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A Death in the Family
Study Guide
By Susan Thurman
I. Preparation, Comprehension, AnalysisReligious References
Pre-viewing/Reading Discussion Questions
Post-Viewing/Reading Assignment and Quotes
Topics for Research and Writing II. Supplemental InformationAbout James Agee
Literary Devices
Vocabulary Brief OverviewBefore students begin reading the book or viewing the film…
1. Students should be aware that A Death in the Family
is chiefly autobiographical. As a young boy in Knoxville, Tennessee, the author, Rufus James Agee (who used his middle name), suffered the loss of his father, just as the character Rufus does in the novel/film. 2. Because A Death in the Family was unfinished when Agee died suddenly in 1955, his publishers had to insert several parts into the story. These parts are printed in italics. In addition, the
prologue was added by the publishers. 3. Students should also be aware that this novel/film employs flashbacks and some shifts in point of view. 4. As students read or view A Death in the Family,
they will come upon words which were commonly used in 1915 but which have been replaced by other words in the 21st
century. For instance, an "icebox" is now called a "refrigerator, " and a "davenport" is a "sofa." As the book or movie progresses, students may find it interesting to make notes of other changes in language that have occurred. Pre-Viewing/Reading Discussion Questions Below is a list of discussion questions for you to pose to your students before viewing the film or reading the
book. These questions serve to stimulate students' thinking about the various themes in A Death in the Family. Preface and Part I (Chapters 1–7) Think back to the time you were a small
child. What do you remember about your daily routine? Who were your friends? What did you enjoy doing with either of your parents? Did you have little brothers or sisters? How did you treat them? Did you have older
brothers or sisters? How did they treat you? What adult problems do you remember confronting at an early age? How did you confront them? What adult situations did you not understand at that age? What seemed to be
confusing about those situations? One of the minor themes of A Death in the Family
has to do with the differences in families. Do you see any differences in the way the sides of your family act in different situations? What would you consider the most important event (good or bad) in
your childhood? What made this event so important? As a child, how did you handle something sad? "The mothers stayed back in the kitchen washing and drying, putting things away, recrossing
their traceless footsteps like the lifetime journeys of bees, measuring out the dry cocoa for breakfast." Is such a picture of mothers' activities after meals still the norm today? Why or why not? This
novel is set in the last days of the horse and buggy as a means of transportation. The text mentions the "pavement streaked with horse urine." What would have been other drawbacks of horse-and-buggy days?
Rufus "felt his father's hand settle, without groping or clumsiness, on the top of his bare head…." Does either of your parents have a particular way to pet you, one that makes you feel comfortable and loved? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt other people were being looked down upon? How did you react? How did the other people react? Have you ever looked down on someone else? Do you
still feel that you were justified in doing so? Why or why not? Jay and Mary do things for the other that show their love. What little things do you see married couples do to show their love for each other?
Is there a place that makes you feel like a different person when you go to it? What is this place? What are your connections with it? Have you ever been sleeping, but you knew that
you were not in a deep sleep and that you were somewhat aware of your state of mind? Have you ever known anyone whom you thought other people liked in spite of his or her shortcomings? Have
you ever thought one spouse of a married couple demanded much more patience than the other? What did the impatient spouse do? How did the patient spouse react? Mary's "only close, true intimate" was Aunt
Hannah. Who is yours? What makes this person so special to you? Mary tells the children, "You can't love to do what you are made to do…." Do you agree or disagree with this? Why?
"…Hannah shopped much as a real lover of painting visits a gallery.…" Do you feel the same way about shopping? If so, tell what it is about shopping that appeals so much to you. If not, tell why you dislike shopping. Do you remember being afraid of the dark when you were a child? How did you react? When you were young and afraid, what would adults do to calm you down? Did it work? Why or why not?
For those of you who have younger brothers or sisters, how did your parents announce that a sibling would be arriving? What was your reaction? The spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (which Rufus thinks is
spelled and capitalized "Swing low, sweet cherryut") was, in Rufus' opinion, "the best song of all." Can you recite or sing any of the lines of this spiritual? What do you think is "the best song of all"?
Part II (Chapters 8–13) Have you ever heard adults talk about people who should not have gotten married? Do you know the adults' reasons behind their opinion? Do you agree or disagree with their opinion?
Do you know of any couples who you think should not have gotten married? Without giving any names, tell why you think that these particular people shouldn't have married. Think about a
time you were waiting for important news of some sort. Did it seem that time went much more slowly than normal? What did you do to pass the time? Catherine puts her hand over Joel's and pats it rapidly
several times. "Such endearments, except in their proper place, embarrassed her…" Would women today be embarrassed at doing that? Why or why not? "[Jay] didn't know what fear was. Danger only made him
furious—and tremendously alert." Do you know anyone like this, someone who craves danger? What is this person doing when he/she is happiest? Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not? Have you had any
experiences that you thought were "otherworldly"? Have you ever felt the need to be alone, but others seemed to intrude on your desire for solitude? How did you handle the situation? Can you
remember when you were a small child and older children "cooed" over you? What was your reaction? Can you remember a time when you were young and were teased by older children? What was your reaction? How
did you handle the situation? Can you remember when you were young and were allowed to stay up with the adults? What did they talk about? How did they act when you were around? Part III (Chapters 14–20)
Have you ever sensed that you needed to act a certain way, even though you weren't told to? Little Catherine thinks that right away her father will walk in and say to her, "Good
morning, merry sunshine." Did either of your parents have a pet name for you when you were small? When you were small, did you ever say something that was unacceptable—but you weren't aware it was
unacceptable? How did the adults handle the situation? How would you define the word "drunk" to someone Rufus' age?
This question is for the males: At what age did you learn to tie a tie yourself? What words or concepts were you unfamiliar with as a child? How and when did you learn the true meaning of them? Do you consider it normal or bad manners if a child stares at an adult? Why or why not? Do you remember as a child being around any adults whom you disliked? What was the reason for your
dislike of them? Do you remember as a child being around any adults who you thought treated you in a superior way? What did they do? How did you react? Have you ever been ashamed of the way
you treated your brother or sister? What did you do? Did you ever try to make up for your behavior? Can you remember a time when one adult told you one thing, and another adult contradicted it? What were
your feelings? Can you remember a time when you were confused by what adults were doing? What were the circumstances?
Post-viewing/Post-reading Discussion Questions and Quotes Below is a list of discussion questions for you to pose to your students after viewing the film or reading the book. These questions also serve
to stimulate students' thinking about the various themes in A Death in the Family. Preface and Part I (Chapters 1–7) "I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a
child." Have there been times when you felt you were acting younger than your actual age? What were the circumstances? "[Rufus] felt that although his father loved their home and loved all of them, he was
more lonely than the contentment of this family could help; that it even increased his loneliness, or made it hard for him not to be lonely." Have you ever known anyone who you felt was very lonely? Do you think this
person was happy or unhappy? Jay "had known from away back that his father was sort of useless without ever meaning to be…" Do you know anyone like this? Do you think this person is happy or unhappy? "You can go home, it's good to go home, but you never really get all the way home again in your life." Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? When his mother sang the song "Go Tell Aunt
Rhoda," Rufus thought that Rhoda "was like her name, mysterious and gray." Are there any names that you feel are mysterious? Are there any names that you associate with other particular traits?
Part II (Chapters 8-13) When Mary received the call about Jay's accident, the caller asked for her to "send a man out." Under similar circumstances, would this same request be made or a wife today? Mary said, "There's nothing there to resent any more, or worry over, or be grieved by, for any of us, and hasn't been for a long time, thank God." About when she said she wanted to marry Jay, she said later,
"Papa was right there'd be trouble—more than he'll ever know or nay of you…" What do you think might have been the cause of trouble/uncertainty in their relationship in the past? When Hannah was with Mary,
thinking of Mary's possible loss, Hannah thought, "Her soul is beginning to come of age…" What did she mean by that? About buying a car, Catherine said, "We mustn't—stand—in the way—of Progress." Today,
buying a car would not be thought of as "progress." What purchases would be though of as being "progress" today? About the accident Mary said, "I don't want to sleep…I've got to learn how it happened." Do
you think it was natural that Mary was so insistent on learning the details of the wreck? Obviously, the religious life was important to several characters, although not to Jay. Andrew said to Mary, "He
wasn't a Christian, you know…He didn't have to make his peace with God." Do you think this was a comfort to Mary or a worry? Why? Joel thinks that "…it was at just [Mary's] age that his own life had
had its throat twisted, and not by death, but by her own birth and her brother's." Why would he have thought of his children's birth as having his throat "twisted"? Joel said about Mary's religion, "Only
one thing: take the greatest kind of care you don't just—crawl into it like a hole and hide in it." Why did he warn her about this? Was he justified? When Andrew gave the account of the accident, he did not
tell the family that the driver whom Jay passed had described Jay as being "crazy drunk." Was Andrew right or wrong to leave this information out? Why? "In a light, vindictive voice [Andrew] told [the
family], "[The doctor] said [Jay's accident] was just a chance in a million." Why was Andrew so vindictive to have said that? Andrew told of all the things that could have happened if Jay had lived. Was
this a good idea or not? Why? Joel thought that epitaphs existed so "you can feel you've got some control over the death, you own
it, you choose a name for it." What do you think is the purpose of epitaphs? Mary said that Joel's epitaph should be "In his strength." Was that a good choice? Why or why not? The implication
was that Ralph, being an undertaker, had suggested that he should take charge of the arrangements. Do you think this was what should have happened? Why or why not? Four of the people in Mary's house thought
that they had heard or felt the presence of someone, and Mary insisted that it was the presence of Jay. Do you think it was? Do you think that Agee intended the readers to think so? How do you think that
Catherine felt when Mary asked Hannah and not her to stay the night? Why? Rufus was named for his great-grandfather, Rufus Lynch. Do you know why you were given your name? Are there any family connections
with your name or the names of any of your siblings? "When [Rufus] walked away [from the children who were teasing him], or when he refused to answer, he always realized that in some way he had defeated
them." Has this ever happened to you? What were your feelings? Rufus and his family went to visit Rufus' great-great-grandmother, who was either 103 or 104 years old. Who is the oldest person in your
family? Who is the oldest person you know or have known? What do you remember about relatives whom you've rarely seen? Part III (Chapters 14–20) Rufus had trouble understanding what an
"eight foot embankment" was. How would you explain that concept to a child? How would you explain "instantly" or "concussion"? How would you respond if Rufus had said to you that it had been his father's
concussion, and not God, which had "put him to sleep"? Walter gives a description of Jay and Jay's beginnings. What might Jay's life have been like before we the readers knew him? Do you think
Mr. Starr was right or wrong to go against Mary's wishes let the children see the procession? Why? There is the suggestion of differences in religion in the book. Do you think that people still discriminate
on the basis of religion? What are the reasons behind your opinion? The imagery of A Death in the Family
is perhaps its most compelling feature. What parts of the work made you feel as if you were there? Ideas for Further Research and Writing 1. This novel took
place in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1915. Research your town or area for the year 1915. What was the population? Where did people go and what did they do for recreation? What was the major means of transportation? What
were large businesses in the town at that time? What were some of the important local news stories that year? 2. Were streetcars ever in use in your town? If so, find some historical pictures of them and
share with the class. 3. Pretend you are a reporter for the local paper and write an article telling about the wreck which killed Jay Follett. 4. There are a number of references to the Roman
Catholic religion. Research this faith and report some of its beliefs to the class. 5. In 1958, James Agee posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for A Death in the Family. Established by
Joseph Pulitzer, the Pulitzer Prizes honor distinction in American literature, journalism, drama and music. Research this famous award and report the winners for the current year. 6. In 1947, the famous
American composer Samuel Barber (who, like James Agee, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize) wrote a work for soprano and orchestra called Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Research the life of this gifted composer and about
the development of the musical piece. 7. Web sites with information about Barber include:
http://www.schirmer.com/composers/barber_bio.html
8. Web sites with information about the piece include:
http://www.proarte.org/notes/barber.htm
http://fmg-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/prognotes/barber/knoxville.html
http://www.loudounsymphony.org/notes/barber-knoxville.html
9. A Death in the Family
was dramatized earlier under the title All the Way Home, which one the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1961. Read this play and write an essay comparing and contrasting it to the book or film.
10. In the summer of 1998, writer Jack Neely went to Knoxville to compare the city of the late 20th
century to the Knoxville that Agee had so eloquently described in 1915. Read Neely's piece at http://weeklywire.com/ww/06-08-98/knox_feat.html
and then write an essay comparing and contrasting the city in the two time periods.11. This production of A Death in the Family is directed by Gilbert Cates, who also directed such movies as
Innocent Victims (1996), Two Faces of Evil (1994), Do You Know the Muffin Man? (1989), and Fatal Judgement (1988), along with many more. See a complete list at http://us.imdb.com/Name?Cates,+Gilbert. View another of Cates' movies and then write an essay comparing and contrasting that film with A Death in the Family.12. What do you feel was the most
moving part of the book or scene in the movie? What is it about this part or scene that you find so poignant? 13. Reread the preface, titled "Knoxville: Summer, 1915." Then write a similar piece describing
your town either last summer or the summer when you were six years old. 14. Ralph said, "I know Paw n all of us would feel it was mighty strange if his oldest boy, the one he always thought the most of…."
Given what you know about Jay's family, do you think that Ralph was right? Defend your opinion. Alternately, do research on sibling rivalry and report to the class. 15. Note the way that the sounds of a car
starting are written in Chapter 2. Pick something else that has a distinctive sound and recreate its sounds on paper. 16. Rufus thought that "Swing low, sweet cherryut" (which he thought was the spelling
and the capitalization) was "the best song of all." Research this famous spiritual. If you have RealAudio, you can hear "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" by clicking the link at http://www.babycenter.com/general/6747.html. Perhaps you can talk your teacher into giving you extra credit points for singing it yourself.17. Catherine's Lynch's deafness caused her to use a hearing
trumpet. View a picture of a hearing trumpet at
http://www.moray.gov.uk/museums/homes/trumpet.htm. In addition, the site at http://www.hearingcenteronline.com/museum.shtml has more information on the history of improving hearing, and it also has more sketches of hearing trumpets: Research this history and report to the class.
18. Hannah had ordered [The] Grammar of Ornament, a book by Owen Jones originally published in 1856. Find out what made this book so special. One web site with information about it is http://www.octavo.com/collections/projects/jnsgrm/index.html
.19. Jay Follett's Morris chair is mentioned several times in A Death in the Family. Named after its designer, William Morris, a Morris
chair is a large easy chair with arms, an adjustable back, and removable cushions. View a Morris chair by visiting these sites: http://www.scrollsaw.com/FD724730.htm and http://www.gasperetti.com/morrischair.html. Alternately, research the fascinating life and designs of William Morris, the versatile 19th-century craftsman, writer, and political figure.20.
Rufus' mother sang the popular song "Go Tell Aunt Rhoda.". If you're not familiar with this song, you can read the lyrics at http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/g015.html.21. The pants that Rufus wore were
"short and soft." Research the fashions for the year 1915 and report to the class. Information about women's fashions can be found at http://www.vintagevixen.com/rareVintage.asp?decade=1910. Both men's and women's fashions are discussed at http://www.trailend.org/dow_fashion.htm. You can see some vintage fashions from that era and see their
current selling prices at http://www.victoriana.com/antiques/costum3.html
.22. Note that in that time period some words were used "with a special kind of hesitancy or shyness": pregnancy, kicking, discharge.
Write an essay telling why such words were used with hesitancy or shyness. 23. While they were waiting news about Jay, Joel was reading The New Republic. This magazine is still being printed, and
you can read portions of it online at http://www.thenewrepublic.com/. By reading either a printed copy of the magazine or an article online, report to the class about some of the articles in the current issue.24. In
looking for Ralph's telephone number, Mary couldn't remember it. She says, "You'll have to ask Central." In days gone by, telephone calls were routed in a much different way than today. Research the history of the
telephone. You might use one of this site:
http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/albell/homepage.html 25. In the middle of the book/movie, there is a discussion of different
beliefs about life immediately after death. Research how various cultures of religions feel about what happens to a soul right after death.26. The song "Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown" plays a part in Rufus
being teased by the older children. This famous song, by Andrew B. Sterling and Harry von Tilzer, was composed in 1904. If you have RealAudio, you can hear the tune at http://www.primeshop.com/midlist3.htm
(click on "What You Goin' Do When the Rent Comes 'Round"). Find copies of other famous von Tilzer songs such as " I'll be with you in Apple Blossom Time," "Take Me Out To the Ball Game," "A Bird In A Gilded Cage," "Wait 'Til The Sun Shine, Nellie", and "I Want a Girl, Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad," and share these with the class. You can also find a biography of Harry von Tilzer at
http://nfo.net/.CAL/tv4.html. Read this and share your findings with the class.27. "…[B]eside the front door there hung a great knotted bloom and a streamer of black cloth." The women were
"all veiled in black." Black often symbolizes sorrow or mourning, and in the Christian tradition, black is worn to funerals. Research other colors that have symbolic meaning and report your findings to the class. what
other colors have symbolic references 28. Today we have a number of anti-drunk driving programs in place, programs that might have helped save Jay Follett's life. Research some local or national programs
and report your findings to the class. 29. In appreciation of Agee's imagery, try to create for a reader something in your childhood: describe your room, the celebration of a particular holiday, a drive
with members of your family, older members of your family, a shopping expedition with a member of your family—any everyday or extraordinary site or experience that you remember vividly.
30. Knoxville in the 21st century is quite a different city than it was when A Death in the Family
is set. Research Knoxville today, either through printed or online sources. Some web sites for Knoxville today: are
http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/
http://www.kvine.com
http://www.goknox.com 31. "Tin Lizzie" is the nickname given to the Ford Model T
automobile, which was first introduced in 1908 and at one time was the most popular car in America. Research this famous car by using print or online sources. Some web sites that may be helpful are
http://www.modelt.org/thecars.html
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html About James Agee1. (Rufus) James Agee had an interesting and tragic life, one with many parallels to A Death in the Family. His own father died on May 16, 1915. in an
automobile accident when Agee was just six years old. Ironically James Agee also died (unexpectedly, while riding in a New York City cab going to a doctor's appointment) on May 16—the same day and month as his father
had died. Research Agee's life and report other interesting highlights about it to the class.
2. Get additional insight into Agee's life by reading Letters of James Agee to Father Flye (1962). Report some of your findings to the class. 3. Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
(1941), with photographs by Walker Evans, won the two men fame for the book's commentary on Depression-era sharecroppers and the social injustices they endured. Read and review this book for the class. 4. Agee on Film
(1958, 1960) is a two-volume collection of James Agee's film criticism. Check the library for either copy and write an essay supporting or rebutting one of Agee's essays. 5. Perhaps the most famous movie associated with Agee is his work on the adaptation of The African Queen
(1951), which starred Humphrey Bogart and Kathryn Hepburn. (Agee shared the Oscar with co-writer John Huston for Best Screenplay Adaptation.) View this classic and then write a movie critique of it.6. In
addition to being a writer of fiction, James Agee was also a screenwriter. One of the movies which he wrote was The Night of the Hunter
(1955), directed by Charles Laughton and starring Shelly Winters and Robert Mitchum. View this film noir thriller and write a movie review of it. 7. Agee also contributed to writing the movie
Face to Face, a Western released in 1952, which was an adaptation of Stephen Crane's ``Bride Comes to Yellow Sky.'' In fact, Agee also has a small role in the movie as a prisoner. View this film and write an essay
comparing and contrasting it to A Death in the Family. 8. Read Agee's magazine article about actor/comedian Buster Keaton in the September 5, 1949, issue of Life
magazine. You can read it online at
http://www.geocities.com/~oldbrit/bklifemag.html. Then compare the style used in A Death in the Family to that of this article.Literary Devices Because it is such a poetic piece of prose, students will find rich imagery in A Death in the Family
in almost every line. Below are some examples that illustrate James Agee's use of other literary devices in A Death in the Family. There are many other examples for students to discover.
Preface and Part I (Chapters 1-7) Simile "The mothers stayed back in the kitchen washing and drying, putting things away, recrossing their traceless footsteps like the lifetime journeys of
bees, measuring out the dry cocoa for breakfast. And yet it is habitual to summer nights, and is of the great order of noises, like the noises of the sea and
" …[the auto's] poring shafts of light, like and insect's antennae…" "The man clacked his tongue like an old woman…" "[Children] shot like the winners of impossible victories…"
" …she was swollen up like a vase…" " She…looked at him almost as if she were threading a needle." " …she disappeared around a corner…handsomely and gradually as a sailboat."
" …an outcrop of limestone like a great bundle of dirty laundry." Repetition "…on past and past and past…" Alliteration "…hung havens, hangars…"
"The moistures of May…" " …the blossoming peach tree shone like a celestial sentinel." "Couplings clashed and conjoined…" " Children are violent and valiant…"
Personification Deep in the valley an engine coughed and browsed… …the trembling lanterns of the universe [the air] seemed to be the breathing, the whispering of the stars
: …the leaves which silently breathed "Darkness said:…" Foreshadowing "Naw: I'll probably be back before they're asleep'"
"Well, he thought: we've all got to go sometime." "…[Mary] realized what the bereavement would mean to Jay's mother…" "…For [Mary] had never before so clearly put into words, into visible
recognitions, their religious difference, or the importance of the difference to her." …so no doubt we needn't worry." "…God lets you go to sleep and you can't see people any more." "Swing low, sweet charryut…Comin for to carry me home. "A band of angels comin after me…" Allusion "I look over Jordan what do I see…"
"In a closed drug store stood Venus de Milo…." Comic relief Rufus said, "I bet [dogs] sneaked [into heaven] when [God] wasn't looking." And some
combinations of two literary devices Simile and assonance: "The stars are wide and alive, they seem each like a smile of great sweetness…" Simile and alliteration:
"…the great country rode away behind [William S. Hart] as wide as the world." Simile and onomatopoeia: "Far down the sunlight, like a bumblebee, a yellow streetcar buzzed."
Simile and cliché: " mad as a hornet…" Part Two (Chapters 8-13) Simile "…[Andrew's] own eyes were as hard and bright as those of a bird…" " …the air felt like iron…" " [Andrew's] eyes like splintered glass…" [Cousin Patty was][ yelling like a stuck pig…" "…[Andrew[ slapped his hand through the air at [Mary] as if she had been a mosquito. "Faith] bounces up like a jack-in-the-box." "[Grandma Lynch] smelled like new mushrooms and old spices and sweat, like [Rufus's] fingernail when it was coming off."
"Vague light sparkled in the crackled blue of the eye like some kind of remote ancestor's anger…" Foreshadowing "I think…I must have been too afraid of what he would have to say." [Hannah says,] "Whatever we hear, learn…it's almost certain to be hard….You're beginning to know that and to face it: very bravely. What I mean is that this is only the beginning. You'll learn much more." "…his mother commented on how very nicely and carefully his father always drove when he didn't just forget and go too fast…" Alliteration
"…she felt as if a prodigious page were being silently turned…" "… in a small, stupefied, soft voice." "…grand great lift of grayish blue…"
"…bronzy bulges that looked as if they were blown up tight like balloons…" Allusion "Thy will be done." " Jude the Obscure, he suddenly thought…"
"…once more unto the breach." "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit…"
"'As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport.'" "'A tale told by an idiot…signifying nothing.'" "' Is this a dagger that I see before me?'"
"'But you've got tomorrow to reckon with.' And tomorrow and tomorrow." "…he still thought he was Shelley, watching the river." "How still we see thee lie….Above thy deep and dreamless sleep,
the silent stars go by. Yet in they dark streets shineth…the everlasting light!…The hopes and fears…Of all the years…Are met in thee tonight." "Into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Idiom
"…the watched pot." Personification "It was just the flat of the hand of Death." Cliché "She made her bed…" "
She ran around like a chicken with its head off." "[The effect of liquor] can hit you like a ton of bricks." "[Jay] was jus the apple of her eye…."
"…[those beliefs are] as old as the hills…" "Can't eat your cake and have it…" Comic Relief Mama suggests that they didn't prolong their discussion any further, but she didn't know
they were talking about how much Mary had had to drink. This causes Mary and Andrew to start laughing, breaking up the tense moments that had come before. Symbolism "The footsteps of a man,
walking slowly, became gradually louder along the sidewalk, and passed the house, and diminished into silence…." Metaphor "…[Rufus] …kissed her paper mouth…and the cold sweet breath of rotting and
of spice broke from her…" Part Three (CHAPTER 14–20) Simile "…in a voice like hot ashes…" "…like the slow emergence of the countryside into first daylight…"
"Their little sounds…vanished…like the infinitesimal whisperings of snow, falling on open water." "…[H]e heard the motions of her lips as softly again as that falling silence in which the whole world
snowed…" "…solemn wonder tolled in him like the shuddering of a prodigious bell…" "…Catherine, in an enchantment of pain and loneliness, stayed like a stone."
"…a cloud came over and there was a shadow just like iron…" Personification "…the streetcar raised and quieted its grim, iron cry…" Symbolism "Take off that cap!" his Aunt
Hannah snapped with frightening sternness…"Oh, Hannah, no., let him," his mother said in her strange voice, "he was so crazy for Jay to see it…" "…he became aware that his cap was pushed crooked against her
and he felt that he ought to take it off but that he ought not to movie just now to take it off.…" "Before he did anything about Catherine he put his cap back in the tissue paper…" "
I wanted to show you my cap, he added, silently…." "…a perfectly magnificent butterfly settled on the—coffin, just rested there,…just barely making his wings breathe, like a heart….He never stirred….[A]nd
he flew up out of that—hole in the ground, …so high I couldn't see him any more." Euphemism "…put to sleep…" Comic relief Hannah tells Rufus that his father had had
an accident, and Catherine thinks of the word accident in the way a small child would: that he didn't get to the bathroom on time. Rufus uses a strange form of math when he he decides that he's an orphan. Rufus' has great confusion about the word gramophone; he thinks Walter is talking about his grandmother phoning. Cliché "…crazy as a loon…." Irony "…led them through the Green Room and into the living room." Oxymoron "There had been, even, a kind of pride, a desolate kind of pleasure in the feeling…." Alliteration
"…stared down into the grim grain of the carpet." Metaphor and alliteration "…a bracelet of bruise." Religious references Students may find it useful to understand of these religious references, which may not be familiar to them: "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" is a reference to the Christian belief of
the Holy Trinity (i.e., that there are three separate beings in one God). The "Hail Mary" is a prayer common in the Roman Catholic religion.
The "Holy Family" refers to Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph. The "tangle of brown beads and a little cross" is a rosary, which Roman Catholics use for prayer; a separate prayer is said while on each
bead. "Holy water" refers to water that has been blessed by a priest. Catholics begin and end prayers with the Sign of the Cross, which is made by touching the forehead, the breastbone, the
left shoulder and the right shoulder. Note: If you are discussing the book, you might also point out that references to the Deity are capitalized. Vocabulary Preface and Part 1 (Chapters 1-7) abominations = scandals
abyss = gulf, deep hole
adroitly = skillfully
aestival = relating to summer
aghast = amazed
ambiguous = vague, unclear
ardent = dedicated, committed
avaricious = greedy
averted = turned away
bereavement = mourning, grief
beseech = beg
beseeching = imploring, begging
bias = diagonal line
brusquely = abruptly
celestial = starry
chafed = irritated
clamor = noise, uproar
conjoined = met, overlapped
contagion = infection
contemporaneous = of that time period
contemptuous = sneering, disapproving
corroboration = support, confirmation
couplings = pairings, unions
dawdle = waste time
deftly = skillfully
derby = a kind of hat
desists = stops
desolation = misery
dilation = widening, expansion
disconcerted = unsettled, thrown off balance
discreet = tasteful, understated
discrete = separate
dram = a small portion of something to drink
drone = buzz, whir
dumbfounded = astonished
ear trumpet = a funnel-shaped object to aid in hearing
effigy = image
elliptic = oval-shaped
ennobled = lofty, elevated
exasperated = annoyed
exhilarating = thrilling, invigorating
expletives = exclamatory words or phrases
ferocity = intensity
foliage = plants
four-in-hand = a type of knot for a tie
frugal = thrifty, economical
genteel = proper, refined
grandiose = extravagant
grimace = frown, scowl
haughtily = in a proud or arrogant manner
hypocrisy = insincerity, use of double standards
inaudibly = in a way that cannot be heard
inevitably = bound to happen
inexplicably = mysteriously
intimate = person one confides in
invincible = unbeatable
iterations = repeated sayings
jew's-harp = a small instrument held between the teeth and struck by the fingers
judicious = cautious, thoughtful
lackadaisical = relaxed, laid-back
laden = weighed down
latticed = made in a network or pattern
leniency = mercy
lethargic = sluggish, weary
limpid = clean, wholesome
mandolin = a musical instrument
manifold = assorted
matronly = having the characteristics of a married woman
minutiae = details
multitude = huge number
mystification = bewilderment
nebulae = galaxies
oblivious = ignorant, unaware
orifice = opening
palate = the roof of the mouth
pallor = paleness
parenthetically = as additional information
peremptory = authoritative, dictatorial
placid = easygoing
precocious = intelligent, gifted
proffered = offered
prostrate = horizontal
quietude = stillness, calmness
ravenous = hungrily
rebuff = rejection, snub
reiterate = repeat
relinquished = abandoned
repugnant = disgusting
resonant = echoing
restive = restless, impatient
saber = a type of sword
scalloped = designed in a continuous series of sections of a circle
scowl = glare, frown
scrupulous = careful, fussy
sentinel = guard
serge = a type of material
shanty = shack
sheepish = awkward, uncomfortable
skeins = coils
smoldered = glowed
somber = solemn, serious
spasm = am involuntary muscular contraction
spectacles = (eye)glasses
spittoon = a receptacle for spit
stealthiness = sneakiness
stertorous = with a snoring or grasping sound
stropped = sharpened on a leather band
stupendous = amazing, breath-taking
tack = direction, approach
unison = union
verbosity = wordiness
viaduct = overpass
water closet = toilet
windlasses = machines for hoisting or hauling
wrought = shaped Part II (Chapters 8-13) affronted = insulted
amnesia = loss of memory
annihilate = defeating
annihilating = defeating
apt = probable
atheist = a person who does not believe in God
banal = commonplace, trite
beguiled = fascinated, hypnotized
blasphemy = severe irreverence
callously = in an unfeeling or coldhearted way
capacious = spacious, roomy
careened = swayed from side to side
chasm = gulf
conspicuously = in a noticeable or obvious way
constraint = control, limitation
contagion = infection
contortion = frown
convulsing = shaking
covertly = in a secret way
creditable = admirable, commendable
desolation = misery
diffuse = thin, strewn
digression = departure from the subject
disconsolate = sad, melancholy
discreetly = in a tactful or diplomatic way
docilely = in a passive or submissive way
endearment = kind words or gestures
epitaphs = inscriptions on tombstones
estrangement = rift, separation with bad feelings
exasperate = madden, frustrate
flagrant = obvious, deliberate
Forefend = prevent
genteel = proper, refined
grimace = frown, scowl
gullibility = easiness to fool
gumption = courage
inaudibly = in a way that cannot be heard
incredulity = disbelief, amazement
incredulous = unbelieving, skeptical
infuriated = very angry
inscrutable = mysterious, unreadable
invariably = consistently, regularly
irrelevant = unrelated
kin = related
lest = in case that
levity = humor, lightheartedness
literate = able to read and write
malign = negative, harmful
manifolded = multiplied
morass = knot, jungle
obdurate = stubborn
oft soap = flattery
paltry = worthless, trivial
peremptory = authoritative, absolute
piety = goodness, devoutness
postmortem = investigation after death
prescience = insight
prodigious = abnormal, extraordinary
prodigious = remarkable, exceptional
propriety = good manners, politeness
prostrated = drained
reconcile = resolve
recurrent = persistent, frequent
reproach = criticism, scolding
resolute = firm
sacrilege = something that goes against one's religion
sardonic = mocking, sarcastic
scrupulous = careful, painstaking
sibilant = producing an s or sh sound
solace = comfort, consolation
squiffy = drunk
strenuous = tiring
stupefied = stunned
subterfuge = trickery
taciturn = silent
tangent = departure
tangible = actual, definite
(on) tenterhooks = in a state of suspense
tepid = lukewarm
thought transference = the transmission of thoughts from one mind to another
threshold = doorstep, entrance
tommyrot = foolishness, nonsense
uncanny = weird, eerie
unmitigated = absolute, sheer
vacuous = unintelligent
vengeful = unforgiving, full of revenge
venomous = spiteful, malevolent
vindicated = proven correct
vindictive = cruel, hurtful
virility = manliness
volubly = enthusiastically
wanton = immoral Part III (Chapters 14-20) abyss = deep hole; chasm
alacrity = eagerness, enthusiasm
aloof = distant, detached
bellowing = shouting
bemused = perplexed, bewildered
beseech = beg
calculated = intentional
certitude = conviction, certainty
creditable = admirable, praiseworthy
dawdle = waste time
derby = a type of hat
desolate = gloomy
disconcerted = disturbed, distressed
disconcerted = confused, flustered
disconsolately = in a gloomy way
disquisition = formal inquiry
entranced = captivated
forlorn = hopeless, dejected
gingerly = cautiously, delicately
immutable = unassailable
impaling = stabbing
imperious = commanding, authoritative
imperiously = in a haughty or domineering way
incivility = rudeness
infinitesimal = microscopic, extremely small
inscrutable = hard to understand
listlessly = without energy
malevolence = wickedness, evil
multitudinous = countless
obscene = repulsive
ominous = threatening
pervaded = infused
pervaded = spread through
priggish = straitlaced, prudish
primordial = primitive
prodigious = abnormal
quailing = trembling
quietude = tranquility, calmness
rebuffed = rejected, snubbed
rebuke = scolding
resonance = tone
restiveness = impatience, restlessness
retorted = snapped back
retrospect = looking back
reverberations = sounds, noises
revered = admired, respected
righteousness = morality, decency
shrouded = covered
spinster = an unmarried woman
stealth = sneakiness, slyness
strident = loud, shrill
submissive = passive, obedient
surpass = exceed
transcendent = awe-inspiring
translucent = transparent
vindictive = bitter
vividly = very clearly
waning = diminishing, decreasing
whorled = twisted Susan Thurman teaches at Henderson College in Kentucky. |
