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Copywork
About This Passage
These two sentences are the narrator's quiet key to Mr. Darling's character. Having just chained the faithful Nana outside, he is fully 'ashamed of himself,' 'and yet he did it,' because, Barrie explains, his very warmth twists into a hunger to be admired. Copying the balanced two-sentence statement lets a young writer feel how an author can pause the action to name, in plain words, the single flaw that drives a character's worst choices.
He was ashamed of himself, and yet he did it. It was all owing to his too affectionate nature, which craved for admiration.
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story of this chapter: how Nana catches Peter's shadow, how the family's last evening unfolds through the tie and the medicine, how Mr. Darling tricks and then chains Nana, and how Mrs. Darling leaves for the party as the stars cry 'Now, Peter!' What were the most important moments, and how do you know they mattered most?
Discussion Questions
- The narrator tells us that Mr. Darling, even as he chains Nana, has a 'too affectionate nature, which craved for admiration.' How might this one idea, a man who craves admiration, help explain the way Mr. Darling behaves over his tie, the medicine, and Nana, and why? Use the chapter's details about Mr. Darling to explain.
- Mr. Darling dares Michael to take his medicine and promises to take his own, then slips his behind his back and pours it into Nana's bowl. Make the strongest case that he is just being silly and human here, then the strongest case that he does something genuinely wrong, and decide which is stronger. Use the chapter's details about the medicine to explain.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
A feeling of deep respect and warm approval for someone.
Item 2
Calm, steady, and not easily upset.
Item 3
Using sharp, mocking words that often mean the opposite of what they say.
+ 6 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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