
Debra McGillem
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About
I am a sixth-year teacher of English Language Arts for grades 7 and 9. I coordinate the Accelerated Reader program for our school and am the High Ability Coordinator for our school corporation, licensed in High Ability Education for K-12 as well as my BS in English Education 5-12.
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Answered a Question in Literary Terms
A sonnet is simply another means to a creative, poetic end. It has a very distinct form. For example, the Elizabethan sonnet form (also referred to as the Shakespearean sonnet because... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a timeless piece of literature concerning salvation and redemption and man's duty toward his fellow man. A staple in a plethora of classrooms during the... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
Irony is a very effective device in literature and exists in two forms. Verbal irony is a method in which "statements often convey a meaning exactly opposite from their literal meanings." In... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
Following the visits from each of the spirits sent by Marley to spare Ebeneezer Scrooge his own fate, Scrooge wakes to find that it is, in fact, Christmas Day. Inquiring of a boy in the... -
Answered a Question in The Necklace
In Guy de Maupassant's story "The Necklace," Mathilde Loisel is presented to the reader as a woman in a constant state of unhappiness. She focuses on the "poverty of her rooms," and the lack... -
Answered a Question in Essays
When writing an essay about a quotation, it is helpful to follow the A.C.E. model. First, you are going to A.nswer the question of what the quote actually means. How is knowledge a treasure?... -
Answered a Question in Black Beauty
Black Beauty led a life that is typical of most of humanity, actually. His life had many happy moments, but there were certainly bleak points throughout. His early years were very pleasant -... -
Answered a Question in The Devil's Arithmetic
In the novel The Devil's Arithmetic, one of the most important themes is that of the importance of remembering. When Hannah Stern has to go with her mother to the Seder dinner at her... -
Answered a Question in Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket
Diction is the writer's word choice style. Imagery is writing in such a way that the reader forms a mental image of multiple senses not just visual. In "Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket,"... -
Answered a Question in Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket
The suspense in "Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets" is created in multiple ways. First, the title itself, when referring to a dead man, sets the reader up to anticipate the death of the main... -
Answered a Question in The Garden Party: And Other Stories
In "The Garden Party," the short story by Katherine Mansfield, the are presented with a stunning contrast: the wealthy, carefree family to which the main character, Laura, belongs, and the... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
Dickens paints the picture of an unlikeable but sympathetic character in Scrooge. In Stave II we see a young boy, neglected at a run-down, cold boarding school over the holidays. His... -
Answered a Question in Essays
In the conclusion of a persuasive essay, it is standard, good practice to restate your thesis (your statement of position), summarize the points of persuasion that you discussed within the body of... -
Answered a Question in Essays
In persuasive writing, the introduction is critical as this is the point in which you define your position. You absolutely cannot be wishy-washy - pick a definite position. This becomes... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas fills the reader with conflicting emotions, including both hope and despair. Reading about the evolving friendship between Schmuel and Bruno shows... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
In Stave 1, the reader is given several clues that speak to the differences between Ebeneezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchitt. The first is their respective attitudes toward Christmas. When... -
Answered a Question in Anthem
Nothing breeds innovation faster than innovation, and nothing leads to questions quite like innovation. If the scholars had allowed the electric light, a piece of technology from the... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge numerous sceneswith several aims. In viewing the family in the coal miner's hut, the men working at the lighthouse, and the crew of the ship, he... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
If you look at Scrooge as the dynamic protagonist in A Christmas Carol, that is, the main or primary character in a work who undergoes change throughout the story, then the character of Bob... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Conflict in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas centers around Bruno's feelings. At first, he is content to pass the time by interacting with Schmuel despite believing him to be inferior. He... -
Answered a Question in Poetry
Poets have a variety of devices at their dieposal - they have to since they have to be much more concise and have less "time" so-to-speak to convey the meaning they want. Specifically,... -
Answered a Question in The Lottery
The fact that "The Lottery" takes place in a small, rural area is a hugely contributing factor to the outcome. This type of area tends to be stereotypically isolated both physically and...