Percy Jackson Ch 2: Tone & Word Choice

Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief

Ch 2: Tone & Word Choice

Tone is...

• The attitude of the author or character towards a subject.

• Tone is created mainly through word choice.

Directions: Read the following sentences and underline the words that contribute to the tone/feeling/attitude of the sentence.

Then identify the tone - more than one box may apply.

Multiple Select

"I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side, even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties." pg 27

• Desperate

• Excited

• Distraught

• Homesick

Multiple Select

"I'd lost sleep worrying that (Grover would) get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended me." pg 25

• Angered

• Shocked

• Stunned

• Light-hearted

• Offended

Multiple Select

"Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for--Sasquatch or Godzilla." pg 26

• Sarcastic

• Excited

• Light-hearted

• Nervous

For the next 5 minutes...

Read the following excerpts. Circle words/phrases that convey a feeling or an attitude.

Pg. 27 Excerpt

Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu. Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.

"Grover?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you not telling me?"

He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"

"You mean the old ladies? What is about them, man? They're not like...Mrs. Dodds, are they?"

His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fuirt-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."

Open Ended

What is Grover's attitude towards the events at the fruit stand? What about Percy's attitude? What words convey their attitudes? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."

He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost--older. He said, "You saw her snip the cord."

"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.

"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."

"What last time?"

"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."

"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."

"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.

No answer.

"Grover--that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean something is going to die?"

He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.

Open Ended

What feeling does the phrase "This is not happening..." convey? Support with evidence from the text.

Open Ended

Which sentence from the passages best suggests that Percy is in danger? Explain how that evidence suggests danger using evidence from the text.

Multiple Choice

What is the overall tone of the previous passage?

• Happy

• Devastation

• Uneasiness

• Rage

Open Ended

What is the effect of the tone created in the previous passages? Support with 2 pieces of evidence from the text.