by Paule Marshall (American) CHARACTERS The narrator Da-duh Adry (the narrator’s mother) SETTING(s) Barbados The disembarkation shed St. Thomas New York SUMMARY OF THE STORY The narrator describes Da-duh as a woman of eighty-odd years whose face looked like a death mask but still maintained eyes that were full of spirit. She is the matriarch… Read More To Da- duh in Memoriam
by Langston Hughes (American) CHARACTERS Milberry Jones/ Berry Mrs. Osborn (head housekeeper) Dr. Renfield Martha Renfield Miss Baxter (the nurse) Mrs. Hill (the nurse) The handyman gardener – chauffeur SETTINGS New Jersey Dr. Renfield Summer Home for Crippled Children The kitchen The beach SUMMARY OF THE STORY Milberry’s story starts with his arrival at the… Read More Berry
by Kristin Hunter (American) CHARACTERS Mom Luby/ Mrs. Luby Elijah Arlethia Miss Rushmore Mr. Jenkins Mr. Luby Zerline Bobo Lucas Mose Jake SETTING(s) The United States of America 19th century (The great depression) The welfare office Division Street SUMMARY OF THE STORY The story has a first-person child narrator, Elijah. Elijah and his sister Puddin’… Read More Mom Luby and the Social Worker
Pearl Crayton (American) CHARACTERS The narrator Rena Miss Daya The narrator’s mother The narrator’s father/the deacon Reverend Davis Catherine Sam SETTINGS 1936 United States of America Louisiana Plantation SUMMARY OF STORY Flashback is used in the story as the narrator recounts an experience she had when she was just twelve years old. The story is… Read More The Day the World Almost Came to an End – Analysis
CHARACTERS Emma York Dorian York/ Dory Jack York Maria Mrs. Ruby Robinson Frank Grandaddy (Emma’s father) SETTINGS The York’s house The mall The train station SUMMARY OF STORY Dorian or Dory is the only child of Jack and Emma. She tells the story of the relationships in her family. Dorian and her father do not… Read More Emma by Carolyn Cole (American)
Julie Tagg| Think and Write for CSEC English A and B CHARACTERS Leticia Green (Aunt Teach) June June’s mother Georgia SETTINGS 1950’s Jamaica Brooklyn New York SUMMARY OF STORY Pollard looks at love for one’s country in “Georgia and them there United States”. June is the young Jamaican narrator who gets the opportunity to visit… Read More Georgia and Them There United States by Velma Pollard (Jamaican)
CHARACTERS Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker/ Squeaky Raymond Parker Gretchen P. Lewis Rosie Mary Louise Cynthia Proctor Raphael Perez SETTINGS New York The May Day Event SUMMARY OF STORY One might say that “Raymond’s Run” is the story of both Raymond’s and Hazel’s story. Hazel tells the story and reveals the challenges she overcomes to retain… Read More Raymond’s Run by: Toni Cade Bambara (American)
Short story Novel Author Narrator Characters Setting Plot Resolution Themes Motif Conflict Types of conflict in a story CSEC prescribed list of Short Stories THEMES Childhood Experiences Family Relationship Friendship Racism, Racial Prejudice, Class Prejudice Discrimination, and Struggles Poverty Religion Women in society/ The treatment of women The Role of the Elderly Death/Dying
James Berry I wish my teacher’s eyes wouldn’t go past me today. Wish he’d know it’s okay to hug me when I kick a goal. Wish I myself wouldn’t hold back when answer comes. I’m no woodchopper now like all ancestors. I wish I could be educated to the best of tune up, and earn… Read More Dreaming Black Boy
It is the constant image of your face framed in my hands as you knelt before my chair the grave attention of your eyes surveying me amid my world of knives that stays with me, perennially accuses and convicts me of heart’s-treachery; and neither you nor I can plead excuses for you, you know, can… Read More It is the Constant Image of Your Face by Dennis Brutus
Elma Mitchell We shouted out ‘We’ve got her! Here she is! It’s her all right ‘. We caught her. There she was – A decent-looking woman, you’d have said, (They often are) Beautiful, but dead scared, Tousled – we roughed her up A little, nothing much And not the first time By any means She’d… Read More A Stone’s Throw
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;… Read More God’s Grandeur by Gerard Manley-Hopkins
Your mouth contorting in brief spite and hurt, your laughter metamorphosed into howls, your frame so recently relaxed now tight with three year old frustration, your bright eyes swimming tears, splashing your bare feet, you stand there angling for a moment’s hint of guilt or sorrow for the quick slap struck. The ogre towers above… Read More Little Boy Crying by Mervyn Morris
My parents kept me from children who were rough Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams. I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my… Read More My Parents by Stephen Spender
There are many times that we want to give up because we have “failed” or because success seems to be far away. We make many mistakes and we feel as though all hope is lost. This is not a unique experience to a specific group of people. Instead it is a common occurrence to everyone… Read More Don’t give up now… your reward is in the next chapter
Active sentences contain: S (subject) + V (verb) + O (object): George sings a song. In the sentence, George is the subject, sings is the verb which tells what George does, and the object is a song (this is the receiver of George’s action). In the English language, one can combine two basic sentences with S+V+O… Read More Rules of Grammar
Essay Topics for Raymond’s Run
Where do we go when life becomes too much to handle? Do we retreat and shut down or do we forge ahead? Do we make a new path amidst the chaos that paves the road we are traveling? Where do we go when the calm disappears and all that’s left is the chaos?
As humans we complain constantly about the big and the small things that happen in our lives. We complain unnecessarily but we are responsible for the choices that we make. We stay in situations because we CHOOSE to. We refuse to explore the world because we CHOOSE to. We shy away from opportunities because we… Read More Why do we complain when we made the choices?
We all get to the point where we “find” ourselves. We find that as we get older, we don’t see things the way we once did. People change because of the circumstances they encounter. We no longer appreciate the changes that we see in others because we have changed as well. We no tolerate insecurities,… Read More We change because life changes.
Do YOU For YOU. Think about YOU For YOU . Grow YOU For YOU. Love YOU For YOU. Learn For YOU… And no one else.
Birdshooting season the men make marriages with their guns My father’s house turns macho as from far the hunters gather All night long contentless women stir their brews: hot coffee chocolata, cerassie wrap pone and tie-leaf for tomorrow’s sport. Tonight the men drink white rum neat. In darkness shouldering their packs, their guns, they leave… Read More Birdshooting Season by Olive Senior
Wilfred Owen Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf… Read More Dulce et Decorum Est
As we move through life, we wonder at the value that we place on education and success. But education is more than gathering information in a structured setting and with a structured curriculum. Education can be garnered from your daily experiences. It can be garnered from some of the simplest activities that we engage in.… Read More Knowledge means growth… how will you grow?
by Mark McWatt You think I like all this stupidness gallivanting all night without skin burning myself out like cane –fire To frighten the foolish? And for what? A few drops of baby blood? You think I wouldn’t rather take my blood seasoned in fat black-pudding, like everyone else? And don’t even talk ‘bout the… Read More Ol’ Higue
Don’t worry about whether you will fail or succeed. Instead worry about whether you are willing to take the chances that will change your life… Julie Tagg
Chances plus changes equals growth Personal growth starts with a positive mindset. It is developed through the chances that you take and the way you embrace the changes that come with these chances.. It builds on the need to become a better you… It never ends because each day brings new opportunities that will challenge… Read More Learning to grow
How do we learn? Many times we may not grasp a concept the way that other persons may do. So, we feel dejected and begin to doubt our abilities. We begin to think that we are not competent or we just are not good enough to live up to the expectations of others. This lowers… Read More Choosing your learning style
Animal Farm – Important traits of the characters in the Story NAPOLEON AND SNOWBALLNapoleon emerges as the leader of the farm after the rebellion. He is more deceitful and dangerous than Snowball. Like Joseph Stalin, Napoleon intimidates others and consolidates his power using military force (his nine loyal attack dogs). SNOWBALL challenges Napoleon to… Read More Characters in Orwell’s Animal Farm
Literary Devices Explanation Action The main action in the novel is that the children are fascinated with Boo Radley, the trial of Tom Robinson, and his demise. The rising action is the children’s fascination of Boo. The falling action is the threats of Bob Ewell to Atticus and Boo saving the children from Bob Ewell.… Read More Literary Devices in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Tom Robinson versus Bob Ewell There is the major conflict between Tom and Bob Ewell, and this represents the person versus person conflict. The African American, Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The trial is long, and it increases the segregation in the society. Atticus is white and he chooses… Read More Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” – CONFLICT
Jean Louise Finch or Scout is the narrator and the main character of the novel. Atticus Finch is her father, and he is a lawyer who holds a high moral standard. Jem is Scout’s brother. He is older but he shares her adventures. Dill is their friend who comes to visit during the summer.… Read More Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” – Summary
Historical Background to the novel The novel was set at a time when racial prejudice was dominant in the southern states. Harper Lee’s home state: Alabama was not immune to the racial challenges that existed in these segregated southern states. Blacks were forced to live in the segregated society. These blacks were also forced… Read More Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Historical Setting)
Characters Jean Louise Finch (Scout) The main character and narrator. She tells the story of herself being a rebellious tomboy who is fierce towards those who challenge her. But she has a good heart and sees the goodness of people. Jeremy Finch (Jem) He is Scout’s older brother. He is quiet and reserved… Read More Characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
