Questions

1958 - Gwendolyn MacEwan 2)a) The beginning Is ironic because the writer begins in stating it was a "fabulous year" even though it was not a fabulous year for the speaker. Even though it might look like it was on the surface, she struggles to fit in with the rest of the girls. From this, she "dies inside". b) "Xenobia" is significant because it suggests a character that is different and has special knowledge (how to use a lipstick brush). She is like a stranger or guest. The speaker is drawn to her. c) The oxymoron in stanza one is "terrible perfect bodies". This means that the bodies appear perfect on the outside, however they seem terrible to the speaker. This could be because of what the individual had to sacrifice to create the perfect body. 3) by using the pronoun "you" instead of "I", the writer is trying to get the reader to picture themselves in the story, so they could possibly understand and connect to the character's feelings and emotions. 5) The reference to "cat woman" in the 1950's suggests that the "Queen of the School" was like cat woman in the she was powerful and vicious. The allusion to "peterpan collars" helps the reader visualize the style of clothing that girls wore in the 1950's. If you didn't have this type of collar, you were seen as uncool and out of style. Reach Out and Touch - Maxine Tynes 1) The woman on the bus is understanding of the child's actions and realizes what the child could be thinking. She doesn't mind the child's questions; maybe because she lives in a time where native Americans weren't treated as equals, so she is used to being "different". The mother of the child disapproves of the child's actions, because she doesn't want her child to associate or interact with a colored woman. 3) The mood could be wisdom or understanding, because the speaker understands that the child thinks she's different and that if she had of been able to hold the child, it would have been able to investigate the situation (why the black doesn't come off) without the mother knowing she was making that contact. The tone is regret. 6) The child was very curious st first, wondering why the "black" didn't come off and by the end, the child was being protected and perhaps sheltered by the mother. Even though the child didn't get scolded, the mother is sending a message to the child that his/her actions were wrong. The mother sent this message by hushing the child's questions and pulling the child away from the other woman.