TAG 7th Lang. Arts Fall Exam Review
Mrs. Powers, TAG Language Arts 2014 (3rd, 4th, 8th Periods)
Fall Exam
The writing portion of the exam will be on Friday, December 5th, in your Language Arts class period. If you are absent for the writing portion of the exam, you will need to stay after school on Tuesday, December 9th, to complete this part of the exam.
Texts to consider for the exam
Theme
A theme is a central message revealed through a literary work.
Ø It is a lesson that the selection teaches or a major point that the selection as a whole is about.
Ø It is a generalization about people or about life that is communicated through the literary work.
Ø This story shows me that…
The Theme can be Directly Stated or Implied
· When a theme is directly stated, the reader is told what the theme of the selection is.
· When a theme of a work is implied, readers think about what the work seems to say about nature of people or about life.
Important things to note about Theme
· There is usually no single correct statement of a work’s theme, though there can be incorrect ones.
· A long work, like a novel, full-length play or screen play may have several themes.
· Not all literary works have themes - a work meant only to entertain may have no theme.
Yes, you may use your novels on the exam.
You can do this!
Symbolism and Motifs
When an object takes on significance beyond the object’s function or worth, the object becomes symbolic.
A symbol is an object, character, or action that suggests meanings, associations, and emotions beyond what is typical of its nature or function.
When writing about symbolism, you have two tasks:
1. to show how the writer gives the object symbolic significance and
2. explain its symbolic association and hence its contribution to the work’s meaning.
Symbolism in The Giver
· The newchild, Gabriel- symbol of hope and starting over
· The sled- The first memory Jonas receives from the Giver, symbolizes the journey Jonas takes during his training and the discoveries he makes. It is red, a color that symbolizes the new, vital world of feelings and ideas that Jonas discovers. Before he transmits the memory, the Giver compares the difficulty he has in carrying the memories to the way a sled slows down as snow accumulates on its runners. The novelty and delight of the downhill ride are exhilarating, and Jonas enjoys the ride in the same way that he enjoys accumulating new memories. But the sled can be treacherous, too: the first memory of extreme pain that he experiences involves the sled. Pleasure and pain are inevitably related on the sled, just as they are in the memories. When, at the end of the novel, Jonas finds a real sled, it symbolizes his entry into a world where color, sensation, and emotion exist in reality, not just in memory.
· The river- Runs into the community and out of it to Elsewhere, symbolizes escape from the confines of the community. When little Caleb drowns in the river, it is one of the few events that the community cannot predict or control, and Jonas and the Giver are inspired to try to change the community by the idea of the river’s unpredictable behavior.
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Motifs in The Giver
*Vision runs through The Giver. From the first mention of Jonas’s unusual pale eyes to the final image of the lights twinkling in the village in Elsewhere. For most of the novel, vision represents all perception, both sensory and emotional. Jonas’s eyes, which appear to be “deeper” than other people’s, are actually able to see more deeply into objects than other people’s eyes: Jonas is one of the few people in the community who can see color.
*Release Throughout The Giver, the word means different things to different people. At the beginning of the novel, most of the characters truly believe that people who are released are physically sent to Elsewhere, the world beyond the limits of the community. Release is frightening or sad because no one would want to leave the community, not because it involves violence or death. Later, when Jonas discovers the real meaning of release, the word becomes ominous. At the end of the novel, however, when Jonas escapes despite the fact that he is forbidden to request release, he changes the meaning of the word once again, restoring its original meaning—an escape from the physical and psychological hold of the community.
Literary Terms and concepts: be able to define and discuss for each text listed above- Click on links below and All NOTES ARE ON MOODLE
- CHARACTERIZATION/CHARACTER ANALYSIS: direct vs. indirect
- Setting: time, place, social & political factors
- PLOT STRUCTURE- Freytag's pyramid
- Theme: be able to identify and provide examples-notes above and also linked here
- MOOD: identify in a passage
- CONFLICT: Internal and external
- Elements:
*foreshadowing
*metaphor
*simile
*personification
Steps of the Meaty Paragraph
(1) Controlling idea
(2) Elaboration of controlling idea
(3) Introduction to first support
(4) First support
(5) Explanation of first support
(6) Introduction to second support
(7) Second support
(8) Explanation of second support
(9) Clincher statement
The Hero's Journey
The Steps of The Hero's Journey
Know these steps and how Jonas and Mr. Incredible follow this journey.
ORDINARY WORLD
1. Ordinary World- This step refers to the hero's normal life at the start of the story, before the adventure begins.
2. The Call to Adventure-The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure.
3. Refusal of the Call- The hero is reluctant at first. The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
4. Meeting with the Mentor- The hero encounters someone who can give him advice and ready him for the journey ahead.
SPECIAL WORLD
5. Crossing the First Threshold-The hero leaves his ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold into adventure. This is the moment at which the story takes off and the adventure gets going. The balloon goes up, the romance begins, the spaceship blasts off, the wagon train gets rolling. The hero is now committed to his/her journey and there’s no turning back.
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies- The hero learns the rules of his new world. During this time, he endures tests of strength of will, meets friends, and comes face to face with foes.
7. Approach- Setbacks occur, sometimes causing the hero to try a new approach or adopt new ideas.
8. Ordeal- The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, such as a life or death crisis.
9. The Reward- After surviving death, the hero earns his reward or accomplishes his goal.
10. The Road Back -The hero begins his journey back to his ordinary life.
ORDINARY WORLD-return
11. Resurrection Hero - The hero faces a final test where everything is at stake and he must use everything he has learned.
12. Return with Elixir - The hero brings his knowledge or the "elixir" back to the ordinary world, where he applies it to help all who remain there.
GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS (Click on topics to access NOTES.)
- Correct way to cite in-text citations
- Know the following parts of speech: nouns, PRONOUNS (PERSONAL & INDEFINITE), VERBS(action, linking, helping), ADJECTIVES, and ADVERBS.
- Subject/verb agreement
- Know COMMA RULES and be able to identify corrections needed in a sentence
REMEMBER TO REVIEW ALL NOTES, HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, AND QUIZZES.
Vocabulary Terms
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If you need some inspiration- Watch below! What will your verse be?
Success
-Vince Lombardi