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Copywork
About This Passage
Poe pivots on a semicolon from a 'casual glance' to a 'second look,' turning what seems like laughter into something monstrous. Copying it teaches the semicolon, the contrast of first and second impressions, and how a writer warns us that appearances can deceive.
To pass this man with a casual glance, one might imagine him to be convulsed with laughter; but a second look would induce a shuddering acknowledgment, that if such an expression were indicative of me...
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Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, tell the story Augustus reports in this chapter: how the crew of the Grampus mutinies against Captain Barnard, how the captain is set adrift, how Dirk Peters keeps Augustus alive, and how Augustus discovers why his hidden friend was trapped. Which moment mattered most, and how do you know?
Discussion Questions
- Dirk Peters looks so monstrous that a casual glance might mistake his grin for laughter, yet he repeatedly saves Augustus's life. How does Poe use the gap between Peters's terrifying looks and his actions, and why might he make Augustus's rescuer the most frightening man aboard? Use details from the chapter.
- After the killing, some mutineers — among them Dirk Peters — want to stop the slaughter and keep the prisoners alive, while the cook, 'a perfect demon,' keeps pressing for more bloodshed. How does that difference shape your judgment of the mutineers, and why might some details in the chapter make that judgment hard to settle? Use details from the chapter.
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Savagely fierce and violent.
Item 2
Extremely cruel or evil, as if devilish.
Item 3
Scornful mockery or ridicule.
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Critical Thinking
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