYPE OF LEARNER

Selection Auditory Visual Kinesthetic ELL/Struggling
The Legend of Ask volunteers to read Invite students to Have a pair of students Explain that this is
Sleepy Hollow aloud a paragraph or sketch Ichabod’s meet- act out Ichabod’s archaic English; retell
pp. 22–53 two they like. Invite ing with the Headless meeting with the the story for students.
discussion. Horseman. Headless Horseman.
Challenging
Young Ask one student to Have students critique Have students act out Explain the severity of
Goodman do sound effects while the illustrations and the scene with the devil the Puritans’ religious
Brown others narrate and read tell how they would and Young Goodman beliefs.
pp. 54–69 dialogue for one scene. illustrate the story. Brown.

Average
The Masque of Have students supply Ask students to Have volunteers Make sure students
the Red Death dialogue for the illustrate one or more pantomime the last understand that the
pp. 70–77 intruder, prince, and of the rooms set up for scene while others read title indicates that the
others at the end of the masquerade. it aloud. party (or “masque”) is
Challenging the story. actually given for the
epidemic (or the “Red
Death”).

Bartleby the Ask a volunteer to be Suggest that interested Ask students to take Pair native English
Scrivener: A Bartleby as a group students develop the parts of all the speakers with ELLs
Tale of Wall reads aloud various storyboards to make characters and act out to read aloud and
Street parts of dialogue. this story into a TV play. the story in their own discuss the story.
pp. 78–115 words.

Challenging

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Unit One Vocabulary

Watch for the following words as you read the selections in Unit One. Record your own
vocabulary words and definitions on the blank lines.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Young Goodman Brown pages 55–68

pages 23–52 anathema—abomination; hated thing
apparition—ghost; spirit discerned—determined; figured out
approbation—praise; approval dissolute—wicked; evil
boorish—unrefined; ill-mannered exemplary—perfect; model
capacious—ample; immense exhorted—urged; strongly advised
countenance—aspect; face gravity—seriousness; solemnity
credulity—faith; trust irrepressible—uncontrollable; unrestrained
erudition—learning; knowledge lurid—shining with a reddish glow
harbinger—precursor; foreshadower manifest—clear; apparent
impunity—sense of privilege; feeling of permission ocular—related to eyes or vision
ingratiating—disarming; charming in an oily way pious—religious; devout
insinuating—flattering; ingratiating scruples—doubts; reservations
inveterate—firmly established unfathomable—mysterious; unknowable
itinerant—traveling; wandering venerable—distinguished; esteemed
mortification—shame; humiliation wanton—lewd; lustful
onerous—troublesome; burdensome
opulence—abundance; plenty ___________________________________________
pensive—thoughtful; reflective
pliability—flexibility; suppleness ___________________________________________
portentous—ominous; prophetic
___________________________________________
propensity—tendency
querulous—peevish; discontented
___________________________________________
redoubtable—famous; celebrated
resplendent—shining; glossy
sequestered—hidden; secluded
sumptuous—extravagant; impressive
tractable—obedient; docile
undulation—wave; ruffling

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

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The Masque of the Red Death presentiments—misgivings; apprehensions

pages 71–76 provocation—aggravation; stimulation
prudence—caution; carefulness
arrested—stopped; halted quiescent—calm; untroubled
dauntless—bold; daring recondite—obscure; scholarly
disapprobation—disapproval; criticism remonstrated—protested; scolded
emphatic—forceful; striking remunerative—profitable; lucrative
impeded—impaired; hampered retorts—responses
impetuosity—spontaneity; abandon retribution—revenge; retaliation
profuse—excessive; abundant sanguine—confident; high-spirited
propriety—decency; suitability succor—relief; assistance
sedate—calm; dignified vehement—fierce; angry
tremulousness—fear; timidity
unimpeded—unstopped ___________________________________________
voluptuous—extravagant; hedonistic
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

___________________________________________

Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of

Wall Street pages 79–114
aberration—deviation; alteration
admonitions—warnings; scoldings
alacrity—quickness; alertness
arduous—tough; difficult
ascendency—domination
ascertainable—indispensable
augmented—exaggerated; heightened
deferentially—respectfully; politely
dissipation—indulgences; debauchery
eccentricities—odd habits; strange behaviors
efficacy—effect
effrontery—boldness; impudence
hectoring—harassing; tormenting
ignominiously—in a dishonorable fashion
inadvertently—accidentally; mistakenly
incipient—first; beginning
indispensable—essential; necessary
inscrutable—mysterious
insolent—rude; insulting
lethargic—sleep-inducing
mollified—pleased; gratified
nonchalance—calm; indifference
obstreperous—unruly; loudmouthed
paroxysms—fits; spasms
pernicious—harmful; dangerous
perverseness—contrariness; cantankerousness

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, pages 22–53

Responding and Writing

Summary Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow’s eccentric schoolmaster, competes with Brom Bones, a high-
spirited local lad, for the hand of Katrina. After the wealthy farmer’s daughter spurns Ichabod’s attentions
at a party, he sets off into the night on an old nag. He spots what he believes is the Headless Horseman, a
legendary apparition, and takes flight in panic. Ichabod is never seen again.

Vocabulary him an easy mark. Superstition, in the persona of

the Headless Horseman, is shown to have its uses.
apparition—ghost; spirit
approbation—praise; approval Throughout the story, Ichabod steadfastly believes in
boorish—unrefined; ill-mannered the local superstition and is hounded by a fear of it.
capacious—ample; immense 2. In your own words, describe Ichabod Crane. Is
countenance—aspect; face he an admirable character? Use details from the
credulity—faith; trust text to back up your evaluation. Answers will vary.
erudition—learning; knowledge Ichabod—the original country schoolmaster—is one of
harbinger—precursor; foreshadower the most memorable characters in American fiction.
impunity—sense of privilege; feeling of permission
He is a comical mixture of petty tyrant, superstitious
ingratiating—disarming; charming in an oily way
twit, opportunist, and pure coward. His scarecrow
insinuating—flattering; ingratiating
inveterate—firmly established looks draw ridicule as do his fawning attempts to woo
itinerant—traveling; wandering Katrina. Students may find admirable his delight in
mortification—shame; humiliation the supernatural, healthy ego, and stubborn pursuit of
onerous—troublesome; burdensome his goals, oblivious to the obstacles.
opulence—abundance; plenty 3. What inferences can you draw from Ichabod
pensive—thoughtful; reflective Crane’s interest in Katrina? Name all the possible
pliability—flexibility; suppleness reasons for his attraction. Ichabod is attracted
portentous—ominous; prophetic
to Katrina’s youth and beauty. However, it can be
propensity—tendency
inferred that the fine food he enjoys at her home and
querulous—peevish; discontented
redoubtable—famous; celebrated the prospect of inheriting a large and prosperous estate
resplendent—shining; glossy also play a large part in his infatuation.
sequestered—hidden; secluded 4. Why is Brom a good foil (contrasting character)
sumptuous—extravagant; impressive for Ichabod? Compare the two men using details
tractable—obedient; docile from the story. Ichabod is tall, gaunt, and homely,
undulation—wave; ruffling whereas Brom is burly, athletic, and attractive. Ichabod
is book-smart where Brom is country-boy shrewd.
Read and Think Critically Ichabod works hard to impress people with his singing,
1. Literary Lens: Motif Analyze how Irving uses ghost stories, and ridiculous dancing, whereas playful
the motif of the Headless Horseman. Cite strong and good-humored Brom is naturally the life of any
evidence to support your analysis. This recurring party. In short, Ichabod is an outsider in Sleepy
element unifies the plot and theme of the story—a Hollow; Brom is a popular insider.
story about a superstitious man undone by real adver- 5. What do you think happens to Ichabod after
saries, using the cloak of a supernatural force. Also, his disappearance? Answers will vary. Some may
the prevalent belief in this ”force” shows the ignorance wonder if he is the skeptical gentleman in the story’s
and naiveté of Sleepy Hollow’s residents. Brom Bones’ Postscript, but the author is ambiguous. The old farmer’s
mocking use of the Headless Horseman to run off story—that Crane has become a minor court justice in
his rival illustrates his horsemanship as well as his downstate New York—seems plausible, unlike the belief
shrewdness—admirable qualities in the 19th-century in Sleepy Hollow that Ichabod has been spirited away by
countryside. Ichabod’s gullibility and timidity make the Headless Horseman.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, pages 22–53

6. The Author’s Style Analyze the effect of Irving’s Writing with Motifs
language on your enjoyment of this story. Cite
Write a short tale that employs a motif from folklore or
specific examples of the author’s wordplay that you
an urban legend. Feel free to combine folktale elements
enjoyed: descriptive details and figurative language
with a contemporary setting and characters.
such as metaphors, similes, and hyperbole
(exaggeration used for effect). Answers may vary.
The story is rich in ironic and humorous language,
such as the author’s description of Ichabod’s steed
Gunpowder: “a broken-down plough horse that had
outlived almost everything but his viciousness.” Teachers
should remind students what each of the boldfaced
elements means or refer them to the student book’s
Glossary, starting on page 758.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, pages 22–53

Quiz: Comprehension and Analysis

Choose the best answer and write the letter on the blank.

_ �� 1. Ichabod Crane is a ___ ��� 4. Ichabod sees the terrifying Headless

A. horseman. Horseman as he ___
B. farmer. A. is walking in the dark woods.
C. visionary. B. loses the saddle from his horse.
D. schoolmaster. C. is on his way home from a party.
D. arrives at the graveyard.
��� 2. Katrina Van Tassel is the object of
Ichabod’s affection and ___ ��� 5. After his meeting with the Headless
A. the oldest of a large family. Horseman, Ichabod ___
B. the youngest of a large family. A. dies of fright.
C. the only child of a wealthy farmer. B. marries Katrina Van Tassel.
D. the only child of a poor farmer. C. becomes a hero because he survived.
D. disappears.
��� 3. Ichabod borrows a horse because ___
A. he is invited to a party at Katrina’s
home.
B. he feels safer going through the woods
on horseback.
C. he is afraid he will meet Brom Bones.
D. he needs to escape the Headless
Horseman.

6. What do you think happened to Ichabod Crane? Explain your answer.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, pages 22–53

Literary Lens Thinking Skill: Analyze Motif

A recurring element in a story is called a motif. A motif may be an object, image, or situation. In “The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the most important motif is the Headless Horseman, especially as that legend
affects Ichabod Crane and the plot of the story. Use the graphic organizer below to analyze this motif.

Directions: In each blank box, write a short description of how the motif of the horseman influences the
main character.

Ichabod Crane’s Response to the

Motif of the Headless Horseman

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, pages 22–53

Quiz: Vocabulary
I. Write the letter of the word or phrase that best matches the word in italics.

��� 1. Ichabod Crane had a propensity for believ- ��� 4. Ichabod Crane’s belief in the Headless
ing in the supernatural. Horseman was a portentous sign of what
A. book was to come.
B. routine A. monstrous
C. tendency B. heavy
D. ominous sign C. prophetic
D. very obvious
��� 2. The local people believed Ichabod Crane
was a man of erudition. ��� 5. Ichabod Crane suffered mortification at the
A. knowledge Van Tassel party.
B. superstition A. terror
C. humor B. humiliation
D. despair C. exhaustion
D. a fainting spell
��� 3. Ichabod Crane had a capacious appetite
for superstitions.
A. unbelievable
B. immense
C. incredulous
D. inveterate

II. Write the letter of the definition of each word on the left.

��� 6. approbation A. ill-mannered

��� 7. tractable B. burdensome

��� 8. boorish C. docile

��� 9. sumptuous D. approval

��� 10. onerous E. impressive

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Responding to Unit One page 116

Key Ideas and Details
1. Who is your favorite character in Unit One? Explain three of this character’s qualities that are explicitly
stated in the text and three that are implied by the character’s words and actions. Support your
description with evidence from the text. Answers will vary depending on students’ choice of character.
2. Several authors in Unit One use ambiguity in their stories. Give three examples where the author
purposely leaves matters uncertain. Offer an explanation of why the author does this and what effect
it has on the reader. Answers will vary. Possible answers include, the fate of Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow” and the ambiguity of the old gentleman in the postscript; in “Young Goodman Brown” whether
the encounter with the devil was real or a dream; in “Bartleby the Scrivener” the character of Bartleby is
ambiguous. It is uncertain where he came from or what he did before the story begins. Authors use ambiguity to
create a tone of mystery or uncertainty and cause emotions in the reader. Ambiguous endings allow the reader to
make his or her own conclusion about the characters or events.

Craft and Structure

3. In 19th-century Romanticism, allegory and symbolism are used frequently, and morality is often
addressed in an obvious way. Choose a story in Unit One and decide how it fits the definition of
Romanticism. Use evidence from the text to support your view. Answers will vary depending on students’
choice of selection. “Young Goodman Brown” typifies Romantic writing in its use of religious allegory and
symbolism. The story depicts the journey of a naive young man through a night forest accompanied by the devil
himself. His temptation is reminiscent of Bible stories about humankind’s fall from grace and their various tests
of faith. Among the symbols is the forest itself—representing the dark heart of humanity as well as something
fearsome that tests Brown’s character. Brown’s struggle with his own inherent evil is at the heart of the story;
the lesson he takes away from his forest walk (or dream) is that the struggle over evil is the lot of most human
beings.
4. In fiction, the mysterious stranger is a basic ingredient of many plots. In the traditional form, a myste-
rious stranger appears in the life of an individual or a community, and everyone is affected as a result.
Examine “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” or “Bartleby the Scrivener”
and explain how the archetype of the mysterious stranger is employed. Answers will vary. Some students
may wonder which character is the mysterious stranger in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ichabod Crane or the
Headless Horseman. Both views can be supported.

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5. Poe believed that good short stories require a single, unifying effect. Analyze one of the stories in Unit
One using Poe’s standard of unity. Do the descriptions, incidents, structure, and images all contribute to
the single effect of the story? Is there a single effect? Feel free to evaluate Poe’s own story. Answers will
vary. In “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” elements such as the motif of the Headless Horseman unify the story, but
the story’s overall effect on the reader varies from comical to frightening. “Young Goodman Brown” has a strong,
unified psychological effect, but Hawthorne aimed for more than psychological effect in this highly symbolic,
moral allegory. Poe creates a single, unified effect in “The Masque of the Red Death” by presenting details and
events that evoke more for the reader than for the characters themselves—the terror of an inevitable, impending
doom. Numerous elements in “Bartleby the Scrivener” contribute to an effect of despair—Bartleby’s increasing
alienation and the narrator’s futile efforts to understand and help his employee.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

6. Many writers of the early 19th-century Romantic era were drawn to the Gothic writing style, which
relies on grotesque imagery, morbid settings, and plots heavy in horror and the supernatural. Compare
and contrast the Gothic elements found in two of the stories in this unit. Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow” is a Gothic tale because of its reliance on the supernatural device of the Headless Horseman, and its
spooky climax in the deserted countryside. Similarly, the setting of Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” is
especially surreal and inspires dread, as does the meeting with the devil in the forest. The imagery of the fiery
forest altar surrounded by witches also has Gothic elements. Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” exemplifies
Gothic writing with its remote, confined, and gruesomely decorated setting and the sense of impending doom. In
contrast, the setting of Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” is more realistic. However, it too has Gothic elements.
It is an allegory of how big business squelches the laborer. The actions of the main character are inexplicable and
unrealistic, and the ending murky.
7. Modern authors and filmmakers have reinterpreted Washington Irving’s stories, often for a younger
audience. Analyze a modern film or book version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Evaluate how the
adaption reinterprets the characters, the plot, and the setting to appeal to its targeted audience. Answers
will vary depending upon the adaptation. Students should address ways the modern version changes the characters
and plays up certain details for humorous or horrifying effects.

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Writing About the Literature page 117

Trouble Everywhere
Conflict, simply put, means “trouble.” Without trouble, there is usually no story. Choose one of the stories
in Unit One and analyze the ways in which the author introduces, develops, and resolves the conflict.
Responses will vary. Encourage students to note techniques used by the author to present, develop, and resolve the
conflict. Students may trace the arc of conflict in “The Masque of the Red Death” by noting Poe’s use of irony and
personification. Poe introduces the Red Death and Prince Prospero as opposing forces, yet the reader senses what Prince
Prospero cannot—that he lacks the necessary heroic qualities to defeat such a foe. His decadence, selfishness, and
foolishness predict his demise. This irony, along with details such as the clock’s hourly chimes and the black and red
room of the castle, evokes a sense of time moving inevitably toward doom. Presenting the Red Death in the form of
a costumed guest, Poe then propels the foolish prince to confront it directly. The story’s tension is resolved by the Red
Death’s victory.

Writing with Style

Choose one of these two assignments.

“I prefer not to . . .”
Using Melville’s style, write a short scene from a modern-day version of “Bartleby the Scrivener.” Invent a
modern-day workplace with its employees and employer. Then have the employer narrate the scene of his
or her encounter with Bartleby the __________ . Students may need you to outline several steps that will help
them analyze and mimic the author’s style. For example, suggest that students reread all or part of the story carefully,
focusing on elements of style, and then use a chart to clarify important elements before they begin to write. Students
may be tempted to create a comical sketch of a noncompliant employee, yet they should not overlook Melville’s overall
tone and message. Style elements to consider in this story include:

Tone What is the mood of the story, and how does the author create and change the mood?
Voice What is the advantage of telling the story from the employer’s point of view? How does the
narrator relate to the action? What feelings does the author want you to have toward the
narrator?
Theme What is the main message of the story? How can you convey a similar message in your
composition?
Setting What sets the story in time and place, and how important is setting to the story?
Language and What specific words or phrases define characters and help establish the setting? How is the
Dialogue dialogue used?
Other How does the author create the desired effect and convey the message of the story? How
Techniques much does the author rely on physical description? Does the author make use of sensory
images, metaphors, etc., to emphasize the message?

Diary
As one of the characters in Unit One, write a personal diary for the time period of the story. Provide more
information than we get in the story about the “real” you. Use the writing style you think the character would
use. Before writing, students might want to use an organizer to list relevant information about their characters and
details about settings that would add authenticity to their responses.

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In Your Own Style

Hubris, the character trait of pride or excessive self-confidence, is a theme that comes up repeatedly in Unit
One. Consider your own life. Have you or someone you know suffered from, or experienced the effects of,
hubris? Write about this in your own style. Choose between taking a humorous approach or creating a dark
and serious mood. Responses will vary. Students may find it helpful to identify the characters that exhibit hubris and
list ways the authors depict this trait, as well as the role it plays in the plot. If they choose a humorous treatment of
hubris, suggest rereading “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” A good example of an extremely dark treatment of this trait is
found in Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”

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Unit One Tests pages 18–115

I. Vocabulary
Choose the meaning of the bold word in each passage.

1. From the listless repose of the place, and the 7. But, irreverently consorting with these grave,
peculiar character of its inhabitants . . . this reputable, and pious people . . . were men of
sequestered glen has long been known by the dissolute lives and women of spotted fame . . . .
name of SLEEPY HOLLOW . . . . (“The Legend of (“Young Goodman Brown,” p. 65)
Sleepy Hollow,” p. 24)
A. wicked C. adventurous
A. leafy C. secluded B. quiet D. worthy
B. suburban D. quiet
8. Unfathomable to mere mortals is the love of
2. He was broad-shouldered, and double-jointed, fiends. (“Young Goodman Brown,” p. 65)
with short curly black hair, and a bluff, but not
unpleasant countenance. . . . (“The Legend of A. exhausting C. helpful
Sleepy Hollow,” p. 34) B. mysterious D. unrelenting

A. face C. accent 9. . . . there arose at length from the whole

B. sense of humor D. vocal quality company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of
disapprobation and surprise . . . .
3. . . . Ichabod, in a pensive mood, sat enthroned (“The Masque of the Red Death,” p. 75)
on the lofty stool whence he usually watched all
the concerns of his little literary realm. A. distress C. wonderment
(“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” p. 37) B. fear D. criticism

A. joyous C. frightened 10. It was not a very arduous office . . . . (“Bartleby

B. thoughtful D. scholarly the Scrivener,” p. 80)

4. He was, in fact, an odd mixture of small A. bright C. humorous

shrewdness and simple credulity. (“The Legend B. difficult D. enjoyable
of Sleepy Hollow,” p. 29)
11. I verily believe that buttoning himself up in so
A. thoughts C. needs downy and blanket-like a coat had a pernicious
B. wishes D. faith effect upon him . . . . (“Bartleby the Scrivener,”
p. 84)
5. On all sides he beheld vast stores of apples;
some hanging in oppressive opulence on the A. comforting C. lasting
trees. . . . (“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” p. 39) B. harmful D. dubious

A. abundance C. meaning 12. Not the least among the employments of Ginger
B. weight D. order Nut, as well as one which he discharged with
the most alacrity, was his duty as cake and apple
6. They continued to walk onward, while the elder purveyor for Turkey and Nippers. (“Bartleby the
traveller exhorted his companion to make good Scrivener,” p. 85)
speed. . . . (“Young Goodman Brown,” p. 60)
A. quickness C. concern
A. helped C. urged B. hunger D. pleasure
B. begged D. whispered for

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II. Reading
Read the following passage from “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and answer the
questions.
1 “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” said Goodman Brown to himself; and he glanced
2 fearfully behind him as he added, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!”
3 His head being turned back, he passed a crook of the road, and, looking forward again, beheld the
4 figure of a man, in grave and decent attire, seated at the foot of an old tree. He arose at Goodman
5 Brown’s approach and walked onward side by side with him.
6 “You are late, Goodman Brown,” said he. “The clock of the Old South was striking as I came through
7 Boston, and that is full fifteen minutes agone.”
8 “Faith kept me back a while,” replied the young man, with a tremor in his voice, caused by the sudden
9 appearance of his companion, though not wholly unexpected.
10 It was now deep dusk in the forest, and deepest in that part of it where these two were journeying. As
11 nearly as could be discerned, the second traveller was about fifty years old, apparently in the same rank
12 of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerable resemblance to him, though perhaps more in
13 expression than features. Still they might have been taken for father and son. And yet, though the elder
14 person was as simply clad as the younger, and as simple in manner too, he had an indescribable air of
15 one who knew the world, and who would not have felt abashed at the governor’s dinner table or in King
16 William’s court, were it possible that his affairs should call him thither. But the only thing about him
17 that could be fixed upon as remarkable was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so
18 curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent. This, of
19 course, must have been an ocular deception, assisted by the uncertain light.
20 “Come, Goodman Brown,” cried his fellow-traveller, “this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey.
21 Take my staff, if you are so soon weary.”
22 “Friend,” said the other, exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, “having kept covenant by meeting
23 thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples touching the matter thou
24 wot’st of.”

��� 1. From this passage the reader can infer that ��� 4. With lines 15 and 16 Hawthorne hints
Young Goodman Brown’s companion is that government leaders
A. his father. A. were inhospitable.
B. the governor’s assistant. B. would welcome the second traveller’s
C. the devil. advice.
D. none of the above. C. would reject the second traveller’s
advice.
��� 2. From lines 8–9 readers could infer that D. all of the above.
Young Goodman Brown
��� 5. This passage is an example of what
A. knows who his companion is.
narrative point of view?
B. is happy to see his companion.
C. is annoyed at his companion. A. first person
D. none of the above. B. interior monologue
C. third-person omniscient
��� 3. Line 2 offers an example of D. third-person limited
A. simile.
B. metaphor.
C. foreshadowing.
D. personification.

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III. Essay
Select one of the prompts below and follow the directions.
Experiencing
Carefully reread the passage from “Young Goodman Brown” and write an essay explaining who you
think the second traveller represents and what you think Hawthorne’s attitude toward him is.
Interpreting
The period from 1820 to 1870 is generally considered the Romantic period in American literature. The
introductory essay to Unit One mentions several features of Romantic writing. Explain how “Young
Goodman Brown” is an example of Romantic literature.
Evaluating
Evaluate Hawthorne’s narrative style. Do you like or dislike it? Provide examples from the text of “Young
Goodman Brown” and from texts by other authors to support your evaluation.

IV. Reading
Read the following passage from “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville and answer the questions.

1 Imprimis: I am a man who, from his youth upward, has been filled with a profound conviction
2 that the easiest way of life is the best. Hence, though I belong to a profession proverbially energetic
3 and nervous, even to turbulence, at times, yet nothing of that sort have I ever suffered to invade
4 my peace. I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws
5 down public applause; but in the cool tranquillity of a snug retreat, do a snug business among
6 rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds. All who know me, consider me an eminently safe
7 man. The late John Jacob Astor, a personage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in
8 pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence; my next, method. I do not speak it in vanity, but
9 simply record the fact, that I was not unemployed in my profession by the late John Jacob Astor;
10 a name which, I admit, I love to repeat, for it hath a rounded and orbicular sound to it, and rings
11 like unto bullion. I will freely add, that I was not insensible to the late John Jacob Astor’s good
12 opinion.
13 Some time prior to the period at which this little history begins, my avocations had been largely
14 increased. The good old office, now extinct in the State of New York, of a Master in Chancery,
15 had been conferred upon me. It was not a very arduous office, but very pleasantly remunerative.
16 I seldom lose my temper; much more seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at wrongs and
17 outrages; but I must be permitted to be rash here and declare, that I consider the sudden and
18 violent abrogation of the office of Master in Chancery, by the new Constitution, as a—premature
19 act; inasmuch as I had counted upon a life-lease of the profits, whereas I only received those of a
20 few short years. But this is by the way.

��� 1. From this passage the reader can infer that ��� 2. From the passage, the reader can infer that
the narrator would— the narrator most values—
A. be adverse to change. A. friendship.
B. welcome change. B. hard work.
C. be indifferent to change. C. money.
D. none of the above. D. family.

66 © Perfection Learning ® • R e p r o d u c i b l e M a n y Vo i c e s : A m e r i c a n S h o r t S t o r i e s
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��� 3. Lines 10 and 11 offer an example of— ��� 5. This passage is an example of what
narrative point of view?
A. simile.
B. metaphor. A. first person
C. hyperbole. B. interior monologue
D. personification. C. third-person omniscient
D. third-person limited
��� 4. The phrase “a personage little given to
poetic enthusiasm” in line 7 means a—
A. hyperbolic individual.
B. person who does not exaggerate.
C. person who enjoys prose more
than poetry.
D. simple person.

V. Essay
Select one of the prompts below and follow the directions.
Experiencing
Write an essay about the selection in Unit One you enjoyed the most.
Interpreting
Consider the narrator of “Bartleby the Scrivener.” Do you think his experience with Bartleby has changed
his perspective on life? Write a brief essay using evidence from the story to support your opinion.
Evaluating
Evaluate the themes of the stories in Unit One. Write a short essay in which you argue for the theme, or
message, that you think is most relevant to American society today.

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Unit One Style Quiz

Based on what you’ve learned about the authors’ styles, match each short story excerpt with its author from
the box below.

��� 1. The sexton stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house, pulling busily at the bell-rope.
The old people of the village came stooping along the street. Children, with bright faces, tripped
merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday
clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath
sunshine made them prettier than on week days. When the throng had mostly streamed into the
porch, the sexton began to toll the bell, keeping his eye on the Reverend Mr. Hooper’s door. The
first glimpse of the clergyman’s figure was the signal for the bell to cease its summons.

��� 2. At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up
from a Village, whose shingle roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland
melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great antiquity,
having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province, just
about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant (may he rest in peace!), and
there were some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, built of small
yellow bricks, brought from Holland, having latticed windows and gable fronts, surmounted with
weathercocks.

��� 3. A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained form,
seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated—I trembled. Unsheathing my
rapier, I began to grope with it about the recess; but the thought of an instant reassured me.
I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of the catacombs, and felt satisfied. I reapproached the
wall; I replied to the yells of him who clamoured. I re-echoed—I aided—I surpassed them in
volume and in strength. I did this, and the clamourer grew still.

A. Washington Irving
B. Nathaniel Hawthorne
C. Edgar Allan Poe
D. Herman Melville

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Unit One Writing Prompts and Projects

Finding an American Voice 1820s to 1850s
The activities that follow are intended to extend your students’ understanding and appreciation of the
literature they have read in Unit One. They also provide a wide range of writing and thinking experiences.
Be aware that all of these activities may not be suitable for all students.

Writing About Literature 3. Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph that

begins, “I have always been fascinated by . . . .”
1. Ask students to choose the selection in this unit
4. Have students choose one of the authors in this
that was the most meaningful for them and write
unit and write a brief biography of that person.
an essay explaining why.
5. Ask students to collect their favorite passages
2. If students could meet any character in one of
from the readings in this unit. Then ask them to
these selections, which one would it be? Why?
choose two of these, rephrase them in their own
Have them write a two- or three-paragraph
words, and write an analysis of why these quotes
explanation.
are meaningful to them.
3. Which story in Unit One do students think was
6. Encourage students to write a letter to their
the scariest? Why? Ask them to write two or three
favorite author. They should tell the author
paragraphs explaining their reasons.
why they admire his or her writing as well as
4. How would “Bartleby the Scrivener” be different
something about themselves.
if Bartleby himself had told the story? Ask
7. Invite students to find another story by Edgar
students to write a shortened version of the story
Allan Poe or Nathaniel Hawthorne, read it,
from Bartleby’s point of view.
and write a brief report that compares it to the
5. Several of the stories in Unit One are tales of the
selection in Unit One.
supernatural. Invite students to choose one and
update it for a modern-day movie or television
program. Ask them to write a brief essay
Creative Writing
explaining how this would be done. 1. Ask students to write a paragraph describing how
6. Invite students to write a book review of one they felt when they first saw a frightening movie
of the stories in Unit One, critiquing it and or read a scary book. Encourage them to use
recommending it (or not) to readers. imaginative language and vivid images.
7. Suggest that students consider what they have 2. Invite students to choose one of the stories in
learned about American history during the Unit One and write an extension of the story
period of 1820 to 1859. How do the stories that tells what happens after it ends.
in Unit One reflect what was going on in the 3. Have students consider the way each story in
country then? Ask students to write several Unit One ends. Ask them to choose one story
paragraphs. and write a totally different ending. Remind
them that the ending has to remain true to the
Writing Nonfiction characters and situation.
4. Encourage imaginative students to write a horror
1. Tell students to look out an open window.
story of their own, perhaps inspired by one of
Instruct them to take ten minutes to write a
the stories or authors of Unit One.
description of the sights, sounds, smells, and
5. Suggest that students write a newspaper story
tastes in the air. Have them contrast their
and headline about what happened during “The
description with one of the settings in Unit One.
Masque of the Red Death.”
2. Invite students to consider the horrible disease
6. Are there any tales of mysterious events or
in “The Masque of the Red Death” and compare
spooky characters that have become legendary
it to other diseases that have spread similarly
in your town or neighborhood? Write a folktale
and horribly in modern times. Have them write
about a mysterious event set where you live.
a comparison piece about the diseases and their
times in history.
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7. Let several volunteers work together to create a Presentations and Projects

movie from one of the stories in Unit One. Ask
1. Invite students who considered creating a
them to create storyboards and a script.
movie from one of the Unit One stories to work
8. Putting oneself in the place of a character is a
together to mock one up and present it to the
good exercise in understanding characterization.
rest of the class. They may choose to act it out,
Ask students to choose a character from one of
to present storyboards, to include sound effects,
the selections in Unit One and write a letter as
or even to make a video presentation.
that character to another character in the story.
2. Ask students to draw a portrait of two characters
To expand the assignment, students might then
from Unit One. Have them name each character
write another letter as the character to a living
and write a brief description of him or her.
political, literary, or cultural figure.
Display students’ work in the classroom.
3. Encourage groups of students to prepare a
Writing Research Papers Reader’s Theatre piece based on one of the
1. Have students choose an author represented selections in this unit. Ask volunteers to perform
in Unit One and write a research paper about their piece.
that author’s life, work, major influences, and 4. Let students with an auditory learning style
common themes. make one of the stories into a radio play. Ask
2. Suggest that interested students explore movies them to cast the characters with other students
and television plays that have been made of the in the classroom and record the play, complete
stories in Unit One and of other stories by the with sound effects, for all to hear.
same authors. Ask them to write a paper that not 5. Students with a kinesthetic learning style may
only gives the information but also critiques the get together and act out one of the stories as a
visual media versions and compares them to the play. Visually oriented students can participate
written stories. with embellishments such as scraps of costumes,
3. Why was Edgar Allan Poe so drawn to title boards, or even backgrounds done on
frightening subject matter? Ask students to bulletin or chalkboards.
research some of what has been written about 6. Suggest that music students research some of the
Poe, draw their own conclusions, and present music of the Civil War era and present it to the
them in a research paper. class in whatever fashion they choose—some
4. The heavy influence of Puritan thought may sing, some may play instruments, others
is noticeable in the stories by Nathaniel may simply play recordings from a library.
Hawthorne and Washington Irving in Unit One.
Invite students to discover more about the extent
of this influence on writers during the 1700s and
1800s. Have them write a paper that describes
what they find.
5. The business of banking has changed drastically
since the days of Bartleby the Scrivener. Ask
students to research and write how transactions
are now carried out and recorded, and how
those aspects of banking now compare to
Bartleby’s day.

70 F i n d i n g a n A m e r i c a n Vo i c e 1 8 2 0 s t o 1 8 5 0 s M a n y Vo i c e s : A m e r i c a n S h o r t S t o r i e s