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Copywork
About This Passage
Sara has just admitted to Ermengarde the secret pain of missing her father, and rather than weeping, she explains how she copes. She tells Ermengarde that filling her mind with talk and pretending lets her carry the sorrow more easily, even though it never disappears. The repetition of 'bear it better' and the honest admission 'You don't forget' give the sentence its quiet courage. Copying this passage lets a student study how simple words can express a deep and brave idea about living with grief.
“If I go on talking and talking,” she said, “and telling you things about pretending, I shall bear it better. You don’t forget, but you bear it better.”
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of Chapter 3. Which moments matter most, from Ermengarde being scolded and laughed at, to Sara befriending her, to their hour upstairs with Emily, and how do you know they are the ones that matter most?
Discussion Questions
- When Miss Minchin scolds Ermengarde and the other girls titter, Sara does not join in; instead she feels 'rather savage' at the laughter and decides she wants to be Ermengarde's friend. What does Sara's reaction to this scene reveal about her character, and why might it set her apart from the other pupils? Use the chapter's details to explain.
- Burnett includes Sara's father's memory that, in another age, Sara 'would have gone about the country with her sword drawn, rescuing and defending everyone in distress.' Why might the author place this knightly image in the chapter where Sara befriends Ermengarde, and what does it help us understand about her? Use the chapter's details to explain.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
A terrible event that causes great trouble or sorrow.
Item 2
Very great in size or degree; enormous.
Item 3
Very deep, strong, or complete.
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Critical Thinking
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