New Directions

​New Directions

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​Literary Analysis: Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is a short piece of nonfiction in which the author tells a story about a real

person or event. In a narrative essay, the author chooses to include significant details that

help move the story forward or that help to make his or her point about the subject. For

example, if Maya Angelou were writing a narrative essay about her own childhood, she would

include the significant detail that she and her brother Bailey spent much of their childhood

living with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. In such an essay about her childhood,

however, she would not mention the fact that in 1993, at President Clinton’s inauguration, she

recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning.” That would not be a significant detail for an essay

about her childhood. As you read, notice how the author’s choice of significant details

influences your impressions of the people and events he or she describes.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Open Ended

Find two significant details that Angelou includes about Annie Johnson’s appearance.

Open Ended

Find two significant details that Angelou includes about what Annie Johnson says

Open Ended

Find two significant details that Angelou includes about what Annie Johnson does.

​Reading: Ask Questions to Make Predictions

​A prediction is an informed guess about what will happen later in a narrative. Predictions

are based on details in the text and on your own experience. When making and verifying

predictions, predict what will happen, and then read on to see if the prediction is correct.

• One way to make predictions is to pause periodically while reading and ask questions

about text details and events. You can ask yourself questions such as Why does the author

mention this detail? How might it become important later on? Then, look for the answers to

those questions as you read ahead.

• As you read, use the following chart to record your questions and the predictions you

make from them. Then, see if your predictions were correct.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Because “New Directions” is a narrative essay, we know that Annie Johnson is a

• fictional character.

• real person.

• relative of Maya Angelou.

• character in a movie.

Multiple Choice

In “New Directions,” which word best describes Annie Johnson’s husband?

• deceptive

• annoying

• indifferent

• helpless

Multiple Choice

In “New Directions,” why does Annie carry two five-gallon pails filled with stones?

• She is selling the stones to the cotton gin.

• She is gathering stones from a nearby quarry to repair her house.

• She is experimenting to see how heavy a load she can carry.

• She is training for a weight-lifting contest.

Multiple Choice

What does Annie Johnson do when she decides to “cut herself a brand-new path”?

• She cuts her lawn for the first time.

• She brings her children to a new school.

• She finds a way to support her family.

• She goes to work in a new lumber mill.

Multiple Choice

In “New Directions,” which of the following is a significant detail?

• Annie is over six feet tall.

• Annie is determined not to leave her sons.

• Annie’s husband is named William.

• Annie likes to travel.

Multiple Choice

What can you predict about Annie’s cooking ability from the following sentence?

She told herself that she wasn’t a fancy cook but that she could “mix groceries well enough

to scare hungry away and from starving a man.”

• She is a terrible cook.

• She is an adequate cook.

• She is a gourmet chef.

• She has never cooked in her life.

Multiple Choice

When Maya Angelou says that Annie Johnson “balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity,” she means that Annie

• sold her meat pies hot and freshly cooked to the two locations on succeeding days.

• appeared only at the cotton gin one day and only at the lumber mill the next day.

• sold her meat pies every morning at the cotton gin and every afternoon at the lumber mill.

• sold an equal number of meat pies at the two locations.

Multiple Choice

What can you predict from the following sentence in “New Directions”?

When she felt certain that the workers had become dependent on her, she built a stall

between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunchtime provisions.

• The stall will fail because it is too far from the lumber mill and the cotton gin.

• The workers will be willing to travel to buy Annie Johnson’s meat pies.

• Annie Johnson will need to hire some helpers.

• Annie Johnson will change her recipe for meat pies.

Multiple Choice

To what does Maya Angelou compare the lumber mill and the cotton gin?

She built a stall between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunch-time provisions.

• ant nests

• bird nests

• bee hives

• crowded cities

Multiple Choice

Which statement helps you predict that Annie Johnson will succeed?

• “She made her plans meticulously and in secret.”

• “That same night she worked into the early hours boiling chicken and frying ham.”

• “She balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity.”

• “In years that stall became a store where customers could buy cheese, meal, syrup .... ”

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best states the main idea of Maya Angelou’s sentence?

If the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and . . . step off that road into another direction.

• It is better to be safe and comfortable than to take unnecessary risks.

• If you travel a lot, always carry a map in your pocket.

• If you want to start a new business, you must figure out what people need.

• If you are unhappy with your life, you must take a risk and try something new.

Multiple Choice

In a narrative essay such as “New Directions,” the writer

• persuades the reader to take action.

• describes a personal experience.

• tells a story about a real person or a real event.

• discusses one or more current issues.

Multiple Choice

From Maya Angelou’s advice at the end of “New Directions,” you can predict that she

• has changed directions in her own life.

• has made no changes in her own life.

• is afraid of taking risks.

• is embarrassed when she makes changes.

Multiple Choice

In talking about Annie Johnson’s life, Maya Angelou uses the words roads and path

• figuratively.

• literally.

• optimistically.

• pessimistically.

Multiple Choice

What quality does Maya Angelou most admire about Annie Johnson?

• her appearance

• her determination

• her creativity

• her curiosity