Wings of Paper and Wax - Third person limited narrative (Grade 8)

After Ojii-san reinterprets the Icarus myth, the narrator reveals Kenji's perspective. What is Kenji's initial reaction to the story?

• He feels inspired to finish his origami crane perfectly.

• He thinks the story is an old tale that doesn't help him fit in.

• He is confused because he has never heard the story before.

• He wishes his grandfather would tell more stories like it.

Answer explanation

The question asks for Kenji's perspective, which the third-person limited narrator reveals. The text states, 'He thought his grandfather's stories were just old tales. They didn't help you make friends or fit in at school.' This shows his internal point of view differs from what his grandfather hopes to teach.

From Kenji's point of view, what does the 'sun' in his grandfather's story represent?

• The difficulty of learning origami

• The exciting modern world of his friends

• His grandfather's strict expectations

• The heat of the afternoon

Answer explanation

Kenji connects the sun's temptation to the 'loud, fast, and exciting' world of his friends like Christopher. His grandfather says the sun was a 'promise of a new world that made him forget,' which directly mirrors Kenji's feelings about fitting in, as revealed by the narrator.

The narrator describes Kenji's phone buzzing with texts from Christopher. What effect does this have on Kenji's point of view, as revealed by the narrator?

• It makes him feel proud of his friendship with Christopher.

• It causes his mind to wander and makes him feel pulled toward the 'loud, fast, and exciting' world outside the garden.

• It makes him annoyed at Christopher for interrupting his time with his grandfather.

• It reminds him to ask his grandfather for permission to go out.

Answer explanation

The narrator shows the effect of the texts on Kenji's internal state. The text says 'his mind was elsewhere' and he 'felt a familiar pull.' This demonstrates how the narrator uses an external event to reveal Kenji's internal conflict and shifting point of view.

When Ojii-san says, 'Each fold is a memory. A piece of who we are,' how does the narrator reveal this statement affects Kenji?

• The narrator shows Kenji nodding in agreement and focusing more carefully.

• The narrator reveals that Kenji is thinking about his phone and the concert, showing he is distracted from his grandfather's words.

• The narrator explains that Ojii-san is disappointed by Kenji's lack of interest.

• The narrator describes Kenji asking his grandfather to explain the memories in more detail.

Answer explanation

This question requires analyzing the difference between Kenji's action (nodding) and his thoughts. The narrator immediately follows his nod by stating, 'but his mind was elsewhere. His phone buzzed...' This shows the reader Kenji's true, distracted point of view, which is different from what his grandfather sees. We do not know Ojii-san's thoughts, only Kenji's.

Categorize the following items from the story based on what they represent in Kenji's internal conflict, as revealed by the narrator.

Groups:

(a) Connection to Heritage

,

(b) Pull of Modern Life

• Christopher's texts

• The origami crane

• The bamboo garden

• Ojii-san's story

• The buzzing phone

• The concert

Answer explanation

The items are symbols of the two worlds pulling Kenji apart. The narrator reveals Kenji's internal conflict by contrasting his feelings about these items. The crane, garden, and story all represent his cultural identity and family traditions. The texts, concert, and phone represent the modern, social world he wants to join.

Which statement best describes Kenji's internal thoughts about his grandfather's traditions?

• He is angry that he has to participate in them.

• He believes they are more interesting than his friends' activities.

• He is proud to share them with his friends.

• He feels they are old and don't help him fit in with his peers.

Answer explanation

The narrator reveals Kenji's thoughts: 'He thought his grandfather's stories were just old tales. They didn't help you make friends or fit in at school.' This shows his internal perspective on the traditions.

Match Kenji's internal feeling, revealed by the third-person narrator, with the action that shows it.

• He looks from the crane to the glowing screen.

• He feels torn between his two worlds.

• He fumbles a fold and creases the paper incorrectly.

• He feels his grandfather's world is outdated.

• He thinks the stories don't help him make friends.

• He feels distracted by the outside world.

• His mind wanders when his phone buzzes.

• He feels frustrated with the difficulty of tradition.

Answer explanation

The passage uses specific actions to show Kenji's inner state, which the reader only knows because of the narrator. His wandering mind shows his distraction, fumbling the paper shows his frustration, looking between the two objects shows his conflict, and his thoughts about the stories reveal his view that they are outdated.

The passage shows Kenji feeling torn between his family's traditions and fitting in with friends. First, describe a real-life situation where a teenager might feel a similar conflict. Then, explain what advice you would give this teenager, using at least one detail from the passage to support your advice. Finally, explain how the author's choice to use a third-person limited narrator (focusing only on Kenji's thoughts and feelings) makes Kenji's internal conflict clear to the reader.

Answer explanation