Edna's Ruthie

"Edna's Ruthie" is a vignette. What is a vignette?

• A light, Italian dressing.

• A brief, descriptive passage or excerpt that gives the reader the impression of a scene, character or setting.

• The scene of a play that introduces a new character

• The narrator's dialogue

"Edna's Ruthie" comes from the novella...

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

• Esperanza's Tales

• Edna's Daughter

• The House on Mango Street

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RI.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.K.6

How does the narrator know Edna?

• She is the landlady for the buildings behind the narrator's house.

• She works at the store next to the narrator's house.

• She was introduced to the narrator by Ruthie

• Edna is a friend of the narrator's mother.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Ruthie is described as a tall, skinny lady with red lipstick and a blue babushka. In this context, what is a babushka?

• A series of Russia dolls.

• A long Russian / Polish style skirt.

• A scarf that is tied around the chin.

• A type of bag that is similar to a tote bab.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What does the narrator, Esperanza, not realize about Ruthie?

• She doesn't realize that Ruthie had been married before.

• Ruthie is mentally disabled.

• She doesn't know that Ruthie is Edna's daughter.

• She doesn't realize that Edna and Ruthie do not get along.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RI.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.K.6

"Once she threw out a pregnant lady just because she owned a duck . . .and it was a nice duck too.

What does this sentence tell us about Edna?

• Edna was a strict, disagreeable landlady.

• Edna was allergic to ducks.

• Edna didn't wan the duck to scare Ruthie.

• Edna was afraid of ducks.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

Which of the following details from the text illustrate Ruthie may have had a normal life before meeting the narrator?

• "She takes her dog BoBo for a walk and laughs all by herself, that Ruthie. She doesn’t need anybody to laugh with, she just laughs."

• "Sometimes we go shopping and take her with us, but she never comes inside the stores and if she does she keeps looking around her like a wild animal in a house for the first time."

• "She got married instead and moved away to a pretty house outside the city."

• "Ruthie came one day, it seemed, out of nowhere. Angel Vargas was trying to teach us how to whistle. Then we heard someone whistling – beautiful like the Emperor’s nightingale – and when we turned around there was Ruthie."

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which detail from the text illustrates Ruthie may have become mentally disabled as the result of a head injury?

• "Ruthie sees lovely things everywhere. I might be telling her a joke and she’ll stop and say: The moon is beautiful like a balloon."

• "She likes candy. When we go to Mr. Benny’s grocery she gives us money to buy her some. She says make sure it’s the soft kind because her teeth hurt."

• "She takes her dog BoBo for a walk and laughs all by herself, that Ruthie."

• "Books are wonderful, Ruthie says, and then she runs her hand over them as if she could read them in braille. They’re wonderful, wonderful, but I can’t read anymore. I get headaches."

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2