ELA Unit 1 G8

$ teil Benjamin that I don't want to hear about hi problems, that his back

looks strong to me, the shooting pain in his leg I go away eventually, and

his headache is just a reflection of his deep, inner il. I say this as we're turmoil (t0r'moil') n.
a state of extreme
walking to Mrs. Leonardo's house. confusion or agitation
"I think my whole left side is going numb," he ispers pitifully as we walk
o coNFLrcTs AND
up her steps. SUBPLOTS
ln what ways is Katie
220 "Deal wit/t it." responsible for her
brother?
Mrs. Leonardo is waiting for us. \fe're late. I n't mention that having

to drag a hypochondriaca four doors down the takes time. Great food

smells swirl from her kitchen. Q
Mrs. Leonardo looks Benjamin up and down, t impressed. "You've not

been here before," she says. Benjamin half smiles nd rubs his tennis elbow,5

which makes me nuts because he doesn't play ten is.

I introduce them. Tell her Benjamin is here to p with dust elimination

and heavy lifting, at which point Benjamin leans infully against the wall

and closes his eyes. Mrs. Leonardo."

"Het a very dedicated worker once he gets sta

I jam my elbow into his side.

OU, so we're cleaning this cavernous6 attic like theret no tomorrow. *We ve

got all the trunks and boxes wiped down and hed to the far side. \Me're

running the turbo-charged Clean Sweep Fran tein portable vacuum that is so * sRAFdrMAil lru
eilN?rxE
powerful it can suck up pets and small children if hey get too close. Benjamin is ln line z3z, notice how
Joan Bauer uses the
wearing a dust mask over his nose and mout wrote The Terminator over it. progressiveform ofthe
verb to clean to describe
This boy is appropriately miserable, pulling down iders'webs, sucking up dust on ongoing action.

mites. I can almost hear their little screams of Language Coach

mother claims she can hear dust mites shrieking ir.* Oral Fluency ln
240 presentation if she thinks potential clients can ha words such as night
that contain the
"Get the lace tablecloth from the trunk!" M Leonardo shouts from letter combination

downstairs. .ght,thegandh

\fhat's she want with that? are silent. Reread
'And bring the book, too," she hollers impati tly. the sentence
beginning in line
I don't mention that we've shoved everything n the corner like she said 248, pronouncing
night correctly.
to, that I'll have to move it all to get to the trun , and, by the way, I'm

going as fast as I can. I get the book and the I tablecloth that's been

iolded in very old plastic. I look at the book ish brown leather-Aunt
Goody's Good Night Stories, itt called. Benjamrn
over looking like some

z:o kind of cosmic alien with his mask, takes the bo starts laughing.
"The Naughty Little Frog," he says reading. "Once upon a time there

was a naughty little frog named Edmond. Ed was so naughty that

hypochondriac (hr'pa-k6n'dre-5k'): a person who conti thinks he or she is ill or about
to become ill. tennis or similar activities.

5. tennis elbow: pain around the elbow, often caused from
6. cavernous (kEv'er-nes): filled with caverns; like a cave.

cLEAN swEEP 75

he never, ever cleaned his lily pad. It got so dirty that h
mother had to make him stay on that lily pad several ti

each day 1s-"

"You're going to have to wait for the end." I yank the k

from his hands and head down the creaky attic stairs wit the
tablecloth. Mrs. Leonardo is in the kitchen wearing a fri ly

apron, stirring a pot of something that smells beyond g

260 She turns to look at me, puts her wooden spoon down.

"Help me put it on the table," she orders.

I'm smiling a little now because I know this tablecloth',

history. I'm wondering who's coming to dinner.

"Looks like you're having a party," I offer as we get the

tablecloth squared perfectly on the table.
Mrs. Leonardo says nothing, sets the table for two with

looks like the good silverware, the good napkins. Then she

the storybook in front of one of the place settings'
"My sister, you see . . ." She pauses emotionally. "\7ell,

zzo coming to dinner."

"You mean the one you haven't seen for a long time?"

"I only have one sister."
I'm just grinning now and I tell her I hope they have t best

dinner in the world.

"\7ell, I do too." She looks nervously out the window

says whatever work we haven't finished can be done a SEQU EhICE
What steps has Mrs.
"You were right about . . . calling her, Katie." @ Leonardo taken to
prepare for her sister's
I smile brightly, wonde ring if she's going to offer me me of her great- visit? Add these to
smelling food to show her gratitude. She doesn't. I head the attic stairs
zao and drag Benjamin to safety. He's sneezing like he's goi to die. I take off your chart.

his Terminator dust mask and lean him against a wall. alf of me wants to

give Mrs. Leonardo a little hug of encouragement, but t other half warns,

Don't touch clients because they can turn 0n !0u.
"\(/hatever you're cooking, Mrs. Leonardo, it sure sme good," I shout.

"Your sister's going to love it." I'm not sure she hears all o that. Benjamin is

into his fifth sneezing attack.

She nods from the kitchen; I push Benjamin out on t
"I could have died up there," he shouts, blowing his

"But you didn't."

zeo And I remember the book my dad would read to us hen we were little

about the baby animals and their parents and how each other and father

animal kissed their babies good night. That book was c to death, ripped,

stained, and missing the last two pages, but I wouldn't gi it up for anything.
\We walk back home almost silently, except for Benja n's sniffs, sneezes,

and groans. People just don't understand what important ings can be hiding

in the dust.

Mom says that all the time in her presentation. cls,

UNIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

After Reading

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

1. Recall What job does the Clean Sweep compa do? RL3 Analyze how dialogueor
2. Clarify Why does Katie resent her brother? incidents in a story propel the
3. Summarize For Katie, what makes working for rs. Leonardo so difficult? action. RL 5 Analyze how the
structure oftext contributes to its
meaning.

Text Analysis as you read. Which event or
information do you learn
a 4. ldentify Sequence Review the chart you

events in the sequence occur as flashbacks?

about Katie from the flashbacks?

O 5. Examine Conflicts Note the internal and exte conflicts Katie faces after
f these conflicts are resolved?
her dad's death. By the end of the story, which
Which are not resolved? Share your opinion of way in which each conflict

is or is not resolved.

5. Analyze Character Motivations Why do you k Mrs. Leonardo decided to
reconnect with her sister?

I Z. Rnalyze Subplot Use a chart like the one show Charattets luolvd'

record details of the subplot involving Mrs. Mrs.Leona-rdo and her sister
and her sister. What does this subplot help Ka to
Cotflict'
realize? ln your opinion, is the subplot a worth hile

addition to the story? Explain why or why not.

8. Make Judgments Reread lines zzr-zzg and ote 4. Resolvtiot
Would you say that Katie's brother is a riac?
Use examples from the text to support your a

Extension and Challenge

A9. fl. SscCrIEENCcEE cCoONNNEECcTnIoONN Katie's family ea s a living fighting dust

E- mites. Look back at the information dust mites on page 70.
they are seriously harmful to
Research more about them to find out wheth dust mites in a home. ls
people and whether it is possible to get rid of ? Present your findings to
Katie's mother being honest in her presenta

the class.

II/hen dses trash becorne URE?

Look again at the Web lt activity on page 66. agineyou are Katie,
and her treasure is the book she mentions on 76, lines 2go-293.
What good memories might Katie connect to
book?

cLEAN s\rEEP 77

Vocabulary in Context that mean aberration .
A vocaeurARY PRAcncE
o1"o
Decide whether the words in each pair are synonyms
the same) or antonyms (words that mean the opposite). minuscule -

1. propriety/rudeness
2. vileness/niceness
3. dingy/shabby

4. minuscule/huge

5. aberration/sameness
5. turmoil/chaos

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN WRITING

. affect . conclude . evident . imply . initial

How did the death of the narrator's father affect the remai family members?
ln a paragraph, explain how the narrator, her mother, and r brother appear to
have coped with the loss of their loved one. Use at least Academic Vocabulary
word in your response.

VOCABUTARY STRATEGY:5UFFIXES THAT FORM N UNS i COMMONCORE

A suffix is a word part that appears at the end of a root or se word to form a L 5 Use accurately grade-appropriate
new word. Some suffixes, such as those in vileness and ion.can be added
to words to form nouns. The web shown includes other xes that have a words.

similar meaning.

lf a word seems unfamiliar, see if you can break it into familiar

root and suffix. For example, the word embellishment can broken happiness wreckage

into embellish and -ment, which might help you underst nd that
an embellishment is something that is decorated.

PRACTICE ldentify the base word and suffix in each bold argument rebellion
word. Then define the nouns that have been made by
the suffixes. tolerance

l. Winning the state championship was quite an Go to thinkcentral.com.

2. To make the connection, your flight will have to arr KEYWORD: HMLS-78
on time.

3. His performance in the concert was superb.
4. One could see the sadness in their faces.
5. We have a shortage of papertowels in the kitchen.

78 uNrr 1: PLor AND coNFlrcr

La nguage i COMMONCORE

S cgg*nn*&ft xru {sfta?f;HT: {Js* Pr*gressive {*rrectly L 1 Demonstrate command of
standard English grammar when
Review the Grammar in Context note on page 75' hen you are writing about writing. W 3b Use dialogue to

an event that's in progress, use the progressive for of a verb. develop characters.

Example: She is cleaning the aftic.(The is an ongoing action.)

You can use the progressive form with any verb , Notice that the

progressive form is made by using the same tense the verb to be with the

present participle, which is formed by using the b stem and adding ing.

Fes:sss F Sxsrst $*s

Present Progressive We are laughing.
Past Progressive \Ne laughing.
Future Progressive We wil be laughrng
Present Perfect Progressive We been laughng,
Past Perfect Progressive We been laughing.
Futu re Perfect Progressive We have been laughing,

PRACTICE ldentify which sentences include the p sive form of the verb.

Rewrite the remaining sentences using the prog sive form.

1. She was sorting her father's papers' ta ken.

2. 5he feels sad.
3. He planned a vacation they didn't get to en
4. He was loving and suPPortive.
5. They were thinking about getting their pictu

For more help with progressive form, see poge 6 in the Grammar Handbook.

R E.&ffi i ru& -1#R ET: N S {SFS IH ECTE#iU

YOUR lncrease your understanding of "Clean " by responding to this
prompt. Then use the revising tip to i prove your writing.
@
TURN

Short Constructed Response: Dialogue Review your dialogue' Did Go to thinkcentral.com.
Reread lines t5t-t6o. Write a half-page of
dialogue between Katie and her mother that you use the Progressive KEYWORD: HMLS-79
might have occurred while they sorted through
&. form of verbs to write about
her dad's things after his death.
events in Process?'lf not,
revise your writing.

CLEAN S\TEEP 79

Before Reading t,ej ,ji{ Video link at
thin keentral.com
The Tell-Tale He rt HISTORY

Short Story bY Edgar Alla Poe

Wfuffi% ffiffi ffiffi ffi#"ffi

SUSPIC ous?

i COMMONCORE Has something or someone ever med dangerous or untrustworthY
to you? The feeling You had wa suspicion. While susPicion might
RL 4 Analyze the imPact of word come from a misunderstanding, can also be a warning that
something is verY wrong. ln thi story, you'll meet a man whose own
choices on meaning and tone.
suspicions are his downfall.
RL 5 Analyze how differences
in the points ofview ofthe D|SCUSS With a small grouP, d uss susplclous

characters and the reader (e.g.,
created through the use of
dramatic irony) create susPense.

characters you've read about or n on television

shows. ln what waYs did these racters look or act

differently from other character ? Continue your

discussion by creating a list of ing signs that

should make a Person susPic

'tj:ii"i:l:.,':;l::::ii, rt.r:;:,::,.li.r,;::::.j:)ir..,,$i,-:i.::t,:.jiii,,l

O rgxr ANArYsts: susPENsE . This Edgar Allan Poe

Writers often "hook" readers by creating a sense of lowing r8o9-r849
tension, dread, or fear about what will happen
feeling is called suspense. Edgar Allan Poe uses the Orphan at Two
techniques to develop suspense: Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston to
parents who made their livings as traveling
. describing a character's anxiety or fear actors. When Poe was two, his father
deserted the family. Less than a year later,
choosing vivid words to describe dramatic sights nd sounds his mother died. Edgar was raised in Virginia
by family friends, the Allans. After being
repeating words, phrases, or characters' actions expelled from both the University of Virginia
and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
As you read "The Tell-Tale Heart," notice what cau you Poe began writing for a living.
to feel suspense.
"Madness or Melancholy"
I nraorruG SKrLL: EVALUATE NARRAToR Poe got a job as a journalist to support
himself and his young wife while he worked
Have you ever suspected someone was not tellin you the on the stories and poems that would earn
him the title "father of the modern mystery."
truth? Just as you can't trust every person you you can't A master of suspense, he wrote works that
were often dark and full of horrifying images.
believe all narrators, or characters who tell a story. o evaluate Poems such as "The Raven" and short stories
such as "The Pit and the Pendulum" brought
a narrator's reliability, or trustworthiness, pay on to his him fame but no fortune. Poverty intensified
his despair when his wife,Virginia, fell ill
or her actions, attitudes, and statements. Do a raise your and died. Deeply depressed, Poe died two
years later after being found on the streets
suspicions? As you read "The Tell-Tale Heart," clues that of Baltimore. Poe's obituary stated he was
a man of astonishing skill, a
reveal whether the narrator is reliable or not. dreamer who walked "in
madness or melancholy."
N ar r at oy's Rel iabiI ittq

Makes Me Suspicr'ous. Makes MeT Hiru,

A vocaeuLARY rN coNTExr in character
the
Poe uses the following words to reveal how the
is acting, feeling, and thinking. For each word, vehemently
numbered word or phrase closest in meaning. vex

woRD acute crevice stealthilY
Lt sr audacity derision stifled

conceive hypocritical

.tl

1. annoy 6. smothered t, ..iSir.::
2. cautiously 7. ridicule ,.{:a
3. intense 8. think of l.:
9. strongly
4. crack ..:
10. shameless daring Wtl ,,,.].3
5. deceptive it3

f-R

i;fr Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer

The

TeHll-eTaa/tlte

I

Edgar Allan Poe

rue!-nervous-very, very dreadfully nervous I had ]been and am! but why $*alYz"r",
willyou say that I am mad? The disease had sharpefied my senses-not
What details in the
destroyed-not dulled them. Above all was the sense of fiearing acute. I heard picture help create
all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many tfrings in hell. How, suspense?
acute (e-kyoot') adj.
then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily-$ow calmly I can tell sharp; keen
conceive (ken-sev) v. to
you the whole story. think of

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my n; but once 6 EVALUATE
NARRATOR
conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there none. Passion there Reread lines r-r6. On the
basis of what he plans
was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged . He had never given to do, decide whether
the narrator's opinion of
10 me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his ,e! yes, it was this! He himself makes you trust
had the eye of avulture-a pale blue eye, with a 6lm it. -ilThenever it fell him more or less.

upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees-very g ually-I made up

my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid [f of the eve forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen !
nothing. But you

should have seen me. Yor should have seen how wisely I proceeded-with what

caution-with what foresight-with what dissimulationl went to work!@

I was never kinder to the old man than during the week before I killed

him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latc ofhis door and opened

it-oh, so gently!And then, when I had made an openi sufficient for my head,

I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light out, and then ]

thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see cunningly I thrust

I moved it slowly-ve ry, very slowly, so that I migh not disturb the old

1. dissimulation (dY-sYm'ye-la'shen): a hiding of one's true feelings. Illustrations by Howard Simpson.
82 UNIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

\'tr:,::r,rl:L*&

man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head thin the opening so

far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!- [d a madman have

been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well i the room, I undid the

lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously-cautiously (for hinges creaked)-l

undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the v ure eye. And this

I did for seven long nights-every night just at midnigh but I found the eye

always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; it was not the old man

30 who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, the day broke, I went vex (v6ks) v. to disturb;
to annoy
boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, alling him by name in
o susPENsE
a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the nigh So you see he would Note the actions the
narrator repeats. Why
have been ayery profound old man, indeed, to suspect every night, just at does this repetition
create a sense ofdread?
twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept. @
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually caut s in opening the o susPENsE
ln what way does the
door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than id mine. Never before characters'inaction
create tension?
that night hadlfeh the extent of my own powers-of sagacity.2I could stifled (sti'feld) ad7.
smothered stifle v.
scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that t I was, opening the

door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my sec deeds or thoughts. I

40 fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; fo he moved on the bed

suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew no. His

room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for shutters were close

fastened, through fear ofrobbers), and so I knew that could not see the

opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, ilv.

I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, mv thumb

slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang p in the bed, crying

9u1-"\trh6's there?"

I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a

muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie . He was still sitting

50 up in the bed listening,-just as I have done, night after]night, hearkening to

the death watches3 in the wall. 6

Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was groan of mortal terror.

It was not a groan of pain or grief-oh, nol-it was the stifled sound

that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcha with awe. I knew

the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when al the world slept, it has

welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its d Ful echo, the terrors

that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the man felt, and

pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he been lying awake

ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in bed. His fears had

60 been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying fancy them causeless,

but could not. He had been saying to himself-"It is hing but the wind in

the chimney-it is only a mouse crossing rhe floo5" or " t is merely a cricket

which has made a single chirp." Yes, he has been trying comfort himself with

these suppositions; but he had found all in vain. All in iz,'because Death,

2. sagacity (sa-gEs'Y-t5): sound judgment. with their heads.
3. death watches: deathwatch beetles-insects that make a tapping sou

84 UNIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

in approaching him, had stalked with his black before him, and

enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful in uence of the unperceived

shadow that caused him to feel-although he neit saw nor heard-to feel
the presence of my head within the room.

\7hen I had waited a long time, very patiently, ithout hearing him lie crevice (kr6v'Ys) n. crack
stea lthily (st6I'the-le)
zo down, I resolved to open a little-a very, very li crevice in the lantern. So I a dv. cautiously; secret ly
opened it-you cannor imagine how stealthily, s Ithily-until, at length, a
O EVALUATE
single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot out the crevice and fell NARRATOR
What does the narrator
full upon the vulture eye. claim to be hearing?
Decide whether you
It was open-wide, wide open-and I grew furious asl gazed upon it. I think he is correct.

saw it with perfect distinctness-all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that o susPENsE
Reread lines 84-toz.
chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could $ee nothing else of the old What is the scariest or
mant face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon most exciting part of
this paragraph? Tell
the damned spot. what details contribute
to this feeling.
And now have I not told you that what you mi For madness is but over-

acuteness of the senses?-now, I say, there came t4 -y ears a low, dull, quick

sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in fotton. I knew that sound
well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart.]It increased my fury, as the

beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into cou

But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcelf breathed. I held the

lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could m{intain the ray upon the

eye. Meantime the hellish tattooa of the heart inc . It grew quicker and

quicker, and louder and louder every instant. Thelold mant terror musthave

been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every nt!-do vou mark me
J

well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. now at the dead hour of

e0 rhe night, amid the dreadful silence of that old h{use, so strange a noise as this

excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some fninutes longer I refrained

and stood still. But the beating grew louder, ! I thought the heart must

burst. And now a new anxiety seized me-the sor]rnd would be heard by a

neighbor! The old man's hour had comel \7ith a foud yell, I threw oPen the
only. In an instant
lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked

I dragged him to the foor, and pulled the heavy $ed over him. I then smiled

gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many fninutes, the heart beat on
with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vexlme; it would not be heard

through the wall. At length it ceased. The old m{n was dead. I removed the

roo bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, $tone dead. I placed my hand

upon the heart and held it there many minutes. was no pulsation. He
was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no
.o

If still you think me mad, you will think so longer when i describe the

wise precautions I took for the concealment of body. The night waned,s
and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I ismembered the corpse. I cut

off the head and the arms and the legs.

4. hellish tattoo: awful drumming,
5. waned: approached its end.

THE TELL-TALE HEART 85

'*.illi3,"

What can you infer

from the character's
expression in each of

the three panels?

I then took up three planks from the flooring of the hamber, and IranguageCoach
deposited all beiween the scantlings'6 I then replaced t boards so cleverly, so
cunningly, that no human eye-not even his-could h detected anything Syntax The waY words
kind-no blood-spot are put together in a
110 wrong.th.r. was nothing to wash out-no.stain of an sentence is called sYntax'
*hrtJ,r.r. I had been too wary for that' A tub had caug r all-ha! ha! Poe often uses unusual
\When I made an end of these labors, it was four o'' k-still dark as syntax. Reread line ttz.
What is another waY to

say"When I made an
end ofthese labors"?

midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a ing at the street

door. i*..rt down to open it with a light heart,-for hadl now to fear?

6. scantlings: smallwooden beams supporting the floor'

86 I]NIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

There entered three men, who introduced themsel with perfect suavity,T as

officers ofthe police. A shriek had been heard by neighbor during the night:

suspicion of foul play had been aroused; infor had been lodged at the

police office, and they (the officers) had been ted8 to search the premises.

I smiled,-for whathad I to fear? I bade the welcome. The

120 shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old , I mentioned, was absent

in the country. I took my visitors all over the . I bade them search-

search well.I led them, at length, to his chamber. showed them his treasures,

secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my con , I brought chairs into

the room, and desired them here to rest from thei Fatigues, while I myself in

the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed own seat upon the very audacity (O-d5s'Y-td) n.
shameless daring or
spot beneath which reposede the corpse of the vi boldness

The officers were satisfied. Mv mannerhad inced them. I was singularly vehemently
(ve'e-ment-le\ adv. with
ar ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, t chatted of familiar intense emotion

things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale a wished them gone. My head derision (dY+Yzh'en) n.
ridicule
130 ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but stilf they sat and still chatted. hypocritical
(hip'e-krYt'Y-k el\ a dj. false
The ringing became more distinct:-it continue4 and became more distinct: or deceptive

I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but if continued and gained o susPENsE
Think about the
definitiveness-until at length, I found that the rioise was notwithin my ears. emotions that the
narrator is feeling. How
No doubt I now grew ueryt pale;-but I talked lmore fuently, and with a does Poe help the reader
heightened voice. Yet the sound increased-and jvhat could I do? It was A feel the same way?

low, dull, quick sound-much such a sourud as a ruptch rnakes when enueloped

in cotton.I gasped for breath-and yet the heard it not. I talked

more quickly-more vehemently; but the noise ily increased. I arose

and argued about trifles, in a high key and with {iolent gesticulations,l0 but
r40 the noise steadily increased. Why would they notlbe gone? I paced the foor

to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fur/ by the observation of the

msn-[u1 the noise steadily increased. What I do? I foamed-I raved-l

swore. I swung the chair upon which I had been]sitting, and grated it upon

the boards, but the noise arose over all and contifrually increased. It grew

louder-louder-louder! Andstill the men chatled pleasantly, and smiled.

\Was it possible they heard ns1]-ns, no! They h]eard!-they suspected!-they

knew!-they were making a mockery of my !-this I thought, and this I

think. But anything was better than this agony!lAnything was more tolerable

than this derision! I could bear those ical smiles no longer! I felt that

rio I must scream or die!-and now-again!

"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemblelr no morel I admit the deed!-tear up the
planks!-here, here!-it is the beating of his hi heart!" c\r

7. suavity (swe'vY{e): graceful politeness. hands or arms,
8. deputed: appointed as a representative.
9. reposed: rested.
10. gesticulations (j6-stYk'ya-15'shens): energetic gestures of

11. dissemble: pretend.

THE TELL-TALE HEART 87

After Reading i COMMONCORE

Co"m']-p' rehension RL 4 Analyze the impact of
l. Recall Why does the narrator want to kill the old man?
word choices on meaning
j and tone. RL6 Analyze how
differences in the points of
2. Clarify Why does the narrator believe he will not be cauight after murdering view ofthe characters and
the reader (e.g., created
the old man? through the use of dramatic
3. Summarize How does the narrator prepare for the crimle ana cover up? irony) create suspense.

Text Analysis

4. Make lnferences Reread lines 7-r3. From this passage, tfrf,rt ao you think was
the relationship between the narrator and the old mani

Os. Analyze Suspense Which of Poe's techniques for creatiriB suspense is most

effective for you? To find out, review the following storf sections. List the
techniques used in each section, and then rank the sectlons from 14, with t

Lines HA 79-ltl : llz-l?? ip*,t

TuhilEes,L l. I
ZZ.Z.

I 6. Evaluate Narrator How reliable is the narrator of the sloryl Should you

believe what he tells you about himself? Support your Inswer with details

read.from the chart you created as you
I

7. Compare and Contrast When readers know somethin$ a character does not,
dramatic irony results. Contrast what you know about fihe narrator to what
he believes about himself. What effect does this differ{nce in perspective
create? Explain.

Extension and Challenge

8. Readers'Circle With a group,brainstorm a list of trorr{r stories and movies
that most of you are familiar with. Choose at least twf of these titles and

discuss the techniques the authors or directors used t$ create suspense.
Which of the techniques are similar to the ones Poe usles?

9. lnquiry and Research Do research on lie detection to ff na out what are the
most reliable ways of finding out if someone is tellingithe truth. Present
your findings to the class. Does what you learn changf yorr opinion about

whether the narrator is reliable?
]

What rnal(es ycu SUSPIGIOUS?

I

Review the list of suspicious actions you recorded on fage 8o. Which of
these actions, if any, did the narrator exhibit while tal{ing to the police?

88 UNIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

Vocabulary in Context

A vocaeurARY PRAcncE

Choose true or false for each statement. a"ora
..
l. lt is difficult to hide a stifled yawn.
audacity ,
2. lf you have the audacityto do something,you re bold and daring.
conceived
3. Derision is something you feel toward someon you respect.
crwice
4. A lion would approach its prey stealthily. ,
derision I
5. You could not hear much if you had an acute se of hearing.
hryocntical I
6. lf someone conceived of a plan, he or she hea it from someone else. stealthily ,

7. A person could trip over a crevice in the si stifled ,,

8. When a person is hypocritical, he is honest a vehemendy

9. To vex is to delight in something. vex l

10. lf you react vehementlyto something,you care much about it.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN WRITING

. affect . conclude . evident . imply . initia

At what point in "The Tell-Tale Heart" did it evident to you that the

narrator was mad, or insane? Write a short pa explaining your answer.

Try to use at least one Academic Vocabulary word n your response.

VOCABULARY STRATEGY: U5!NG REFERENC AIDS i comaloN coRr

Choosing the perfect word can make a difference good and great L 4c Consult reference materials
(e.g., dictionaries, thesauruses)
writing. One reason Poe's writing is still so r is because of his masterful to determine a word's precise
meaning.
use of language. When you want to find the accurate words to express

yourself, the following reference aids can help

. A thesaurus is a reference book of synonyms, s with similar meanings.

Most word processing software provides an el ronic thesaurus tool.

vexuerb aggravatq annoy, bothet bug, disturb,

. A dictionary lists synonyms after the defini of some words.

vex (vEks) u. l.To annoy. 2. To cause perplexity in 3. To bring distress or suffering to.
syN BOTHER, PU ZZLE, PLAGUE, AFFLICT

PRACTICE Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find nym for each word. Go to thinkcentral.com.
Use each synonym in a sentence that matches i distinct meaning.
KEYWORD: HMLS-89
1. commend 2. dupe 3. impish menace

THE TELL-TALE HEART 89

The Hitchhiker d: Video link at
HISTORY th i n kce ntra l.com

Radio Play by Lucille Fletc!er

Hm ffi#*#eeeffi

BELIEYING?

i COMMONCORE occasionally, something f,rpp.nlso quickly or unexpectedly, you can't

RL 3 Analyze how particular be sure what you've seen. Was tl]rat a rabbit racing through the field, or
lines of dialogue or incidents in
a story propel the action, reveal was it just wind in the grass? Di{ Vou see a man hiding in the alley, or
aspects of a character, or provoke did you see only a shadow? To bd convinced that something is real, you

a decision. need proof, or solid evidence. ln fhe Hitchhiker, a man is desperate for
proof that what he's seeing can explained.

Je

DISCUSS Think of something yor..i've seen that you can't explain.

Maybe it was oddly shaped footqrints in an empty lot, or a bright shape

flying through the sky. Share yor!r experience with a small group,

and together brainstorm possiblp explanations. Then tellwhat proof

you'd need to determine which is the right one.

lxPlanation

,'-r#

o rrxr ANALYSTS: FORESHADOWTNG lucille Fletcher

When a writer provides hints that suggest future tsina 1912-20OO
story, the writer is foreshadowing. For example, if character
Suspenseful Stories
says, "Whatever you do, don't open that door," you ght As a young adult, Lucille Fletcher wanted
to become a novelist. After she took her
suspect that the door will eventually be opened to a
firstjob as a script typist and began reading
dramatic effect. Anticipating that event can add t e story's scripts by other writers, she decided she
wanted to write plays as well. She was
suspense, making you more excited to find out wh happens successful at both. Fletcher penned more
than zo radio plays, including the well-
next. known Sorry,Wrong Number andThe
Hitchhiker. ln addition, she wrote several
As you read The Hitchhiker, make a chart to note sor novels. Her works were suspenseful, full of
mystery, and often terrifying.
dialogue that might foreshadow what happens la You'll
BACKGROUND TO THE PLAY
complete the chart at the end of the selection.
Radio Plays
Foreshalowittg EvertsThat Were F, Though the television was invented in the
rgzos, most American households did not
! nTnolruG STRATEGY: READING A RADIo PtA have television sets until the late r95os.
Before then, families gathered around
A radio play is a play written for radio broadcast, w ich means the radio to listen to their favorite radio
plays. These plays took the form of dramas,
that it is primarily meant to be heard, not seen. Si listeners mysteries, or comedies. Actors at the radio
station read their lines into the microphone
can't see the actors, radio playwrights give n about the with dramatic flair. Background music
helped set the mood.
characters through
Hearing ls Believing
Dialogue, or the words spoken by the actors Sound effects were an important part of a
radio play. They were often produced in the
Stage directions, which include instructions to actors radio studio. Sheet metal, shaken up and
ions to the down, replicated rolling thunder. A wooden
about how dialogue should be spoken and i match, broken close to the microphone,
crew about sounds effects sounded like a baseball bat striking a ball.
Coconut halves clapped against wood
As you read The Hitchhiker, notice what these e nts suggest imitated the sound of horses'hooves.

about the personality and state of mind of the t,

or main character. AIso notice what these elemen suggest

about the appearance and actions ofthe anta t, or the force

working against the main character.

A vocABULARY rN coNTExr

The words in Column A help Lucille Fletcher tell a one man's

encounter with a mysterious hitchhiker. Match ch word with

the word or phrase in Column B that is closest in n8.

Column A Column B

l. lark a. guarantee
b. carefree adventure
2. junction c. evil
d. sameness
3. sinister e. place ofjoining
4. assurance
5. monotony

6P Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer

:t **
ffffii
*t
ffiffiil
-48fffifI;i
ucille Fletcher
1t+

J

ffi

ffi

,-ff,iI
Fr" liHA+..T

CAST OF CHARACTERS Girl
Operator
Orson Welles Long-Distance Operator
Ronald Adams Albuquerque Operator
Adams's Mother New York Operator
Voice of Hitchhiker Mrs. Whitney
Mechanic
Henry, a sleepy man
Woman's Voice, Henryt wife

Welles. Good evening, this is Orson \Welles . . . of that dear old phosphorescentl foolishness that
(music in) Personally I've never met anybody
people who don't like ghost stories don't like,
who didn't like a good ghost story, but I know a then again I promise you we haven't got it. \ffhat
lot of people who think there are a lot of people
who don't like a good ghost story. For the benefit we do have is a thriller. If it's half as good as
of these, at least, I go on record at the outset we think it is you can call it a shocker, and we
of this evening's entertainment with the sober present it proudly and without apologies. After
assurance that although blood may be curdled
on this program none will be spilt. There's no o all a story doesn't have to appeal to the hs211-
t0 shooting, knifing, throttling, axing or poisoning it can also appeal to the spine. Sometimes you
here. No clanking chains, no cobwebs, no bony
and/or hairy hands appearing from secret panels want your heart to be warmed-sometimes you
or, better yet, bedroom curtains. If it's any part
want your spine to tingle. The tingling, it's to be
hoped, will be quite audible as you listen tonight
to The Hitchhiker-That's the name of our story,
The Hitchhiker-

l. phosphorescent (fds'fe-rds'ent): glowing with a cold light
92 UNIT I: PLOT AND CONFLICT

,ia

'l$

'': r.*

,$

'f-!*

(sound: autornobile wheels humming oaer concrete Mother.I know. But you'll be careful, wont you.
Promise me you'll be extra careful. Don't fall
road) asleep-or drive fast-or pick up any strangers on

(music: something taeird and shudder) theroad...

:o Adams.I am in an auto camp on Route Sixry- Adams. Of course not!You'd think I was still
six just west of Gallup, New Mexico. If I tell it
perhaps it will help me. It will keep me from 70 seventeen to hear you talk-
going mad. But I must tell this quickly. I am not
mad now. I feel perfectly well, except that I am Mother. And wire me as soon as you get to
running a slight temperature. My name is Ronald Holly.wood, won't you, son?
Adams. I am thirty-six years of age, unmarried,
tall, dark, with a black mustache. I drive a 1940 Adams. Of course I will. Now dont you worry.
Ford V-8, license number 6Y-7989.I was born There isnt anything going to happen. It's just
in Brooklyn. All this I know. I know that I am at eight days of perfectly simple driving on smooth,
decent, civilized roads, with a hotdog or a
<o this moment perfectly sane. That it is not I, who hamburger stand every ten miles . . . Vodr)
has gone mad-but something else-something
utterly beyond my control. But I must speak (sound: auto hum)
quickiy. At any moment the link with life may
break. This may be the last thing I ever tell on (music in)
earth . . . the last night I ever see the stars. . . .
ao Adams.I was in excellent spirits. The drive ahead
(music in) of me, even the loneliness, seemed like a lark. But
I reckoned withou bim.
Adams. Six days ago I left Brooklyn, to drive to
California . . . (Music changes to som€thing weird and empty)

Mother. Goodbye, son. Good luck to you, my

:oboy...

Adams. Goodbye, mother. Here-give me a kiss,
and then I'll go . . .

Mother. I'll come out with you to the car.

Adams. No. Itt raining. Stay here at the door.

Hey-what is this? Tears? I thought you promisedl
me you wouldnt cry.

Mother.I know dear. I'm sorry. But I-do hate to

see you go.

Adams.Illl be back. I'll only be on the coast three

months.

Mother. Oh-it isn't that. Itt just-the trip.

Ronald-I wish you weren't driving.

Adams. Oh-mother. There you go again. Peopl{
do it every day.

94 uNIT 1: PLor AND coNFlrcr

Adams. Crossing Brooklyn Bridge that morning Mechanic. Certainly, sir. Check your oil, sir?
in the rain, I saw a man leaning against the
cables. He seemed to be waiting for a lift. There Adams. No, thanks.
were spots of fresh rain on his shoulders. He was
carrying a cheap overnight bag in one hand. He (sound: gas being put into car . bell rinkle, et
was thin, nondescript, with a cap pulled down
90 over his eyes. He stepped off the walk, and if I cetera)
hadnt swerved, I d have hit him.
Mechanic. Nice night, isnt it?
(s ound: terrifi c s kidding)
Adams. Yes. It-hasnt been raining here recently,
(music in)
has it?
Adams.I would have forgotten him completely,
except that just an hour later, while crossing the rEo Mechanic. Not a drop of rain all week.
Pulaski Skyway over the Jersey flats, I saw him
again. At least, he looked like the same person. Adams. Hm. I suppose that hasn't done your
He was standing now, with one thumb pointing
west. I couldnt figure out how he'd got there, business any harm.
r00 I thought probably one of those fast trucks had
picked him up, beaten me to the Skyway, and le Mechanic. Oh-people drive through here all
kinds of weather. Mostly business, you know.
him off. i didnt stop for him. Then-late that There aren't many pleasure cars out on the
night, I saw him again. turnpike this season of the year.
Adams. I suppose not. (casually) \W4lat about
(ruusic changing)
hitchhikers?
Adams. It was on the new Pennsylvania Tirrn-
pike between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. It's 26 Mechanic (half laughing). Hkchhikers bere?
miles long, with a very high speed limit. I was j
slowing down for one of the ftrnnsl5-v/hgn I rao Adams. \)[hat's the matter? Dont you ever see any?
him-standing under an arc light by the side o
r10 the road. I could see him quite distinctly. The Mechanic. Not much. If we did, itd be a sight for
the cap, even the spots offresh rain spattered
his shoulders. He hailed me this time . . . sore eyes.

Voice (uery spooky andfaint). Hall-ooo . . . ( Adams.lX/hy?
through tunnel) Hall-ooo.. . !
Mechanic.A guyd be a fool who started out to
Adams.I stepped on the gas like a shot. That's hitch rides on this road. Look at it. It's 265 miles
lonely country through the Alleghenies,2 and long, thereb practically no speed limit, and it's a
I had no intention of stopping. Besides, the
coincidence, or whatever it was, gave me the straightaway. Now what car is going to stop to
willies.3 I stopped at the next gas station. pick up a guy under those conditions? \Would

120 (sound: duto tires screeching t0 stop . . . born you stop?

Mechanic. Yes, sir. ro Adams. No. (sloutly taitb puzzled emphasis)Then

Adams. Fill her up. you've never seen anybody?

Mechanic. Nope. Mebbe they get the lift before the
turnpike 51x115-[ mean, you know-just before
the toll house-but then itd be a mighty long ride.
Most cars wouldnt want to pick up a guy for that
long a ride. And you know-this is pretty lonesome
country here-mountains, and woods . . . You aint

seen anybody like that, have you?

Adams. No. (quickly) Oh no, not at all. It was-

reo just a-technical question.

Alleghenies (51'Y-95'n6z): The Allegheny Mountains, a extending from northern Pennsylvania to
western Virginia.

gave me the willies: made me nervous.

THE HITCHHIKER 95

Mechanic.I see. \Well-that'll be just a dollar (sound: cdr starts with squeal of wheels on dirt . . .
forqy-nine-with the tax. . . (fade) into auto hum)

(sound: auto hunt up) (rnusic in)

(music changing) Adams.After I got the car back onto the road
again,I felt like a fool. Yet the thought of picking
Adams. The thing gradually passed from my him up, of having him sit beside me was somehow
mind, as sheer coincidence. I had a good nightt unbearable. Yet, at the same time, I felt, more
sleep in Pittsburgh. I did not think about the
than ever, unspeakably alone.
man all next day-until just outside of Zanesville,
Ohio, I saw him again. (sound: auto hum up)

vo (music: dark, ominous note) zro Adams. Hour after hour went by. The fields, the

Adams.It was a bright sunshiny afternoon. The towns ticked off, one by one. The lights changed.

peaceful Ohio fields, brown with the autumn I knew now that I was going to see him again.

wasitubble, lay dreaming in the golden light. I ]

And though I dreaded the sight, I caught myself

roaddriving slowly, drinking it in, when the I searching the side of the road, waiting for him to
l

,.rdd.ily .rri.d in a deiour. In front of the b"rri.r, aPPeaL

he was standing. /

(sound: auto hum u? . . . car screeches to a hah . . .
i
(music in)
impatient honk two or three times . . . door being

l unbobed)

Adams. Let me explain about his appearance before Sleepy Man's Voice. Yep? \X/hat is it? \[hat do you
/
l
I go on. I repeat. There was nothing sinister about

rao him. He was as drab as a mud f.rr... Nor was his i zzo want?

attitude menacing. He merely stood there, *"iting,/ Adams (breathless). You sell sandwiches and pop

almost drooping a little, the cheap overnight bag here, don't you?
beenin his hand. He looked as though he had
I Voice (cranky). Yep. \7e do. In the daytime. But
we're closed up now for the night.
Hewaiting there for hours. Then he looked up. i
Adams.I know. But-I was wondering if you
hailed me. He started to walk forward. I
could possibly let me have a cup of coffee-black
Yoice(far off).Ll^ll-"oo . . . Hall-ooo. . . i
cofFee.
I
Voice. Not at this time of night, mister. My wife's
theAdams.I had stopped the car, of course, for the cook and she's in bed. Mebbe further down
i 230 the 162d-21 the Honeysuclde Rest . . .

detour. And for a few moments, I couldnt seem ] (sound: door squeaking on hinges as though being

to find the new road. I knew he must be thinkingl
rgo that I had stopped for him.
i

Voice(closer). Hall-ooo. . . Hallll . . . ooo... l

(sound: gears jamming . . . sound of motor turning closed)

ouer hard. . . neruous accelerator) Adams. No-no. Dont shut the door. (shakily)

Yoice(closer). Halll . . . oooo... Listen-just a minute ago, there was a man

Adams @anich). No. Not just now. Sorry . . . standing here-right beside this stand-a
Yoice (closer). Going to California?
suspicious looking man . . .
(sound: stdrter starting . . . gears jamming) Woman's Voice (from distance). Hen-ry? \Who is it,
Hen-ry?
Adams (as though saedting btood). No. Not tod"/
Henry.Itt nobuddy, mother. Just a feller thinks he
.The other way. Going to New York. Sorry . . 240 wants a cup of coffee. Go back into bed.
l

200 sorrv. . .

96 uNrr 1: PLor AND coNFI-rcr

:

1!1

Adams.I don't mean to disturb you. But you see,] occasional log cabin, seemingly deserted, broke
the monotony of the wild wooded landscape.
I was driving along-when I just happened to ]
I had seen him at that roadside stand; I knew I
look-and there he was . . . zzo would see him again-perhaps at the next turn

Henry. \Mhat was he doing? of the road. I knew that when I saw him next, I
would run him down . . .
Adams. Nothing. He ran off--when I stopped
(sound: auto bum up)
the car.
Adams. But I did not see him again until late next
Henry. Then what of it? Thatt nothing to wake
] afternoon . . .

a man in the middle of his sleep about. (sr€rnb)) (sound: of railroad warning signal at crossroad)
',
Adams.I had stopped the car at a sleepy little
Young man, I've got a good mind to turn you over iunction just across the border into Oklahoma-
250 to the sheriff. to let a train pass by-when he appeared, across
280 the tracks, leaning against a telephone pole.
Adams. But-I-
(sound: distant sound of trairu cbuging. . . bell
Henry. Youve been taking a nip, that's what you've ringing suadifi)

been doing. And you haven't got anything better Adams (uery tense).lt was a perfectly airless, dry
day. The red clay of Oklahoma was baking under
to do than to wake decent folk out of their hard]-
the south-western sun. Yet there were spots of
earned sleep. Get going. Go on. ] fresh rain on his shoulders. I couldnt stand that.
\Without thinking, blindly, I started the car across
Adams. But-he looked as though he were going
the tracks.
to rob you. ]
(sound: train cbugging closer)
Henry.l ain't got nothin' in this stand to lose. l
zso Adams. He didn't even look up at me. He was
Now-on your way before I call out Sheriff l staring at the ground. I stepped on the gas hard,
]
veering the wheel sharply toward him. I could
zeo Oakes. (fodtl

(sound: awto hum up) ]

Adams.l got into the car again and drove on l

slowly. I was beginning to hate the car. If I coufd

have found a place to stop . . . to rest a little. B[rt

I was in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri now.

The few resort places there were closed. Only Jn

I THE HITCHHIKER 97

hear the train in the distance now, but I didnt Adams. Hitchhike much?
care. Then something went wrong with the car. It
Girl. Sure. Only itt tough sometimes, in these
stalled right on the tracks.
great open sPaces, to get the breaks.
(sound: Train chugging closer, Aboue this sound of car
Adams.I should think it would be. Though I'll
stalling.) bet ifyou get a good pick-up in a fast car, you can

Adams. The train was coming closer. I could hear get to places faster than-say, another person, in

its bell ringing, and the cry of its whistle. Still another car?

aoo he stood there. And now-I knew that he was Girl.I dont get you.

beckoning-beckoning me to my death. aao Adams.\7ell, take me, for instance. Suppose I'm
driving across the country, say, at a nice steady
(sound: Train chugging close. \Y/histle bloras uildly. clip of about 45 miles an hour. Couldn't a girl
Then train rushes up and by with pistons going et like you, just standing beside the road, waiting for
lifts, beat me to town after town-provided she
cetera.) got picked up every time in a car doing from 65
to 70 miles an hour?
Adams.'Well-I frustrated him that time. The
starter had worked at last. I managed to back up. Girl.I dunno. Maybe she could and maybe she
But when the train passed, he was gone. I was all couldnt. \iMhat difference does it make?

alone in the hot dry afternoon. Adams. Oh-no difference. It's just a-crazy idea

(sound: Tiain retreating. Crickets begin to sing.) aio I had sitting here in the car.

ro (music in) Gkl (laughing). Imagine spending your time in a
swell car thinking of things like that!
Adams.After that, I knew I had to do something.
I didnt know who this man was or what he Adams. Y/hat would you do instead?
wanted of me. I only knew that from now on, I
Girl(admiringl).Whatwould I do? If I was a good-
must not let myself be alone on the road for one
moment. looking fellow like yourself? \7hy-Id just er/oy

(sound: Auto hum up. Slout down. Stop. Door myself-every minute of the time. I'd sit back, and
opening.) relax, and if I saw a good-looking girl along the side
of the road . . . (sharply) Hey! Look out!
Adams. Hello, there. Like a ride? /
Gir!.\7hat do you think? How far you going? naams (breathlessfi. Did you see him too?
iI
:zo Adams.Amarillo . . . I'll take you to Amarillo. aeo Girl. See who?

Girl.Amarillo, Texas. Adams. That man. Standing beside the barbed
wire fence.
Adams.I'll drive you there.
Girl.I didnt see-anybody. There wasnt nothing,
Girl. Geel but a bunch of steers-and the barbed wire fence.

(sound: Door closes-car starts.) \7hat did you think you was doing? tying to run

(music in) into the barbed wire fence?

Girl. Mind if I take off my shoes? My dogsa are Adams.There was a man there, I tell you . . . a
killing me. thin gray man, with an overnight bag in his hand.

Adams. Go right ahead. r And I was trying to-run him down.

Girl. Gee, what a break this is. A swell car, a azo Girl. Run him down? You mean-kill him?
330 gtry, and driving all the way to Amarillo. All I

been getting so far is trucks.

4. dogs: a slangterm forfeet.
98 UNIT 1: PLOT AND CONFLICT

I

I

toAdams. Het a sort of--phantom. I'm trying I aro Girl.You know what I think you need, big boy?
Not a girl friend. Just a good dose of sleep. . . .
get rid of him-or else prove that het real. But I There, I got it now.
I
(sound: door opens . . . slam)
(desperately) you say you didnt see him back ther$?
Adams. No. You can't go.
You're sure? ]
Girl (screams). Leave your hands offa me, do you
Girt.I didnt see a soul. And as far as that's
hear! Leave your-
I
Adams. Come back here, please, come back.
concerned,mister...
(sound: struggle . . . slap . . . fooxteps runni.ng away
Adams. \7atch for him the next time, then. Keep] on grauel . . . lowing of steer)

watching. Keep your eyes peeled on the road. tzo Adams.She ran from me, as though I were a
monster. A few minutes later, I saw a passing truck
He'll rurn up again-maybe any minute now. I pick her up. I knew then that I was utterly alone.
no (excitedly) There. Look there-
I (sound: lowing of steer up)

Girl(sound: Auto sharply ueering and skidding. I Adams.I was in the heart of the great Texas
prairies. There wasn't a car on the road after the
screams.) I truck went by. I tried to figure out what to do,

I how to get hold of myself. If I could find a place
to rest. Or even, if I could sleep right here in the
(sound.: Crash of car going into barbed utire fence.
Frightened lowin{ of steer.) I car for a few hours, along the side of the road . . .
4ao I was getting my winter overcoat out of the back
Girl. How does this door work? I-I'm gettin I
outra here. seat to use as a blanket, (Hall-ooo) when I saw
I him coming toward me, (Hall-ooo), emerging
from the herd of moving steer . . .
Adams. Did you see him that time? I
Voice.Hall-ooo . . . Hall-oooo . . .
I
(sound: duto stdrting uiolently . . . u? to steady hum)
cirl (sharpl). No. I didnt see him that time. Anfl
(music in)
personally, mister, I dont expect never to see hi$r.
Adams.l didnt wait for him to come any closer.
npo All I want to do is to go on living-and I don't fee Perhaps I should have spoken to him then,
I will very long driving fought it out then and there. For now he began
how with you- +ao to be everyvhere. \Thenever I stopped, even for
a moment-for gas, for oil, for a drink of pop, a
I-IAdams.I'm sorry. I cup of coffee, a sandwich-he was there.

dont know what came ofer (music faster)
.me. (frightened) Please-dont go . .
I Adams.l saw him standing outside the auto camp
in Amarillo that night, when I dared to slow
Girl. So if you ll excuse me, mister- down. He was sitting near the drinking fountain
in a little camping spot just inside the border of
I New Mexico.

Adams. You can't go. Listen, how would you likp

to go to California? I'll drive you to California.l

Girl. Seeing pink elephants all the way? No thariks.

Adams (desperauly). I could get you a job there]

You wouldnt have to be a waitress. I have frienfls

there-my name is Ronald Adams-You can

i

check up.

(sound: door opening)

Girl. Uhn-hunh. Thanks just the same.
I

Adams. Listen. Please. For just one minute. M{ybe

you think I am half cracked. But this man. Yorlr

see, I ve been seeing this man all tmhee.*Arynd".if.oyr{lu

the country. Het been following

could only help me-stay with me-until I re[ch

the coast- l

THE HITCHHIKER 99

_r .,ffis.ry,

i!!;iil,l

(mwsic faster) (music strikes sinister note offnality.)

aro Adams. He was waiting for me outside the Navajo +zo Adams.I was beside myself when i finally reached

Reservation, where I stopped to check my tires. Gallup, New Mexico, this morning. There is an

I saw him in Albuquerque6 where I bought 12 auto camp here-cold, almost deserted at this
l time of year. I went inside, and asked if there was
a telephone. I had the feeling that if only I could
gallons of gas . . . I was afraid now, afraid to stop. speak to someone familiar, someone that I loved,
I could pull myself together.
I began to drive faster and faster. I was in lunar l
(sound: nickel put in slot)
landscape now-the great arid mesa country l
of New Mexico. I drove through it with the l Operator. Number, please?

indifference of a fly crawling over the face of the Adams. Long distance.

moon. <so Operator. Thank you.

(music fasrer) (sound: return of nickel; buzz)

<oo Adams. But now he didn't even wait for me to l Long-Distance Opr. This is long distance.
stop. Unless I drove at 85 miles an hour over l
Adams.lU like to put in a call to my home in
those endless roads-he waited for me at every Brooklyn, NewYork. I'm Ronald Adams. The
number is Beechwoo d 2-0828.
other mile. I would see his figure, shadowless,
i [ong-Distance Opr. Thank you. \fhat is your

flitting before me, still in its same attitude, number?

over the cold and lifeless ground, flitting over

dried-up rivers, over broken stones cast up by l

old glacial upheavals, flitting in the pure and

cloudlessair... l

6. Albuquerque (5 'be k0r'ke): a city in central New Mexico.
100 UNIT I: PLOT AND CONFLICT

Adams.3l2. Mrs. Whitney. Yes.

Albuq uerque Opr. Albuquerque. Adams. \fhere's my mother? -Where's Mrs.

aro Long-Distance opr. New York for Gallup. (paute) Adams?
J
New York Opr. New York. Mrs. Whitney. Mrs. Adams is not at home. She is
I still in the hospital.

Long-Distance Opr. Gallup, New Mexico calling I Adams. The hospital!

Beechwood 2-0828. \fade) Mrs.Whitney.Yes. \Who is this calling, please? Is it
couldAdams.I had read somewhere that love I
I 5:o a member of the family?

banish demons. It was the middle of the rno..rirt. Adams.\What's she in the hospital for?

I knew Mother would be home. I pictured her, Mrs. Whitney. She's been prostratedT for five days.
Nervous breakdown. But who is this calling?
I
Adams. Nervous breakdown? But-my mother
tall, white-haired, in her crisp house-dress, going
i was neYer netvous . . .

about her tasks. It would be enough, I thought, Mrs. Whitney. k s all taken place since the death of

I her oldest son, Ronald.

merely to hear the even calmness of her voice . . .l Adams. Death of her oldest son, Ronald ... . ?

too Long-Distance Opr. \X/ill you please deposit three Hey-what is this? tVhat number is this?

I iao Mrs.Whitney.This is Beechwood 2-0828.Itt all
been very sudden. He was killed just six days ago in
dollars and 85 cents for the first three minutes? an automobile accident on the Brooklyn Bridge.

\Vhen you have deposited a dollar and a half, I Long-Distance Opr. (breakingiz). Your three
minutes are up, sir. (sileruce) Your three minutes
wilfl are up, sir. (pause) Your three minutes are up, sir.
you wait until I have collected the money? (fade) Sir, your three minutes are up. Your three
minutes are up, sir.
(sound: clunb of six coins) i
Adams (in a strange uoice). And so, I am sitting
Long-Distance Opr. All right, deposit another I here in this deserted auto camp in Gallup, New
dollar and a half. :to Mexico. I am trying to think. I am trying to get
I hold of myself. Otherwise, I shall go mad . . .
Outside it is night-the vast, soulless night of
(sound: clunh of six coin) I New Mexico. A million stars are in the sky. Ahead

Long-Distance Opr. \Will you please deposit the I of me stretch a thousand miles of empry mesa,
remaining 85 cents. mountains, prairies-desert. Somewhere among
I
them, he is waiting for me. Somewhere I shall
sto (sound: clunh offour coins) I knowwho he is, andwho. . . I . . . am. . .

Long-Distance Opr. Ready with Brooklyn-go l (music up)

I

Adams. Hello.

Mrs. Whitney. Mrs. Adams' residence.

Adams. Hello. Hello-Mother?

Mrs. Whitney (uery flat and rather proper . . . du
too, in afizzy sort of way). This is Mrs. Adams'
residence. \)7ho is it you wished to speak to, p

Adams.\Mhy-whot this?

520 Mrs. Whitney. This is Mrs. \fhitney.
Adams. Mrs. -Whitney? I dont know any Mrs.
'Whitney. Is this Beechwood 2-0828?

7. prostrated: in a stateof mental collapse.

THE HITCHHIKER 101

After Reading

Comprehension I COr\il,lOX COne

I. Recall What is Ronald Adams's original destinati RL 3 Analyze how particular lines
ofdialogue or incidents in a story
2. Clarify Why does the repeated sight of the hitchhi give Adams propel the action, reveal aspects of
a character, or provoke a declsion.
"the willies"? RL 5 Compare and contrastthe
structure oftwo or more texts.
3. Clarify What does Adams learn about his mother the end ofthe play?

Text Analysis Adams have with

4. Make tnferences What kind of relationship did
his mother? Cite evidence to support your answer.

O 5. fxamine Foreshadowing Now that you've read play, is there anything
r foreshadowing chart?
you'd like to change or add to the first column of
Make the adjustments and complete the second Which use of
foreshadowing most increased your sense of
nse?
! O. Analyze the Radio Play Reread lines r7r-2o8.
do the stage directions
and dialogue tell you about the hitchhiker's ance and actions? What
do these elements tell you about Adams'feelings
details in your answer. actions? Cite specific

7. Draw Conclusions Who do you think the hitch is? Give proof from
the play to support your conclusion.

8. Compare Across Texts What are some similariti and
differences between the characters, settings, a structu res
of "The Tell-Tale Heart" and The Hitchhiker? Pre
answers in a Venn diagram. your

Extension and Challenge a scene

9. Creative Project: Drama With a small group, c spenseful.
from The Hitchhikerthat you think is especially
Practice performing the scene, remembering to ude sound effects and to
follow stage directions. Then perform for the cl Afterward, explain why

your group chose the scene you did.

Is seeing BELIEVING? eyes, or trusted that the

lf you were,Adam, would you have believed
hitchhikeryou kept seeing was real? Explain.

102 uNIT r: PLor AND coNFlrcr

Language i COtrrurfON COnf

+ GRAiT,IMAR lN CONTEXT: Maintain Pronoun Agreernent tL Demonstrate command of

An antecedent is the noun or pronoun to which a n refers. For example, standard English grammar when

in the following sentence, the pronoun their refers the antecedentthey: writing. Wl Writeargumentsto

They took their seats at the cafd. Be sure to use si lar pronouns with singular support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence.

antecedents and plural pronouns with plural Pair antecedents

ending in one,thing, or bodywith singular pronou s, such as he, her, she, or his.

ln the revised sentence, notice how the pronouns yellow) and the antecedent

(in green) agree in number.

Original: Adams would ask just about a whether they had seen

the hitchhiker.

Revised: Adams would ask just about a whether he or she had
seen the hitchhiker.

PRACTICE Correct the pronoun antecedent error i each sentence.

l. Adams first saw someone holding their bag the bridge.

2. Everyone thought Adams was crazy because could never see the

hitchhiker.

3. Adams's scary story would make anybody fea for their life.

4. Nobody could have suspected that they got a de from a dead man!

For more help with pronoun-antecedent t, see page R5z in the
Grammar Handbook.

READING-WRITIN6 {ONNECTION

YOUR Show your understandingof The by responding to this
prompt. Then use the revising tip to i prove your writing.
@

IURI{

Short Constructed Response: Evaluation Review your paragraph. Go to thinkcentral.com.
The play opens with Adams telling the listeners, "l KEYWORD: HMLS-]03
not mad." On the basis of what you learn in the Does each pronoun
of the play, do you agree with his assessment?
one-paragraph evaluation of Adams's sanity. S agree with its
a antecedent? lf not,

revise your writing.

THE HITCHHIKER 103

Hoot I COMMONCORE

Novel by Carl Hiaasen R[ 1O Read and comprehend
I iterature.
l

Meet Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen (hl'e-sen) is a Florida native. He is an award-
winning reporter and longtime columnist for the Miami Herald,
as well as being the author of numerous mystery novels for
adults. Hoot is his first young adult novel.

Much of Hiaasen's ryriting reflects his love of the outdoors.
The heroes in his novel$ are often protectors of the environment.
The villains represent cprporate greed and abuse of nature.
A reviewer once notedlthat Hiaasen "displays no mercy for
anyone perceived as bding responsible for defiling his home
environ ment."

Other Book by Try a Mystery Nqvel

Carl Hiaasen What makes a book a lmystery novel? First,you need a crime
or unexplained event.lThere will be various clues left behind
. Flush and possible motives for what happened. Suspense will build

as further clues are reyealed. Characters in the story willtry

to solve the mystery, put you, as the reader, might figure it
out before they do. You can never be too sure of the answer,
though-there might be a plot twist that changes everything.

Reading Fluency refers to how easily and wellyou read. Fluent
readers read smoothly, accurately,and with feeling. To improve

your reading fluenq it helps to practice reading aloud. When

,,,

reading aloud, be sure to group words into meaningful phrases

that sound like natu;al speech.

,: ,:tr :lrtl' .:, '::.lj :'
:i i :it, r ;il i,I-: ll,.t,,i j-

Read a Great Book

Roy Eberhardt didn't know what he was in for when his
family moved from Bozeman, Mon{ana, to Coconut Cove,
Florida. He's getting bullied on the'bus, but he's used to that.
ln fact, since his family moves around a lot, he's encountered
enough bullies to consider himselfl"an expert on the
breed." lt's the stuffthat he isn't u]sed to that makes his
new home seem strange. For starters, he spies a barefoot
boy sprinting alongside the school bus at a speed that
would put track stars in state-of-tfre-art running shoes
to shame. Then there's the big, thleatening girl who
knows too much about him and won't tell him how

Roy needs to find some answers tf his questions, but

it won't be easy.

from

l

'Are there any other schools ,].o,r.rd here?" Roy asked Garrett.
"'Why? You sick of this one al]ready?" Garrett cackled and plunged
a spoon into a lump of clammy [pple crisp.
"No way. The reason I asked, I saw this weird kid today at one of the
bus stops. Except he didn't g.t .i.t the bus, and he's not here at school,"
Roy said, "so I figured he must lrot go to Trace."
"I don't know an)/lne who doesn't go to Trace," Garrett said. "There's
a Catholic school up in Fort Myers, but that's a long ways off. tWas he
wearing a uniform, this kid? B(cause the nuns make everybody wear
ro uniforms."
"No, he definitely wasn't in a uniform."
"You're sure he was in middlp school? Maybe he goes to Graham,"
Garrett suggested. Graham wai the public high school nearest to
Coconut Cove.

Roy said, "He didn't look big enotrgh for high school'" f^unny noise
"M"yb. he was a midget'" G"arretp grinned and made a

with one of his cheeks. ,ffiryw*,
"I don't think so," said RoY'

"You said he was weird'"
"He wasn't wearing anY shoes"' h.oy said, "and he was running

:^k;eUcr"ayzby.." somebody was after himl' Did he look scared?"

"Not really."

kid' Betcha five bucks'"

sqnse'.C1asses Giih'*
i" *Garrett .todd.d. "High school Tiql

n.y, ,fr"t still diin't make
-i^r,"' earlier tfan the

off the streets loJg before
started fifty-fi,e

*::t:1Tt:::;:lill::school kids were
the middle school buses

finished their routes.

"So he *as rkipfin' class' Kids s[<ip all the time"' Garrett said'

30 "Y-ou want Your dessert?" "You ever skip school?"
Roy prrrh.d his tray across
the tpble'

"U'h, y."h," Garrett said sarcastfcally' "Buncha times'"

"You ever skiP alone?"

Garrett thorght io' a moment'l"No' It'' always me and my friends'"
"See. That's ri'h"t t mean'"
"So maybe the kid's just a psycho' \7ho cares?"

"Or an outlaw," said RoY'

G"Naorr,enttolto.o"kre.,dty,,k;-tilfotiyt'is'ai'dA,nthqguutlgahw?thYeroeuhmadeabneelinkesoJmesesethJinagmews?il"d

+o in that kid's eYes. ouht r*-th"t's rich, Eberhardt' You got
Garrett laughed
again,.'An

*a s-Ieyri.oruisrl,yl whacked imagination'" *" thinking about a plan' He was
said Roy,
b,,tllt"dy ilt

determined to find the running hoy'

c\,

r,. he nexr morning, Roy traded sears on the school bus to be closer ro
I ;. f;;;"r.Vrr.; the bus rurned onto the streer rvhere he had

,..r, ,h" running Uoy, noy slippbd his backpack over his shoulders and

l'd;i:!'il,'

,{ scouted out the window, waiting. even rows back, Dana Matherson
was tormenting a sixth grader na Louis. Louis was from Haiti and
rH Dana was merciless.
intersection, Roy poked his head
ffi As the bus came to a stop at t down the street. Nobody was
out the window and checked up
''#l running. Seven kids boarded the s, but the strange shoeless boy
was not among them.
&ry,#l I
I r was the same story rhe nexr d ; and the day after that. By Friday,
tF E Roy had prerry *r.h given up. was sitting ten rows from

'q the door, reading an X-Man comi , as the bus turned the familiar
corner and began to slow down. moYement at the corner of his eve
& made Roy glance up from his co ic book-and there he was on the
sidewalk, running againl Same ba tball jersey, same grimy shorts,
$
g same black-soled feet.
,ll
As the brakes of the school bus eezed, Roy grabbed his backpack
fl off the floor and stood up. At tha instant, two big sweaty hands

w;fl closed around his neck. ing to break free. t:.
"\(/here ya goin', cowgirl?" :;
w "Lemme go," Roy rasped, squi
ra

The grip on his throat tighte He felt Dana's ashtray breath on
his right ear: "How come you don' got your boots on today? -Who ever

heard of a cowgirl wearing Air Jo NS?,,
"They're Reeboks," Roy squea

The bus had stopped, and the st nts were starting to board.

Roy was furious. He had to get to door fast, before the driver closed
it and the bus began to roll.

But Dana wouldn't let go, digg ng his fingers into Roy's windpipe.

Roy was having trouble getting ai ', and struggling only made it

worse.

"Look at you," Dana chortled behind, "red as a tomato!"

Roy knew the rules against fig ng on the bus, but he couldn't think

of anything else to do. He clen his right fist and brought it up

so blindly over his shoulder, as hard as he could. The punch landed

on something moist and rubberY.
There was a gargled cry; then Danals hands fell away from Roy's

neck. Panting, Roy bolted for the door of the bus just as the last
student, a tall girl with curly blond hair and red-framed eyeglasses,
came up the steps. Roy clumsily edged Past her and jumped to
the ground.

"\7here do you think you're going?" the girl demanded.
"Hey, waitl" the bus driver shouted, L,ut Roy was already a blur.
The running boy was way ahead of him, but Roy figured he could
e0 stay close enough to keep him in sight.lHe knew the kid couldn't go

at full speed forever.
He followed him for several blocks over fences, through shrubbery,

weaving through yapping dogs and lawn sprinklers and hot tubs'
Eventually Roy felt himself tiring. This kid is amazing, he thought.

Maybe he's practicing for the track tearn.

Once Roy thought he saw the boy glance over his shoulder, as if he
knew he was being pursued, but Roy couldn't be certain' The boy was
still far ahead of him, and Roy was gulping like a beached trout. His
shirt was soaked and perspiration poured off his forehead, stinging

roo his eyes.
The last house in the subdivision was still under construction, but

the shoeless boy dashed heedlessly through the lumber and loose nails.
Three men hanging drywall stopped to holler at him, but the boy never

broke stride. One of the same workers made a one-armed lunge at Roy

but missed.

Suddenly there was grass under hlis feet again-the greenest,
softest grass that Roy had ev€r Seeo, He realized that he was on a
golf course, and that the blond kid was tearing down the middle of

a long, lush fairway.

110 On one side was a row of tall Australian pines, and on the other side

was a milky man-made lake. Roy courld see four brightly dressed figures

ahead, gesturing at the barefoot boy as he ran by.

Roy gritted his teeth and kept going. His legs felt like wet cement,
and his lungs were on fire. A hundred yards ahead, the boy cut sharply

to the right and disappeared into the pine trees. Roy doggedly aimed

himself for the woods.

An angry shout echoed, and Rioy noticed that the people in

the fairway were waving their artr-ns at him, too. He kept right on

rzo running. Moments later there wJs " distant glint of sunlight on
meral, follo*"d by Roy didn't actually see the golf
a muted thruack.

ball until it came down six feet in front of him. He had no time to

duck or dive out of the way. All he could do was turn his head and

brace for the blow.
The bounce caught him squarely above the left ear, and at first it

didn,t even hurt. Then Roy felt himself swaying and spinning as a
brilliant gout of fireworks erupted inside his skull. He felt himself
falling fo-r *hat seemed like a long time, falling as softly as a drop of

rain on velvet.

\when the golfers ran up and saw Roy facedown in the sand trap,
r:o they thought h. was dead. Roy heard their frantic cries but he didn't

moye. The sugar-*hite sand felt cool against his burning cheeks, and

he was very sleePY. cN

'hasgffitirom reading myste to being right in,t!1P:.rir;'

middle of one. But the barefoot is j ust one O&tte''ilysieii$ M

in Roy's new hometown, where re ile wrangters are listed in,' : , ,*
the phone book because You just ight find an alligatorin

toilet. While RoY is trYing to fin{ ut who,the strange boy !s*}he

Coconut Cove Public SafetY DePa has another mystery on

its hands. Someone is sabotagin the construction of a Pancake

house, and no one knows whY' readi ng to see hoYY. the'

unfolds.

from The Sisterhodd of the Traveling Pants

Film Clip on MediaSsmprt oro-no,

i COMMONCORE w€;mmfrmre fo*ffiftrcff

RL 7 Analyze a filmed production, Quite often, a popular book is ,Jd" into a major motion picture.
evaluating the choices made by Fans of the book form long lines lt theaters, eager to experience
the director.
big-screen portrayals of grippin$ moments they know so well. What
movie versions of books have you enjoyed? What made those movies
worthwhile? Prepare to watch a]clip from a movie that's based on a
well-loved novel. You'll explore yVhat filmmakers do to draw you into
the plot of a movie.

Backgrou nd

A Perfect Fit The novel The listerhood of the Traveling Pants is
about four lifelong best friends who are about to spend their first
summer apart. Before their]vacations begin, these girls make an
amazingdiscovery. A pair of leans purchased in a thrift shop fits
each one of them perfectly.l To stay connected that summer, they
agree to mailthe jeans to each other. This book's popularity led

to sequels to the novel as (ell as a movie. The scene you'll watch

occurs fairly early in the mlvie and focuses on Carmen, who is
about to visit her dad.

Media Literacy: PIot in Movies

The exposition stage of a story is the part that int uces the characters,
setting, and conflict. Movies unfold in a similar , introducing the characters
and their struggles. For a movie director, the first
to show characters'relationships and predica in developing a plot are
, and to make viewers like
you care about these characters. Filmmakers posi on the characters and the
camera in certain ways to help you to follow and
t to what's happening.

#

Directors position characters to portray relationships. Notice how close or how far apart
To show how characters relate to each other in a characters stand to one another. Their
scene, directors use blocking, the arrangement of positions may offer clues about their
the characters within a film frame. relationships or their emotions.

Directors position the camera to reveal how what's To watch for what might be revealed in
happening affects the characters. close-up or medium shots, ask yourself:
A close-up shot is a detailed view of a character
or an object. Close-ups can reveal a character's . What reactions or thoughts can I infer
personality and often hint at a character's emotions
or thoughts. Medium shots show a character from a character's facial expressions?
from the waist up. This type of shot can capture
movements that reveal a character's behavior. . What does a character's body language

Directors try to stir viewers'emotions. tell me about how he or she feels about
Directors not only want you to understand what's what's happening?
happening in a story but to get you emotionally
involved. They want you to follow the plot As you watch a conflict unfold in a scene,
complications closely and to make you wonder
about the outcome. ask yourself:

. How am I reacting to what's happening?
. What does the director do to make me

care about what will haPPen?

. What is the mood of the music? ls it

upbeat? Sad? How is it affecting me?

MEDIA STUDY 111

Media$smart DvD-RoM

FilmrThe Sisterhood of the
Traveling Pants
a Director: Ken Kwapis
a Genre: Drama
a Running Time: 2.5 minutes

3. Analyze Charhcter How do the filmmakers show Carmen's excitement
at spending the summer with her father?

4. Analyze Atoc[ing This image of the three characters is an example of

how a direct{r can position characters in a film frame to signal character
relationship!. Through blocking, what is the director communicating to
viewers abor]t Carmen's relationship to the others?
5. Analyze Tecdniques One song plays throughout the scene. What
effect do you think the song is intended to have on you?

6. Evaluate Telhniques The scene focuses on two characters having

a conversati]on that leads to a tense moment. How well do the
filmmakers lset the stage for a conflict that will develop as the movie
progresses?i Base your opinion on these elements:

. the details about the characters that are delivered through dialogue
. the shots the filmmakers use to make the characters'emotions visible
. yourowf emotional reactionsto what happens in the scene

Write or Discuss i COMMONCORE

Analyze Film You've viewed a clip from The Sis of the Traveli ng Pa nts to RL 7 Analyze a filmed Production,
evaluating the choices made bY
look at how directors portray characters and confl Now put yourself in the the director.

shoes of the movie's director. How might the be different if it focused less

on Carmen and more on her dad and his news? ite a short description of this

new version. Think about

. which character would have more close-ups

. how viewers might sympathize more with him
. how the music might differ

Produce Your Own Media

Create a Storyboard A storyboard is a device fil akers use to plan the Go to thlnkrentral,(om.
sual map and is made uP of
shooting of a movie. A storyboard can serve as a portant scene from a novel KEYWORD: HMLS-113
a few images and brief descriptions' Choose an i unit. With a partner, make a
you've recently read or a ny of the stories from th Tech Tip
Use a word processing
storyboard that portrays a conflict. program to type the

HERE'i HOW Usethese as tips for creating your s descriptions or dialogue
for the storyboard.
Make your storyboard simple rather than be Draw or sketch the
images, making sure they're easy to understa
Within the six separate frames, include close-u or medium shots that
reveal a character's reactions or emotions.
Show shots that reveal a conflict. Show how at st one character reacts.
Underneath each frame, write out a specific on or a line of dialogue.

STUDENT NAODET

MEDrA sruDY 113

My First Free Sulmmer

Memoir by Julia Alvarez

Wfuryre frm ffi% fuftremm ffim

AVE?

i COMMONCORE Even under the best of circumsiances, leaving someone or something
behind can be difficult. ramilial people and places often provide us
Rl 1 Cite the textual evidence that with a sense of safety and secul'ity. ln the memoir you are about to
supports an analysis ofwhat the read, Julia Alvarez faces the paifr of leaving her homeland, even as she
text says explicitly. Rl 3 Analyze realizes the dangers of staying.]
how a text makes connections
among individuals, ideas, and i
events.
QUICKWRTTE Reflect on times Jrn.n yo, have had to leave a special
person or place. Choose one e>iperience and write a journal entry that
explores your feelings about leaving. Were you looking forward to

moving on? What were you wprried aboutT

i:::='r.{:ilgl

o TEXT ANAIYSIS: MEMOIR Julia Alvarez

A memoir is a form of autobiographical writing i which born r95o
a writer describes important events in his or her
Where ls Home?
Most memoirs Julia Alvarez emigrated from the Dominican
Republic to the United States when she
. use the first-person point of view was ten. Her father had taken part in an
. are true accounts ofactual events underground plot against dictator Rafael
. describe conflicts faced by the writer
. include the writer's feelings about events or i Trujillo (rd-fd'yel' trdo-he'yo), so the familyl

As you read, look for places where Julia Alvarez res safetywas in jeopardy. Although Alvarez
her feelings about the historic events taking and her family escaped, she found it difficult
Dominican Republic. in the being cut offfrom her homeland and
adjusting to a new country. Books offered
I neaolruc sKtLt: RECocNtzE cAUsE AND EF ECT Alvarez a world where she did not feel
alone. Through writing, she could begin to
Events are often related by cause and effect, whi(h means that connect her two cultures. She likes to quote
another poet in saying,"Language is the only
one event brings about the other. The first eventlis the cause, homeland."

and what follows is the effect. Sometimes, one A Poet First

have many effects. Asking questions about causq and effect Poetry first drew Alvarez to writing. After
receiving degrees in literature and writing,
relationships can helpyou understand importa ng she spent 13 years teaching poetry at several
universities. Homecoming, a book of her
points, because you'll be aware of the conseq of events poems, was published in t984. Since then,
Alvarez has gone on to write in a variety of
and actions. genres, including fiction for both children
and adults.
As you read, chart the effects that the political]struggle in
BACKGROUND TO THE MEMOIR
Alvarez's homeland had on her life.
A Brutal Dictator
A vocaeuLARY rN coNTExr The people of the Dominican Republic
suffered under the brutal dictatorship of
Alvarez uses the vocabulary words to help descri a traumatic Rafael Trujillo and his supporters for 3t years
(from r93o-196r). Under his rule, masses
childhood experience. See how manyyou know. Make a chart of people were slaughtered for "crimes" as
minor as not hanging his portrait in their
like the one shown. Put each word in the a column. homes. Many brave Dominicans, including
Alvarez's father, tried to overthrow this
government. Those caught faced terrible
consequences.

woRD contradiction replete unravel
Llsl interrogation summon

KnowWell Thinkl Kaow

r.ffi} complete the activities in your Reader/Writer

Jul Alva rez

I' never had summer I had summer school' First grade' mer school. rg$i3r",
f ', i..."J ftht;hJ;g, r;""d-tt,"ItrvoswcehdooIl'wTohuirlddggraedteinstuemremsteerdscihnc
r.fr..i i" fourthgradesummer- Look at the girl's
of thJ United States' Mesopotamia; I would tions, the expression, Posture, and
or.ria.n,, clothing, as well as the
"'il;;;the problem' English' Mv mother had deci rn my English. window she leans near'
c.tir"rh."*"iJl.fd.tr*r.er"aan".rrtairo..,dts,ho,aeonb,A,ltomb'deoetdtlrgiyibcrea"or"nuadntsindt"hgp"po"uloo"slit.'vsForenowyr edtmhicciotorattuhytoledryrselehkaanirpsre'n,lwttFhhtreheoat to send her What do these details
uage of the nation suggest about her
situation?
minican RePublic
mv father, who was E cAusE AND EFFECT
loi arndricanosz had What effect does Mr'
Alvarez's Political
ttl*-,, involvement have on
pr."rY,oiru.ah,aovent.otplebarrniigyoduer mEnogclitslthl.!"t:Mrtlta*i kept s^c-^otlAdii. Julia's life? lnclude this
"n,r, *fryi" I'd ask' I didn't know about -'" f"thrtt-: dvities. I didn't know in Your chart.

,O,hno..rlJi".iir..,1r",i,.oo"rt,',swscashsaoinbotalsddw'aAye'rletlhIoefktdneaenywothnweahsdoiltcihdtaaattyomrtboyehcfroaienmnoedr stth.we were attending
ictator's birthdaY,
dictator's oldest son was born' and so on' They marc dictator, the daY the
in parades and visited

;#i;:*iutit"h'eil"p"a"la*cle,ifaend, had their picture in the P1Ptt, w---i,t-h, t ir funny witch hats,
I had to l""tt about the pilgrims Dick and Jane3 and
about the 50 states and where they were on the map' a
-,o ih.i, tame little pets, Puff and Spot' alout freedom ar liberty and justice for
fbr*eginig,a,giimrn"pb'r"isotto,"nretohdeckibnsl-a"inchk-vboootuacrrl-adms' soAruonotdhmalaYlnl gio'uflatgh icture of a man wearing
iall-while learning I had to do rn

tfffy *fg of English!@
"

dictatorship (dYk-ta'ter-ship'): a government under an absolute ruler Detail of The Stillness of an Afternoon (2003)'
Bo B"*1.*. Oil on panel, l8lz" x 2\"' Courtesy
2. los amdricanos (los e-m6r'Y-kd'noslr Spanish: the Americans'
;;;, and P.P.O.V/ GallerY' NewYork'
3. Dick and Jane: characters in a children's readingtextbook'

116 uNIT 1: PLoT AND coNFLICT

uTffi,,.fi

i.,',,,:iilr:i'i;t:i,ll. lll.;lirlltl*

j

-11: :li;)r:l:tl - ..:'i.irri n

,,,,ilitii",l

," t)t;)
:t' '

,:l riill,'l.
,-, i,u:t+!: )t::.

:l ! ' ,):r

, !:'rrl

.,:iiii:i t.
.,::qt:i

ii i '!4 .,
..1

Somehow, I managed to scrape by. Every June, when m/ prospects looked ro soclAl STUDlEs
iffy, Mami and I met with the principal. I squirmed in m/ seat while they
X CONNECTION
arranged for my special summer lessons.
Dictator Trujillo
"S[r. is going to *ork extra hard. Aren't you, young ladt'?" the principal established the 5lM
(Military Intelligence
would quiz me at the end of our session. Service), a secret police
force that spied on fellow
My mother's eye on me, I'd murmur, "Yeah." Dominicans and engaged
in torture and murder at
"Yes, what?" Mami coached. Trujillo's request.
"Yes." I sighed. "Sir."
*"t I o MEMOTR
It's a wonder that I just wasn't thrown out, which I secretly What does freedom
#hrt mean to Alvarez at this
point in her life?
hoped for. But there were extenuating circumstan..s,o thf grounds on which replete ti-pl6t') adj.
abundantly supplied
the American school stood had been donated by my gran$father. In fact, it unravel (Un-rbv'el)
v. to undo; come apart
had been my grandmother who had encouraged Carol lr4org"tt to start her
o CAUSE AND EFFECT
school. The bulk of the student body was made up of thg sons and daughters What's causing Alvarez
to have a boring
of American diplomats and business people, but a few Ddminican5-ms516f summer?

them friend, oi -.-b"rs of my famiiy-were allowed tol ,tt.rrd.

"You should be grateful!" Mami scolded on the way hpme from our
40 meeting. "Not every girl is lucky enough to go to the Ca[ol Morgan Schooll"

In fifth grade, I straightened out. "Yes, ma'am!" I learrled to say brightly.

"Yes, sirl" To wave my hand in sword-wielding swoops s{ I could get called on
with the right answer. \What had changed me? Gratitudel? A realization of my

luckiness? l{o, sir!The thought of fu.-. summer? Y.r, rr,l"'"-! I wanted to run
with the pack of cousins and friend"s in the common lard that connected all our
properties. To play on the trampoline and go off rc la plyya5 and get brown as a

berry. I wanted to be free. Maybe American principles h{d finally sunk in! 6

The summer of 1960 began in bliss: I did not harre td go to summer school!

Attitude much improued. Her Englisb progrcssing nicely. ,lttentiue and cooperatiue

in classroom, I grinned as Mami read off the note that a,bcompanied my report

card of Bs. l

But the yard replete with cousins and friends that I ir"d dre"med about all
year was deserted. Family members were leaving for thf United States, using

whatever connections they could drum up. The plot h1d unraveled. Every day

there were massive arrests. The United States had closld its embassy and was

advising Americans to return home.

My own parents were terrified. Every night black VQlkswagens blocked

our driveway and stayed there until morning. "secret $olice," my older sister

whispered.
I
"fth, are they secret if they're the police?" I asked.l

"Shut up!" my sister hissed. "Do you want to get ud all killed?"

Day after day, I kicked a deflated beach ball aroun{ the empty yard, feeling

as if I'd been tricked into good behavior by whomevet' God put in charge of

the lives of 10-year-olds. I was bored. Even summer sdhoolwould have been

better than this!@

4. extenuating circumstances (Yk-stdn'yo--a'tYng s0r'kem-stEn'res), i situation or condition that

provides an excuse for an action.

5. la playa (ld ple'yd) Sponish:lhebeach.

It8 uNrr 1: PLor AND coNFLICT

One day toward the end of the summer, my -oJh.. summoned my sisters and summon (sIm'en)
me. She wore that too-bright smile she ,orn..i-., $rrr.a on frer terrified face. y. to send for; call

"Good news, girls! Our papers and tickets ca{ne! \7e're leaving for the contradiction
(k6n'tre-dYk'shen) n.
United States!" a denial; an expression
that is opposite to
70 Our mouths dropped. \fle hadn't been told we,were going on a trip
o cAUsE AND EFFECT
anywhere, no less to some place so far away. Why is Alvarez's family
I was the first to speak up. "But why?" ] leaving for the United
i States on such short
notice? Mark this in
My mother flashed me the same look she used] to give me when I'd ask why your chart.
interrogation
I had to learn English. ] (Yn-tEr'e-95'shen) n.
an official or formal
I was about to iell her that I didnt wanr to go ],o ,h. United Srares, where q uestion ing

summer school had been invented and everyone ipoke English. But my morher o MEMOTR
Reread lines 89-94.
lifted a hand for silence. "\7e're leaving in a few frorr.. I want you all ro go ger What changes have
ready! I'll be in to pack soon." The desperate loo|< in her eyes did not allow occurred in Alvarez's
thinking about the
for contradiction. \7e raced off, wondering ho\^i ro fit the contenrs of our Dominican Republic
and the United States?
so Dominican lives into four small suitcar.r. 6 I

Our flight was scheduled for that afternoorr, brft the airplane did not appear.

The terminal filled with soldiers, wielding machi4re guns, checking papers,

escorting passengers into a small interrogation r{om. Not everyone returned.

"It's a trap," I heard my mother whisper to m/ father.

This had happened before, a cat-and-mouse g!.me6 the dictator liked to

play. Pretend that he was letting someone go, an[ then at the last minute, their

family and friends conveniently gathered togethfr-wham! The secrer police

would haul the whole clan away.

Of course, I didn't know that this was what SI p"r..,,r were dreading.

But as the hours ticked away, and afternoon turfied into evening and evening

into night and night into midnight with no plarire in sight, a light came on in

my head. If the light could be translated into w$rds, instead, they would say:

Freedom and liberty and justice for all . . . I kn(w that ours was not a trip, but

an escape. \7e had to get to the United States. Q
The rest of that night is a blur. It is one, thenltwo the next morning. A plane

lands, lights flashing. Yr. are walking on the r,r].r*ry, climbing up the staiis

into the cabin. An American lady wearing a cafl welcomes us. Ve sit down,

ready to depart. But suddenly, soldiers .orn. orrJboard. They go seat by seat,

looking at our faces. Finally, they leave, the do{r closes, and with a powerful

roar, we lift off and I fall asleep
i

Next morning, we are standing inside a large,lechoing hall as a stern American

official reviews our documents. \7hat if he doebn't let us in? Y/hat if we have

to go back? I am holding my breath. My prr.rrfs' terror has become mine.

He checks our faces against the passport picfures. tVhen he is done, he asks,

"You girls ready for school?" I swear he is looki]ng at me.

"Yes, sir!" I speak up.
i

The man laughs. He stamps our papers andlhands them to my father. Then,

wonderfully, a smile spreads across his face. "$elcome to the United States,"

csrhe says, waving us in.

I

6. cat-and-mouse game: cruel, playful game to torment anotfier.

I

MY FrRST FREE suMM.En 119

Comprehension i COMMONCORE

1. Recall Why was Alvarez allowed to attend the America school? Rl 1 Citethe textual evidence that
supports an analysis ofwhat the
2. Clarify What happened at the airport as the Alvarez fa ly waited for text says explicitly. Rl 3 Analyze
the plane? how a text makes connections
among individuals, ideas, and

events.

Text Analysis means?
! 3. lnterpret Memoir What do you think the title of the
from the
Consider the possible meanings of the word "free." Cite
selection to support your interpretation.

4. Analyze Personality Traits Choose
three words or phrases to describe
Alvarez as a child. lnclude them in a
web like the one shown. Expand the
web by providing specific examples
from the memoir that support each
description.

5. Analyze Perspective Although the
events depicted in the memoir take
place when Alvarez was a child, she writes about the penence manyyears
later. Find at least two examples from the selection th show her adult
perspective, or view on the topic. What does she k as an adult that she
didn't know at the time?

!)6. Generalize About Cause and Effect Review the chart created as you read.

On the basis of the information you collected, make a neral statement
about how political events affected Alvarez's personal life.

Extension and Challenge following topics to
Trujillo's rule.
C?. socrAt sruntEs cot{NEcnoN Research one of
X tina out more about the Dominican Republic du

Presentyourfindings in a poster.

. The r4th of June Movement
. "The Butterflies"
. Trujillo's assassination

When is it time tc IrE.trVE? ving her homeland

By the end of the memoir, Alvarez's feelings about
have changed. Why does she now feel differently?

12O uNrr l: PLor AND coNFLICT

Vocabulary in Context itute for each boldfaced :T:11Ii_'::r

A VOCABUTARY PRACTICE intelogation

Choose the word from the list that is the best s .
word or phrase.
*p!:" l
1. Julia had hoped hersummerwould befilled free time and fun. summon i
2. Her plans for a carefree summer were soon come apart.
3. When Julia's mother spoke, there was no for disagreement. unravel t'
4. Officials started to callthe passengers for q
5. The questioning took place in a small room. ng. ,

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN WRITING i coMr oNcoRE

. affect . conclude . evident . imply L4b Use Latin roots as cluestothe
meaning of a word.
Write a paragraph explaining the challenges th led the Alvarez family to
conclude that they had to leave the Domincan blic. Use at least one
Acacademic Vocabulary word in your response.

VOCABULARY STRATEGY: THE TATIN ROOT ict

The vocabulary word contradiction contains the root dict (also

spelled dic),which means "say" or "speak." Your nderstanding of this predict

root can help you to figure out the meaning of er words formed

from dict.

PRACTICE Look up each word that appears in t web. Then decide
ady to explain how
which word best completes each sentence. Be
the meaning of the root is reflected in each

1. The jury stated its findings by announcing t is to him.

2. To say that someone has done something

3. The ruler with absolute power will _ the ws of the land. Go to thinkcentral.com.
4. Were you able to _, or tell in advance, w at would happen?
KEYWORD: HML8-121
5. Her precise way of speaking showed that had wonderful

MY FIRST FREE SUMMER 121

Before Reading Video link at
thinkcentral.com
The Great Rat H nt

Memoir by Laurence Yep

When is GK tso be

sc RED?

; corutoxconr A spider. A roller coaster. A hurr ne. We're all scared of something.

Rl 3 Analyze how a text makes Even so, it can be hard to admit being afraid. lf your friends think it's
connections among individuals,
ideas,and events. Rl 5 Analyze fun to jump offthe high dive, yo might not want them to know that
the structure of a text.
heights frighten you. ln the you are about to read, Laurence

Yep tells about a time he tried overcome his fear in order to impress

his father.

SURVEY What scares you and ,, Fears What ScansYou?
your classmates? Find out by t Nuaber af People
conducting an informal survey.
Z.Thunder il i
your own, jot down three or f of ?.The dark
il) il
your fears. Then meet with a s all 4 i
group, combine your lists, and lly
the results. Which fears are I
common? Which surprised you

Create a list of the suggestions
think are most effective.

o TEXT ANATYSIS: CONFTICT IN NONFICTION relates an Laurence Yep
, he uses
ln the memoir you're about to read, Laurence Ye his award- born t948
event from his childhood. To tell this real-life s s around
some of the same literary elements that appear s you read A Man of Accomplishment
winning fiction. For example, the narrative cent Laurence Yep has said that he
conflicts, or struggles between opposing forces. La u rence approaches American culture as
"The Creat Rat Hunt," identify the conflicts the "somewhat of a stranger." Born in San
Francisco, California, Yep was always
Yep faces. surrounded by people of various
backgrounds, none quite like his own.
a READING SKItt: IDENTIFY CHRONOTOGICA ORDER He was raised in an African-American
community and commuted to a
Memoirs are often organized in chronological r, which bilingual school in Chinatown. There, his
classmates teased him for not knowing
means that events are presented in the order in they Chinese. Yep began submitting his
work to magazines when a high school
happened. To make sure you know when each nt occurs, English teacher made publishing a story
a requirement for getting an A in the
follow these steps: class. He became a published author
at 18 and went on to publish dozens
. ldentify individual events taking place. h as before, of stories, as well as earning a college
. Look for words and phrases that signal order, hour and degree and a PhD. Many of the main
conflicts in his works involve feeling like
after, first, next, then, while, the next day, or
an outsider.
a half later.
A Father's Pride
As you read, keep track of the chronology in a Use
parallel boxes when two actions occur at the sa Yep's writing has gained him numerous
time. awards, including more than ten for
his book Dragonwings-a book that,
Father sets out traps. like many of his more recent works,
explores Ch i nese mythology.
A vocABUIARY tN coNTExr from his Yep's success as a writer
a different greatly pleased his father,
The boldfaced words help Laurence Yep relate a who displayed his son's
childhood. To see how many you know, substit writing medals and
word or phrase for each one. plaques "in lieu of athletic

I. barricade the doorway accomplishments."

2. rationalize a bad habit
3. wince in pain
4. perpetual motion
5. an improvised comedy skit
5. known for his quiet reserve
7. vigilant watchdog
8. the ravage caused by the flood
9. embarrassed by my inePtitude
10. spoken to me brusquely

the activities in your Reader/Writer

@.Complete

fInEe at l
ffiat
Hl
HTGE
l-"or.nce Y.p

t nrd asthma' when I was young, so I never got to play sports much wirh $q$Ii:,",

wifi *myy tfathnerr.. Ww hnille my bDrrootthner anqd frathner pPrraaccttricceeod,, rI cPpuld only srit iln What can you infer
bed, propped up by a stack of pillows. As I read -y.o-[. books, I heard about the relationship
between the man and
them beneath our apartment window. In the summer, it]was the thump of the boy in this painting?
my brother's fastball into my father's mitt. In the fall, it ivas the smack of a
football. In the winter, it was the airy bounce of a baskefball. o CONFLICT
How does Yep's asthma
Though my father had come from China when he w{s eight, he had taken affect his relationship
with his father and
quickly rc American games. \When he and Mother *.r.lIomg, they had had brother?

the same dances and sports leagues as their white school]mates-but kept
10 separate in Chinatown. (He had met Mother when she fripped him during a

Y.)co-ed basketball game at the Chinatown
L
Father was big as a teenager and good at sports. In faft, a social club

in Chinatown had hired him to play football against rofid .l,rb. in other

-.r.Chinatowns. There he was, a boy playing against gro*d

During a game in \Tatsonville, a part-time butcher hfd broken Fathert
nose. It never properly healed, leaving a big bump at th$ bridge. There were
other injuries too from baseball, basketball, and tennis. ]Each bump and scar
on his body had its own story, and each story was matcfied by a trophy or

medal.

Though he now ran a grocery store in San Francisco] he tried to pass on his

athletic skills to my older brother Eddy and me. Durinf the times I felt well, i

tried to keep up with them, but my lungs always failed i-". O

,l- breathinB difficultf

124 UNIT I: PLOT AND CONFLICT lllustrations by Jan Peng lWang.