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Copywork
About This Passage
Watch how White lets Charlotte understate her own decline. She answers almost lightly, 'if I'm not too tired,' then admits that 'the least thing tires me these days' and shrugs it off with 'My age, I guess.' The calm, plain words hide something graver than ordinary tiredness; copying the passage shows how a writer can let a reader sense far more than a character will say.
"This afternoon, late, if I'm not too tired," said Charlotte. "The least thing tires me these days. I don't seem to have the energy I once had. My age, I guess."
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, reconstruct the chapter from the arrival at the Fair to the nap after lunch. Which moment do you think matters most beneath the noise and excitement, and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- Charlotte concedes Uncle's size makes him hard to beat, yet she devotes most of her report to his manners, his weak jokes, and his lack of cleanliness. What does Charlotte's way of sizing up Uncle reveal about what she believes makes a creature worthy, and why does she look past his size? Use Charlotte's words about Uncle to support your answer.
- From a single brief interview, Charlotte forms a firm, low opinion of Uncle. Make a claim about whether such a quick judgment of another's character can be trusted, then answer the strongest objection. Use the details of the meeting to support your view.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
Extremely large; Uncle's size, the thing Wilbur fears most at the Fair.
Item 2
Loud and warmly forceful; the booming cheer Charlotte finds overbearing.
Item 3
Unappealing in character, not only in looks; Charlotte's verdict on Uncle.
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Critical Thinking
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