Theme & Author's Purpose in "The Follower"

Which phrase has the same meaning as the word "GYRATE" as it is used in the 1st paragraph of "The Follower"?

• go down onto the ground

• crawl sideways

• go around in circles

• go around and hit people

Read the quotation below from "The Follower":

"You are putty in the wrong hands. Don't get me wrong. You're a nice kid, but you are most definitely a follower."

The quotation suggests that the selection explores the theme of -

• perseverance

• leadership

• Self-awareness

• Quest for power

Which quotation best illustrates the author's perspective on childhood in "The Follower"?

• "Plus, a little of me wanted to believe that I was strong, that I was my own man and a great leader."

• "I'm warning you - don't play with that kid! He will lead you to your death."

• "I couldn't help myself...I ran over to Frankie's house."

• "You should not be friends with kids who are a danger to hemselves and others."

Which of these best helps the reader visualize the setting in "The Follower"?

• "...made him climb to the very top of a reedy Australian pine tree with a rope between his teeth. Then he tied the rope to the top of the tree and Gary tied the other end to the winch on Mr. Pagoda's tow truck."

• "That evening my mother came into my room."

• "I was in my bedroom and Mom was in the kitchen; both of us had windows that faced the backyard."

• "Frankie had his bike up on the peak of his roof."

Read this advice from the narrator's mother in "The Follower":

"You should not be friends with kids who are a danger to themselves and others."

What is the most likely reason the author includes advice like this in the short story?

• to express an opinion about dangerous kids

• to warn that dangerous kids exist

• to show parental duties

• to provide a thematic life-lesson

Which of these best states the theme of the poem "Swarm"?

• Explores the theme of confinement and the struggle to find a way out of a tough place.

• Explores the theme of identity and the struggle to find one's place in the world.

• Explores the theme of self -worth and the struggle to figure out one's identity.

• Explores the theme of obsession and the struggle to let things go.

Which of these lines contains poetic language that conveys a sense of hope?

• "In a mob of school kids, two boys shove each other"

• "Y'all need to stop! I got police on the line!"

• "I watch from my car across the street"

• "A girl standing at the edge screams at the boy"

In lines 9 and 10 in the poem "Swarm" the poet uses dialogue that has the sensory effect of making the character seem -

• pessimistic

• optimistic

• realistic

• intrinsic

Read the lines below from the poem "Swarm":

"She holds up her phone, and the crowd scatters"

In these lines, the speaker's tone can best be described as -

• fearless

• expressive

• nostalgic

• tense

The author most likely includes the flashback in the 6th stanza (lines 19-21) to develop the theme of -

• human nature

• obsession

• friendship

• nature