A Dead Woman's Secret

Before reading the letter what do the children think of their mother?

• She was an alright mom, not the best.

• She was a saint.

• She was probably hiding something.

What does the son's reaction change so much after reading the letters?

• He doesn't believe what they say.

• He feels his mother was a liar and sinner

• He wants to find the person who wrote the letters

What do you think the word "countenance" means in this sentence from the story?

"The whole pale countenance of the dead woman was so collected, so calm, so resigned that one could feel what a sweet soul had lived in that body..."

• mind

• support

• face

• aura

Which sentence best summarizes the story

• Children learn that their mother had secrets that she kept from them.

• Siblings become church officials because of their mother's teachings.

• A mother dies and her children never get over her death.

What is the main idea of this excerpt from "A Dead Woman's Secret"

Then the judge, still kneeling, his head buried in the bed clothes, cried in a voice altered by grief and deadened by the sheets and blankets: “Mamma, mamma, mamma!” And his sister, frantically striking her forehead against the woodwork, convulsed, twitching and trembling as in an epileptic fit, moaned: “Jesus, Jesus, mamma, Jesus!” And both of them, shaken by a storm of grief, gasped and choked.

• The loss of a loved one can lead someone to serious distress

• Entering the church helps remove connection to the world

• The loss of a loved one means nothing to those who are sworn to a cause.

What does the word "pell-mell" mean based on this excerpt:

" When he turned around again Sister Eulalie, her eyes dry now, was still standing near the bed, her head bent down. He stepped forward, quickly picked up the letters and threw them pell-mell back into the drawer. Then he closed the curtains of the bed.

• Calmly

• Disorderly

• Thoughtfully

Which Sentence best illustrates the son's anger at his mother.

• "Standing erect, severe as when sitting on the bench, he looked unmoved at the dead woman."

• He stepped forward, quickly picked up the letters and threw them pell-mell back into the drawer. Then he closed the curtains of the bed.

• "...the son slowly left his armchair, and without looking again at the mother upon whom he had passed sentence."

What point of view is the story told from?

• First-person

• Third Person Objective

• Third Person Omniscient

What is happening in this excerpt?

"They recalled to each other circumstances, words, smiles, intonations of the mother who was no longer to speak to them. They saw her again happy and calm. They remembered things which she had said, and a little motion of the hand, like beating time, which she often used when emphasizing something important."

• The children are talking about things their mother used to do / say.

• The children are talking about things they wish their mother did.

• The children are talking with their mother about the past.

What does the word "melancholy" mean using this sentence as a guide.

"An infinite peace, a divine melancholy, a silent serenity surrounded this dead woman, seemed to be breathed out from her and to appease nature itself. "

• happiness

• quiet

• sadness