PART 2 U N I T T WO

PA R T 2

Quests and Encounters Analyze and

Extend
Big Idea 1
Quests and Encounters
Ask students to consider what
makes something a quest or an
encounter. Bring out the idea that
these experiences are unforget-
table because they are elevated
beyond the realm of ordinary
experience. In that way, they might
seem “heroic,” as the introductory
paragraph describes. Tell students
that Part 2 will deepen their under-
standing of quests and encoun-
ters, as well as the emotions and
motives surrounding the sharing
of these experiences. Encour-
age students to contemplate this
“big idea” and its relation to the
artwork.
Le Château des Pyrénées, 1959. René Magritte. Oil on canvas, 100 x 140 cm. Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
René Magritte, a Belgian Surrealist painter, used symbols to express the mystery and
absurdity of perception and reality. How might this image represent a quest to be undertaken or a
thought-provoking encounter?
S
BIG IDEA Answer: Answers will vary. A
quest is often an exceedingly diffi-
Sometimes what seems like an ordinary day is transformed into something cult, near-impossible task. Students
extraordinary. Unexpectedly, your routine is turned into a quest or a meeting is may say that figuring out how to
elevated to an encounter. In the nonfiction works in Part 2, you will read essays
reach the castle would be a quest.
about ordinary and extraordinary quests and encounters. As you read these texts,
ask yourself, When in my life have I been asked to take on the role of the hero? 1 The painting might represent an
interesting encounter with a person
or place in the way that it causes
365 the viewer to pause and reassess
English Learners his or her beliefs or ideas.
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Intermediate Have students use a

dictionary to find the meanings of quest
(“search”) and encounter (“direct meet-
ing”). Discuss connotations such as the
association of quest with a journey search-
ing for adventure, as by medieval knights.

365
 Learning Objectives
LITERARY FOCUS
Literary Focus For pages 366–367
In studying this text, you will
focus on the following Expository and Personal Essay
objective:
Literary Study: Analyzing
Teach expository and personal essays.

Why write an essay?

Big Idea 1 Essayists write for many reasons. They may wish to make their read-
ers think about a new idea or to share an experience with them.
Quests and Encounters Others are motivated by a passion for truth or by a political purpose.
Show students photos of an In “The Tucson Zoo,” Lewis Thomas seeks to share an experience
with his readers.
Olympic gold medal, an Oscar, a
sports trophy, and world leaders
shaking hands. Ask: In what ways
are these symbols of quests
and encounters? (Students may
suggest that people work hard in
search of these signs of accom-
plishment.) Why might authors
write of their quests and encoun-
ters? (Quests usually require signifi-
cant effort and can bring immense
satisfaction, while encounters may
be with unforgettable characters.)
Discuss student responses.

from The Tucson Zoo

ber thinking, with what was left in charge of my
by Lewis Thomas consciousness, that I wanted no part of the science
of beavers and otters; I wanted never to know how
I was transfixed. As I now recall it, there was only they performed their marvels; I wished for no news
Literary Element 2 2 one sensation in my head: pure elation mixed with about the physiology of their breathing, the coordi-
amazement at such perfection. Swept off my feet, I nation of their muscles, their vision, their endocrine
Expository and Personal floated from one side to the other, swiveling my systems, their digestive tracts. I hoped never to have
Essays Ask: What makes Lewis brain, staring astounded at the beavers, then at the to think of them as collections of cells. All I asked
Thomas’s excerpt an essay? (It otters. I could hear shouts across my corpus callo- for was the full hairy complexity, then in front of my
sum, from one hemisphere to the other. I remem- eyes, of whole, intact beavers and otters in motion.
is an expression of his viewpoint.)
Ask: What feelings does Thomas
share about his encounter with
otters and beavers? (Joyfulness
and gratitude) Ask: Why does 366 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON
Thomas share this experience?
(To explain a transformation that
Writing Practice
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SPIRAL
REVIEW
Determine Authors’ Motives • What is Jewelle L. Gomez’s purpose?
For additional support for English Encourage students to consider (To describe an influential person.)
Learners, see Unit 2 Teaching authors’ motives for writing essays. Point out that, to a certain extent, personal
Resources Book, p. 111. Have students write responses to these essays are often motivated by a desire to
questions about the excerpts on these entertain, and have students cite illustra-
pages: tive examples.
• What is Lewis Thomas’s purpose?
(To share his viewpoint about animals.)
• What is Sandra Cisneros’s purpose?
(To describe a specific period of her life.)

366
 The Essay
An essay is a short work of nonfiction that
focuses on a single topic. The essays in this part None of the social issues of 1957 had a chance Literary Focus
were written to inform or to share experiences of catching my attention that year. All that existed
with the reader. The excerpt on the previous for me was my grandmother, rising from the surf
page by Lewis Thomas is an example of a per- like a Dahomean queen, shaking her head free of
her torturous rubber cap, beaming down at me
sonal essay because he shares his feelings about
beavers and otters. Essays are generally catego-
rized as expository, personal, and persuasive.
when I finally took the first strokes on my own.
—Jewelle L. Gomez, from “A Swimming Lesson”
Teach
The Expository Essay Reading Strategy 3
The word expository is derived from of the verb The Persuasive Essay Analyze Essays Ask: What
expose, which means “to make known or to makes the Cisneros passage
explain.” Whenever you write to inform, to In persuasive writing, the writer attempts to
give directions, to explain an idea, or to make influence the reader to accept an idea, adopt a expository? (She explains what
something clear, you are writing exposition. point of view, or perform an action. Persuasive her life was like in the artists’
writing may appeal to the reader’s emotions. colony in France.) Ask: What
However, a type of persuasive writing called
argument relies solely on reason, logic, and indicates that the passage by
When I was living in an artists’ colony in the south evidence. Many persuasive essays and Jewelle L. Gomez is part of
3 of France, some fellow Latin-Americans who speeches use a combination of argument and a personal essay? (It tells the
taught at the university in Aix-en-Provence invited appeal to the emotions. You will encounter per-
suasive writing and speaking in Part 3. impact of a personal experience,
me to share a home-cooked meal with them. I
had been living abroad almost a year then on an her swimming lesson with her
NEA grant, subsisting mainly on French bread and grandmother.)
lentils so that my money could last longer.
Quickwrite
—Sandra Cisneros, from “The Metamorphosis of
Describe a Quest Think of quests and encoun- Quickwrite
the Everyday” ters from your own life. Remember times when
you were afraid or discouraged but still perse- Encourage fluency rather than
vered. Think of encounters that changed you, organization or correct usage. The
even if they were with a creature as small as a
idea is to get words on paper and
The Personal Essay mouse. Choose one of the prompts from the list
below and then write about your quest or edit later. See that students express
Personal essays are usually informal in their
encounter for ten minutes without stopping. As their personal experiences, feel-
language and tone, and they often contain
you write, tell the sequence of an event in your
passages of expository writing. A personal life and explain its significance to you.
ings, or opinions.
essay often reflects on an incident in the writ-
er’s life. The writer may share a life lesson Prompts
with the reader or perhaps shed light on a
time or place long gone. Other personal essays Listen...I remember...
can be written to please oneself or an audi- I want to tell you...
ence of like-minded readers.
But a personal essay can also be a kind of
writing that is common on applications, such
as those for college admissions. These essays
should be more formal in language and tone.
When you write a personal essay for a col-
lege application, your audience will be a
selection committee.

L I TE RARY FO C US 367

English Learners Approaching Level

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Intermediate Review with the term Established Review with less proficient
“Dahomean queen” in “A Swimming Les- readers how each excerpt reflects the Big
son.” Dahomey was a kingdom in west Idea. Ask: What makes Gomez’s experi-
Africa that was located in what is now ence a quest? (Gomez is on a quest for
Benin. Discuss the connotations of this approval from her grandmother.)
allusion, which portrays Gomez’s grand-
mother as regal.

367
Before You Read Before You Read

Focus A Swimming Lesson

Bellringer Options Meet Jewelle L. Gomez

(born 1948)
Selection Focus
Transparency 20

W
hat do I hope to achieve by writing?
Daily Language Practice Changing the world!” Award-
Transparency 29 winning writer and social activist
Jewelle L. Gomez attributes much of her
Or initiate a discussion about success to her great-grandmother. “My great-
adult guidance in unfamiliar grandmother . . . was born on an Indian reser-
by African American poet Ntozake Shange
places. Ask: What childhood vation in Iowa and had been a widow
changed her life. The play celebrated ordinary
for fifty years. She maintained an intellectual
memories do you have of visit- curiosity and graciousness that no amount of
African American women, portraying them as
strong and beautiful. Until that point, Gomez
ing unfamiliar places with adult education could have created. She formed the
had never seen or read anything that
family members? (Students basis of much of my intellectual yearnings.”
described African American women as heroes.
might describe first visits to a Watching Shange’s play, she found herself
department store, an amuse- thinking of her grandmother and great-grand-
ment park, or a vacation spot.)
“My writing flows directly out of the mother. What if she wrote about them and
other women like them? At that moment, she
Did you feel comfortable visit- great storytelling that runs in my discovered a subject she wanted to write
ing these places? Why or why family.” about for the rest of her life.
not? Prompt students to explore —Jewelle L. Gomez Fact and Imagination Growing up during the
the role of their adult family Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power
Movement of the 1960s taught Gomez about
members in these situations. social activism. It seemed everyone she knew
In Her Blood Gomez was born in Boston to
parents of African American, Native was trying to make U.S. society a better place
American, and Portuguese ancestry. She lived for people of color. Since then, Gomez’s
with her great-grandmother until she was strong belief in equality—for minorities,
twenty-two years old. Although she lived in women, and other groups—has been the
poverty as a child and young adult, Gomez guiding force in her writing and her life. “All
was able to attend college. She earned a bache- oppressions are interconnected,” she once
lor’s degree from Northeastern University and said. Themes of equality, power, and responsi-
a master’s degree from Columbia University bility are evident in her essays, plays, poetry,
School of Journalism. Before becoming a pub- novels, and short stories.
lished writer, Gomez worked as a television
production assistant in Boston and as a stage
manager for plays in New York City.
Growing up in a family of storytellers, Gomez
Literature Online
always knew she wanted to be a writer. But
she struggled for many years before discover- Author Search For more about Jewelle L. Gomez, go
to [Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2.
ing a subject that inspired her. A play written

368 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

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Literary Elements Listening/Speaking/Viewing Skills

• Narrative Essay (SE pp. 369—373) • Group Discussion (SE p. 374)
• Anecdote (SE p. 373) A Swimming Lesson
Writing Skills/Grammar
• Descriptive Details (TE p. 370)
Reading Skills
• Connect to Personal Experience
Vocabulary Skills Study Skills/Research/Assessment
(SE pp. 369—374)
• Context Clues (SE p. 374; TE p. 369) • Research Ancestry (TE p. 372)

368
 Literature and Reading Preview
Learning Objectives
Before You Read
For pages 368–374
Connect to the Narrative Essay
What skill do you possess that you learned from a family
In studying this text, you will
focus on the following
objectives:
Focus
member or another adult? Discuss this question with a partner.
Literary Study: Analyzing
Consider the methods that person used to teach you the skill.
narrative essay. Summary
Build Background Reading: Connecting to
personal experience. Jewelle L. Gomez recounts her
This story takes place in the summer of 1957 at Revere Beach childhood trips in the late 1950s
in Revere, Massachusetts, five miles north of Boston. with her grandmother, Lydia, to
Established in 1896, it was the first public beach in the United
a mostly white beach in Revere,
States. People from the entire Boston metropolitan area were
able to reach Revere Beach by public transportation, and they Massachusetts. Ignoring the racial
Vocabulary
flocked there during the summer months. tension at the beach, Lydia teaches
benevolence (bə nevə ləns) n. her granddaughter to swim, model-
Set Purposes for Reading kindness; generosity; p. 371 Gabriel’s
benevolence was apparent in his tireless
ing self-confidence, athleticism,
Big Idea Quests and Encounters and a fearless love of the sea. By
work for the poor.
As you read, ask yourself, How does Gomez’s encounter with teaching her granddaughter to
the beach and the ocean teach her more than just swimming? vulnerable (vulnər ə bəl) adj.
easily damaged or hurt; p. 371 swim, Lydia also taught her to be
Literary Element Narrative Essay Children are vulnerable to injuries. proud of her accomplishments,
A narrative essay is a short nonfiction story. Written in the first per- mainstream (mānstrēḿ) adj. her appearance, and her heritage.
son, narrative essays usually relate events drawn from the writer’s representing the most widespread Later, Gomez discovers that her
own life, allowing the reader to directly experience the author’s per- attitudes and values of a society or grandmother could not swim very
spective. Compared with a formal essay, a narrative essay differs in group; p. 371 The play was very
popular because it appealed to main-
well.
its use of a light, conversational tone. As you read, ask yourself,
Why did Gomez choose the narrative essay form for this essay? stream audiences.
For summaries in languages other
superfluous (soo purflō ō ̄ ̄ əs) than English, see Unit 2 Teaching
Reading Strategy Connect to Personal Experience adj. not needed; unnecessary; Resources Book, pp. 112–117.
When you connect to personal experience, you connect p. 371 The student’s research
what you read to events or experiences in your own life. This paper contained a great deal of
type of connection can help you better understand a story and superfluous information.
its characters. As you read ”A Swimming Lesson,“ ask yourself, Vocabulary
invaluable (in valū ə bəl) adj.
What aspects of this essay can I connect to my own life?
very great in value; p. 371 I proba-
bly would not have found the build- Context Clues Have students
Tip: Make a Diagram As you read “A Swimming Lesson,” write
ing without my father’s invaluable find the words benevolence and
down details about the author’s experiences that are similar to
yours where the two circles of the Venn diagram intersect.
directions. vulnerable in the text and copy the
sentences in which they appear.
Tip: Context Clues Use context
clues to figure out the meaning, or Then have students highlight the
part of the meaning, of an unfamiliar context clues that help them deter-
“A Swimming a feeling word.
Lesson” of pride
My Life mine the meanings of the words.
(beaming, reward; protected)

J E WE L L E L . GOME Z 369

English Learners For additional vocabulary practice,

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Book, p. 120.
Intermediate Point out the words quests apply to a story about learning how to
and encounters in the Big Idea. Ask English swim. For additional context, see Glencoe
learners to use a dictionary to discover the Interactive Vocabulary CD-ROM.
meaning of these words. (searches and
meetings) Ask them to brainstorm exam-
ples of quests they may have followed and
of encounters they may have had. Then
check their understanding of the terms and
have them suggest how the terms might

369
Teach
Big Idea
Quests and Encounters
1

A Swimming
Lesson
Say: As you read, consider this
question: How does Gomez’s
quest change as the essay
progresses? (It becomes one for
understanding—of her grandmoth-
er’s motives and her ancestors’
history.)

Jewelle L. Gomez
Literary Element 2

A
Narrative Essay Answer: 1 t nine years old I didn’t realize my hair “going back.” Not my grandmother,
The African American people and grandmother, Lydia, and I were doing though. She glowed with unashamed ath-
the white people stay in sepa- an extraordinary thing by packing a leticism as she waded out, just inside the
picnic lunch and riding the elevated train reach of the waves, and moved along the
rate areas. The African American
from Roxbury1 to Revere Beach. It seemed riptide2 parallel to the shore. Once sub-
people feel safe only in groups. part of the natural rhythm of summer to merged, she would load me onto her back
me. I didn’t notice how the subway cars and begin her long, tireless strokes. With
slowly emptied of most of their Black pas- the waves partially covering us, I fol-
Big Idea 3 sengers as the train left Boston’s urban lowed her rhythm with my short, chubby
center and made its way into the Italian arms, taking my cues from the powerful
Quests and Encounters and Irish suburban neighborhoods to the movement of her back muscles. We did
Answer: She seems happy and north. It didn’t seem odd that all of the this again and again until I’d fall off, and
confident in the water. Black families stayed in one section of the she’d catch me and set me upright in the
A P P ROAC H I N G Ask approaching- beach and never ventured onto the board- strong New England surf. I was thrilled
level students to identify details walk to the concession stands or the rides by the wildness of the ocean and my
except in groups. grandmother’s fearless relationship to it. I
that describe Gomez’s grand- I do remember Black women perched loved the way she never consulted her
mother at the beach. (Example: cautiously on their blankets, tugging des- mirror after her swim, but always looked
she glowed with unashamed perately at bathing suits rising too high as if she had been born to the sea, a kind
athleticism) in the rear and complaining about their of aquatic heiress.

1. Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood is southwest of 2. The riptide is the strong surface current that flows rapidly
downtown. away from shore, returning to sea the water carried
landward by waves.
2 Narrative Essay From this sentence, what do you learn
about the relationship between white and African
American people at Revere Beach?
Quests and Encounters How does the author’s grand-
mother seem to feel about the ocean?
3
For an audio recording of this
selection, use Listening Library
Audio CD-ROM. 370 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Writing Practice
0370_0372_U2P2_877979.indd 370 3/12/08 2:07:41 P
Readability Scores SPIRALDescriptive Details Narrative • Descriptive details reinforce subject
REVIEW
Dale-Chall: 8.4 essays often contain writing that matter and theme(s) of the essay
DRP: 62 appeals to the senses, which • Sensory images are varied, clear,
Lexile: 1190 helps readers relate to the writer’s experi- and striking
ence. Have students write short narrative • Verbs are lively and exact
essays that use descriptive writing to draw • Details are carefully organized
readers in. Have them use the following
checklist as a guide.

370
 None of the social issues of 1957 had a
chance of catching my attention that year.
My swimming may have seemed a
superfluous skill to those who watched Teach
All that existed for me was my grand- our lessons. After all, it was obvious that I
mother, rising from the surf like a wouldn’t be doing the backstroke on the
Dahomean3 queen, shaking her head free Riviera4 or in the pool of a penthouse spa. Reading Strategy 4
of her torturous rubber cap, beaming down Certainly nothing in the popular media at
at me when I finally took the first strokes that time made the “great outdoors” seem
Connect to Personal
on my own. She towered above me in the a hospitable place for Black people. It was Experience Answer: Like
sun with a benevolence that made simply a place in which we were meant to feel Gomez, students might admire
dwelling in her presence a reward in itself. comfortable at best and hunted at worst. certain adults for their confidence,
Under her gaze I felt part of a long line of But my prospects for utilizing my skill courage, dignity, or kindness.
royalty. I was certain that everyone around were irrelevant to me, and when I finally
us—Black and white—saw and respected got it right I felt as if I had learned some
her magnificence. invaluable life secret.
Although I sensed her power, I didn’t When I reached college and learned the
know the real significance of our summers specifics of slavery and the Middle
together as Black females in a white part of Passage,5 the magnitude of that “peculiar
town. Unlike winter, when we were pro- institution”6 was almost beyond my com- Explain to
ENGLIS H LE A R N E R S
tected by the cover of coats, boots and hats, prehension; it was like nothing I’d learned English learners that magnifi-
summer left us vulnerable and at odds before about the history of my people. It cence refers to the grandmother’s
with the expectations for women’s bod- was difficult making a connection with greatness and beauty. Ask: What
ies—the narrow hips, straight hair, flat those Africans who had been set adrift
details make the grandmother
stomachs, small feet—handed down from from their own land. My initial reaction
the mainstream culture and media. But was “Why didn’t the slaves simply jump
seem “magnificent”? (“rising from
Lydia never noticed. Her long chorus-girl from the ships while they were still close to the surf like a Dahomean Queen”;
legs ended in size-nine shoes, and she shore, and swim home?” The child in me “beaming down”; “she towered
dared to make herself even bigger as she who had learned to survive in water was above me”; “dwelling in her pres-
stretched her broad back and became a crushed to find that my ancestors had not ence a reward in itself”)
woman with a purpose: teaching her necessarily shared this skill. Years later
granddaughter to swim. when I visited West Africa and learned of
the poisonous, spiny fish that inhabit most
of the coastal waters, I understood why

3. Dahomean (də hōmā ən) refers to Dahomey, a country in

western Africa now called Benin (ben in). Several kingdoms 4. A popular resort area, the Riviera lies along the
flourished in this region from the 1300s to the 1600s. Mediterranean coasts of Italy and France.
5. The Middle Passage was the route followed by slave
4 Connect to Personal Experience Think about an adult
whom you admire. How do you identify with the author’s
traders from Africa to the Americas. Through the months-
long voyage, slaves suffered filth, disease, abuse, and
feelings here? death.
6. Prior to the Civil War, Southerners referred to slavery as
Vocabulary their peculiar institution, meaning that they considered it
to be vital to their economy and way of life.
benevolence (bə nevə ləns) n. kindness; generosity
Vocabulary
vulnerable (vulnər ə bəl) adj. easily damaged or hurt
superfluous (soo purfloo əs) adj. not needed; unnec-
mainstream (mānstrē̄ḿ) adj. representing the essary
most widespread attitudes and values of a society
or group invaluable (in valū ə bəl) adj. very great in value

J E WE L L E L . GOME Z 371

Approaching Level
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Emerging Gomez’s essay contains many

long, complex sentences. Write on the
board the sentence that begins “Unlike
winter, when we were protected by the
cover of coats . . .” Have approaching level
students decode the sentence’s meaning
by re-writing the sentence as phrases and
clauses and paraphrasing each part. Repeat
the exercise with other complex sentences
from the selection.

371
Teach Southwold, July Morning.
Hugo Grenville (b. 1958).
Oil on canvas, 71.1 x 91.4
cm. Private collection.
Reading Strategy 1 In this
painting, British artist Hugo
Connect to Personal Grenville depicts a summer
morning at the small
Experience Ask: What fears English beach town of
have you been able to over- Southwold. What elements
from the essay does this
come? Did anyone help you
painting bring to mind?
overcome your fears? (Students
might have overcome the fear of
water, certain animals, or the dark.
They may have been encouraged
or comforted by family or friends.)

S
Answer: The painting evokes
warmth, happiness, and the swimming was not the local sport there ing to learn the right rhythm—face down,
beauty of the ocean that the that it was in New England. And now eyes closed, air out, reach, face up, eyes
when I take to the surf, I think of those open, air in, reach—Lydia was brushing
author experiences while at the
ancestors and of Lydia. the ocean’s floor with her feet, keeping us
beach with her grandmother. The sea has been a fearful place for us. both afloat. When she told me, I was
British artist Hugo Grenville (1958– ) It swallowed us whole when there was no stunned. I reached into my memory trying
creates works that he feels “express 1 escape from the holds of slave ships. For to combine this new information with the
the joy of life in light and color” and me, to whom the dark fathoms of a tene- Olympic vision I’d always kept of her. At
ment hallway were the most unknowable first I’d felt disappointed, tricked, the way
communicate “our longing for a bet-
thing so far encountered in my nine years, I used to feel when I’d learn that a favorite
ter world.” the ocean was a mystery of terrifying movie star was only five feet tall. But then
proportions. In teaching me to swim, my I quickly realized what an incredible act of
grandmother took away my fear. I began bravery it was for her to pass on to me a
to understand something outside myself— skill she herself had not quite mastered—a
To check students’ understanding the sea—and consequently something skill that she knew would always bring me
of the selection, see Unit 2 Teach- about myself as well. I was no longer a sense of accomplishment. And it was
ing Rescources Book, pp. 123-124. simply a fat little girl: My body had more than just the swimming. It was the
become a sea vessel—sturdy, enduring, ability to stand on any beach anywhere
graceful. I had the means to be safe. and be proud of my large body, my African
Before she died last summer I learned hair. It was not fearing the strong muscles
that Lydia herself couldn’t really swim that in my own back; it was gaining control
well. As I was splashing, desperately try- over my own life. m

372 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Research Practice
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SPIRAL
REVIEW
Ancestry Point out to
SMALL GROUP • Visual Aids (time lines, dioramas, com-
students that families puter animation)
frequently have stories of • Performance (storytelling, monologues,
ancestors who faced great challenges and skits)
hardships. In small groups, have students • Writing (personal essays, journal entries,
use print references, internet searches or interviews)
family interviews to research and collect
representative stories of their ancestry that
they can present to the class. Students may
use one or more of the following options
to present the stories they have found:

372
 After You Read After You Read
Respond and Think Critically
Assess
Respond and Interpret Analyze and Evaluate
1. (a) It might have shaken her
1. (a)Why do you think Lydia hid the fact that she 5. (a)What are the “social issues of 1957” to
was walking on the ocean floor from her grand- which Gomez refers in this essay? (b)How does confidence. (b) Some may say
daughter? (b)What is your reaction to Lydia’s her adult view of these issues differ from her that Lydia should have been
deception? childhood view of them? honest, but others may say that
2. (a)What is Lydia’s attitude toward the sea and 6. What is the theme, or main idea, of this essay? she deceived in order to help.
toward her own body? (b)How does this atti- Explain. 2. (a) She likes the sea and is
tude seem to affect the author’s feelings for her
grandmother? Connect not self-conscious. (b) Gomez
7. Big Idea Quests and Encounters Have you
admires her fearlessness and
3. (a)According to Gomez, why might observers
have considered her swimming lessons a waste ever conquered a fear, as Gomez did with self-confidence.
of time? (b)Why do you think Gomez views the Lydia’s help? Describe your experience. 3. (a) An African American’s life-
lessons differently than what she speculates the 8. Connect to the Author Growing up, Gomez style was not thought to include
observers think? was greatly influenced by the Civil Rights swimming pools. (b) The young
4. (a)What historical information has helped Movement, and her commitment to equal rights
Gomez is not aware that her
Gomez understand her ancestors’ attitude for all people is frequently reflected in her work.
toward the sea? (b)Compare Gomez’s own How does Gomez address issues of inequality future could be limited.
attitude with that of her ancestors. in this essay? 4. (a) The poisonous fish
explained why her ancestors
Literary Element Narrative Essay Review: Anecdote were not swimmers. (b) For
A good narrative essay, or nonfiction story, contains As you learned on page 357, an anecdote is a Gomez, swimming is liberating;
all the elements of any good narrative: characters, brief, personal account of a remarkable incident or for them, dangerous.
setting, and plot. Like short stories, most narrative event. Essayists often use anecdotes to support
5. (a) Racism, segregation, and
essays include a central conflict or problem and their opinions, to clarify their ideas, to entertain, or
have a climax and resolution. Many narrative to get the reader’s attention. sexism (b) The young Gomez
essays are autobiographical, and the author’s was not aware of the issues,
Group Activity With two other students, share
purpose is to tell about life experiences and life
anecdotes from your own lives. After each student but the adult Gomez recognizes
lessons. how courageous the trips were
has shared an anecdote, discuss how the anec-
1. Compare and contrast Gomez’s essay with a dotes could be used to support opinions or ideas given the issues of the time.
short story. Use details from the essay to sup- in a narrative essay. Use the chart from “A
port your answer. Swimming Lesson” as a model for your personal
6. Role models help build self-
examples. confidence and teach how to
2. Authors typically write for one or more of the
following purposes: to inform, to persuade, to Anecdote Ideas and Opinions overcome conflict.
describe, to explain, to entertain. What do you I loved the way Lydia was 7. Answers will vary.
think Gomez’s purpose was in writing her essay? she never con- comfortable with 8. Gomez makes references to the
Explain. sulted her mirror her appearance. lack of black passengers on the
after her swim.
subway and to the segregation
of black families on the beach.
She comments that onlookers
J E WE L L E L . GOME Z 373
may have thought it was “super-
fluous” for her to learn to swim.

PM 0373_0374_U2P2_877979.indd 373 3/19/08 2:39:42 PM Review: Anecdote

Literary Element Progress Check Students should share anecdotes
1. Both have setting, plot, and sharply and explain what ideas or opinions
Can students identify the
drawn characters, but the essay is the anecdotes support. Encourage
elements of a narrative
factual; the story, fictional. students to focus on times when
essay?
they learned something new or
2. To describe her grandmother and to
tell of the lessons learned from her If No ➔ See Unit 1 Teaching confronted a challenge.
grandmother Resources Book, p 118.

373
After You Read Connect to Personal
Reading Strategy
Experience
Speaking and Listening
Assess Even when a piece of narrative writing describes
unfamiliar places and events, it is easy to connect
Literature Groups
with the universal emotions an author evokes. Assignment With a small group, discuss whether
children can ever become productive members of
Reading Strategy 1. Find a passage that evokes a particular emotion.
society without good role models and mentors. Set
How does the narrator feel at that moment?
a discussion goal, and, when you have met it, pre-
1. Possible passages include the 2. Which parts of the sentence or passage helped sent your ideas to the class.
moment when Lydia stands to create your emotional reaction?
Prepare Set a purpose. If your purpose is to reach
over the author and Gomez
consensus, agree on what you mean by consen-
feels great admiration for her Vocabulary Practice
sus. If your purpose is to explore different points of
grandmother, or the moment Practice with Context Clues Identify the view fully, set criteria, such as the following, for
when Gomez discovers the context clues in the following sentences that meeting that goal.
help you determine the meaning of each bold-
truth about what happened to faced vocabulary word. • compile and consider each group member’s per-
her African ancestors. These sonal experience
1. One theme of the book was the benevo-
passages might evoke feelings lence of the generous king. • compile and consider evidence from “A Swim-
of love, admiration, confusion, ming Lesson”
2. Homes built on the seashore or on cliffs are
or horror. vulnerable to damage during storms. • compile and consider evidence from public and
historical experience, such as the lives of famous
2. Students might cite words such 3. The teacher made a list of mainstream people who were orphans
as royalty, respected, and mag- newspapers that included the widely read
Discuss Listen respectfully, and ask questions
nificence, or phrases such as Los Angeles Times and New York Times.
when you do not follow a point or the support for
beyond my comprehension 4. The director decided to do away with the it. Actively evaluate as you listen to each group
and I was crushed. superfluous fourth camera and used three member’s ideas, deciding how well each person’s
cameras instead. ideas answer questions about the need for role
Progress Check 5. We could not tell the difference between models or mentors. Support your judgment of
the invaluable statue and the trinket from ideas with specific examples.
Can students connect to the souvenir stand. Report Have one group member present the con-
personal experience? sensus, or have several group members explain
Academic Vocabulary varying points of view. Each speaker should make
If No ➔ See Unit 2 Teaching eye contact, use gestures effectively, and employ
Resources Book, p. 119. Lydia’s confidence more than compensated language that will engage the audience.
for her lack of skill.
Evaluate Evaluate your work for these qualities:
Compensate is a multiple-meaning word. clarity of content; use of evidence; verbal presenta-
Among its meanings are balance, counterbal- tion skills, including word choice and syntax; and
Vocabulary ance, offset, repay, and pay. nonverbal skills, including gestures.
1. being kind and generous For more on academic vocabulary, see pages
52 and 53.
2. built on the seashore or on
cliffs, damage during storms Literature Online
Selection Resources For Selection Quizzes, eFlash-
3. widely read, Los Angeles Times cards, and Reading-Writing Connection activities, go to
and New York Times [Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2.

4. to do away with the fourth cam-

era, used three cameras instead 374 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

5. could not tell the difference

between, trinket from the sou- 0373_0374_U2P2_877979.indd 374 3/22/08 12:18:54
venir stand • include evidence from the text
Speaking and Listening • include contributions and responses
Literature Groups from each group member
For grammar practice, see Unit 2
Teaching Resources Book, p. 122. Students’ group discussions should • incorporate historical evidence
• be characterized by effective eye contact
• focus on whether children can ever and gestures that engage the audience
become productive members of when presenting the group’s ideas
society without good role models and • be followed up with an evaluation
mentors based on clarity of content, use of
• have a goal and reflect criteria for evidence, and verbal and nonverbal
meeting that goal presentation skills

374
 Before You Read Before You Read
The Tucson Zoo Focus
Meet Lewis Thomas Bellringer Options
(1913–1993)
Literature Launchers
Pre-Reading Videos

A
ward-winning author Lewis Thomas
was a renowned physician and research DVD: Selection Launcher
biologist. He taught at some of the top
medical schools in the United States. As a Selection Focus
writer, he established a reputation as a master in poetry while at Princeton, and after medical Transparency 21
of the short essay. In his inquisitive musings on school, during his internship at Boston City Daily Language Practice
nature, science, technology, and other subjects, Hospital, he supported himself in part by pub-
he celebrated the mystery and marvel of life. lishing poems in various magazines, including Transparency 30
Harper’s Bazaar and the Saturday Evening Post. Or write the word altruism on
Before becoming a respected prose writer, he
the board. Explain that the word
began writing his essays simply “for fun.”
“We are built to make mistakes, coded means “unselfish concern for
Popular Appeal The interest and wonder that
for error.” Thomas brought to both science and life was
others.” It also refers to behav-
—Lewis Thomas at the heart of his appeal to a wide audience. ior exhibited by some animals
He combined common sense, daily observa- that does not benefit the indi-
tions, and detailed scientific knowledge in his
vidual animal but benefits the
writing. Thomas’s philosophy of life and sci-
Medical Background The son of a doctor and a
ence could be symbolized by the concept of group. Ask: Can you think of
nurse, Thomas had an early interest in the med-
symbiosis, a relationship between organisms animals that exhibit altruism?
ical profession. He enrolled at Princeton
that benefits both. As one writer explained, Have students discuss the ways
University at fifteen and graduated when he
“Thomas’s scientific training enabled him to
was only nineteen years old. He entered
show how human biology is . . . linked to the in which these animals display
Harvard Medical School at an exciting and altruism, and then have them
biology of the planet as a whole.”
dynamic time for the field of medicine—clinical
science and antibiotics were both in the early Thomas’s first book, The Lives of a Cell: Notes of discuss ways in which human
stages of development. He graduated from a Biology Watcher, is a collection of essays origi- beings can be altruistic.
medical school at the age of twenty-three. nally published in his column in the New
England Journal of Medicine. In 1975 The Lives of
During the course of his medical career, he
a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher won a National
worked at many U.S. universities, including New
Book Award. Thomas’s other works include
York University, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Tulane, and
The Medusa and the Snail (1979), The Youngest
the University of Minnesota. His roles at these
Science (1983), Late Night Thoughts on Listening
institutions varied. Over the years, he worked as
to Mahler’s Ninth Symphony (1983), and The
a researcher, a teacher, an administrator, and a
Fragile Species (1992).
pediatrician, among other specialties. He also
served in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.
Literature Online
Writer and Researcher Thomas’s interest in
Author Search For more about Lewis Thomas, go to
writing began almost as early as his interest in [Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2.
science and medicine. He developed an interest

L E WI S THOMAS 375

0375_0376_U2P2_877979.indd 375 3/21/08 12:24:55 PM

Literary Elements
• Structure (SE pp. 376, 377, 380) Listening/Speaking/Viewing Skills
• Voice (SE p. 380) The Tucson Zoo • Debate (SE p. 381)

Reading Skills Writing Skills/Grammar

• Draw Conclusions About Meaning Vocabulary Skills • Paragraphs (TE p. 376)
(SE pp. 376—381) • Antonyms (SE p. 381; TE p. 376)
• Academic Vocabulary (SE p. 381)

375
Before You Read Literature and Reading Preview
Learning Objectives

For pages 375–381

Connect to the Essay
Focus
In studying this text, you will
focus on the following
Do you act on instinct, or do you analyze your reactions and
objectives:
emotions? Discuss this question with a partner.
Literary Study: Analyzing
Summary Build Background structure.
Reading: Drawing
On a visit to the Tucson Zoo, the The cortex of the brain has two hemispheres, or sides. The left
conclusions about meaning.
side is analytical; it allows one to recognize the parts, or details,
narrator views a tank of otters
of a whole. It cannot, however, combine the parts to let one see
and beavers from an underwater the whole. The right hemisphere is creative. It allows one to see
perspective. He is fascinated and the whole of something from its parts. The corpus callosum,
realizes that some kind of positive which Thomas refers to in his essay, is an arch of nervous tissue
that bridges the two hemispheres and allows them to communi-
response mechanism has been
cate with each other. Vocabulary
triggered in his brain. In analyzing
the experience, the narrator con- Set Purposes for Reading elation (i lāshən) n. a feeling of
cludes that “we hanker for friends” great joy; ecstasy; p. 377 The
Big Idea Quests and Encounters
whole team experienced elation
and that usefulness may be more As you read, ask yourself, How does Thomas explore his when Mara scored the winning goal.
important to civilization than indi- encounter and interpret it as a journey of human discovery?
intact (in takt) adj. entire; un-
viduality and solitary selfishness. touched, uninjured, and having all
Literary Element Structure
parts; p. 378 She dropped the egg,
For summaries in languages other Structure refers to the particular order or pattern a writer uses to but somehow it remained intact.
than English, see Unit 2 Teaching present ideas. Narratives commonly follow a chronological order,
Resources Book, pp. 109–112. while the structure of persuasive or expository writing may vary. exultation (eǵzul tāshən) n.
As you read, ask yourself, How does Thomas structure his essay? joy; jubilation; p. 378 The
woman experienced exultation
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About when her lost child was found.
Interactive Read and Write
Meaning debasement (di bāsmənt) n. the
Other options for teaching this
When readers draw conclusions about meaning, they are state of being lowered in quality,
selection can be found in
actively thinking about and interpreting content while they are value, or character; degradation;
• Interactive Read and Write for reading. As you read, ask yourself, What conclusions can I draw p. 379 Those collectibles have suf-
English Learners, pp. 78-88 from this story? fered a debasement in their value
• Interactive Read and Write for recently.
Approaching-Level Learners, Tip: Ask and Answer Questions Asking and then answering attribute (atrə būt́) n. a qual-
pp. 77-88 questions while you read can help you draw conclusions. ity or characteristic of a person
• Interactive Read and Write for or thing; p. 379 Honesty is a good
On-Level Learners, pp. 77-88 Question Answer attribute to possess.
Why does Thomas He is so enthralled
say that he “wanted by their antics that
no part of the he does not want to
Vocabulary science of beavers analyze their
and otters”?
Antonyms Tell students to behaviors.
write an original sentence for
each vocabulary word. Then, have
students replace each vocabulary 376 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON
word with an antonym. Instruct stu-
Writing Practice
dent to exchange sentences with
0375_0376_U2P2_877979.indd 376 3/21/08 12:24:59
a partner. Have students identify
SPIRALWrite Paragraphs Have When students have finished writing, ask
which vocabulary word has been REVIEW
students think of a time when volunteers to share their experiences with
replaced in each sentence and
they had a positive experience the class. Point out that the narrator in
determine whether the antonym is
with animals, perhaps with a pet, a farm “The Tucson Zoo” also has a significant
truly the opposite of the vocabulary
animal, or an animal at a zoo. experience with animals.
word.
In several paragraphs, have students
describe their experience in sequential
order. Instruct students to explain why
this experience was memorable to them.
Ask: Why was the experience espe-
cially positive or significant?

376
 Teach
Big Idea 1
Quests and Encounters
Say: Keep the following ques-
tion in mind as you read: Why
might a scientist want to avoid
studying animals only from a
scientific perspective? (A scien-
tist may be so intrigued by the
animals and their behavior—as
well as his own response to their
behavior—that he does not want
Lewis Thomas to dilute the effect by focusing only
on the scientific evaluation.)
1 cience gets most of its information have cut a deep pathway between two
by the process of reductionism,1 explor- small artificial ponds, walled by clear glass,
ing the details, then the details of the so when you stand in the center of the path Literary Element 2
details, until all the smallest bits of the you can look into the depths of each pool,
structure, or the smallest parts of the mech- and at the same time you can regard the Structure Answer: This
anism, are laid out for counting and scru- surface. In one pool, on the right side of sentence marks a transition from
tiny. Only when this is done can the the path, is a family of otters; on the other scientific detail to a personal
investigation be extended to encompass side, a family of beavers. Within just a few anecdote.
the whole organism or the entire system. feet from your face, on either side, beavers
So we say. and otters are at play, underwater and on
Sometimes it seems that we take a the surface, swimming toward your face
loss, working this way. Much of today’s and then away, more filled with life than
public anxiety about science is the appre- any creatures I have ever seen before, in all
hension that we may forever be my days. Except for the glass, you could
overlooking the whole by an endless, reach across and touch them.
obsessive preoccupation with the parts. I was transfixed. As I now recall it, there
I had a brief, personal experience of this was only one sensation in my head: pure
misgiving one afternoon in Tucson, where I elation mixed with amazement at such per-
had time on my hands and visited the zoo, fection. Swept off my feet, I floated from
just outside the city. The designers there one side to the other, swiveling my brain, ENGLIS H LE A R N E R S In some
staring astounded at the beavers, then at the
languages, such as French and
otters. I could hear shouts across my corpus
1. Reductionism is a method of explaining complex processes German, zoo is a cognate. In
or structures by reducing them to more basic principles or
Spanish the word zoo is not a
units.
Vocabulary cognate but can be inferred from
2 Structure How does this sentence change the essay’s
structure?
elation (i lāshən) n. a feeling of great joy; ecstasy parque zoológico and in Italian it
is giardino zoologico. Explain the
L E WI S THOMAS 377 meaning of zoo to students who
English Learners do not recognize this as a cognate.

DI F F ER E NTIATED
0377_0379_U2P2_877979.indd 377 I N STR UCTION 3/12/08 2:31:54 PM

Intermediate Students may have diffi- paraphrases with the class. Explain that For an audio recording of this
culty comprehending the scientific lan- understanding the first paragraph will aid selection, use Listening Library
guage in the first paragraph. Have students their comprehension as they continue Audio CD-ROM.
work in pairs to list unfamiliar terms and reading the essay.
use a dictionary to define them.
After they have defined the terms, ask Readability Scores
students to paraphrase the first paragraph Dale-Chall: 9.8
in their own words. DRP: 64
After rehearsing their paraphrases with Lexile: 1030
their partner, have students share their

377
Teach that; I would have put it somewhere in
the brain stem; maybe this was my limbic
system4 at work. I became a behavioral
scientist, an experimental psychologist,
Reading Strategy 1 an ethologist,5 and in the instant I lost all
the wonder and the sense of being over-
Draw Conclusions About whelmed. I was flattened.
Meaning Answer: He cannot But I came away from the zoo with
escape his habit of reductionist something, a piece of news about myself:
thinking. I am coded, somehow, for otters and
A P P ROAC H I N G Point out to beavers. I exhibit instinctive behavior in
their presence, when they are displayed
approaching level students that the callosum, from one hemisphere to the other.
I remember thinking, with what was left in close at hand behind glass, simultane-
key phrase in the highlighted text ously below water and at the surface. I
is “reductionist as ever.” Ask them charge of my consciousness, that I wanted
no part of the science of beavers and otters; have receptors6 for this display. Beavers
to explain what this phrase means. I wanted never to know how they per- and otters possess a “releaser” for me, in
Have them revisit their answer to formed their marvels; I wished for no news the terminology of ethology, and the
the Reading Strategy question on about the physiology2 of their breathing, the releasing was my experience. What was
released? Behavior. What behavior?
this page. coordination of their muscles, their vision,
their endocrine systems,3 their digestive Standing, swiveling flabbergasted, feel-
tracts. I hoped never to have to think of ing exultation and a rush of friendship. I
them as collections of cells. All I asked for could not, as the result of the transac-
was the full hairy complexity, then in front tion, tell you anything more about bea-
of my eyes, of whole, intact beavers and vers and otters than you already know.
otters in motion. I learned nothing new about them. Only
It lasted, I regret to say, for only a few about me, and I suspect also about you,
Reading Strategy 2 minutes, and then I was back in the late maybe about human beings at large: we
twentieth century, reductionist as ever, are endowed with genes which code out
Draw Conclusions About wondering about the details by force of our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe
Meaning Answer: He has habit, but not, this time, the details of our reaction to each other as well. We are
stamped with stereotyped, unalterable
turned his reductionist thinking otters and beavers. Instead, me.
Something worth remembering had patterns of response, ready to be released.
upon himself and has reduced And the behavior released in us, by such
himself to parts. happened in my mind, I was certain of
A P P ROAC H I N G Point out to
4. The limbic system is a region of the brain involved in the
approaching level students that the 2. Physiology is the branch of biology that studies the control of emotions and some types of behavior.
sentence “I was flattened” is an functions of living organisms and their parts. 5. Ethology (eth olə jē) is the study of animal behavior,
3. The endocrine system consists of glands that secrete including instinctive, or inherited, behavior.
example of figurative language. hormones into the bloodstream, affecting such bodily 6. Receptor refers to a sensory nerve cell that responds to a
processes as growth and sexual development. stimulus in the environment and sends a message to the
brain.
1 Draw Conclusions About Meaning What does Thomas
come to realize by this statement? Draw Conclusions About Meaning Why does Thomas
feel flattened at this moment?
2
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
intact (in takt) adj. entire; untouched, uninjured,
and having all parts exultation (eǵzul tāshən) n. joy; jubilation

Writer’s Technique S 378 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Voice Explain that voice in writing Literary Element Practice

is how an author uses language to 0377_0379_U2P2_877979.indd 378 3/12/08 2:31:58 P

reveal his or her personality. Lewis SPIRAL

REVIEW
Analyze Figurative Language one side to the other,” “swiveling my
uses words and phrases that allow Explain that figurative language is brain,” “I could hear shouts across my
the reader to see him as a rational language that is not meant to be corpus callosum.” Ask students to explain
scientist and as a human being taken literally. Help students understand the meaning of each example.
awed by animals. Encourage stu- that figurative language helps show the Lead a discussion about why the writer
dents to look for words and phrases elation and amazement that Thomas chose to use figurative language in this
as they read that display voice. feels. Have students identify examples of paragraph.
figurative language in the first full para-
graph on this page.
On the board, write the following exam-
ples: “swept off my feet, I floated from

378
 confrontations, is, essentially, a surprised
affection. It is compulsory behavior and
have to say to all of them, all at once, all
collected and paying attention: be solitary; Teach
we can avoid it only by straining with do not depend on each other. You can’t do
the full power of our conscious minds, this and keep a straight face.
making up conscious excuses all the way. Maybe altruism is our most primitive Big Idea 3
Left to ourselves, mechanistic and auto- attribute, out of reach, beyond our control.
nomic,7 we hanker for friends. Or perhaps it is immediately at hand, wait- Quests and Encounters
Everyone says, stay away from ants. They ing to be released, disguised now, in our Answer: His feelings of affection
have no lessons for us; they are crazy little kind of civilization, as and friendship for the animals
instruments, inhuman, incapable of control- affection or friendship have made him see that his brain
ling themselves, lacking manners, lacking or attachment. I don’t is programmed to react in this way.
souls. When they are massed together, all see why it should be
touching, exchanging bits of information unreasonable for all
held in their jaws like memoranda, they human beings to have Reading Strategy 4
become a single animal. Look out for that. It strands of DNA coiled
is a debasement, a loss of individuality, a up in chromosomes,
Visual Vocabulary
Draw Conclusions About
violation of human nature, an unnatural act. coding out instincts for Meaning Answer: Putting
Chromosomes are
Sometimes people argue this point of usefulness and helpful- strands of DNA and others before ourselves may be a
view seriously and with deep thought. Be ness. Usefulness may proteins in the nucleus
individuals, solitary and selfish, is the mes- turn out to be the hard- of cells. DNA carries stronger survival trait than looking
the genes that pass on out only for ourselves.
sage. Altruism,8 a jargon word for what est test of fitness for hereditary information
used to be called love, is worse than weak- survival, more impor- from parent to child. A DVA N C E DAsk: Do you agree
ness, it is sin, a violation of nature. Be sepa- tant than aggression,
or disagree with the author’s
rate. Do not be a social animal. But this is a more effective, in the
hard argument to make convincingly when long run, than grabbiness. If this is the sort position? Have students explain
you have to depend on language to make it. of information biological science holds for their answers and defend their
You have to print up leaflets or publish the future, applying to us as well as to ants, positions.
books and get them bought and sent then I am all for science.
around, you have to turn up on television One thing I’d like to know most of all:
and catch the attention of millions of other when those ants have made the Hill, and
human beings all at once, and then you are all there, touching and exchanging, and
the whole mass begins to behave like a sin-
gle huge creature, and thinks, what on
7. In psychology, compulsory means “arising from an
irresistible, illogical urge.” Here, mechanistic means earth is that thought? And while you’re at
physically or biologically determined, and autonomic it, I’d like to know a second thing: when it
means involuntary and spontaneous. happens, does any single ant know about
8. In ethology, altruism is an animal’s self-sacrificing behavior
it? Does his hair stand on end? m
that benefits another animal or group of animals. Similarly, To check students’ understanding
in humans, the term means “unselfish concern for others.”
of the selection, see Unit 2 Teach-
Draw Conclusions About Meaning Explain what you ing Resources Book, pp. 136-137.
3 Quests and Encounters How does the encounter with
beavers and otters lead Thomas to this conclusion? think the author means in this sentence. 4
Vocabulary Vocabulary
Progress Check
debasement (di bāsmənt) n. the state of being low- attribute (atrə būt́) n. a quality or characteristic of
ered in quality, value, or character; degradation a person or thing Can students draw
conclusions about meaning?
If No ➔ See Unit 2 Teaching
L E WI S THOMAS 379
Resources Book, p. 132.
Approaching Level
DI F F ER E NTIATED
PM 0377_0379_U2P2_877979.indd 379 I N STR UCTION 3/19/08 2:48:01 PM

AAVE Students who use African American when using Standard Academic English.
Vernacular English (AAVE) may change I Explain that it is equally important to spell
am or I’m to Uhm. On the board, write and pronounce correctly the contraction of
the following excerpt of a sentence from the two words—I’m.
the text: “. . . I am coded, somehow, for Have students write two or three sen-
otters and beavers.” Read the sentence tences that use I am or I’m. Then, have
aloud for students, clearly enunciating them read aloud their sentences to a part-
each word. Then, have students read the ner. Make sure that students are correctly
sentence aloud, mimicking your enuncia- spelling and pronouncing the words.
tion. Point out the importance of correctly
spelling and pronouncing the phrase I am
379
After You Read After You Read

Assess Respond and Think Critically

6. Do you agree with the conclusions that Thomas
Respond and Interpret
1. Answers will vary. draws about instinctive behavior in people?
1. Were you surprised by Thomas’s conclusions
2. (a) Only after its parts have Explain.
about people? Why or why not?
been studied in detail (b) He 2. (a)According to the process of reductionism,
7. In your opinion, is Thomas a reductionist? Explain
is fascinated by their whole your answer and cite passages from the text.
when can an entire organism be investigated?
behavior. (b)How does this process contrast with the Connect
author’s experience with the beavers and otters?
3. (a) Because they act collectively 8. Big Idea Quests and Encounters (a)What
and are not individuals (b) How 3. (a)According to Thomas, why does everyone
does this essay suggest that new encounters
say to “stay away from ants”? (b)What message
to work together for the good can do for a person? (b)Would you say that
do some people learn from ants?
Thomas is on a quest? If so, what is his quest?
of all
4. (a)What ideas does Thomas present about
9. Connect to the Author Thomas had a back-
4. (a) It may be our most primitive altruism? (b)What do you think Thomas means
ground in both science and poetry. Can you
and important instinct. (b) He in his final reference to ants?
find places in this essay where scientific ideas
wonders if any one ant is aware overlap with more poetic ideas? How might the
Analyze and Evaluate
of what is happening. 5. In your opinion, what was Thomas’s purpose?
two fields complement each other?

5. To argue that usefulness and

friendship may be more impor-
tant for survival than individual- Literary Element Structure Review: Voice
ity and selfishness All expository texts have a structure, or organiza- As you learned on pages 184–185, voice in a liter-
6. Answers will vary. Students tional pattern. Writers can organize or order their ary work is the distinctive use of language that
should explain their answers. ideas in expository writing in a variety of ways. conveys the personality of the writer or narrator to
Here are three examples. A writer can use a struc- the reader. Voice is determined by elements of
7. No, Thomas concludes that the ture following a pattern of cause and effect to style, such as word choice and tone. A unique
whole is more important than present an event or occurrence and explain why it aspect of Thomas’s voice is that he writes as both
the parts. Or yes, he points happened. With a problem/solution structure, the a learned scientist and an animal lover.
writer describes a problem and offers a solution.
to the individual’s role and Partner Activity With a classmate, analyze this
The writer using a comparison/contrast structure
reaction. dual aspect of Thomas’s voice by focusing on his
explains the differences and similarities of some-
word choice. Use a two-column chart like the one
8. (a) New encounters can help thing to allow the reader to compare.
below. In the first column, list a word or phrase that
you learn about yourself and 1. How would you describe the essay’s structure? conveys Thomas’s voice. In the next column, show
others. (b) Some students Cite evidence from the selection to support the aspect of Thomas’s voice the words reveal.
your choice.
might say that Thomas is on a
Word Choice Voice
quest for understanding himself 2. Can you think of an alternative structure for this
essay? Do you think your proposed alternative p. 377 elation joy of an animal
or the world. lover
would be more or less effective? Explain.
p. 378 full hairy
9. Thomas uses scientific language
complexity
to discuss poetic ideas, and vice
versa. One example is his dis- p. 378 I was flattened.
cussion of altruism as “a jargon
word for what used to be called 380 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON
love”; another is his poetic
description of ants moving
0380_0381_U2P2_877979.indd 380 3/12/08 2:44:14 P
together in a single mass. Sci-
ence and poetry often address Literary Element Review: Voice
common themes—the human 1. The essay uses cause and effect: Possible Answers:
experience, the universe, ele- the author’s zoo trip triggers his full hairy complexity | description in
ments of nature—and therefore meditations. nonscientific terms
complement each other by
2. Students should suggest and support I was flattened | metaphor con-
providing different angles for
reasons for an alternative structure. trasted to scientific terms earlier in the
discussion.
paragraph
Progress Check
Mechanistic and autonomic | scientific
Can students analyze structure? terms
If No ➔ See Unit 2 Teaching
Resources Book, p. 131.
380
 Draw Conclusions
After You Read
Reading Strategy
About Meaning
Speaking and Listening
SAT Skills Practice

1. In the paragraph beginning “Everyone says, stay

Debate Assess
Assignment Thomas argues against reductionism
away from ants” (page 379) Thomas is
in our responses to life. Instead, he favors “big pic-
(A) making the point that human being are ture” thinking. With a partner, debate which repre- Reading Strategy
not comparable to ants sents a preferable way to learn—an emphasis on
1. B is the correct answer.
(B) summarizing an argument that he will later the whole or an emphasis on parts.
Thomas later argues out
refute Prepare Each person should begin by taking a
that people, like ants, have a
(C) pointing out the importance of social activ- side, formulating a thesis or position, and marshal-
ity in all creatures ing evidence to support that position. Support might powerful “altruistic” drive that
(D) establishing the similarity between ants consist of examples, statistics, testimony, or other helps them survive.
and otters facts. All support should be credible and relevant.
(E) arguing that ants are superior to people Debate A debate requires you to inform and per-
suade at the same time. You may need to use
Vocabulary Practice technical language to inform; on the other hand,
you should also incorporate informal language
Practice with Antonyms An antonym is a
where it is persuasive. Present your thesis first;
Vocabulary
word that has a meaning opposite to that of
then present each reason with ample facts that Answers will vary. Sample responses:
another word. With a partner, brainstorm three
inform and persuade. Consider saving your most
antonyms for each boldfaced vocabulary word elation
persuasive reason or clincher evidence for last.
below. Be prepared to explain why you chose
Include the following appeals: Antonyms: sorrow, anguish, grief
your words.
elation intact exultation debasement
Appeal Example in Support Sample explanation: Elation is
of My Thesis a feeling of great joy, whereas
EXAMPLE:
Logical—uses facts, anguish is a feeling of profound
ambiguous statistics, and other
Antonyms: clear, certain, transparent solid evidence to make sadness.
Sample explanation: An explanation that is or support claims intact
clear is easy to understand or interpret, but
one that is ambiguous has different possible Emotional—presents Antonyms: broken, apart, separated
interpretations. information and ideas
that target emotions
Sample explanation: Something
Academic Vocabulary
intact is whole, whereas something
Ethical—addresses the
listener’s values and separated is in pieces.
Thomas uses his experience at the Tucson Zoo morals exultation
to reflect on mental processes.
Antonyms: sorrow, sadness,
Mental is an academic word. A person refers
Evaluate Write one paragraph evaluating your own lamentation
to a friend as more mental than emotional or
participation and skills in the debate. Use the
to a word problem or math puzzle as a mental Sample explanation: A person may
checklist on page 883 to help in your evaluation.
challenge. Answer this question: In what area is respond to very good news with
your mental capacity greatest? Give examples Literature Online exultation, but to very bad news
to support your answer.
Selection Resources For Selection Quizzes, eFlash- with lamentation.
For more on academic vocabulary, see pages cards, and Reading-Writing Connection activities, go to

52 and 53.
[Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2. debasement
Antonyms: improvement, eleva-
L E WI S THOMAS 381 tion, upgrade
Sample explanation: A debase-
PM 0380_0381_U2P2_877979.indd 381 3/21/08 12:32:41 PM
ment results in cheapening or
• employ effective logical, emotional, adulteration, but an improvement
Speaking and Listening and ethical appeals leads to greater value or to higher
• be followed up with a one-paragraph or purer quality.
Students’ debates should:
• focus on reductionism versus “big written evaluation Academic Vocabulary
picture” thinking
For grammar practice, see Unit 2 Teaching Answers will vary. Possible response:
• present clear, supported theses on Resources Book, p. 135.
each side My mental capacity is at its great-
• inform and persuade at the same time est when I do math. I can usually
• demonstrate technical language and For additional assessment, see Assessment understand concepts in geometry
Resources, pp. 93–94. and algebra as soon as they are
informal language as appropriate
• reflect effective organization of ideas taught to me.

381
Before You Read Before You Read
Straw into Gold: The
Focus Metamorphosis of the Everyday
Bellringer Options Meet Sandra Cisneros
(born 1954)
Literature Launchers
Pre-Reading Videos

S
andra Cisneros is one of the most dis-
DVD: Selection Launcher tinctive voices in American literature
Daily Language Practice today. Born in Chicago to a Mexican
American mother and a Mexican father,
Transparency 31 Cisneros spent her childhood living uncom-
Or write Experiences on the fortably between two worlds. The family fre-
board. Ask: What personal quently traveled to Mexico for extended tried to escape—the shame and separation of
periods of time. Each time they returned to
experiences could you write the United States, the family would settle in a
being different—made her unique. She knew
then that her role as a writer was to depict the
about? Have students discuss new location and at a new school in Chicago’s loneliness, isolation, tragedies, and triumphs
some experiences and how they barrios. The frequent moves made it difficult of the outsider.
for Cisneros to make friends. Being the only
could become stories or parts of Mango Street In 1982 Cisneros received her
girl in a family of brothers did not help either,
stories. as she was often left out and overlooked. first National Endowment for the Arts grant,
which allowed her to write full-time. Two
years later, she published her breakthrough
work, The House on Mango Street, a series of
“You can’t erase what you know. You vignettes about a young girl, Esperanza,
can’t forget who you are.” growing up in a Chicago barrio. The stories, a
blend of fiction and poetry, echo Cisneros’s
—Sandra Cisneros own youth and her yearning to make sense of
her life in relation to her surroundings.

Because she was shy, she was often lonely. After the success of her first work, Cisneros
But, Cisneros writes, “that loneliness . . . was went on to publish other works of fiction:
good for a would-be writer—it allowed me Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991)
time to think and think, to imagine, to read and Caramelo (2002). She has also published
and prepare myself.” In high school, a teacher two collections of poetry, including My Wicked
helped Cisneros nurture her love of writing. Wicked Ways (1987).
After high school, Cisneros received a scholar- In 1995 Cisneros received a MacArthur
ship to Loyola University in Chicago. She Fellowship—a prestigious monetary award
graduated in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in known as the “genius grant.” The award is an
English and went on to the prestigious official acknowledgement of her permanent
University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. At the status in the American literary world.
Writers’ Workshop, Cisneros felt keenly aware
of her status as an outsider.
Literature Online
Finding Her Voice Yet, it was at the Iowa
Author Search For more about Sandra Cisneros, go to
Writers’ Workshop that Cisneros found her [Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2.
voice. She realized that the very thing she had

382 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

0382_0383_U2P2_877979.indd 382 3/21/08 1:58:12 P

Literary Elements
• Thesis (SE pp. 383–388) Listening/Speaking/Viewing Skills
• Author’s Purpose (SE p. 388) Straw Into Gold • Analyze Art (SE p. 386; TE p. 384)
• Reflective Essay (TE p. 384)

Writing Skills/Grammar
Reading Skills
Vocabulary Skills • Reflective Essay (SE p. 390)
• Analyze Text Structure (SE pp.
• Analogies (SE pp. 383, 389) • Description (TE p. 384)
383– 389)
• Academic Vocabulary (SE p. 389)
382
 Literature and Reading Preview
Learning Objectives
Before You Read
For pages 382–390
Connect to the Essay
Focus
In studying this text, you will
focus on the following
Does thinking about the past help you understand the person
objectives:
you are today? Freewrite for a few minutes about an event
from the past that has shaped you as a person.
Literary Study: Analyzing
thesis.
Summary
Build Background Reading: Analyzing text After relating a challenging, but
structure.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was created by inspiring, experience making tortillas
Congress in 1965 and is an independent agency of the federal in France, Sandra Cisneros describes
government. Artists of every medium, from dance to literature, her development as a writer. She
apply to the NEA for grant money they can use to support
themselves while pursuing artistic endeavors.
explains that her experiences and
observations have shaped the
Set Purposes for Reading Vocabulary characters and ideas in her writing.
Big Idea Quests and Encounters intuitively (in tō ō ̄ ̄ ə tiv lē) adv. Cisneros talks about the influence
knowing, sensing, or understand- of her family life on her identity and
As you read this essay, ask yourself, How does Cisneros con-
ing instinctively; p. 385 The
nect everyday life to the idea of the heroic quest?
stand-up comedian intuitively knew art. She concludes by saying that she
what not to joke about. has picked straw from her life and
Literary Element Thesis
taboo (ta bō ō ̄ ̄ ) n. a cultural or spun it into gold through her writing.
The thesis is the main idea in a work of nonfiction. The thesis
may be stated directly or implied by the details and examples social rule forbidding something;
in the work. Recognizing a writer’s thesis is vital to an under- p. 385 Speaking disrespectfully to For summaries in languages other
standing of his or her purpose in writing the selection. As you one’s elders is a social taboo. than English, see Unit 2 Teaching
read, ask yourself, What is Cisneros’s main idea, or thesis, in Resources Book, pp. 138–143.
Tip: Analogies Remember that
this essay?
writers sometimes extend analo-
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure gies. That is, they create a compari- Interactive Read and Write
son and then elaborate or develop
Text structure is the particular order or pattern a writer uses to it by exploring qualities and charac- Other options for teaching this
present ideas. A reflective essay is an example of narrative writ- teristics that work within the same selection can be found in
ing. Narratives commonly follow a chronological order, while comparison. • Interactive Read and Write for
the structure of persuasive or expository writing may vary. As
English Learners, pp. 89-98
you read, ask yourself, How does Cisneros structure her essay?
• Interactive Read and Write for
Tip: Ask Questions To analyze text structure, ask yourself ques- Approaching-Level Learners,
tions as you read. Use a chart to record your questions and the pp. 89-98
answers you uncover as you read. • Interactive Read and Write for
On-Level Learners, pp. 89-98
Question Answer
Are the ideas No, they are not in time
presented in order. Vocabulary
chronological order?
Analogies Write on the board:
intuitive: sense :: belligerent: fight.
Say: This analogy compares the
characteristics of two words. An
S AND RA C I S NE ROS 383
intuitive person is likely to sense
English Learners things. A belligerent person
DI F F ER E NTIATED
PM 0382_0383_U2P2_877979.indd 383 I N STR UCTION 3/21/08 1:58:19 PM is likely to fight. Have students
invent original analogies for each
Intermediate Say: In this essay, As they read the essay, have students con- of the vocabulary words.
Cisneros does not present events in struct timelines that show the order in which
a straightforward, step-by-step way. major events in Cisneros’s life occurred. Ask
Instead, she moves from point to point volunteers to use their timelines to summa-
in her life, connecting from memory rize the events Cisneros discusses.
events that were separated by time. For additional context, see Glencoe
This loose sequence can be confusing. Interactive Vocabulary CD-ROM.
You can use a timeline to make the
sequence of events clearer.

383
Teach
Literary Element 1
Reflective Essay Ask: What
details hint that this is a reflec-
tive essay? (It’s a personal experi-
ence; the style is conversational.)
A P P ROAC H I N G Ask: How does
Cisneros’s grammar and word
choice make her style conversa-
tional? (She uses sentence frag-
ments and colloquial phrases such
as “I guess.”)

Sandra Cisneros

Women Making Tortilla Dough. Diego Rivera. Fresco.

S Court of Labour. Ministry of Public Information, Mexico.

Diego Rivera (1886–1957) was

one of Mexico’s greatest artists. hen I was living in an artists’ Mexican food because I am Mexican. They
Rivera created and displayed his colony in the south of France, wanted specifically tortillas, though I’d 1
some fellow Latin-Americans never made a tortilla in my life.
works in public places, so they
who taught at the university in Aix-en- It’s true I had witnessed my mother
could be viewed by his favorite Provence invited me to share a home- rolling the little armies of dough into per-
subjects—common workers. cooked meal with them. I had been living fect circles, but my mother’s family is from
abroad almost a year then on an NEA Guanajuato; they are provincianos, country
grant, subsisting mainly on French bread folk. They only know how to make flour
1 and lentils so that my money could last tortillas. My father’s family, on the other
For an audio recording of this longer. So when the invitation to dinner hand, is chilango1 from Mexico City. We
selection, use Listening Library arrived, I accepted without hesitation. ate corn tortillas but we didn’t make them.
Audio CD-ROM. Especially since they had promised Someone was sent to the corner tortilleria
Mexican food. to buy some. I’d never seen anybody make
What I didn’t realize when they made corn tortillas. Ever.
this invitation was that I was supposed to
Readability Scores be involved in preparing the meal. I guess 1. Chilango (chē längō̄) is a Mexican slang term that
Dale-Chall: 6.8 they assumed I knew how to cook means “native to Mexico City.”

DRP: 57 384 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Lexile: 930
Writing Practice
0384_0387_U2P2_877979.indd 384 3/12/08 2:56:48 P

Use Description Say:

SPIRAL
REVIEW
to write a brief description of their cook-
Cisneros begins her essay ing experience that emphasizes sensory
with a detailed description of details. Collect the recipes and descrip-
making a Mexican dish, even though tions in a narrative cookbook.
she is unfamiliar with the recipe. Think
about a food that has an emotional or
cultural significance to you and your
family. Have students use library and
Internet resources to research a recipe for
the chosen food, and ask students to pre-
pare the food at home. Then ask students

384
 Somehow my Latino hosts had gotten a
hold of a packet of corn flour, and this is
I’ve managed to do a lot of things in my
life I didn’t think I was capable of and Teach
what they tossed my way with orders to which many others didn’t think I was
produce tortillas. Así como sea. Any ol’ capable of either. Especially because I am
way, they said and went back to their a woman, a Latina, an only daughter in a Big Idea 2
cooking. family of six men. My father would’ve
Why did I feel like the woman in the liked to have seen me married long ago. Quests and Encounters
fairy tale who was locked in a room and In our culture men and women don’t Answer: Cisneros felt that she
ordered to spin straw into gold? I had the leave their father’s house except by way was faced with an impossible
same sick feeling when I was required to of marriage. I crossed my father’s thresh- task. She did not want to disap-
write my critical essay for the MFA2 old with nothing carrying me but my own point her friends, who assumed
exam—the only piece of noncreative writ- two feet. A woman whom no one came for that because she was of Mexican
ing necessary in order to get my graduate and no one chased away.
descent, she could make tortillas.
degree. How was I to start? There were To make matters worse, I left before any
rules involved here, unlike writing a of my six brothers had ventured away
poem or story, which I did intuitively. from home. I broke a terrible taboo. Reading Strategy 3
There was a step by step process needed Somehow, looking back at photos of myself
and I had better know it. I felt as if as a child, I wonder if I was aware of hav- Analyze Text Structure
making tortillas—or writing a critical ing begun already my own quiet war. Answer: Answers may vary. Stu-
paper, for that matter—were tasks so I like to think that somehow my family, dents may say that it begins with
impossible I wanted to break down my Mexicanness, my poverty, all had an incident that happens in France
into tears. something to do with shaping me into a
and then develops chronologically
Somehow though, I managed to make writer. I like to think my parents were pre-
tortillas—crooked and burnt, but edible paring me all along for my life as an artist to show how the author triumphed
nonetheless. My hosts were absolutely even though they didn’t know it. From my over adversity.
ignorant when it came to Mexican food; father I inherited a love of wandering. He AP P ROAC H I N G Ask: Why might
they thought my tortillas were delicious. was born in Mexico City but as a young the author have begun the essay
(I’m glad my mama wasn’t there.) man he traveled into the U.S. vagabond-
with the incident in France? (The
Thinking back and looking at an old ing. He eventually was drafted and thus
photograph documenting the three of us became a citizen. Some of the stories he
incident sets up the theme of the
consuming those lopsided circles I am has told about his first months in the essay and connects it to the title.
amazed. Just as I am amazed I could fin- U.S. with little or no English surface in my The incident is also an interesting
ish my MFA exam. stories in The House on Mango Street as well story that captures the reader’s
as others I have in mind to write in the attention.)
future. From him I inherited a sappy heart.
(He still cries when he watches Mexican
For additional practice using the
2. MFA stands for Master of Fine Arts—an academic degree. soaps—especially if they deal with children
reading skill or strategy, see Unit 2
who have forsaken their parents.)
Quests and Encounters Why does Cisneros use this par- Teaching Resources Book, p. 145.
2 ticular analogy?

3
Analyze Text Structure Explain how the essay has Thesis At this point in the essay, how do you think that
4 Literary Element 4
been structured so far. this statement might relate to Cisneros’s main idea?

Vocabulary Vocabulary
Thesis Answer: She indicates
intuitively (in tooə tiv lē) adv. knowing, sensing,
that the main idea of her essay
taboo (ta boo) n. a cultural or social rule forbidding
understanding or instinctively something relates to her accomplishments
despite low expectations.
S AND RA C I S NE ROS 385

Approaching Level
DI F F ER E NTIATED
PM 0384_0387_U2P2_877979.indd 385 I N STR UCTION 3/19/08 3:01:23 PM

Emerging Some students may find the tone. Explain the meanings of the Spanish
use of Spanish words in this selection words, and model the proper pronuncia-
challenging. To help students read flu- tion of the sentences. To improve reading
ently despite the unfamiliar words, write fluency, have students practice reading
the following sentences on the board: My the sentences aloud with partners. Tell
mother’s family is from Guanajuato. They students to identify other Spanish words
are provincianos, so they prepare flour in the selection, and review the pronuncia-
tortillas. My father purchases tortillas at tions and meanings of those words.
the tortilleria. Say: Cisneros uses Span-
ish words to give her essay an authentic

385
Teach bunk-bed mates. We
were co-conspirators.
We were pals. Until
my oldest brother
Literary Element 1 came back from study- 1
ing in Mexico and left
Thesis Ask: How do Cisne- me odd woman out
ros’s descriptions of her family for always.
support the idea that her family What would my
helped shape her as a writer? teachers say if they
(Cisneros’s experiences with her knew I was a writer
family gave her characters and now? Who would’ve
guessed it? I wasn’t a
themes to draw upon.)
very bright student. I
didn’t much like school
because we moved so
Reading Strategy 2 much and I was always
new and funny look-
Analyze Text Structure South Side Street, Franklin McMahon. ing. In my fifth-grade
Answer: Students should note McMahon depicts a streetscape with vacant buildings on Chicago’s South report card I have noth-
Side. How does the economic situation in the painting relate to Cisneros’s situation in
that this section focuses on Cisne- this essay?
ing but an avalanche of
ros’s childhood, when she was still C’s and D’s, but I don’t
shy and withdrawn. The passage remember being that stupid. I was good at
My mother was born like me—in Chicago art and I read plenty of library books and
differs from the voice of the author but of Mexican descent. It would be her Kiki laughed at all my jokes. At home I was
at the beginning of the piece, tough streetwise voice that would haunt all fine, but at school I never opened my mouth
where she relates her triumph my stories and poems. An amazing woman except when the teacher called on me.
over tortilla making along with the who loves to draw and read books and can When I think of how I see myself it
ability to laugh at herself. sing an opera. A smart cookie. would have to be at age eleven. I know
When I was a little girl we traveled to I’m thirty-two on the outside, but inside
Mexico City so much I thought my grand- I’m eleven. I’m the girl in the picture with
parents’ house on La Fortuna, number 12, skinny arms and a crumpled skirt and
was home. It was the only constant in our crooked hair. I didn’t like school because
nomadic ramblings from one Chicago flat all they saw was the outside me. School
S 1 to another. The house on Destiny Street, was lots of rules and sitting with your
Answer: During her childhood in number 12, in the colonia Tepeyac would hands folded and being very afraid all the
Chicago, Cisneros’s family did not be perhaps the only home I knew, and time. I liked looking out the window and
that nostalgia for a home would be a thinking. I liked staring at the girl across
have much money. In this essay,
theme that would obsess me. the way writing her name over and over
she describes a period in her life My brothers also figured greatly in my again in red ink. I wondered why the boy
when she tries to make every dol- art. Especially the older two; I grew up in with the dirty collar in front of me didn’t
lar of her NEA grant last as long their shadows. Henry, the second oldest have a mama who took better care of him.
as possible. and my favorite, appears often in poems I
have written and in stories which at times
only borrow his nickname, Kiki. He played Analyze Text Structure How does the essay’s middle
a major role in my childhood. We were section differ from the beginning? 2

386 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Vocabulary Practice
0384_0387_U2P2_877979.indd 386 3/12/08 2:56:52 P

Adopted Words Point out that the word about foods, terms related to war or
taboo on page 385 comes from Tongan. government, or current events, and have
Tongan is a language spoken in Tonga, groups use dictionaries to find what
an island country in the South Pacific. language each comes from.
Say: Why might a word such as taboo
have become a part of the English
language? (There was no English word
that means the same thing.) Have
students brainstorm a list of other words
from other languages. Suggest thinking

386
 I think my mama and papa did the best
they could to keep us warm and clean and
bitter mountains of the Peloponnesus.3
I’ve lived on an island. I’ve been to Venice Teach
never hungry. We had birthday and gradu- twice. I’ve lived in Yugoslavia. I’ve been
ation parties and things like that, but there to the famous Nice4 flower market behind
was another hunger that had to be fed. the opera house. I’ve lived in a village in Big Idea 3
There was a hunger I didn’t even have a the pre-Alps and witnessed the daily
name for. Was this when I began writing? parade of promenaders. Quests and Encounters
In 1966 we moved into a house, a real I’ve moved since Europe to the strange Answer: Texas has a large
one, our first real home. This meant we and wonderful country of Texas, land of population of people of Mexi-
didn’t have to change schools and be the Polaroid-blue skies and big bugs. I met a can descent. Cisneros men-
new kids on the block every couple of mayor with my last name. I met famous tions a mayor with the same
years. We could make friends and not be Chicana and Chicano artists and writers last name as hers and other
afraid we’d have to say goodbye to them and políticos.5
Chicano artists, writers, and
and start all over. My brothers and the Texas is another chapter in my life.
flock of boys they brought home would It brought with it the Dobie-Paisano politicians. Ask: What phase of
become important characters eventually Fellowship, a six-month residency on a the author’s quest does Texas
for my stories—Louie and his cousins, 265-acre ranch. But most important, Texas represent? (Texas represents a
Meme Ortiz and his dog with two names, brought Mexico back to me. type of returning home, a comple-
one in English and one in Spanish. In the days when I would sit at my tion of the quest and her soul-
My mother flourished in her own home. favorite people-watching spot, the snakey
searching. Because she is a
She took books out of the library and Woolworth’s counter across the street
taught herself to garden—to grow flowers from the Alamo6 (the Woolworth’s which wanderer at heart who feels only
so envied we had to put a lock on the gate has since been torn down to make way a mild sense of true home, how-
to keep out the midnight flower thieves. for progress), I couldn’t think of anything ever, the return home is mostly
My mother has never quit gardening. else I’d rather be than a writer. I’ve metaphorical.)
This was the period in my life, that slip- traveled and lectured from Cape Cod to
pery age when you are both child and San Francisco, to Spain, Yugoslavia,
woman and neither, I was to record in The Greece, Mexico, France, Italy, and now Literary Element 4
House on Mango Street. I was still shy. I was today to Texas. Along the way there has
a girl who couldn’t come out of her shell. been straw for the taking. With a little Theme Answer: The straw
How was I to know I would be record- imagination, it can be spun into gold. m represents the difficult aspects
ing and documenting the women who sat
of Cisneros’s early life, such as
their sadness on an elbow and stared out
a window? It would be the city streets of poverty and sexism. The gold
3. Peloponnesus (pĕĺə pə nēsəs) is the peninsula forming represents the written works that
Chicago I would later record, as seen
the southern part of mainland Greece.
through a child’s eyes. 4. Nice (nēs) is a port city in southern France. she produced by transforming her
I’ve done all kinds of things I didn’t 5. Políticos (pô lē tē kôs) means “politicians.” ordeals into precious works of art.
think I could do since then. I’ve gone to a 6. The Alamo is a mission chapel in San Antonio, Texas. It
was the site of a famous battle in Texas’s war for ENGLIS H LE A R N E R S Have students
prestigious university, studied with independence from Mexico.
famous writers, and taken an MFA degree. read the story of Rumpelstiltskin
I’ve taught poetry in schools in Illinois Quests and Encounters In what ways does Texas bring and write two or three sentences
Mexico back to Cisneros? 3 comparing Cisneros to the princess
and Texas. I’ve gotten an NEA grant and
run away with it as far as my courage in the story.
would take me. I’ve seen the bleached and
Thesis What do straw and gold represent for Cisneros? 4

S AND RA C I S NE ROS 387 To check students’ understanding

of the selection, see Unit 2 Teach-
Approaching Level
ing Resources Book, pp. 148–149.
DI F F ER E NTIATED
PM 0384_0387_U2P2_877979.indd 387 I N STR UCTION 3/12/08 2:57:04 PM

Emerging Engage the interest of stu- their own maps that include some of the
dents with spatial intelligence and develop places mentioned in the essay. Students
the spatial skills of others in the class by may also draw or locate pictures of some
providing opportunities for observing and of the specific locations Cisneros describes.
creating visual representations. On a world
map or globe, have students find the vari-
ous places the author traveled to and lived
in: France, Mexico City, Chicago, the Pelo-
ponnesus, Yugoslavia, Texas, San Francisco,
and Cape Cod. Then have students create

387
After You Read After You Read

Assess Respond and Think Critically

6. (a)How would you describe Cisneros’s narrative
Respond and Interpret
1. (a) She explains that her child- style? (b)Did her style capture your attention?
1. (a)How does Cisneros show that her childhood
hood experiences and the influ- relates to her experiences as a writer? (b)What
Why?
ence of her family shaped the things in Cisneros’s experience of life are similar 7. Explain how Cisneros succeeds in creating a
characters and ideas in her writ- to your own? nostalgic atmosphere in her essay.
ing. (b) Answers will vary. 2. (a)How was Cisneros’s departure from her fam- Connect
2. (a) Most women in traditional ily home atypical of her culture? (b)What does
this suggest about Cisneros as a person? 8. Big Idea Quests and Encounters Cisneros
Latino culture leave home only goes on a quest to trace her own origins as a
3. (a)How does Cisneros describe her mother?
to marry. (b) She has an inde- writer. In what ways does her essay help her
(b)What does this description suggest about
pendent personality. succeed on this quest?
how Cisneros feels about her mother?
3. (a) Cisneros describes her 9. Connect to the Author Cisneros spent much
4. (a)Why did Cisneros not enjoy school? (b)What
of her childhood and her life as an outsider.
mother as an “amazing woman do her memories of school reveal about the
Where in this narrative does Cisneros feel like
who loves to draw and read kind of child Cisneros was?
an outsider? Where does she appear to be an
books and can sing an opera.” Analyze and Evaluate insider?
(b) She has great respect for 5. How is Cisneros’s difficult experience trying to
her mother. make corn tortillas an effective analogy for her life?
4. (a) Her family traveled so much
that she was always in a new
school and always felt “funny
looking.” (b) She was shy and You’re the Critic
withdrawn.
Style and Craft
5. It represents one of the many Critics and fellow writers have praised “Sandra Cisneros is one of the most brilliant
seemingly impossible tasks Sandra Cisneros for her evocative and of today’s young writers. Her work is
detailed language. In her fiction, Cisneros sensitive, alert, nuanceful…rich with music
that she manages to perform and picture.”
weaves Spanish phrases, poetry, interior
successfully. monologue, images, and engaging sensory —Gwendolyn Brooks
6. (a) Casual and conversational details into the story to enliven her narrative
(b) Students may say that structure. Read the two excerpts of literary
criticism about Cisneros’s writing style below. Partner Activity Discuss and answer the fol-
Cisneros’s style captures their lowing questions with a partner.
attention because they feel she “Cisneros’ finest skill is her descriptive 1. Could either of the excerpts apply to
is speaking directly to them. language. It conjures up gorgeous visions of “Straw Into Gold: The Metamorphosis of
colors and forms.” the Everyday”? Why or why not?
7. Students may say that she suc-
—Carol Memmott, USA Today 2. Describe Cisneros’s writing style and lan-
ceeds because she describes guage in “Straw Into Gold: The
the past in such poignant detail. Metamorphosis of the Everyday.” Use the
8. She succeeds on this quest excerpts above as models.
because she concludes that she
can overcome difficult obstacles 388 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON
and weave her many life experi-
ences into her writing.
0388_0390_U2P2_877979.indd 388 3/12/08 3:00:29 P
9. Cisneros appears to be an
insider, but she feels like an
outsider when her fellow Latin For additional assessment, see Assess-
Americans toss her a bag of ment Resources, pp. 95–96.
corn flour and ask her to make
tortillas. To create custom assessments using soft-
ware, use ExamView Assessment Suite.
You’re the Critic
To create custom assessments online, go
1. Answers will vary.
to Progress Reporter Online Assessment.
2. Answers will vary.

388
 Literary Element Thesis Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure
After You Read
SAT Skills Practice Text structure is a crucial component of a piece of
1. Which statement best expresses the thesis of
Cisneros’s essay?
writing because it helps the author guide readers
through a story or essay. The text structure can help Assess
writers convey their messages. Think about what
(A) Lonely people often have a special insight Cisneros’s message is in this essay, and how the text
into the lives of others. structure she created helps convey her message. Literary Element
(B) Latina women are as capable of succeed- Refer to the chart that you created on page 383 and
ing as the men in their families. that you completed as you read. Use the chart to 1. D is the correct answer.
(C) Difficult childhoods are the source of most help you answer the following questions.
Cisneros’s formula for success
great writing.
1. How does Cisneros organize “Straw into Gold: is applicable to all readers,
(D) Obstacles can be surmounted through
The Metamorphosis of the Everyday”?
hard work and determination. not just those from specific
(E) Strong families help create strong 2. One could describe the essay the following way: backgrounds.
individuals. “The words are the straw, the essay is the gold,
and the text structure is the loom.” Do you agree 2. E is the correct answer.
2. How does the essay’s title relate to the author’s or disagree with this analysis of the essay? Cisneros at first saw her task
anecdote of how she made tortillas?
of making tortillas as the
(A) Life is very like a fairy tale. Vocabulary Practice
equivalent of spinning straw
(B) We are sometimes asked to accomplish Practice with Analogies Choose the word into gold.
impossible tasks. that best completes each analogy.
(C) To the hungry person, tortillas are as valu-
able as gold. 1. exit : departure :: intuitively :
(D) Foolish people cannot tell straw from gold a. instinctively b. intelligently c. inaccurately
or a good tortilla from a bad one. 2. requirement : demands :: taboo :
(E) We can often achieve what at first seems a. describes b. recommends c. forbids
impossible.
Academic Vocabulary
Progress Check
Review: Author’s Purpose
Can students identify the
As you learned on page 87, the author’s purpose Cisneros was faced with seemingly impossible
is the author’s reason for writing a literary work. tasks; nevertheless, she executed them. thesis?
Authors often write to achieve one or more of the
following purposes: to persuade, to inform, to
Nevertheless is an academic word. More famil- If No ➔ See Unit 2 Teaching
iar words that are similar in meaning are how- Resources Book, p. 144.
explain, to entertain, or to describe.
ever, still, and yet. Complete this sentence: The
Group Activity With a small group of classmates, weather looks good for our picnic on Saturday;
discuss this essay, focusing on Cisneros’s purpose nevertheless, .
or purposes for writing. Does she have one main Review: Author’s Purpose
For more on academic vocabulary, see pages
purpose? If so, what is it? Also, identify any other Students’ discussions should ana-
52 and 53.
purposes you may find in the essay. Be sure to cite
lyze Cisneros’s main purpose and
examples from the text to support your ideas.
identify any other purposes in the
text. Students should support their
Literature Online ideas with textual references.
Selection Resources For Selection Quizzes, eFlash-
cards, and Reading-Writing Connection activities, go to
[Link] and enter QuickPass code GL59794u2. Reading Strategy
S AND RA C I S NE ROS 389 1. Cisneros organizes the essay
into four sections: the opening
anecdote; reflections about her
PM 0388_0390_U2P2_877979.indd 389 3/22/08 12:19:50 PM
parents; reflections about her
Vocabulary childhood; and a conclusion
1. a 2. c about the amazing things she
has done, the places she has
visited, and the way her experi-
ence is reflected in her writing.
Academic Vocabulary 2. Some students may disagree
Answers will vary. Sample response: and say that the straw repre-
sents Cisneros’s experiences;
The weather looks good for our picnic
the gold, her success; and the
on Saturday; nevertheless, we should
text structure, her personality.
set up near a shelter.

389
After You Read Learning Objectives

Respond Through Writing For page 390

Respond Through In this assignment, you will

focus on the following
Writing Reflective Essay: Explore Theme objectives:
Writing: Writing a reflective
Students’ essays should: essay.
• explore and present a stated or Writing Task In this essay, Cisneros reflects on how her past has Grammar: Using dashes.
implied theme about the stu- shaped who she is today. She discovers a pattern of turning straw into
dents’ own lives gold and presents a theme of overcoming obstacles. Write a reflective
essay in which you explore your own past and how it has made you who
• draw comparisons by creating an you are today. Like Cisneros, use your essay to present a theme about
analogy or using an abstraction to how you have chosen to live your life.
represent and convey the theme
Grammar Tip
• include all events, experiences, Understand the Task A theme is the central message about life in an
Dashes
and details that will create a essay or a work of literature. Like a thesis, a theme is a controlling idea in a
work. Unlike a thesis, a theme is almost always unstated. Instead, the reader Dashes are often used in
single controlling idea or impres- personal or informal writing.
infers the theme by thinking about the overall meaning conveyed by the work.
sion about students’ lives They can set off and empha-
• demonstrate the correct use of Prewrite First, list people, events, and personal experiences that have size extra information.

dashes, if appropriate helped shape you. Next, write down ideas about how each has helped My mother was born like
to make you who you are today. Then look for themes in your notes. Do me—in Chicago but of
A student who meets all of these you see a pattern of beating the odds, fighting back, letting things go, or Mexican descent.
criteria should receive the equiva- taking chances? That pattern may be the theme of your life story.
Dashes can also be used
lent of a 4-point response like parentheses to add
Draft As you describe your past, connect your experiences to an abstract
A student who fully meets two or idea, or an analogy, such as spinning straw into gold. You might also, like comments.
partially meets three of these crite- Cisneros, compare your story with a fairy tale, myth, or fable. Structure each I felt as if making tortillas—
paragraph to reveal the theme of your life by means of analogy. You might
ria should receive the equivalent of or writing a critical paper, for
use this order of information or Cisneros’s example to guide you: that matter—were tasks so
a 3-point response
Elements of a Reflective Paragraph impossible I wanted to break
A student who fully meets one or Event/Experience: I was called upon to make tortillas. down into tears.
partially meets two of these criteria Details: Impossible task; I had never done it before; I made Note that dashes can be used
should receive the equivalent of a the tortillas, though they were nothing to be proud of. in pairs or singly. In both
2-point response Reflections/Connections/Analogy: It was like being asked to cases, there are no spaces on
spin straw into gold. either side of a dash.
A student who partially meets one Theme, stated or implied by details: I overcame the obstacle; I
of these criteria should receive the did it somehow.
equivalent of a 1-point response Revise Exchange essays with a partner. Determine whether your
partner’s essay clearly shows how the past has influenced his or her
life. Also, identify the essay’s theme. Weigh the feedback you receive to
For grammar practice, see Unit 2 determine how best to revise your essay.
Teaching Resources Book, p. 147.
Edit and Proofread Proofread your paper, correcting any errors in
grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Use the Grammar Tip in the side
column to help you with using dashes.

390 U N IT 2 NONFI C TI ON

Reading Practice
0388_0390_U2P2_877979.indd 390 3/21/08 1:59:42 P

SPIRAL
REVIEW
Character Say: A reader can out that Cisneros is observant: “I liked
learn about Sandra Cisneros’s looking out the window and thinking”;
character traits from the details compassionate: “I wondered why the
that she includes. For instance, the boy . . . didn’t have a mama who took
various countries that she has visited better care of him”; or shy: “I was a girl
demonstrate that she is curious about who couldn’t come out of her shell.”)
other cultures. Have students find three
other character traits of Sandra Cisneros.
Ask students to support each trait with
a specific detail from “Straw into Gold.”
(Answers will vary. Students may point

390