Claire Wait
eNotes Educator
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2555
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523
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About
I am a former high school English teacher and writing specialist. I am taking the next several years off teaching to raise my children, but continue to write and edit curriculum as a freelance consultant.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in The Outsiders
In the novel, there are five prominent Greaser characters: Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers Darry and Sodapop, Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston. Ponyboy is the narrator and at the beginning of the... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
In Chapter 10 Atticus gives Scout and Jem this advice: Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird (90). Miss Maudie explains this to... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior's character is not static, it is very much dynamic. He is constantly changing for the better, and as he gains experience, he gains maturity. From the beginning of the novel to the end, we... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
The fact that the white doctor believed that Indians only feel half as much pain caused him to only use half the Novocain that he would use on a non-Indian patient. When Junior explains this, he is... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Keep in mind that irony occurs when the intended meaning of a message is delivered through something (words, a tone, or an event) that signifies the opposite. Verbal irony is when what is said is... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Consider that the key themes of this novel are violence, isolation, dealing with loss, and racism. Alexie uses humor, therefore, to soften to seriousness of the book as a whole, and to make the... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior's first week at Reardan is disorienting for several reasons, but they all stem from his insecurity at journeying into a completely new territory, where he is basically a foreigner. Add to... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior is skeptical of white teachers for two reasons. First, he is influenced by outside sources to be skeptical, and second, his experience teaches him to be skeptical. In order to understand why... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Around Valentine's Day, Junior goes through a series of unexpected and horrible difficulties in life. First, his grandmother dies. Then, his father's best friend is shot and dies. As a result, his... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
I think it is safe to assume that Penelope's original interest in Junior might stem from curiosity, but I do not think it is safe to argue that her motivation for developing a relationship... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Gordy first catches Junior's attention in the classroom, after he corrects the teacher about misguided information concerning petrified wood. The teacher is relieved when Gordy, the class genius,... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Oscar is Junior's dog. He is "only an adopted stray mutt, but he was the only living thing that [Junior] could depend on" (9). Oscar is actually not a main character of the story. He is introduced,... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
One major antagonist in the lives of Native Americans introduced in chapter six is poverty. Junior goes on to explain that "hunger is not the worst thing about being poor," by detailing the account... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Junior's grandmother's advice about Roger is both ironic and revealing about the culture in which Junior is growing up. First, he admits to her that he punched Roger in the face. At first she says,... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Chapters 1-6 of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian are the narrative exposition of the entire story. They serve to establish the character of the protagonist and narrator, Junior. He... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Because of his brain damage, Junior is left with several physical and mental disabilities. And when you consider the social difficulties facing every kid in middle school and high school, you... -
Answered a Question in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
It is true that Junior has hydrocephalus, which translates as "water on the brain" but actually refers to a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid. As a result, Junior needed brain surgery at six months... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
Understanding the setting is a key to understanding racism in To Kill a Mockingbird. Keep in mind that this fictional book is set in an historically accurate small southern town, post-slavery, but... -
Answered a Question in The Pit and the Pendulum
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" is one of his many Gothic short stories. As with most American Gothic literature, the tone (or mood) of the story is one of the primary elements that... -
Answered a Question in Catching Fire
Keep in mind that literary elements include the various rhetorical devises used by authors to create depth in literature. Some literary elements to identify in any novel include figurative language... -
Answered a Question in The Westing Game
The easiest way to determining the falling action of a plot line, is to first identify the conflict and the climax. Remember, the falling action usually immediately follows the climax and often... -
Answered a Question in Rip Van Winkle
When we talk about "truths that can teach the reader" from fictional stories, we are talking about themes. Even short stories can contain many themes. These are subjects, messages, or central ideas... -
Answered a Question in Holes
Stanley, the protagonist of Holes, is a dynamic character indeed. This means that from the beginning of the story till the end, he does not remain the same. He grows, changes, and adapts, and as a... -
Answered a Question in Essays
When advising students how to write any essay, the first thing I encourage is pre-writing. Many students take a writing assignment and immediately begin drafting an essay starting with the... -
Answered a Question in Literature
First, I think it is important to note that we cannot say that every single book ever published can be considered literature. In the vast vast world of book publication, I think the idea of... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, the most predominant character trait of Boo Radley is that he is mysterious. Much of what the audience learns about him (directly) is from gossip,... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
Ironically, the speaker at the beginning of the chapter doesn't make a very strong case for accepting Ender in the program. He simply says, "I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
The primary purpose of the fight scene between Ender and his older brother Peter in chapter two, is to reveal the character of Peter, and to show the stark contrast between his character and... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
Up until this point in the story, in Battle School, Ender has been the primary target of bullies, just like he was at home. Bernard is the ringleader of the bullies in Ender's launch group, and... -
Answered a Question in Catching Fire
In the 75th Hunger Games ("The Quarter Quell") the arena is in the shape of a circle, with the cornucopia in the center, in the middle of a lake. Participants quickly discover the arena actually... -
Answered a Question in Poetry
Perspective in poetry tends to encompass a bit more than it does in prose. If you are asked, "What is the perspective" of a poem, you should consider, "What is the overall attitude, message, or... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
The short answer to this question is Dink Meeker. Dink is a toon leader in Rat Army. He is the primary reason for Rat's success, and he asked for Ender. He trains his toon separately from the rest... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
This quote comes from Chapter 13, and refers directly to Valentine. At this point in the story, she and Peter have gained such a large following on the "nets" as Locke and Demosthenes, that even... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
Chapter 5 marks the begining of Ender's acceptance into his launch group, when he discovers who to hack into the computers ("desks") and launches his attack against Bernard and his gang who have... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
In Chapter 2, Peter wants to play a common game that kids play on Earth, "Buggers and Astronauts." Peter, Ender's older brother, always chooses the role of astronaut. This means Ender has a... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
Ender is a classic dynamic character in that he changes very much from the beginning of the story to the end. Life in Battle School and Command School hardens him. At the beginning of the story he... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
One way to look at Ender's relationships in the book is from the perspective of need. Does Ender need this character, or does this character need Ender? Do they need each other? Ender and Peter are... -
Answered a Question in Ender's Game
This book explores several complex themes that tend to revolve around a central focus on "survival." Manipulation is an excellent one to explore. The book basically poses the question of whether it... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
The title of the novel comes from Chapter 10, and it is Atticus who first uses the phrase "to kill a mockingbird." It comes in a lesson to Jem about using his new gun. Shoot all the blue jays you... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Letter
Chapter 21 marks the festivities of the English Holiday in this small Puritan colony. Several strangers are bustling about the square, including many sailors from a Bristol ship. Hester and... -
Answered a Question in The Book Thief
The first chapter of The Prologue is titled "Death and Chocolate." This chapter serves as a very brief introduction to the story. In it, we meet the narrator, who is Death himself. He is candid... -
Answered a Question in The Book Thief
Keep in mind that theme refers to a central idea or subject discussed in a text that is applicable beyond the plot itself. This novel is of a significant enough length that there are actually... -
Answered a Question in The Good Earth
Wang Lung is a dynamic character who goes through a dramatic change throughout the novel. At the beginning of the story, he is but a peasant farmer, lucky to have some land to cultivate. He is... -
Answered a Question in The Good Earth
The time and place of The Good Earth is never explicitly stated, but using certain context clues, the time and place can be very closely inferred. The book opens with a focus on a single peasant... -
Answered a Question in The Good Earth
As Wang Lung grows in wealth, this family that has been historically and traditionally tied to the land, grows away from the land and evolves into a new social class. Wang Lung himself, in the year... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
Dickens is one of the first authors of his time to effectively make readers aware of poverty. He does this, mainly, through the stark contrast between his two main characters: Ebeneezer Scrooge and... -
Answered a Question in Night
I think it is important to note that the first version of this book was published in 1956. This is barely a decade after WW2 had ended. I think it is easy for us (today) to be appalled by the... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Letter
This sounds like a prompt for a critical essay. I encourage you to accomplish this assignment by spending the most time pre-writing, or gathering evidence, forming a thesis, and planning and... -
Answered a Question in The Book Thief
Rudy Steiner is, at first, too young to fully understand the extent of his courage and his opposition of Hitler. It is his personality to be a fighter, and for him, it starts with an original fight... -
Answered a Question in The Book Thief
I think one of the most important lessons, or the overall take-home message of this novel is the power of words. First, the main character ironically becomes a "book thief" before she even knows...
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