Untitled Flashcards Set

1.        What are the different parts of a citation in MLA format (author, title, publisher, etc.)?  Author, Title of source, Title of container, Number, Publication Date, and Location

2.        What is the purpose of MLA style?

To provide and organized, standardized format when writing.

3.    What are the steps involved in the research process?

a.    Choose a topic - Select a subject that interests you and is appropriate for your assignment

b.    Develop research questions - Create specific questions to guide your investigation

c.     Find credible sources - Locate reliable information from academic journals, books, reputable websites, and other trustworthy sources

d.    Evaluate sources - Assess each source's credibility, relevance, currency, and authority

e.    Take notes - Record important information, ideas, and quotes, being careful to track which source they came from

f.      Create a thesis statement - Formulate your main argument based on your research findings

g.     Organize your information - Arrange your notes and ideas into a logical structure

h.    Write your draft - Compose your paper, integrating your research appropriately

i.      Cite your sources - Use proper MLA format for in-text citations and your Works Cited page

j.      Revise and edit - Review your work for content, clarity, organization, and mechanical errors

4.        What are “marginalized people”? those who are treated as insignificant, pushed to the edges of society, and rendered powerless due to factors like discrimination or exclusion

5.        How can you paraphrase information from a source in your own words? fully understand the original source, identify the main points, and then rephrase the information using your own words and sentence structure

6.        What is the function of a thesis statement in an essay? To give the topic and basic idea of a poem

7.        What is the purpose of the Works Cited page? to collect all of the sources used in a text and to arrange them so they are easy for your reader to locate

8.        How does imagery create a specific effect in poetry? llows the reader to clearly see, touch, taste, smell, and hear what is happening—and in some cases even empathize with the poet or their subject.

9.        What are some common poetic forms (e.g., sonnet, haiku)? A limerick, sonnet, ballad, free verse

10.  What are vignettes? a short, descriptive piece that focuses on a specific moment or scene rather than a full-fledged plot

11.  What are some literary devices used in poetry (e.g., metaphor, simile, personification)? Metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, onomatopoeia

Part II: Literary Analysis Review

Kitchen Boy

12.  What is the historical context of the novel (e.g., the Romanov family, the Russian Revolution)? Name the different groups that are in conflict with each other. The novel is set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath, including the execution of the Romanov family and the Russian Civil War. Key conflicts include the Bolsheviks (the Reds) versus the White Army (a coalition of anti-Bolshevik forces)

13.  Where does the Prologue start? And then how is the rest of the story structured?  The prologue starts Katya. At first, the babushka is wary of Katya who says she received a tape from her grandfather that led her to this address. The babushka invites her inside.

14.  What is the main conflict of the story?

The Romanv’s vs the Bolsheviks.

15.  What is Misha's motivation for recording his story? Misha's main motivation for recording the story in "Kitchen Boy" is to preserve the truth about what happened to the Romanov family and to reveal his own connection to these historical events. As an elderly Russian immigrant, he wants to share his eyewitness account before he dies, ensuring that his granddaughter and future generations understand both the historical truth and his personal role in it. This act of recording serves as a way for him to reconcile with his past and leave behind his legacy

16.  Why is Leonka chosen to be the messenger?

Escape route - The open window symbolizes a potential path to freedom, foreshadowing Leonka's eventual escape from the house where the Romanovs are held

Outside influence - It represents the intrusion of the outside world (the revolution) into the confined space of the Romanovs, foreshadowing their ultimate fate

Breaking boundaries - The breach of the sealed environment foreshadows the breaking of secrecy surrounding the family's execution

Hope and deception - The window might initially suggest hope for rescue or escape, but this hope proves false, foreshadowing the deceptive nature of promises made to the Romanovs

Witness perspective - The window creates a frame through which events are observed, foreshadowing Leonka's role as witness to history who will later share what he saw

This seemingly simple detail of an open window carries symbolic weight in the narrative, subtly preparing readers for the tragic events to come while highlighting Leonka's unique position as both insider and eventual survive

17.  Name the Romanov daughters, and which one ends up being Katia’s grandmother? Grand Dutchness Maria

18.  What is the significance of the notes written in French?

19.  What is the author trying to convey about the Tsar's leadership? The author portrays Tsar Nicholas II as a tragic, out-of-touch figure — kind and well-meaning but weak and indecisive. His inability to adapt and take strong, timely action ultimately contributes to the downfall of his family and the monarchy.

20.  How does the window being opened foreshadow future events?

What is hidden in the family's garments? Jewels

21.  Who brings supplies for the family? The Nuns

22.  Who is described as "conniving to win their trust"? (Consider the character's actions) Yurovsky, the Bolshevik in charge of guarding the Romanovs, is described as “conniving to win their trust.” He presents himself as respectful and fair to the family, but it is a calculated act to maintain control and ease tensions before the planned execution.

23.  Which Romanov child has always known suffering, and why? Heir Alesi, he has hemophilia.

Night

24.  What is the purpose of lying about their age in the camp?
To increase their chances of survival. Younger children and older adults were often sent to the gas chambers immediately. By lying about their age and claiming to be fit for labor, prisoners like Elie and his father were selected for work rather than death.

25.  What is the symbolic meaning of Elie's inheritance from his father?
Elie receives a knife and spoon—commonplace items that symbolically represent the last remnants of dignity, survival, and paternal care. It’s a tragic “inheritance” showing the breakdown of traditional legacies in a time of despair.

26.  What literary genre is Night?
Night is a memoir, more specifically a Holocaust memoir. It also incorporates elements of autobiography and testimony.

27.  What was Elie's primary focus before the war?
Elie was deeply religious and focused on studying the Torah, Talmud, and Kabbalah. He was passionate about spiritual learning and Jewish faith.

28.  What were the beliefs of the Jews in Sighet before 1944?
Most Jews in Sighet were optimistic and in denial about the Nazi threat. They believed the war wouldn’t reach them and that the deportations were just temporary or exaggerated rumors.

29.  What does Elie experience in the concentration camp?
Elie endures extreme suffering, dehumanization, hunger, violence, and loss of faith. He witnesses cruelty, death, and the breakdown of family and moral values under the pressures of survival.

30.  What is a central theme explored in Night?
One central theme is the struggle to maintain faith in the face of suffering. Other major themes include dehumanization, silence, and the loss of innocence.

31.  What are some of Elie’s conflicting emotions?
Elie often feels guilt and shame for wanting to survive at all costs—even if it means resenting or abandoning his father. He also feels anger toward God, despair, and confusion about justice and humanity.

32.  Why did Wiesel write Night?
Wiesel wrote Night to bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, to honor the memory of those who died, and to ensure the world never forgets what happened.

33.  What is the definition of a ghetto?
A ghetto was a section of a city where Jews were forced to live, often in overcrowded, poor conditions, before being deported to concentration camps.

34.  Who liberates the Buchenwald camp?
The American army liberated Buchenwald on April 11, 1945.

And the Mountains Echoed

35.  Who is the audience for Saboor's story in Chapter 1?
His children, Abdullah and Pari.

36.  What are dīvs and jinns?
Supernatural beings in Afghan folklore—dīvs are monstrous demons, and jinns are spirits with free will, capable of good or evil.

37.  What is the English translation of Baba Ayub's village name?
"Qosh-e-Safid," which translates to "White Eagle" in English. This village is the setting for the folktale that Abdullah's father tells at the beginning of the novel, introducing themes of sacrifice and family bonds that echo throughout the rest of the book.

38.  How does the author describe Qais's charm?
Qais is described as a gentle, radiant child whose presence brings light and love to his family.

39.  What is the significance of dīvs and jinn in Afghan folklore?
They reflect moral and spiritual struggles, symbolizing fear, sacrifice, and fate in storytelling.

40.  How does the storyteller describe Qais's charm?
As a child so lovable that his absence leaves a permanent emotional void.

41.  What is the purpose of the folktale about the div in Chapter 1?
To foreshadow Saboor’s real-life decision to give up Pari and to explore themes of sacrifice, memory, and parental love.

42.  Why is Abdullah punished by his father in Chapter 2?
He secretly follows Saboor and Pari on their trip to Kabul.

43.  What happened to Abdullah & Parwana’s biological mother?
She died giving birth to Pari.

44.  What is the significance of Pari's feather collection?
It symbolizes her bond with Abdullah and serves as a fragile memory of her lost past.

45.  What village is Saboor & Parwana from? How does it differ from Kabul?
They are from Shadbagh, a poor rural village, in contrast to the more modern, wealthier city of Kabul.

46.  What does Nabi do in Kabul?
He works as a chauffeur and servant for the wealthy Wahdati family.

47.  What does Masooma convince Parwana to do in the desert?
Masooma convinces Parwana to leave her behind to die, feeling like a burden.

48.  Explain how Parwana and Masooma hurt each other.
Parwana's jealousy led her to cause Masooma’s accident, and Masooma later emotionally manipulates her out of guilt.

49.  What is Markos Varvaris's profession, and how does it connect to his background/personality?
He is a plastic surgeon whose empathy for others—especially the disfigured—stems from his friendship with Thalia and his own personal growth.

50.  Why does Pari find mathematics appealing?
It offers her a sense of structure, order, and clarity in contrast to her fragmented identity and lost past.

51.  What is Roshi’s story?
She is a young girl who survived a brutal family massacre and carries emotional and physical scars.

52.  How does Adel's mother's background connect to the novel's themes?
Her past as a privileged woman who loses everything mirrors the novel’s themes of displacement and identity.

53.  How does Gholam's family connection complicate his life?
He is the son of a former warlord (Idris's brother), and struggles with legacy, stigma, and societal perceptions.

54.  What is the impact of Thalia's scars?
They isolate her socially but also shape her inner strength and deepen Markos’s empathy and maturity.

55.  How does Markos' illness influence his character?
His illness makes him more introspective and empathetic, helping him understand suffering and connection on a deeper level.

56.  What is the emotional impact of the reunion between Pari and Abdullah?
It is bittersweet—deeply emotional yet painful, as Abdullah is suffering from dementia and cannot fully recognize her.

57.  Where is “Abe” at the end of the novel?
He is in a nursing home, mentally distant due to his declining health.

58.  What is the significance of the object young Pari brings to her aunt in Paris?
A box of feathers—symbolizing a final emotional connection between the past and present, and between lost siblings.

59.  What are some major themes in this novel?
Sacrifice, family bonds, memory, identity, loss, and the intergenerational effects of separation