“Common medicinal practices of the time period, like bloodletting, would have also contributed to the spread of the disease. For example, high standards of hygiene were not practiced; physicians didn’t even wash their hands.”

“Many lost faith in the Catholic Church as people continued to die from the plague. Some converted to Protestantism, while others became more interested in secular ideas about the world.”

“Scientists and historians today still study the Black Death. They continue to develop vaccines, but with our current knowledge of bacteria, it is no longer the threat it once was.”

“The plague upended traditional structures like religion and feudalism that were once the cornerstones of medieval life. It redirected the path of European history, propelling it towards the modern age, though at the cost of millions of lives.”

It emphasizes how severely the bubonic plague affected people and how quickly it killed them.

It reveals how the bubonic plague was able to enter Europe without anyone knowing until it was a full pandemic.

It shows how closely crowded spaces caused the disease to spread more quickly, especially near bodies of water.

It suggests that Europe could have easily avoided the plague if they had not let the ship in to the port.

Increased contact with other countries through trade allowed the plague to spread farther.

Trade with the rest of the world allowed Europe to search for potential cures for the plague.

Traders who left Europe were spared from the disease that was quickly spreading through Europe.

Animals infected with the plague hid on tradeships and introduced new variations of the plague around the world.

The most important lessons that children can learn come from mothers.

As children grow up they will, without a doubt, grow apart from their mothers.

As children grow up, their views of their mothers evolve and change.

Children only come to truly understand their mothers when they become parents themselves.

“the last time i was home / to see my mother we kissed / exchanged pleasantries” (Lines 1-3)

“i remember the first time / i consciously saw her / we were living in a three room/apartment” (Lines 7-10)

“mommy always sat in the dark / i don’t know how i knew that but she did” (Lines 11-12)

“her hair was three-quarters her height / which made me a strong believer in the samson myth” (Lines 22-23)

When she is a child she views her mother as an almost mystical being, but when she is an adult she views her more realistically.

When she is a child she views her mother as average, but when she is an adult she views her as a larger-than-life figure.

When she is a child she views her mother with a sense of jealousy, but when she is an adult she views her with admiration and respect.

When she is a child she views her mother negatively, but when she is an adult she views her with more understanding.

“mommy always sat in the dark / i don’t know how i knew that but she did” (Lines 11-12)

“we must learn / to bear the pleasures / as we have borne the pains” (Lines 38-40)

“i remember the first time / i consciously saw her / we were living in a three room” (Lines 7-9)

“the last time i was home / to see my mother we kissed / exchanged pleasantries / and unpleasantries” (Lines 1-4)

Practical jokes have a price, often a friendship.

Paranoia can make fools out of people.

True friends are never cruel.

Better to be paranoid and wrong than oblivious.

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 6

Paragraph 12

Paragraph 17

The narrator secretly despises his friends for their mean-spirited pranks, and he visits only to get the better of them.

The friends’ laughter causes the narrator to be anxious, for he interprets it as a joke on his behalf.

The friends’ exaggerated merriment and predilection to prank the narrator make him paranoid when he visits.

The narrator dislikes the lodgings given to him by his friends.

The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke is inappropriate, adding to the mocking tone of the piece.

The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke is silly and deluded (since, as a victim of pranks, he is normally the prey), adding to the comedic tone of the piece.

The word “game” implies that the narrator is the true predator when it comes to pranks, adding to the ironic and cruel tone of the story.

The comparison of an animal smelling game to the narrator sniffing out a practical joke creates a frightened mood, adding to the dark and anxious tone of the story.

She enjoyed writing stories.

Her parents suggested that she be one.

She saw a storyteller perform.

She wanted to overcome her fear of public speaking.

Stories are more interesting when they are based in fact rather than fiction.

Hannah still has a lot to learn before she is considered a professional storyteller.

Storytelling is a difficult profession that not many can succeed in.

Hannah captures people’s attention by telling stories about her own experiences.

“‘I loved giving oral book reports,’ adds Hannah. Often Hannah dressed as a book character to tell her books’ stories to the class.” (Paragraph 2)

“Instead, starting with real events, Hannah makes up stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Even her funny stories often have a lesson.” (Paragraph 5)

“‘The oldest was 18, and the youngest was 7 that year,’ says Hannah. ‘Everyone was fantastic. And I learned so much from everyone.’” (Paragraph 7)

“After college, she hopes to be a professional writer and continue storytelling.” (Paragraph 8)

The author discusses Hannah’s experiences telling stories and then her advice to others about storytelling.

The author discusses what Hannah enjoys about being a professional storyteller and then some of the challenges.

The author compares the stories Hannah told when she was younger with the stories she tells as an adult.

The author advises readers on how to be a storyteller and then uses Hannah as an example of a successful storyteller.