(1/3) Big Things Come in Small Packages (Close Reader)

Big Things Come in Small Packages (1 of 3)

by Eleanora E. Tate

Exposition and Conflict

Lines 1 - 78

Exposition

Exposition is the setting, background information and the characters that are in the story. Usually this is at the beginning of the narrative. Read lines 1-15 and answer the following questions about the exposition.

Multiple Choice

What is exposition?

• Characters, background and setting

• The end of the story

• The part where the conflict comes to a head. There's no turning back!

• The main conflict of the story

Fill in the Blank

Lines 1-5 describe the setting of the story. In what city does this story take place?

Fill in the Blank

In lines 6 - 10 the narrator tells us that Tucker has many nicknames becuase he is so short. What is one nickname that Tucker is given?

Open Ended

Do you think Tucker liked his nicknames?

Explain why or why not.

Multiple Choice

In lines 11 and 12 we find out the name of the narrator. She went to the same school and church as Tucker. What was her name?

• Mary Ellis

• Tucker

• LaShana Mae

• St. Luke

Exposition Continued Lines 16-21

In lines 16-21 we learn more about the setting. The setting is both the time and place of the story. We already know that it takes place in Morehead City, NC, but here we learn WHEN it takes place.

Multiple Choice

What two things make up the "setting" of a story?

• Conflict and Climax

• Time and Place

• Place and Location

• Characters and Resolution

Multiple Choice

In what decade does this story take place?

• 1930s

• 2010s

• 1880's

• 1970s

Open Ended

On line 19 and 20 it says, "So Tucker and I had a lot in common..." What is she referring to? What did they have in common?

Conflict

In lines 22-28 we learn about the main conflict of the story. The main conflict is the problem the drives the rest of the story and will come to some resolution at the end. We learn that Tucker was, "a tough little dude. But oh mercy, how he hated those names." LaShana then tells us that, "One day Tucker did something that made everybody stop calling him names..."

Open Ended

Prediction: What do you think Tucker will do that will make it so everyone will stop calling him names?

More exposition...

LaShana tells us even more background about Tucker. This is necessary so that we understand the rest of the story. Read lines 29-38 and answer the following questions about Tucker.

Multiple Select

LaShana says, "Tucker could do almost anything that any other kid his age could do." Check off all the things LaShana says about Tucker.

• He was a hotshot shortstop

• He was an amazing gymnast

• He could jump like a flea on the basketball court

• He was the star quarterback on the football team

• He was smart in school

Fill in the Blank

LaShana continues and says that Tucker "was in the Boy Scouts. He could swim like a fish -- and even..." What?

(Look on line 34)

Open Ended

LaShana said that she had her own special nickname for Tucker. She called him "Tootsie Roll". Why is this nickname different than the other ones (like dwarf, squirt and midget)?

Tucker liked Fishing

In lines 39 to 52 we learn that Tucker enjoys fishing. And, like almost everything he does, he was good at fishing too! LaShana wasn't very good. In fact, she "wouldn't catch diddlysquat" but "old Tootsie Roll could catch 'em." LaShana couldn't catch anything in Calico Creek at least... but she "did all right when [she] fished at the pier in Atlantic Beach."

Multiple Choice

Where did LaShana Mae and Tucker usually fish together?

• the lake behind LaShana Mae's house

• the pier in Atlantic Beach

• Calico Creek

• Downtown in Morehead City, NC

Creepy Creek

LaShana's mom told her that Calico Creek is haunted by spirits who were baptized in that water. This introduces a supernatural element that's important later.

Open Ended

Why do you think that LaShana Mae's mom told her there were ghosts on the creek at night? Read lines 73-78 for ideas.

Open Ended

What are your thoughts on ghosts? Do you think they are real?

Final Questions for this section

We're done with the Exposition and Conflict and read through line 78. Answer the last 2 questions then we'll continue with the close reading next time we meet.

Multiple Choice

Who is the narrator of this story?

• Richard Etheridge

• Tucker Willis

• LaShana Mae

• Eleanora E. Tate

Multiple Choice

Which quote best describes the conflict of "Big Things"?

• "You need to know a few things about this boy before I tell you what changed things around. Tucker could do almost anything that any other kid his age could do" (Tate 4).

• "Even though being called those names hurt, Tucker gave up fighting the kids who said them ... Most times he laughed it off. He was a tough little dude. But oh mercy, how he hated those names!" (Tate 4).