Answer two of the following questions about the characters in the novel. Use complete sentences, and provide paragraph answers of at least five sentences for each question.
Each paragraph should include a topic sentence, and at least two supporting points with reference to the novel (in the form of quotations or explanation) and a concluding statement.
This assignment requires you to carefully consider what the author tells you in the novel, and explain how the information helps you to understand the character.
Read David's description of Uncle Axel in chapter 4, page 29. He is described as sturdy, seasoned, weathered, tanned, and having a kinship with polished wood. Does this man appear to be governed by human-made or natural laws? Which would be more appropriate for him? Explain.
Uncle Axel lives by different rules from Joseph Strorm. When David says he wants to run away Uncle Axel tells him: "If you run away from a thing just because you don't like it, you don't like what you find either" (p. 57). Later, when David asks him what the world is like outside of Labrador, he says "when people are used to believing a thing is such-and-such a way, and the preachers want them to believe that's the way it is; it's trouble you get, not thanks, for upsetting their ideas…." (p. 57). How are these pieces of advice useful to David? What can he learn from Uncle Axel?
Later Uncle Axel says to David, "A lot of people saying that a thing is so, doesn't prove it is so. I'm telling you that nobody, nobody really knows what is the true image" (p. 64). How do his ideas differ from Joseph Strorm's?
Uncle Axel helps David to accept his abilities. He says that "What makes man man is mind; it's not a thing, it's a quality… Man got his physical shape - the true image, they call it - before he even knew he was man at all. It's what happened inside, after that, that made him human. He discovered he had what nothing else had, mind. That put him on a different level" (p. 80). How does Uncle Axel view David's ability? Is it something for David to forget about, or use carefully? Explain.
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES
Character Questions
Evaluation:
Description
Marks
Paragraph Scoring Guide/question
6
Total:
/12
Your paragraphs will be marked for content and form. Take some time to consider your answers, write a first draft before you write your final responses, and if you can, ask someone to read your rough draft to see if they have any suggestions for improvements. Take a look at the Paragraph Scoring Guide to ensure you have included everything you need for a complete paragraph.
The Paragraph Scoring Guide will be used to mark your reflection. Click on the pdf icon to view the scoring guide.
