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Copywork
About This Passage
Here the narrator wins by thinking, not by being stronger: he hits upon the idea of using the mate's own fear and guilt against him. Copying it helps your child notice how a writer names the hidden thing inside a person — a 'guilty conscience' — and how a clever idea can beat plain force.
By good fortune I at length hit upon the idea of working upon the superstitious terrors and guilty conscience of the mate.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell what happens in this chapter in order: how the sailor Hartman Rogers dies, how Peters, Augustus, and the narrator make a secret plan to take back the ship, how a big storm comes, and how the narrator dresses up to look frightening. Slow down at the part you find cleverest or bravest and tell what you think about it.
Discussion Questions
- Peters and the narrator pick the middle of the fierce storm for their move. A storm makes everything harder, yet they choose that moment on purpose. Why do you think a wild, stormy night might help their secret plan? What part of the chapter helps you decide?
- The narrator dresses up to look like the dead Hartman Rogers instead of attacking the crew directly. Why do you think the friends choose a frightening trick here? What part of the chapter helps you decide?
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
A sudden, violent burst of wind and rain.
Item 2
Careful and wise about what might happen.
Item 3
Clever in a sneaky or tricky way.
+ 5 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
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