"The White Circle" by John Bell Clayton
Interpretive Questions: Answer all questions in complete sentences, using quotes as support.
1.) Why does Tucker try to kill Anvil?
To get revenge on Anvil for stealing his apples.
2.) What does Tucker mean when he says he has to take a beating from Anvil “ because this went beyond any matter of courage or shame”? (p. 157)
Tucker means that he would have to get beaten up by Anvil either way.
3.) Why does Tucker sometimes try to reach out to Anvil?
Tucker sometimes tries to befriend Anvil and get to the side of Anvil where he can have pity.
4.) Why does Tucker say, “It seemed very important to know what it was that Anvil wanted to, and never could, teach me and the world”? (p. 163)
Tucker says this because he thinks that it could reveal that Anvil is trying to teach him a lesson.
5.) At the end of the story, why does Tucker try to give Anvil the applies?
Tucker tries to give the apples to Anvil because he feels guilty for trying to kill him.
6.) Why does Anvil bully Tucker?
Anvil bullies Tucker because he is jealous of Tucker.
7.) Why does Anvil force Tucker to call his father “Old Man” instead of “Father”? (p. 160)
Anvil forces Tucker to do this because his father does not care about Anvil or his wife.
8.) Why does Anvil repeatedly tell Tucker to stop “blubberin”? (p. 161-162)
Anvil repeatedly does this because he thinks it is a sign of weakness inside Tucker.
9.) Why does Anvil go home with Tucker but throw rocks at him all the way there?
Anvil goes home with Tucker but throws rocks at him the whole way because he wants to teach Tucker to stand up for himself.
10.) Why doesn’t Anvil come after Tucker when Tucker tries to kill him with the hayfork?
Anvil does not come after Tucker when Tucker tries to kill him because he is afraid of Tucker.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Nurture (p. 159)
Quote: "The tree is yours in fee simple to bargain, sell, and convey, or to keep and nurture and eventually hand down to your heirs or assigns forever unto eternity."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Care For
Synonym: Help heal or recover
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): When a young child gets sick, he or she should stay home from school that day and their parents should nurture them.
2.) Callously (p. 159)
Quote: "I didn't know what he meant by that but the tree was mine and now there perched Anvil, callously munching one of my thirteen apples and stowing the rest inside his ragged shirt until it bulged out in ugly lumps."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Loudly with no manners.
Synonym: Roughly.
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): It was SO annoying trying to do my homework with the dogs callously eating their food.
3.) Practically (p. 159)
Quote: "I planned--practically—his extinction as he stood there before me commanding me to cease the blubbering out of my heart."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Almost
Synonym: Basically
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): We had practically wiped out the entire bee hive by the end of the day.
4.) Extinction (p. 159)
Quote: "I planned—practically—his extinction as he stood there before me commanding me to cease the blubbering out of my heart."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Death
Synonym: Wiping out
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): Humans are driving animals such as alligators straight to extinction.
5.) Inadvertently (p. 165)
Quote: "He simply painted the big white circle on the barn floor, had the fork hauled back up to the top, and fastened the trigger around the rung of a stationary ladder eight feet off the floor, where no one could inadvertently pull it.
Definition (based on context/in your own words):Accidentally
Synonym: Incidentally
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): She had inadvertently misplaced the chair.
6.) Vindictive (p. 165)
Quote: "I gave Anvil one last vindictive look and sprang up the stationary ladder and swung out on the trip rope of the unpredictable
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Inclined to revenge.
Synonym: Sneaky.
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): I knew immediately what the bully was going to do to me, as he gave me a vindictive look.
7.) Sullen (p. 166)
Quote: "After a few sullen, bewildered moments he reached into his shirt and began hauling out my apples one by one."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Dull
Synonym: Sad
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): It was horrible to watch the sullen recording of the Twin Towers falling.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when a character does something out of pride or a character does something out of shame. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
1.) Why does Tucker try to kill Anvil?
To get revenge on Anvil for stealing his apples.
2.) What does Tucker mean when he says he has to take a beating from Anvil “ because this went beyond any matter of courage or shame”? (p. 157)
Tucker means that he would have to get beaten up by Anvil either way.
3.) Why does Tucker sometimes try to reach out to Anvil?
Tucker sometimes tries to befriend Anvil and get to the side of Anvil where he can have pity.
4.) Why does Tucker say, “It seemed very important to know what it was that Anvil wanted to, and never could, teach me and the world”? (p. 163)
Tucker says this because he thinks that it could reveal that Anvil is trying to teach him a lesson.
5.) At the end of the story, why does Tucker try to give Anvil the applies?
Tucker tries to give the apples to Anvil because he feels guilty for trying to kill him.
6.) Why does Anvil bully Tucker?
Anvil bullies Tucker because he is jealous of Tucker.
7.) Why does Anvil force Tucker to call his father “Old Man” instead of “Father”? (p. 160)
Anvil forces Tucker to do this because his father does not care about Anvil or his wife.
8.) Why does Anvil repeatedly tell Tucker to stop “blubberin”? (p. 161-162)
Anvil repeatedly does this because he thinks it is a sign of weakness inside Tucker.
9.) Why does Anvil go home with Tucker but throw rocks at him all the way there?
Anvil goes home with Tucker but throws rocks at him the whole way because he wants to teach Tucker to stand up for himself.
10.) Why doesn’t Anvil come after Tucker when Tucker tries to kill him with the hayfork?
Anvil does not come after Tucker when Tucker tries to kill him because he is afraid of Tucker.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Nurture (p. 159)
Quote: "The tree is yours in fee simple to bargain, sell, and convey, or to keep and nurture and eventually hand down to your heirs or assigns forever unto eternity."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Care For
Synonym: Help heal or recover
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): When a young child gets sick, he or she should stay home from school that day and their parents should nurture them.
2.) Callously (p. 159)
Quote: "I didn't know what he meant by that but the tree was mine and now there perched Anvil, callously munching one of my thirteen apples and stowing the rest inside his ragged shirt until it bulged out in ugly lumps."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Loudly with no manners.
Synonym: Roughly.
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): It was SO annoying trying to do my homework with the dogs callously eating their food.
3.) Practically (p. 159)
Quote: "I planned--practically—his extinction as he stood there before me commanding me to cease the blubbering out of my heart."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Almost
Synonym: Basically
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): We had practically wiped out the entire bee hive by the end of the day.
4.) Extinction (p. 159)
Quote: "I planned—practically—his extinction as he stood there before me commanding me to cease the blubbering out of my heart."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Death
Synonym: Wiping out
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): Humans are driving animals such as alligators straight to extinction.
5.) Inadvertently (p. 165)
Quote: "He simply painted the big white circle on the barn floor, had the fork hauled back up to the top, and fastened the trigger around the rung of a stationary ladder eight feet off the floor, where no one could inadvertently pull it.
Definition (based on context/in your own words):Accidentally
Synonym: Incidentally
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): She had inadvertently misplaced the chair.
6.) Vindictive (p. 165)
Quote: "I gave Anvil one last vindictive look and sprang up the stationary ladder and swung out on the trip rope of the unpredictable
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Inclined to revenge.
Synonym: Sneaky.
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): I knew immediately what the bully was going to do to me, as he gave me a vindictive look.
7.) Sullen (p. 166)
Quote: "After a few sullen, bewildered moments he reached into his shirt and began hauling out my apples one by one."
Definition (based on context/in your own words): Dull
Synonym: Sad
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): It was horrible to watch the sullen recording of the Twin Towers falling.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when a character does something out of pride or a character does something out of shame. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Out of Pride
1. When Tucker tries to defend the tree. 2. When Anvil beats up Tucker. 3. When Tucker claims to not be crying while he was being beaten up by Anvil. 4. When Tucker plans to kill Anvil. 5. When Anvil says he is "too old to play". |
Out of Shame
1. When Anvil gets jealous of Tucker for having so much things. 2. When Anvil hides under a desk when Tucker's father comes to beat him up. 3. When Anvil calls his father "old man" because he is never there for Anvil. 4. When Tucker's father decides to put the hayfork up where no one could touch it. 5. When Tucker tries to give Anvil his apples after he tries to kill him. |