Honors English Final Study Guide

Esperanza

The main character in The House on Mango Street. She writes and she wants to live a better life than the other women on her street.

Mama

Esperanza’s mom

Aunt Lupe

Esperanza’s Aunt. Ol

Lois

Esperanza’s crush’s girlfriend

Papa

Esperanza’s dad. He loses his father.

Nenny

Esperanza’s sister

Rafaela

Esperanza’s neighbor who is trapped in her house by her husband. She regularly has Esperanza and her friends get her coconut and papaya juice.

Sally

Esperanza’s more mature friend. She is abused by her father and betrays Esperanza.

Minerva

A girl around Esperanza’s age who is married with two kids.

Marin

Teaches Esperanza about boys

Rachel and Lucy

Esperanza’s friends that she eventually dumps for Sally.

Sire

Esperanza’s crush

Alicia

Trying to go to college, but her father makes her take her dead mothers place as the person who has to cook and clean. She is up late at night studying and sees mice in the house.

Vargas kids

The bad neighborhood kids whose mother is too overwhelmed to discipline and take care of them.

Mr. Benny

The grocery store owner. Tells the girls to take off their high heels.

Geraldo

Gets hit by a car and dies because no one knows his name and the doctors won’t help him.

Cathy

Her family leaves Mango Street because they say it’s getting “too bad”

Four skinny trees

The trees outside of Esperanza’s house that she compares herself to because they are both stuck in Mango Street, a place that they don’t belong.

Women in windows

Women that are trapped in their houses by their husbands.

Shoes

Transformation from girlhood to womanhood.

Storytelling/writing

Helps Esperanza feel free from society.

Hope

Esperanza hopes for a better life away from Mango Street

Self Identity

Esperanza learns who she is and acknowledges her name and street

Poverty

Many of the people in Mango Street are in poverty and that’s why they can’t get out.

Racism

Esperanza faces racism at her school and so do other characters

Sexism

The author uses gender roles to show how many women are trapped in their marriages.

Experience

As Esperanza experiences new things she matures and grows.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word from a sound it’s associated with

Synthesia

One sense is described in terms of another

Assonance

The repetition of a vowel sound

Verbal Irony

Understood as meaning something that contrasts with the literal meaning

Situational Irony

When the outcome is the opposite from what was expected

What was TMDG based off of

Richard Connell’s experience in WW1

Cossak

Russian/Ukranian mercenaries in the 1900s

Traps set in TMDG

Malay Man catcher, Burmese Tiger Pit, Ugandan Spring Trap

Cask

Barrel

Amontillado

Wine

Themes in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Revenge, remorse, and pride

Suspense used in “The Cask of Amontillado”

The first line that Montresor is out for revenge.

Where does “the Cask of Amontillado” take place?

Venice, Italy

Carnival Season

Christian carnival that represents energy and life.

Irony in “The Cask of Amontillado”

Fortunado dressed like a clown because he’s a fool.

Montresor Family Crest

A snake biting the foot that is stepping on it. It means revenge.

Symbolism in “The Scarlet Ibis”

The scarlet ibis represents Doodle

Parallels between the ibis and Doodle

Both of their lives are fragile and they died in a storm.

Death Omens

The bleeding tree, the storm, and the scarlet ibis.

Where does the color red appear in “The Scarlet Ibis?”

The bleeding tree and scarlet ibis. They represent blood and death.

Selfishness vs Selflessness

Brother helps Doodle, but for his own personal benefit.

Pride

Pride bears life and death. It is both good and bad

Where is “Thank You, Ma’am” set

Harlem, a black neighborhood in NYC

Trust

Mrs. Jones reveals her past and helps Roger

Breaking the cycle

Mrs. Jones is breaking the cycle by helping Roger and setting him on the right path

Harlem Renaissance

Revival of African American music, art, literature, theater, and politics

Unexpected kindness

Even though Roger tired to rob Mrs. Jones she helps him and gives him food and money

How does Roger change throughout the story?

He gained respect for himself and others

What were Mrs. Jones motivations

She was once like Roger and she wanted to break the cycle and put him on the right path

Romeo

Montague that is in love with Juliet, he dies

Juliet

Capulet who is in love with Romeo. She died

Mercutio

The Princes relative and Romeos best friend. Gets stabbed by Tybalt and died

Tybalt

Juliet's cousin. Romeo kills him out of revenge

Lady Capulet

Juliet's mom

Lord Capulet

Juliet's dad

Friar Laurence

A priest who marries Romeo and Juliet

Benvolio

Romeos cousin

The Nurse

Juliet's other figure who helps her marry Romeo, but then betrays her

The Montagues

Romeos parents

Paris

Wants to marry Juliet and Romeo kills him

What are the effects in Verona from the fields between families

Lots of fights and deaths

Why is Romeo upset in most of Act1?

Because Rosaline rejected him

How do Romeo and Mercutio view love differently?

Romeo loves love and Mercutio thinks it's a joke

How does Caplet initially react to Paris proposal and how does that change?

First he tells Paris to wait a couple of years, but then he arranges a marriage in a few days

How do Benvolio and Romeo find out about the Capulet ball?

A servant, that can't read, asks Romeo to read the party invite

Why does Romeo want to go to the ball and why does Benvolio?

Romeo wants to go to see Roasline and Benvolio wants to go so Romeo will meet someone new

How does Tybalt react to Romeo at the feast? Why is this significant?

Tybalt gets mad and wants to kick him out. This is significant because it leads to the duel later on in the play.

How do Romeo and Juliet meet and what is their first interaction?

They meet at the Capulet ball. They kiss and fall in love immediately.

How do Romeo and Juliet meet up again after their first encounter at the feast?

Romeo climbs into the Capulet yard to see Juliet on her balcony.

What does Juliet mean in her “What’s in a name” speech?

She means that names distinguish people, but they have no real meaning.

What do Romeo and Juliet decide at the balcony scene?

To get married

How does Friar Laurence react to Romeo wanting to marry Juliet?

He doesn't think they should marry, but he agrees to do it to unite the families.

How does word get to Romeo about how he and Juliet are going to meet up?

The Nurse

What has Romeo received from Tybalt?

A letter challenging him to a duel

What is Juliet and the Nurse’s relationship?

The Nurse is a mother-figure to Juliet.

How does Romeo react to Tybalt’s insults in Act 3?

Romeo says he loves him because he is a Capulet.

How does the fight begin and what happens?

Mercutio fights Tybalt on behalf of Romeo and Mercutio dies. Romeo kills Tybalt out of revenge.

What is the Prince’s decree after the fight?

He says that Romeo is banished and if he found in Verona he will be executed.

How does Juliet feel about Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment?

Juliet is glad that Tybalt died and not Romeo, but she is devastated that Romeo is banished.

How does the Nurse miscommunicate what has happened at first?

She makes it seem like Romeo died.

How do Juliet and Romeo each show they’re emotional rather than logical reactions in Act 3?

Romeo kills Tybalt out of rage. Juliet is more upset about Romeo being banished than her cousin being murdered.

What is the Friar’s plan for Romeo?

He has Romeo move to Mantua

Describe Romeo and Juliet’s last scene together.

Juliet says it’s not time for Romeo to leave yet, but Romeo says he has to go. When Romeo climbs down from her bedroom Juliet says she saw a vision of Romeo looking like a corpse, foreshadowing his death.

How does Juliet react to her upcoming marriage?

She is very upset and says she won’t marry Paris.

How did the date of PAris and Juliet’s marriage move?

First, Capulet tells Paris he must wait a couple of years to marry Juliet. Then, Capulet moves the date to that Thursday. Then, he moves the date again to Wednesday.

What is the Friar’s plan for Juliet once he learns of her upcoming marriage to Paris?

He gives her a potion that will make it look like she is dead. After she is pt in the Capulet vault she will wake up and run away with Romeo.

How does the Nurse “betray” Juliet? How does Juliet respond?

The Nurse tells Juliet to marry Paris. Juliet is upset, but doesn't show it.

Explain the irony in how Juliet talks to her mom about Romeo.

Juliet talks about wanting to marry Romeo, but he mom thinks she’s comparing marrying Romeo to the worst thing ever.

Who first finds Juliet “dead” and how does everyone react?

The Nurse finds Juliet “dead'“. Everyone is devastated about Juliet’s death.

Compare Romeo’s dream with the news Balthasar delivers him.

Romeo dreams that Juliet revives him with a kiss. Balthasar tells Romeo that Juliet is dead.

What does Romeo intend to do when he finds out about Juliet’s death?

He wants to kill himself.

How has the Friar’s plan gone off course?

Friar John couldn’t give Romeo the letter explaining the plan to, so Romeo thought Juliet was actually dead.