Assignment Day 8 1. Reread "Gentle man of Rio en Medio" (attached).

Blizzard Bag Assignments for Scholars Language Arts 8
Assignment Day 8
1. Reread
"Gentle man of Rio en Medio" (attached).
2. Choose a character and complete a character diagram providing examples of appearance,
actions, words, thoughts and feelings, and character relationship.
Appearance
Actions
Character Relationship
,,
Character
\
Thoughts and Feelings
Words
Then: *s Themes such as "True friends are friends
be found in the literature of many t¡mes and cultures.
explore human experiences common to
rccûrÍing themes
settings and circumstances. As you read this story, look for
in which it shares a theme with other stories in this collection.
negotiation (nih goh shee
¡.r
,4
negotiotion is underwoy fot the property.
innumerable (ih N00 muhr uh buhl) odj.:
great many; t00 many to be counted. Don
Anselno
you read this story, think about the points you
make to defend one of the part¡es involved in the conflict.
AY shuhn)
process of reaching an agreement.
As
has in numerable fømily menbers.
boundaries
(BOWN duh reez)n.: places
whele one thing ends and ¿nother
begins. lhe property boundaries sfietch
for miles.
descendants (dih
Predictions One way to discover a story's theme is by
predíctions about (l)the meaning of the story's
title, (2)
resolution of the main confl ict, (3) and the main character,s
lesson from the experience. Base your predictions
on story details
Use this organizer as you make predict¡ons
Gentleman of Río en Medioí
Story\
tiile
duhnts)n,"lf ,ft.
Don Anselmotreasures his relatives ond
descendonts.
Don Anselmo vnlues
and your prior knowledge of other stories'events
and themes.
lnto Action
SEHN
genentions who come fiom one peron.
I
about
be
The
nanator values boundories.
Conll¡et'¡ reîolulion
Charoclertl
lerron
Language Goach
Vt/r
(ontext dues
iting Focus
ln the sentence "lt took
months of negotiation to come to dn
understanding with the old mani which
iter
word or words best help you gues the
ers use repet¡t¡on to emphaorks. As You read, note ¡n your
writer explores the idea of þood
defi nition of neg
otiationl
Learn ltonline
-H¿.
'7
q
Iake an in-depth look at voobulary using Word
l,vatrhat:
go.hrw.com
ff:EF-
1@
Preparing to Read 297
Build Background
The mountains outside New Mexicot
A. A. Sedillo
|uan
(1e02-1e82)
capital, Santa
Fe, are
the setting for
"6entleman of Río en Medio."The land
that
is now New Mexico was first inhab_
ited by American lndians. Spain claims¡
A
long Histoty
.luan Sed¡llo's family originally came from Spain' ln 1769,the
king of Spain gave his ancestor, Antonio Sedillo, a land grant
in what would become New Mexico. ln their new home the
Sedillos were active in the law and in public service'
'l
the land in the 600s and 1 700s. ln
.|821,
New Mexico becamea partofthe
Republic of Mexico, During the MexicanAmerican War it was taken by the United
States and governed as a territory, New
Mexico became the forty-seventh
(arying
on the Tradition
Juan A. A. Sedillo was born in New Mexico in 1902' He carried
on his family's traditions by becoming an attorney' During and
after World War ll, Sedillo used his talents in the armed forces'
serving as defense counsel in a famous Nazi war crimes trial'
the Hadamar case. Sedillo was a distinguished lawyer and
judge, serving as law clerk of the New Mexico Supreme Court
and as attorney general of New Mexico.
[tlaking His Own Malk
ln addiiion to his legal work, Sedillo wrote a weekly article on
Mexico for New Mexico newspapers."Gentleman of Río en
Medio," a short story based on an incident that took place in his
law office, is his best-known work.
't
ì
I
j
U,5, Courthouse in
tl
¿i
t'lr":i
É.,'t
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
U,S,
state in'1912.
Preview the Seler;tion
ln this story the narrator represents
a
couple in a land deal with an old man,
Don Anselmo, who has his own ideas
about money and property.
Read
,î#ii.î
Ïï;#fft
this storvt0 nnd out how people with
byJuan A. A. Sedillo
t took months of negotiation to come
to an understanding with the old man,
He was in no hurry. What he had
the rnost of was time. He lived up in Río
en Medio, where his people had been for
hundreds of years, He tilled the same land
ithey had tilled. His house was small and
'wretched, but quaint. The little creek ran
through his land, His orchard was gnarled
and beautiful.
Ïhe day of the sale he came into the
gloves. They were old and
torn and his
fingertips showed through them. He carried a cane, but it was only the skeleton of
a worn-out umbrella. Behind him walked
one of his innumerable kin-a darkyoung
man with eyes like a gazelle.
The old man bowed to all of us in the
room. Then he removed his hat and gloves,
slowly and carefully. Chaplin3 once did
that in a picture, in a bank-he was the
janitor. Then he handed his things to the
bo¡ who stood obediently behind the old
man's
chair.
6
There was a great deal of conversation
about rain and about his family. He was
very proud of his large family. Finally
we got down to business. Yes, he would
sell, as he had agreed, for twelve hundred
3. Chaptinr Charlie Chaplin,
a
comic star of silent
movies.
sheeAYshuhn)n,:
O
Read and Discuss What can we say about the story so far?
gfeat many; too many
Gentleman of Río en Medio 299
We would bu¡
and the
dollars, in cash.
money was ready. "Don4 Anselmol' I said
to him in Spanish, "we have made a
with the boy
took his stick and walked out
behind him.
A month later mY friends had moved
replastered
into Río en Medio' They had
the trees,
the old adobe house, Pruned
in for the
patched the fence, and moved
back
to the
summer. One day they came
of the
office to complain' The children
village were overrunning their ProPetY.
They came every day and PlaYed under tþs
around therl,
trees, built little play fences
theywere
spoken
and tookblossoms. When
back
talked
and
to, they only laughed
good-naturedlY in Spanish.
I sent a messenger up to the mountains
for Don Anselmo. It took a week to arrange
another meeting. When he arrivedhe
perforrepeated his Previous prelirninary
mance. He wore the s ame faded cutaway,s
carried the same stick and was accomPa-
I argued with hinr but it was useless'
Finaþhe signe d the deed and took the
more than
money but refus ed to take
Then he shook
the amoun t agreed upon.
ragged gloves,
hands all around, Put on his
4. Don:
a Spanish
"Sir"'
title of respect' like ùe English
What
about?
300 Unit 1 'Collection 3
discovery is
the lawyer talkinq
front cttl
of the lower
5. cutawaY: long coat with part
away, used for formal occasions'
RecwtinEThemes
his values?
Anselmo! decision indicate about
What does
::.
children of the village overrun the orchard
and spend most of their time there' We
wouid like to know if You, as the most
not stop
respected man in the village, coulcl
them from doing so
in order that these
people may enjoy
"The
their new home more
and all the children
sobrinos and nietos,
child has been
since I took Possessi
úme
a
my mother I have
planted a tree for that
child, The trees in that
orchard âr€ not nrl¡s,
trees in
señor, they belong to
in peacel'
O
the children of the
orchard
!þat
Don Anselmo
village. Every person
',
:|Ì¿,,:
!l i
-,..f":1.
stood up. "We have all
in Río en Medio borrr
not min e., seitor,
learned to love these
since the railroad
to
they.b-råi.ong
Americansi'he said,
came to Santa Fe owns
"because theY are
a tree in that orchard,
of
children
the
good
and
peoPle
good
I did not sell the trees
neighbors. I sold them
because I could not.
the villagel'
I
my proPertY because
They are not minel'
good
knew theY were
There was
tred
not
1996'
did
I
Collection'
but
people,
Adeline J' Fleischaker
we could do. Legally
Purchase, Richard H. and
0f Oklahoma' Norman'
,rrìtli"'uf tt.tt ttArt,The Un¡veßity
sell them the trees in
we owned the trees
the orchardl'
but the old man had
"Don
This was bad.
whnt
been so generous' refusing
one signs a deed
"when
pleaded,
Anrelmoi'I
most of the
to a fortune for him' It took
sells also everyone
ptopttty
,.J
sells
and
indiv
lowing winter to buY the trees,
and those trees'
thing that grows on the land'
Anselmo ln
from the descendants of Don
inside
and
land
the
on
are
.*rî orr. ãf th.-,
the valleY of Río en Medio'
the úoundaries of whatYou soldl'
"Yes,I admit thatj'he said' "You knowl'
6, sobrínos (soh BREE nohs) a;ndnletos
nieces" and
in the vilSpanish for "nePhews and
he aclded, "I am the oldest man
drenl'
Almost everyone there is my relative
are i'
lage.
Making Predictions What
is
the con-
make about how the "good PeoPle"
flict? What Predictlons can You
might resolve the conflict?
o@Recutting
ffiiffilt tb.tt Drn
tt"
does the
Themes
How do you think
How
Anselmo atthe end of the story?
theme?
nanator! opinion help you identify the story's
302 Urrii I ,iol!r¡c:rirrrr
-ì
#ocaþuIa¡''rr
reez)n':
boundaries (B0WN duh
another beglns'
where one thing ends and
n': allthe generations
úih SEHN duhnts)
ilil;il
from one Person.
ñfì Rl.t.S,S ldentify ¿nd explain rniversalthemes
author and by
!þ arros differenr wórks by tire same
difle¡ent¿ulhon. R4.1..8.4 (ompareandrontrast
different points ofview, and explain how voice ¿ffects l¡tet¿ry
lex|
/,lso cove red RP,8,
1
; W4,8,4,
b
Río en Medio
tletnat't of
Respond and Think (ritically
7. Make Judgments
li
How does Don Anselmo's
lr
sense of duty and honor conflict with the
Çheck
r.
offer Don Anselmo
whY does the narrator
extra money for his land?
I
I
I
I
Literary Skills: Reerurring Thentes
Z, Why do the buyers return to the lawyer's
Re¡d with e Furpose
4. How is the story's conflict resolved? Were
1
8. Compare
Refer to the theme statement
you wrote for question 5, What other poem,
story, or novel do you know that has a similar
theme? Explain the similarities in themes.
office and comPlain?
3. What is Don Anselmo's reply when the narraror asks him to remedy the problem?
-
ì
narrator's? Who is right? On what basis can
you make that decision?
"i
Literary Skills Review: Polnt of View
9. Hypothesize
anyone's values disregarded or tossed aside?
This story is told from the
point of view of
a narrator
who
is a character
in the story. How might this story differ if Don
Anselmo were the narrator?
Reading Skills: Making predictions
5. Add a column to your chart for any revisions
you made to your predictions. Review your
chart entries, and form a statement about the
story,s theme.
P¡¿àiclio¡
Preàiet.ion
Y.
toptC
Rcvirionr
Slorv\
+itl;
rerTecÌ.
Focus
Writing
Think
Focus
as a
Reader/Writer
lt in Your Writing
ln this story both Don
Anselmo and the narrator agree that the buyers
are "good peoplei'yet they have different ideas
about what"good people"do. Write an extended
definition of the word good.Begin with a definition of the word. Then, give examples of 'þoodness" in action.
Use
\Øhat Do
You
Think
Now
How important do you think
it
is to respect cultural values that
seem out of step with the times?
Explain your ideas.
tt
A¡:1rl¡rir rq \,oul.
ljliill:, 303
BlizzardBag Assignments for Scholars Language Arts 7
Assignment Day 8
1. Reread
"The Dive" (attached).
2. Choose a character and complete a character diagram providing examples of appearance,
actions, words, thoughts and feelings, and character relationship.
Appearance
Actions
Character Relationship
,,
Character
\
Thoughts and Feelings
V/ords
I
m*iffi *1ffi iålï'trfÍ.tl' Ëïiilt'
*
rê¿d so far ¡n te)d
lnteta(üû[r ¡nd onll¡ft b¡tl{rrn m¡ln and mlnor
d¡r¡(ren lfl llterüy lrÍ ¡[d how thÊ lnhr.dioß ðffÊ(l
theplot.
rnrinbyðdjurilru
-R
¡oecdrolir
loollng
ranntni,eidtn¡-
on,
The
setting of
a story is the
rhg whá har beírr
time and place in which the
cdnkling
frequently affects the development of a
take Place' Setting
,,The Divei you will see how
the setting creates
plot' lñ
conflict between the main character and her father.
also plays a role in the character's internal conflict
within a character's own mind). As you read, notice how
impacts your understanding of characters and events.
grøndfother crinkling his brow ln anger
stubble (5IUHB uhl) n.: short, brlstly
yovuth.fhe stubhle on Mr 1tero! cheek
wos xrøtchy ond groy.
caressed (kah
Perspectives Apply the literary perspective described
i81
as
(KRIHNG klihng) v, used as adj.:
wrinkling, Melly imogined her great-
REHST) r,.; touched gently.
Melly coressed her rheek where her father
you read this story.
hadtourhed it,
wafting
(WAHFT ihng) u used as ad7.:
float-
ing in the wind. Wesnelledthesweet
scent of flowers wafting fromthe qorden,
Pictures in Your Mind When writers describe
they create mental images, or pictures drawn
with words.
you form a mental image from
the details of a story, you are
As you read "The Divei, try to visualize, or picture
in
mind, the setting and the mai
n characters.
lnlo Action
To visualize sett¡ng, look for details
tour senses. To visualize
c haracters, look for
UooÞuþ¡yuord
ainkling
stubble
caressed
wafting
appcrtio*rwø
sight, hearing
touch,sight
i touch
sight, smell
that appeal to
details about the charsuch as clothing or hair color. As you read, fill in
a cha¡t llke
this one with details that help you picture characters.
acters,appearance.
Language Goach
_Cha¡aclert, name:.
Definition¡
Sometimes, writels give
.t:rlr
clues about a
wordt meaning by placing
flq náTøeh
a
definition nearby:
,i
lhe
Popi;
snellof the flowers camewafting
toward Melly os it flooted on the
afternoon!
gentle hreeze.
rt ting
What words give you clues to the meaning
of the word woftingl.
Focus
of
ofthe
a list
Learn lt Online
Enrich
vocabulary with Word Watch:
qo.htur.ronr
ffÃf¡ll
@
Preparing to Read 179
Build Background
MTET THE WRITER
ln Mexican American culture, female
elders like Mamá
René Saldaira,lt.
(1e68-
)
their wisdom
by
Ïochioften
share
tellinq ruentos,
or
stories, that Serve as "life lessr
srory one of them involves u
n'll''*"'t
Feeling lnspired
by his grandRené Saldaña was inspired to become a w.rrler
also motiwas
father, who was a first-rate storyteller' 5aldaña
middle school and high
lhe
school. He told them about the beginnings of his book
he was
class'
in
Jumping Tree,
they wrote alongside him
vated by his students
*iun t"'"i,,ght
andas
Our
inspired to continue tris story' He has since written Finding
and
Way: Storiesand publishea Áore of his work in anthologies
magazines.
A Proud Texan
(ISBN is
Tina, their sons, Lukas and Mikah, and their cat, ISBN
the lnternatíonal Standard Book Number, found on a book's
back cover and used to identify a book), in Edinburg' Texas'
"We can become anything and anyone we want to
become with hard work, focus, and dedicationl'
Preview the Selection
Melly
is
the storyt main character.
As
fishing with hrr
the story begins, she
is
father when she sees
a sight that tousu
her curiosity, lt also brings her into ton'
flict
t¡r,ith
herfather.
ê
t
I
l
I
I
1
:
I
6Ptr¡'t ose
with giil named MellY'
Read
this story to discover what
a
dangerous dive
¡ /0un9
ffi#ç
m# '¡ ffiffi
by René Saldaña' Jr.
PaPil'said MellY to her
ook at them,
father'
Mr. Otero cast his line into the
and looked uP and to his right.
dol'
locos, rni'ja. It's a crazY thing to
Froru uPriver, MellY and her father
see frve or sixboYs fixing to jumP
Bridge. They pounded their
inched their way to the edge, then
in all at once, some headfirst, othfeet flrst, and one balled up. The boys
underwater, leaving behind
different-sized splashes, then Melly
the echoes of their jumping screams
second or two after theyd gone under.
.Bv then, they
were shooting up out of the
fensen's
too if I wanted. Who said it was just for the
O
guysto
said
"You'll do nothing of the kindj'
Mr. Otero.
"Huh?"
"You said you could dive too if You
do?
wanted?"
"I didnt
say anything. You must be hear-
ing thingsl'
He smiled. "Just like your mother'
Talking your thoughts aloudl' He reached
Litera TV
Persp ectl ves
The
you think about the plot of
following perspective will help
this story.
o
What
is
going on?
1flffi,'
How does the settins cteate
;riins
'l'he Diver 181
over and touched his rough hand to her
cheek.
rod
Melly blushed. She stood and set her
face
on a rock, then stretched' She held her
and wondered if it was red from the sun'
Red from her father's touch?
All along she'd actually been talking'
tias'
Shed heard the same thing from her
o
o
from Mamá Tochi, and from her sister'
Becþ. "Your mom literally spoke her mindi'
the aunts all told her.
"You're so much like your mother"'Mr'
Otero told her, casting again.
"She probably wouldïe jumped"' she
said.
"Probably so, but I said you wont do it'
¿M'entiendes?"
"Yes, sir. I understand' No jumping from
set
the bridgel' She looked downriver' then
into the wateS then exploding out, all smiles
and laughter' Beauti ful.
"What?"
"What what?"
"Never mind. Just like your motheri' få
.
:,- - tr, ^ll., -,,anr *n
l"a+
v ¡ùrr rr!^
rvlcrly vY!tr! LU "i"if
lnAt evgf llrrËr
srandmother, Mamá Tochi, down the street
äo- *h.r. Melty lived with her father and
her sister, whod only recentþ left for college'
O lffi¡-am--tWhat
have you learned about Melly now?
o@Uisualizino
pãugraptt h.lp you visualize the
lVhat details in this
scene?
{Ð
'[e*:
the
troduced
he use
(1993) by Anne Belov'
of dialoque?
182
I.lrrit
luly Afternoon
.2
' í..cil':tiir.;tt 'i
esPeranza bush,
was hidden behind the
ever
Mamá Tochi had lived on her own
watering it
the base of
have to tell
iump from that crarybridgel'
her gran¿ôometimes Melly thought
see into the
mother could read minds'
Melly couldnt
future, even talk to the dead'
for advice.
freure out why she came over
cuentos frorn
Sñ. ,t.'0., got anything but
served
Mamá Tochi, stories that somehow
Mtlly had had the
as life lessons. That time
exa¡¡
chance to cheat on her end-of-term
Tochi
said,
her ninth-grade year, Mamá
"I remember a time I was calling bingo'
enemy,
Playing that night was mY worst
on her four
Perla. I kePt an eye all night
that shed
cards, PraYing a secret Prayer
time' On one of her cards I couldsee
'
be looked after?"
one
onlY
Mr. Otero, M"llYs dad, was the
closer to
to pull up stakes and move to be
Moving
Mamá Tochi when PaPá'Tero died.
had died a
was easy for him. His own wife
and he once
year before his father's Passing'
"With Aurelia
confessed to Mamá Tochi,
do rightbY our
gone, I dont know that I can
o
eYery
two girlsl'
all she needed was El Gallo. Without
Mellyknocked at
middle
mg why,I Pulled a card from the
and walked in. It was
La
I
of the deck instead of the top. Pulled
be out in
would
Tochi
knewthatMamá
Chaþa, and Manuela won. I was afraíd
the
babies:
her
with
garden
her bacþard
I collecteið all
even look at the toP card.
house; then the
the
along
up
ran
that
herbs
fast' What if
others and shuffled them real
red, yellow,
rosales, four bushes of them'
to look
it hadbeen El Gallo? I wasn't able
countalmost;
trees
as
big
white, and Pink,
and a half' that's
Perla's eYes for two weeks
favorite,
M.llyb
and
less wildflower Patches;
how guiþ I feltl'
bells soft
You
the esPeranza bushes, the Yellow
Lessons to be learned that time?
like
smelled
bacþard
The
cheets.
her
on
worse if
it, yort'll get caught' You 11 feel
@
honeY tasted.
dont get caught'
said,
She went out the screen door and
"It won't be cheating, really, Mamá
could
MellY
are
Where
Tochi.
You?"
"Mamá
chances
Tochi. The teacher's alreadY said
quite
but
couldnt
splashing,
water
the
the
hear
passing are s1im. There's stuffon
me
make out her grandmother'
----'Aqoi,
never studied evenl'
mí;ita' I'm over herel' Mamá Tochi weTe
I
I
I
I
O lñeã-affiisrussl
What is soin g on?
What details in this Para-
@ Readin Focus
gardenl
graph helP You Picture the backyard
1&{ Unit 2'Coflection
2
o@setting
tensìãiGtween Melly and Mamá
Howhasthe settin9
Tochl?
ílie i.rivs, 195
Tochi was telling het this. She just had to figure it out. She had to pay attention, then sleep
on it, and if she hadnt flgured it out by after
school tomorrow, she'd have to come visit a
second time, get another story, then tryto fig@
ure out two lessons instead of
"I'd gotten my frrst job as a seamstressj'
Mamá Tochi continueá. "My frrst paycheck'
I told my mother, 'First thing I'll buy is a
you bought me once? Iced café mocha?
Why ruin a good cup of coffee with choco.
late syrup? Why ruin it by pouring it in16
paper cup? Not like in the old days' A litqu
crema, a pinch of sugar, 4nd steaming hot iu
.
one.
cup of coffee at Martin's Café.'Mymother
said., 'Then you ll buy for us alll And so I
did, a cup of coffee and a piece of sweet
bread for everyone, all thirteen ofus' I
spent every peso Id made, and I didnt sleep
all night. But I loved the taste so much I
havent stopped, even when Dr. Neeþtold
me I should. What does he know?"
She sat across the table from Melly and
sþed her coffee.
Mellythought shed figured out the lesson: that she should dive, and then she
wouldrft be able to stop. Shed be as old as
MamáTochi and divingwould stillbe in
her blood, and one day shed jump from a
bridge too high for such a frail woman and
break everybone in her body and drown.
O
But she'd be doing what she loved.
"This is some good coffeel'Mamá Tochi
said.
"Sure is. Good bread, too."
"Twenty-one, can you believe it? Today
you kids have all these fancy cafés in your
fancybookstores where you go and study
with alt your friends. What was that drink
@
@AnalYzingAuthor's
fedm¡que¡ ttow does
the author use the dialogue between Melly
story?
and Mamá Tochi to draw you further into the
186 Unit
2 .Collection 2
hadnt ûgured out her grandmother's
riddle yet.
"Nowadays, you babies grow uP too
fast. You're women before you're girls. Yqu
never get to be girls, some of you. It's not
a bad thing, the way the world is today.
You have to know more sooner, and be
able to survive it. In my da¡ all I had to
worry about was drinking my frrst cup of
cofiee, my frrst job, and hoPing mY fam
would choose the right man for me, They
did that back then, you know chose your
husband. My father tried to find the man
for me, and-well, let's just say, I was
of my time when I told my father I would
she
to
be playing this game, my father said' But
fra¿ to tuk" a stand sometime. After
al[' she said, and laughed. Melly imag'
ined Mamá Tochi's young face laughing'
l-f
who
quien te crées?l Spanish for 'And you'
you think you are?"
JF*,
O lRffi'antõ¡scttdl
Iochi's storY tell You?
W
hat does
M el
lyt nterpretation
i
,,,
..
o
aa'
11
-g
É
È
I
l,
i
ii
I
i
Lody WÌth Hibiscus
(21st centurY)
by Hilary Simon'
Colored inks on silk.
'After all, I
was a woman now. I was drinking coffee
at Martin's
every Friday afternoon on my
way home.
But I didnt smoke like some of
the others.
t tried that once, but once was
alll needed.I
didnit like the taste. Coffee,
now there's
taste. Tobacco? Take it or leave
her wrinkles somehow gone.
cups and plate of bread. She hooked the
*.i..r, doãr shut' She didnt close the inside
door. Mamá Tochi always said she wanted
to smell her flowers' 'And what's there in
this house to steal? I wish someone would
It's just somecome and take that television'
thing else I have to dust"' Melly knew Mamá
fochi was teasing. She liked to watch her
soaPs.
Mely stood and helped her with the
o
the
fu
rËlting
Sentng whatdoesthe
in this paragraph
fI)
Mexican
"Dive if you want, miJita' I knowyou
can make it. You wont drown' You're strong
like all those boys, and smarter' So if you
description of
tellyou about Mamá Tochi?
The Dive 187
feel you have to, then go ahead, jump from
that bridge, It'll make you feel betterl'
Melly hugged her grandmother tight,
then said, "Buenas noches, MamâTochil'
"Buenas,"
Melly was happy. Shed gotten her
grandmother's permission. Now her father
couldnt say anything about it. Mellywoke
to someone rewing a ca, engine down the
street. She'd gone to sleep
thinking about her grandmother standing up to her
own father,looking him in
the eye: "I will not marry
that boy. I don't love himl'
Melly imagined her greatgrandfather stomping his foot, crinkling
his face, pointing at his daughter, and not
able to say a word to her. That's how angry
Melly imagined him to be, so angry he was
speechless, Then latet as the young Mamá
Tochi was falling asleep, Melly pictured
her great-granclfather bursting into the
bedroom to sa¡ "No daughter of mine-I
shouldnt have let you drink coffeel'And
that would be it. He'd slam the door shut,
and Rosario wouldnt have to marry Marcos
Antonio Velasquez.
Instea.cl she married Servando Otero,
a handsome man till the end of his days.
Melly remembered howhis unshaven face
had scratched at her cheeks when he helcl
her tight to him. Like her own father's face
ù)
@
li.:<hniqurl:
Àr:,rl'¡rii:':1
Äif i:,ri
\
How doesthe author use dialogueto connectthe
beginning and end ofthe
íiltr.lr¡i;¡i
iririiiirt
How has Melly
resolved her internal conflict? What does the way Melly solved her
problem show you about her?
188
i.jrrif -,t. í-r:llr:t:tirilr l"
mom,"
That's when she saw the boYs
j*pirg,
In bed, she felt her cheek where her
father had touched it. She knew she
wouldnt jump. She didnt have to. She was
already grown. Had a woman's face. I{ad
nothing to prove to anybody' Tomorrow
if she wanted to, she could tell her father,
"I'm diving no matter what you sayl'But
wouldnt. She was already drinking coffee,
like her Mamá Tochi.
Melly turned onto her side. The
was open, and a cool breeze blew in , MellY
could smell the sweetness of the flowers
herbs wafting from across the street. She
smiled, closed her eyes, and slept.
Vocabul¿r'y
cdnkling
(KRIHNG klihng)
v' usedasadi':
wrinkling,
stubble
storY?
o EEIEEIEIEI
tickled her cheeks now when he didnt s\uuu
on weekends. Earlier, at the river, she þx¿
noticed more gray in her father's stubble.
Shed reached over and rubbed his face, l¡u¡
touched her cheek. She laughed and said,.,i
hope my face isnt as hard as Yoursl'
He shook his head. "Not in a million
years. Your face is like your mom's, Soft.
Very much a woman's face."
Melly caressed her
cheek. Like mom, she
thought.
"Yep, so much like her,
Dont get me wrong. You're
hard as nails inside. Tough,
and thick-headed, too." He
cast his rod again and said, "fust like your .'
(STUHB
caressed (kah
wafting
uhl)n.; short, bristly growth.
REHST) u,;touched gently.
(WAHFT ihng)
rr,
wind'
used as ad,¡.:floating ¡n the
I
I
I
I
BHil;
intel¡
I
il'i;llìfl','
l
I
màln ¡nd mlnor
(har¿(teß in litÊr¿ry tert and how the inter¿ct¡ohs affectthe
plot.
A
ßo tove re d
I
ll
AP,l,l ; Vl 4.1,6
¡
lr
I
I
Respon d and Think Criricall
v
I
Literary Skills: Setting
8. Analyze How does the setting of the story
create a conflict between Melly and her
father? Explain.
Chcck
does MellY visit Mamá Tochi?
fVhat decision does Melly reach at the end
ihe storY?
of
wlth a Purpose
Whatdoes the dive mean to Melly?What makes
realize that she doesnt need to dive?
Skil!s¡ Visualizing
As you read "The Dive,"you recorded details
that helped you visualize characters. Use the
details in your chart to wr¡te a brief descrip_
9. Analyze What does the description of Mamá
Tochil house add to your understanding of
her character? Explain,
10. Literary Perspectives What does the author
use the dive to symbolize in the story?
Literary Skills Review¡ Conflict
11. lnterpret Which is more significant to the
story: Mellyt external conflict with her
. father or her internal conflict-the feelings
with which she struggles? Why?
tlon ofeach character.
Vsualizi ag
Ch a
ra etery i,),,-fh e D,ve,,
Writing
Think
Papì:
Lit eraflfFocus
Focus
as a Pread
erltÃIriter
Use lt in Your Writing Look at the description
of the boys jumping from the bridge at the
beginning of the story, What sensory images
does the author use to describe the action and
the setting? Compare those images with the ones
he uses to describe Mamá Tochi's house. What
mood does each description create? Why? Write
a description of two very different settings you're
familiar with, Use sensory details to help your
reader accuratelv picture each place and to set a
mood for each Place'
r,)flhar Do
You
Now
Think
AþÞlvina Ynrrr Çlrillc
teo
ir
I
Scholars Seminar 7th and,Sth Grade
Assignment 8
Please complete the following journal prompt on a piece of paper. Do not spend more than 25
minutes on this assignment.
Disheveled: sloppy or untidy (adjective)
Write
description of an imaginary person who looks disheveled. Make your descrþtion very
detailed so that a reader would be able to picture the person clearly. Invent an appropriate name
for your character too.
a
Scholars Seminar 7ú and,Sth Grade
Assignment 8
Please complete the following journal prompt on a piece of paper. Do not spend more than 25
minutes on this assignment.
Disheveled: sloppy or untidy (adjective)
Write a description of an imaginary psrson who looks disheveled. Make your description very
detailed so that a reader would be able to picture the person clearly. Invent an appropriate name
for your character too.

Download Report