Inherit the Wind

Characters:

1. Bertrand Cates - main character, science teacher, 24 years old, defendant
2. M. H. Brady - prosecutor, christian fundamentalist, politian, "hero"
3. H. Drummond - defense attorney, opposite of Brady, free thinker, city guy
4. E. K. Hornbeck - journalist, cynical, dislikes Brady, city guy
5. Rev. J. Brown - Pastor/preacher preaches "fire and brimstone"
6. Rachel Brown - daughter, lover of Cates, conflict
7. Judge - impartial, favortism towards Brady, open to free thought
8. Townspeople - reserved, conservative, fundamentalist, evolution-good values

Questions

1. How does Howard and Melinda’s interaction at the beginning of the play foreshadow the major issues of the play?

2. What does Meeker, the bailiff’s, willingness to let Cates out of jail to meet with Rachel tell us both about his offence and the town?

Cates is not threat and the whole atmosphere is easygoing.

3. What kind of town does Hillsboro seem to be in its preparations for Brady’s arrival?

Hillsboro is a very religious and conservative town.

4. What does Brady’s relationship with his wife tell us about his character?

Brady seems very insecure.

5. What does Brady’s conversation with Rachel, and subsequent behaviour afterwards tell us about his character?

He seemed manipulative and sly.

6. How is Drummond characterized by the townspeople? Later when we meet him do they seem to be correct?

They say Drummond is a heathen and unethical. At first sight it seems, but later we are proven wrong.

7. What role does Hornbeck play in the action of the play? What is the significance of the way he speaks?

Hornbeck is a troublemaker, cynical, a non-believer who supports Drummond, self-centered, close-minded, condescending.

8. Do the elements of the trial seem fair to you? Why or why not?

The Judge also names him Colonel; however, the Judge disregards all his witnesses.

9. What do you think Rachel’s motivations for asking Cates to drop the trial and admit his guilt stem from?

Rachel wanted Cates to have good or at least not a bad reputation in the town. She knew he wouldn't win, so she asked him to drop the trial and admit his guilt.

10. What does Brady’s intervention in Reverend Brown’s sermon say about him? Does this contradict what you thought about him as a character?

11. What is the central issue that Drummond is arguing for in the courtroom?

Drummond tries to convince the jury that what Darwin wrote is true.

12. Do you think it is fair that none of Drummond’s expert witnesses are allowed to act as witnesses?

No, because they would have had good, credible arguments.

Mid-Term Writing Test

Part A:

2. Why does Louise Mallard suddenly stop crying? Indicate the place in the text.

Louise Mallard suddenly stops crying when she realizes that without her husband, she will be free. She first feels sad because of his death; however, she feels releived afterwards. This quote indicates when she suddenly changes her mind, and stops to cry, "She said it over and over under her breath : 'free, free, free!' The vacant stare and the look that had followed went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright."

3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text using just the first few words, then a series of dots...?

Louise Mallard feels eager and confident about her future life as a widow. For her, the death of her husband is a good event after all. The paragraph that starts with, "There would be no one to live for during those coming years..." indicates perfectly how she feels about her future.

4. How does Louise's sister and her friend, Richards, feel about the Mallard's marriage?

They think that Louise is deeply in love with her husband, and that he is everything to her. What they don't know is that she feels stuck with him, and the love she has for him is more like an obligation. When Louise is in her room, living a "monstruous joy," Josephine, her sister, thinks she is making herself ill from sorrow.

7. Explain how Louise can feel joy and sadness at the same time.

Louise's marriage must have been against her will, since she doesn't seem to enjoy her life with her husband. Louise feels like a slave, and when her husband finally dies, she feels free. The fact that she passed all those previous years with her husband makes his death painful at first sight; however, she realizes how free she is without her husband, and that creates a great joy in her. Actually, what she feels is the Stockholm syndrome. She is like the hostage, and her husband, the hostage-taker; therefore, she feels loyal to him because of that syndrome.

Part B:

Kate Chopin, in "The Story of an Hour," uses irony several times to make a bigger effect on the readers. First, Josephine and Richards think that Louise is feeling sad in her room, and making herself ill because of that sadness; however, Louise is actually living a great joy, the joy of a prisonner who is released after several years in jail. They are scared that the news of Brently's death would give her such a great shock that it would kill her. It is ironic that what they think she is feeling is actually the complete opposite of what she is really feeling. They are trying to comfort her, because they think she is suffering terribly, but she is living the best part of her life.

Second, it is ironic that Louise feels joy and sadness at the same time. It can be explained by the fact that she probably loved her husband a little, even though he was a symbol of oppression for her; moreover, she lived the Stockholm syndrome, which is a sign of sympathy from a hostage to his hostage-taker. Also, Louise seems like a very fragile person, and she probably felt more secure with her husband, he was a symbol of stability and protection. When she obtains her freedom, she is deeply happy, but freedom comes with responsabilities, and I am not sure she could have dealed with them.

Third, the most ironic part of the story is when the husband, Brently Mallard, comes home at the end. All the dreams, all the projects, all the joy that Louise had imagined suddenly vanish. The shock is so great that Louise's fragile heart could not bear it. That part makes the whole story what it is worth. The joy that Louise felt was of an extreme intensity, but of a very short length. It is ironic that when she is finally free, she realizes that she isn't. The disappointment is so great, that I don't think she could have lived anyway. It is as if she had to die. After having lived that moment of freedom, she could not live without it. Also, it is very ironic that Louise doesn't die when she learns that her husband is dead, like Josephine and Richards thought, but when she learns that he is actually alive! The shock that was the most painful killed her. We could have thought that the most painful shock was the news of her husband's death, but actually, it was the fact that he lives.

(438 words)

Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingway

- Was born in 1927.
- American journalist.
- Bad relationship with women. (married five times)
- Very famous author, won nobel literature pulitzer prize
- Committed suicide.

- First wife travelled from Paris to Spain
- Story shows lack of communication in relationships
- Took experiences from his life
- Inspired by a conversation he had with his first wife (when she was pregnant for the seconde time)

Plan

Thesis Statement: Hemingway uses two literary elements: setting and symbolism to explore the issue of "abortion".

P1: Topic Sentence - main idea: Setting (Spain, rail station) to describe Jig and the American concerning a major
- Supporting evidence: "Two lines of rails in the sun"
- Supporting evidence: Openness and loneliness and heat
- Landscape (background)

P2: Topic Sentence - main idea: The hills "look like white elephants"
- Supporting evidence: unique and uncommon
- Supporting evidence: "shadow of a cloud" = aborted fetus

Using Quotes

1. With a complete idea:
Ex: Hemmingway often uses dialogue to emphasize a character trait: "The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads."

2 With an incomplete idea:
Ex: In Hemmingway's story, Jig said, "They look like white elephants."

3. Inside a sentence:
Ex: The girl in Hemmingway's story remarked, "Everything tastes of liquorice," revealing her habitude toward life.

4. With an incomplete quote:
Ex: Hemmingway's story takes place "between two lines of rails in the sun."

5. With an ellipsis:
Ex: "The girl looked at the beads..."

6. Within a quote:
Ex: Hemmingway wrote, "'They're lovely hills,' she said, 'they don't really look like white elephants.'"

Combining Sentences

1. She went to bed early, but it took hours for her to sleep.
She went to bed early; however, it took hours for her to sleep.

2. She wants to lose weight, so she has gone on a strict diet.
She wants to lose weight; therefore, she has gone to a strict diet.

3. The night air was very still, and a light rain had also begun to fall.
The night air was very still; moreover, a light rain had also begun to fall.

4. Her friend did her best to learn to cook, but nothing she prepared came out right.
Her friend did her best to learn to cook; however, nothing she prepared came out right.

5. Our team learned that to train would be very late, so we decided to take the plane.
Our team learned that the train would be very late; therefore, we decided to take the plane.

6. The girl can sing very well, and she is also a talented actress.
The girl can sing very well; moreover, she is a talented actress.

7. Their basement was damaged by the flood, but they can't afford to fix it now.
Their basement was damaged by the flood; however, they can't afford to fix it now.

8. My boss wants to live like a millionaire, so he bought an expensive mansion in an exclusive area.
My boss wants to live like a millionaire; therefore, he bought an expensive mansion in an exclusive area.

9. Their army lost the last few battles, but they kept on fighting.
Their army lost the last few battles; however, they kept on fighting.

10. Capital punishment is often applied unfairly, and a mistake is sometimes also made.
Capital punishment is often applied unfairly; moreover, a mistake is sometimes made.

11. The boy has been absent from class many times, so the principal called him to his office for an explanation.
The boy has been absent from class many times; therefore, the principal called him to his office for an explanation.

LEL 2: Grammar Skills 3: Practice with Subjects, Verbs & Pronouns

1. Interest level:
I found the course interesting, even though there were some things I already knew. It gave me some tips to write better.

2. Difficulty:
The course wasn't difficult. I learned a few things, and they were easy to assimilate. I learned new things in the second, third and fifth lessons.

3. What I learned:
In the first lesson, I didn't learn anything, but it was good to review what I already knew. In the second lesson, I knew the difference between passive and active verbs, but I learned that it is preferable to use the active than the passive form except when the object is more important than the subject, when the subject is unknown and when the passive voice results in shorter sentences without detracting from the meaning. I also learned to use verbs that create an image and action verbs instead of state-of-being verbs to make a text more interesting. In the third lesson, I learned to put "one" after a pronoun like "each", "either", etc. to see if the pronoun is singular. In the fifth lesson, I finally assimilated the difference between lie and lay, and when to use "which".

4. My score:
There was no score.

5. Course rating:
I found again the course very clear and well explained; it is a very good way to learn new things and to write better. I would give the mark 8/10.

LEL 1: Grammar Skills 4 : Adjectives, Adverbs, & Confusing Words

1. Interest level:
I found the subject pretty interesting, since a lot of people make mistakes with adjectives, adverbs, and especially confusing words. As I was doing the course, I recognized many common mistakes that people do.

2. Difficulty:
I didn't find the course difficult. I was pretty good with confusing words, because I have a good visual memory. I must say though, that the first lesson was harder for me, because I knew less well the difference between adjectives and adverbs.

3. What I learned:
I didn't learn anything in the two last lessons, but I learned a great deal in the first one. In English, adjectives are found with the questions: which one?, what kind? and how many?. As for adverbs, the questions used to find them are: where?, when?, how? and to what extent?. I also learned that modifiers that describe nouns or pronouns must be placed as closely as possible to the words they describe.

4. My score:
I didn't get my score.

5. Course rating:
I would rate this course 9/10, because I found that everything was clear, and very well explained.