Bashevis Singer Day 1 Notes on Style A literary essay is a short piece of nonfiction that tells a story about a real person or even Authors of literary essays interweave personal examples and ideas with factual information to achieve ID: 561641
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Slide1
The Washwoman, by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Day 1Slide2
Notes on Style
A literary essay
is a short piece of nonfiction that tells a story about a real person or even. Authors of literary essays interweave personal examples and ideas with factual information to achieve
specific purposes
. For, example, an author may wish to
explain, present an opinion or perspective, or describe a situation or an event
. By incorporating personal and factual information, authors are able to build complete, multi dimensional pictures in their reader’s minds.
A
prediction
is an informed idea about what might happen later in a literary essay. Predictions are based on details in the text and your own experience. When you
verify predictions, you read on
to see if the prediction is correct. Making and verifying predictions is one way to
monitor your comprehension
as you read. Make sure you always ask yourself questions!Slide3
Notes on Author
Storytelling always had an important place in Isaac Bashevis
Singer’s life. He grew up in the city of
Warshaw
in what now is Poland. Singer’s father was a rabbi, a teacher of the Jewish faith and law. Advice-seekers streamed through the family home, telling their stories as the fascinated young Singer listened and observed.
“Life itself is a story” Fleeing persecution against the Jews, Singer left Poland fro New York City in 1935. In New York, Singer began to make a name for himself as a writer. He set many of his takes in the world of European Jewry he had left. Ironically, as he wrote, World War II devastated that world. Villages like the one of his birth were wiped off the face of the earth even as Singer brought them to life on the page.Slide4
Vocabulary Definitions
Word List A
Bloomers [BLOOM
erz
]
n.
old-fashioned women’s underwearClotheslines [KLOHZ lynz] n. lines or ropes for air-drying laundry
Conceive [Kuhn SEEV]
v.
to form an idea of something in the mind
Contributed [Kuhn TRIB yoo tid] v. gave; donatedDevoted [di VOH tid] adj. loving; loyalEndure [en DOOR] v. to put up with; to tolerateImpression [im PRESH uhn] n. idea or opinion of someone or somethingUttered [UHT erd] v. spoke or made a soundRancor [RAN ker] n. bitter hate
Word List B
Accumulated [uh KYOOM
yuh
lay
tid
]
v.
collected or gathered over time
Brittle [BRIT
uhl
]
adj.
fragile; easily broken
Collapsed [
kuh
LAPST]
v.
fell down; weakened suddenly
Gaunt [GAWNT]
adj.
very thin, pale, and sickly
Gnarled [NARLD]
adj.
twisted and misshapen
Institution [in
stuh
TOO
shuhn
]
n.
established practice or custom
Shard [ SHARHD]
n.
broken piece
Straggled [STRAG
uhld
]
v.
hung in an untidy way
Atonement [uh TOHN
ment
]
n.
act of making up for a wrongdoing
Obstinacy [AWB
sti
nah see]
n.
stubbornessSlide5
Vocabulary Exercise A – fill in each blank in the paragraph below with the appropriate word from word list a – the words may not repeat!
Last year my family took a trip to Italy. One of the things that made the biggest [1] __________ on me was seeing people’s laundry hanging on [2] __________ outside their windows, even in big cities. Maybe this sounds silly, but I just cannot [3] __________ of having your [4] ___________ (as my grandmother calls them) on display for everyone to see. I know I could not [5] __________ it. When we needed to wash some of our travel clothes, I [6] __________ some of my vacation money to pay for using a dryer. My mother never [7] __________ a word at the time. However, when we got home, she announced that since I was so interested in laundry, she now expected me to be her [8] __________ her with the wash!Slide6
Vocabulary Exercise B– Write whether each statement below is true
or false. Then, explain your answer.
1. A
brittle
candy is soft and chewy.
2. A person who had
collapsed should get medical attention immediately.
3. When a family moves, they may sell things they have
accumulated
but no longer want.
4. A gaunt appearance is a sign of good health.5. Changing people’s minds about an institution like free public education is easy to do.6. If you find a shard of glass, it is wise to watch out for more because something has been broken.7. A gnarled tree was most likely planted recently.8. A room where the curtains straggled over the windows would probably be very neat.Slide7
Read “The Washwoman” – p. 26-32Slide8
Enrichment: Learning from our Elders
Isaac Bashevis
Singer describes how the washwoman went about her extremely difficult job with honestly and great dedication. Singer learned valuable life lessons from the older people in his community, People who have love long lives often have interesting stories, ideas, and advice that can benefit younger people who take the time to listen to what they have to say.
Think about what you have learned from older people in your life. Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
Who are some interesting older adults (grandparents, neighbors, or community members) in your life?
Briefly, what are some of the most interesting experiences these people have shared with you?
What is one valuable lesson you have learned from an older person, either through observation or conversation?
How do you think older people are generally treated in your community. Give an example and explain.Slide9
Venn Diagram – fill in the Venn diagram to show the characteristics for each woman in “The Washwoman”
Washwoman
Mother
BothSlide10
Short Responses
(a) In this, literary essay, what difficulties does the washwoman face? (b) How does she respond to those challenges?
How does Isaac
Bashevis
Singer describe the washwoman in his essay “The Washwoman”? Why is the description important to the narrative?
In the middle of “The Washwoman,” the author’s mother says that the washwoman’s son is disloyal to his own mother and an insult to all mothers. Is the son disloyal to his mother> Use examples to explain your opinion.
In “The Washwoman,” the washwoman lives her life and does her work without rancor. Use the meaning of the word rancor to explain this statement.
At the end of “The Washwoman,’ the author muses that the washwoman’s soul “passed into those spheres where all holy spirits meet, regardless of the roles they played on this earth.” Do you think the author’s mother would agree with him? Support your response with an example from the essay.Slide11
Essay – 26 lines
Identify one truth by which the washwoman seems to live. Then consider whether this truth appears to change for her from the beginning of the essay to the end and how this truth affects her life. Support your ideas with examples from “The Washwoman.”Slide12
Today’s Grade Checklist – copy this onto a sheet of paper and staple everything together!
I.
Author/Style notes ___/10pts.
Vocabulary Definitions ___/10pts.
Vocabulary Exercise A ___/10pts.
Vocabulary Exercise B ___10pts.
Oral Reading ___/10pts.Enrichment: Learning from Our Elders ___/10pts
Venn Diagram ___/10pts.
Short Responses ___/10pts.
Essay ___/20pts.
Total: 100 pts.II.“The Washwoman” online test ___/100pts.Total: 100 pts.