The Washwoman Vocabulary

The Washwoman Vocabulary

Ms. Ramsey/English 9

Notes on the Author

• Storytelling had an important place in Isaac Bashevis Singer’s life.

  He grew up in the city of Warshaw in what now is Poland.

  
  

• Villages like the one of his birth were wiped off the face of the earth even as Singer brought them to life on the page.

Notes on the Author

• Fleeing persecution against the Jews, Singer left Poland for New York City in 1935.

• In New York, Singer began to make a name for himself as a writer.

• Ironically, as he wrote, World War II devastated that world.

Narrative Essay

• A narrative essay is a short piece of nonfiction that tells a story about a real person or event.

• Authors use personal examples and ideas with factual information to achieve specific purposes.

• Continued...

Narrative Essay

• An author may wish to explain, present an opinion or perspective, or describe a situation or an event.

• By incorporating personal and factual information, authors are able to build complete, multi-dimensional pictures in their reader’s minds.

• Answer questions on the next slide about narrative essays.

Multiple Select

What is a narrative essay?

• a story

• Poetry

• A research project

• an argumentative essay

Multiple Choice

ALL of the following are elements of narrative writing EXCEPT:

• There is a conflict (problem/solution)

• Setting (time/place of story)

• The story has a beginning, middle & end. (plot)

• The story explains how to do something.

Multiple Choice

True or False.

A narrative must have characters.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

A Narrative Essay is a ______________________________________________________________

• short piece of fiction describing make-believe characters

• short piece of nonfiction that tells a story about a real person or event.

Predictions

• A prediction is an informed idea about what might happen later in a literary essay.

• Predictions are based on details in the text and your own experiences, and clues (foreshadowing) the authors use throughout the story.

• Making and verifying predictions is one way to monitor your comprehension as you read.

Multiple Select

A prediction is based on the following: (check all that apply)

• details in the text

• your own experiences

• clues the authors leave

• your psychic ability

Characterization in a story

• Characterization is a writer’s tool, or “literary device” that occurs any time the author uses details to teach us about a person.

• 2 types: Direct & Indirect Characterization

Direct Characterization

Direct characterization, or explicit characterization, describes the character through their physical description, line of work, or passions and pursuits.

Indirect Characterization

Indirect characterization describes a character through their thoughts, actions, speech, and dialogue. This forces the reader to make their own determinations or inferences based on CLUES the author provides.

Multiple Choice

Read the slides below. Which is an example of DIRECT Characterization?

Word List A

Directions:

Use your Washwoman Vocabulary Cheat Sheet (posted with The Washwoman short story in Google Classroom) to answer the following vocabulary questions.

This activity will help prepare you in understanding the language used in the short story.

Word List B

Directions:

Use your Washwoman Vocabulary Cheat Sheet (posted with The Washwoman short story in Google Classroom) to answer the following vocabulary questions.

This activity will help prepare you in understanding the language used in the short story.

Multiple Choice

Andrew made a(n) ____________________________ about his neighbor that prevented him from getting to know the truth about him.

• assumption

• belief

• circumstance

• context

Multiple Choice

The _______________________ of the washwoman’s life forced her to work.

• assumption

• belief

• circumstance

• context

Multiple Choice

Reading about the washwoman’s life gives __________________ that everyone’s truth does not have to be the same.

• perceive

• belief

• speculate

• perspective

Multiple Choice

Old-fashioned hand washing that required wringing until your ______________ fingers looked as twisted as the wet coils of cloth was not for her.

• shard

• institution

• bloomers

• gnarled

Multiple Choice

He was a ____________ fellow who looked as if he never got enough to eat.

• shard

• gaunt

• bloomers

• gnarled

Multiple Choice

When the old woman died, her son was astonished to see how few items she ________________ over a lifetime.

• accumulated

• devoted

• straggled

• collapsed

Multiple Choice

In time, the pants-and-tunic outfit became known as the “Bloomer Costume.” Many people could not ____________ of such a change. Women had always worn skirts and dresses that swept the floor. Who could picture them wearing anything else?

• utter

• contribute

• conceive

• collapse

Multiple Choice

In the 1800s in America, women did laundry washing it by hand and hanging it out to dry on long ropes, or ______________.

• impression

• endure

• bloomers

• clotheslines

Multiple Choice

If you find a shard of glass, it is wise to watch out for more because something has been broken.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

She held to her own opinion with great _____________, even after it was proven she was wrong.

• obstinacy

• rancor

• devoted

• conceive

Multiple Choice

A brittle candy is soft and chewy.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

A person who has collapsed should get medical attention immediately

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

A person who makes atonement is when person takes action to correct a previous wrongdoing on their part.

• true

• false

The Washwoman Short Story!

Now you are ready to read & annotate The Washwoman short story.

Watch the Marking the Text" video first (posted in Google Classroom with The Washwoman content)

Then open the short story Google Doc. Read the story and annotate (leave comments) about predictions and characterization.