Behind the Scenes Sections 7

"Letters of condolence were received from all parts of the country, and even from foreign potentates, but Mr. Andrew Johnson, the successor of Mr. Lincoln, never called on the widow, or even so much as wrote a line expressing sympathy for her grief and the loss of her husband. Robert called on him one day to tell him that his mother would turn the White House over to him in a few days, and he never even so much as inquired after their welfare."

_{Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley}

The phrase “never even so much as” appears twice in this excerpt. What tone is communicated by this phrase?

• confusion

• disgust

• sympathy

• sadness

"In March, 1867, Mrs. Lincoln wrote to me from Chicago that, as her income was insufficient to meet her expenses, she would be obliged to give up her house in the city, and return to boarding. She said that she had struggled long enough to keep up appearances, and that the mask must be thrown aside. 'I have not the means,' she wrote, 'to meet the expenses of even a first-class boarding-house, and must sell out and secure cheap rooms at some place in the country.'"

_{Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley}

Part A What does the author mean when she uses the figurative expression “the mask must be thrown aside”?

• Mrs. Lincoln must stop spending money on how she looks.

• Mrs. Lincoln must stop trying to hide her situation.

• Mrs. Lincoln must spend money on her housing problem.

• Mrs. Lincoln must stop wearing masks.

Part B Which quote best explains what the author means when she uses the figurative expression "the mask must be thrown aside"?

• “I have not the means to meet the expenses . . .”

• “. . . she had struggled long enough to keep up appearances . . .”

• “. . . must sell out and secure cheap rooms . . .”

• “. . . she would be obliged to give up her house in the city . . .”

Identify two synonyms for ruffian based on the excerpt.

• lawless

• brutal

• disturbed

• defamed

• authorized

Identify two synonyms for traduced based on the excerpt.

• approved

• insane

• slandered

• defamed

• authorized

Identify two synonyms for deranged based on the excerpt.

• approved

• insane

• disturbed

• lawless

• brutal

Identify two synonyms for sanctioned based on the excerpt.

• approved

• insane

• disturbed

• authorized

• defamed

Which two statements describe a purpose the author might have for including letters addressed to her from Mrs. Lincoln in the appendix?

• The letters emphasize how skilled a writer Mrs. Lincoln was.

• The letters emphasize how much Mrs. Lincoln deserved the criticism she received.

• The letters emphasize how desperate Mrs. Lincoln had become for money and friendship.

• The letters emphasize how close the relationship between the two women had become.

• The letters emphasize how mentally ill and in need of hospitalization Mrs. Lincoln was.

How does the relationship between Elizabeth Keckley and Mary Todd Lincoln change throughout the memoir?

• At first the two women have just a business relationship, and later they support one another through many challenges.

• In the beginning Keckley is nothing more than an employee, and later she is Mrs. Lincoln’s only means of financial support.

• In the beginning, Keckley looks up to Mrs. Lincoln because she is wealthy and famous, and later Keckley despises her because she is poor.

• In the beginning Keckley is paid to do work for Mrs. Lincoln and later Mrs. Lincoln is dependent on Keckley for emotional support.

Think about “A Fitting Friendship Between Dressmaker and Mary Todd Lincoln” by Jeanne Kolker to answer the question that follows.

Indicate which two quotations describe Mrs. Lincoln.

• "tended to drive other people away"

• "erratic personality"

• "had learned to get along with difficult people"

• "helped nurse the family through illnesses"