Final Exam Study Guide - 2025 ELA

Significant Events in Ch. 1

perl harbor gets blown up, papa has to burn all ties with japan in hope of not being arrested, papa ends up getting arrested 

Significant Events in Ch. 2

mama tries to sell china but fails, Jeanne starts to be treated differently, Wakatsuki’s go to an island refuge/camp 

Significant Events in Ch. 3

the conditions are bad and the barrack had holes, mama’s in sad mood from all this, they plan to make the camp better

Significant Events in Ch. 4

some changes to the camp helped the situation a bit, there was sickness spreading throughout the camp, bathroom qualities were terrible

Significant Events in Ch. 5

explores the devastating breakdown of the Wakatsuki family structure at the Manzanar internment camp

Significant Events in Ch. 6

Papa comes back and becomes distant and angry at his family

shrine

 A place for worship that is holy because of a connection with a holy person or object - item

communist

a person who supports or believes in a classless society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs

textiles

 types of cloth or woven fabric

dowry

property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

bunker

a reinforced underground shelter, typically for use in war

shlep

to haul or carry

bachelor

a man who is not and has never been married

Anti-semitic

prejudice or discrimination against Jews

agency

the idea that a person can make a choice to help himself

imperative

something that is absolutely necessary, urgent, or demands immediate attention 

ghetto

a section of the city where Jews were forced to live, usually with several families living in one house, before being shipped to camps

inducement

anything used to persuade or motivate someone to take a specific action 

prey

Beyond the natural food chain, the word is also used to describe a person or entity that is exploited, victimized, or deceived by others

Naturalization

the act on the part of a government of granting full citizenship to a foreign born person

Nisei

second generation; born in the United States; children of people born in Japan

incalculable

something that is too large, extreme, or complex to be measured, counted, or predicted

anguish

terrible pain

Samurai

a warrior in the service of a lord in medieval Japan

Convulsive

resembling a spasm; uncontrollable

Burden

a heavy load, a difficult responsibility, or a duty that is hard to bear

Flourish

to grow, thrive, or prosper in a healthy and vigorous way

Allusion

when the author makes a reference that calls to mind another story

Tone

the general attitude or feeling of a piece of writing or dialogue;                                                      we can use the literal meanings and connotations of words and the context to determine the tone

Dialogue

 a conversational exchange of ideas, words, or opinions between two or more people, characters, or entities

Direct Characterization

 a literary device where the author or narrator explicitly states a character's personality, physical appearance, motivations, or background

Indirect Characterization

a storytelling technique where an author reveals a character's personality, motives, and traits through their actions, dialogue, and appearance, rather than stating them outright

Verb Mood

(indicative, interrogative, imperative, conditional, subjunctive)

Repetition

the act of doing or saying something again

Personification

a figure of speech where human qualities, emotions, or behaviors are given to non-human things

Irony

a sharp contrast or incongruity between what is expected (or said) and what actually occurs

Simile

 a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the connecting words "like" or "as"

Metaphor

a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another

Connection

act of joining/linking 2 or more things; relationship

Distinction

act of differentiating; separateness

Anecdote

a short + interesting story; may include rich description + dialogue

Categories

groups or divisions of people, things, or ideas regarded as having shared

characteristics

a distinguishing trait, feature, or quality that is typical of a person, place, or thing

What did Vladek consider when choosing a wife?

several practical and personal factors

Why did Artie want to include stories of Vladek’s life in his book?

So people can better understand the struggles of being in the holocaust

How is Vladek and his family able to survive during the war?

By moving around a lot, acting like germans and hiding in bunkers

What did Vladek find that makes him emotional towards the end of the story?

Told Art that he burned Anja diaries and Art leaves after calling him a murderer

What was the reason for Art calling Vladek a murderer at the end of the story?

He burned Anja’s diaries

After Pearl Harbor is attacked, why does Papa burn his Japanese flag and documents?

So he isn't suspected as a spy

How does the tone shift in chapter one? Provide an example for each of your selected emotions.

Gets more sad and serious

What does Woody tell the boys to do about the dust, and what does this show about him?

To cover up to holes