"The Parsley Garden" By: William Saroyan
Interpretive Questions: Be sure all questions are answered in complete sentences and include quotes.
1.) Why does Al try to steal the hammer? Al tries to steal the hammer because he wanted the hammer so he could build a bench. " Now with the ten cent hammer he believed he could make something out of box wood and the nails, although he had no idea what. Some sort of table perhaps or a small bench." (p. 79)
2.) Why does Al say that he didn’t mean to steal the hammer?
Al says he didn't mean to steal the hammer because he didn't know what to say to the man. "Al didn't know what to say. The man wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the door." (p. 80)
3.) Why is Al “deeply ashamed” after he leaves the store? (p. 81) Al is deeply ashamed because the two store owners humiliated him.
4.) Why won’t Al accept his mother’s money to buy the hammer? Al doesn't accept the money because he doesn't want to admit to his mom that he wants the hammer. " 'Here I ten cents. You go back to the man and you give him this money and you bring home, that hammer.' " (p. 83)
5.) Why does Al use the hammer to make a bench for his mother’s parsley garden? I think Al used his hammer to make a bench for his mother's garden because he wanted to make the garden nicer. "When the two women reached the garden it was almost nine o'clock, but still daylight, and she saw her son nailing pieces of boxwood together, making something with a hammer. It looked like a bench." (p. 85)
6.) Why does Al refuse to accept the job at Woolworth’s? Al didn't accept the job at Woolworth's because he hated the two men there. " 'Because I hate both of them,' said the boy." (p. 87)
7.) What does Al mean when he says he would never work for “people like that”? (p. 87) Al is saying that he doesn't want to work for the people who caught him shoplifting.
8.) When Al walks out of Woolworth’s, why does he refuse the dollar but take the hammer? He refuses to take the dollar because he doesn't want the dollar but he wants the hammer. " 'I left the dollar on Mr. Clemmer's desk,' Al Condraj said." (p.87)
9.) At the end of the story, why doesn’t Al feel humiliated anymore? He doesn't feel humiliated anymore because he knows he did the right thing by helping them.
10.) Why can’t Al stop hating the two men “even though he knew they hadn’t done anything they shouldn’t have done”? (p.87) Al cant stop hating the two men because they were the ones that caught him and humiliated him.
Vocabulary:
1.) Monotony (p. 79)
Quote: "He believed it was just what he needed by which to break the monotony and with which to make something." (p. 79)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): lack of interest
Synonym: dullness
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): I hate the monotony of school.
2.) Humiliated (p. 81)
Quote: "The first thing he did when he was free was laugh, but he knew that he had been humiliated, and he was deeply ashamed." (p. 81)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): ashamed
Synonym: embarrassed
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): My mom sometimes posts humiliating pictures of me on Facebook and Instagram
3.) Systematically (p. 84)
Quote: "He also believed it would be necessary for him to steal systematically and successfully the rest of his life." (p. 84)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): plan
Synonym: detailed
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): Sometimes I do my homework systematically.
4.) Indicated (p. 86)
Quote: "They drank coffee and smoked a cigarette apiece, and told one another stories about their experiences in the old country and here in Fresno, and then they looked into their cups at the grounds to see if any good fortune was indicated, and there was: health and work and supper out of doors in the summer and the money for the rest of the year." (p. 85-86)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): pointed out
Synonym: hint
T-Chart:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when Al deals with his problems in a P/positive way or a N/negative way. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Al deals with his problems in a P/positive way V. Al deals with his problems in a N/negative way
1.) Why does Al try to steal the hammer? Al tries to steal the hammer because he wanted the hammer so he could build a bench. " Now with the ten cent hammer he believed he could make something out of box wood and the nails, although he had no idea what. Some sort of table perhaps or a small bench." (p. 79)
2.) Why does Al say that he didn’t mean to steal the hammer?
Al says he didn't mean to steal the hammer because he didn't know what to say to the man. "Al didn't know what to say. The man wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the door." (p. 80)
3.) Why is Al “deeply ashamed” after he leaves the store? (p. 81) Al is deeply ashamed because the two store owners humiliated him.
4.) Why won’t Al accept his mother’s money to buy the hammer? Al doesn't accept the money because he doesn't want to admit to his mom that he wants the hammer. " 'Here I ten cents. You go back to the man and you give him this money and you bring home, that hammer.' " (p. 83)
5.) Why does Al use the hammer to make a bench for his mother’s parsley garden? I think Al used his hammer to make a bench for his mother's garden because he wanted to make the garden nicer. "When the two women reached the garden it was almost nine o'clock, but still daylight, and she saw her son nailing pieces of boxwood together, making something with a hammer. It looked like a bench." (p. 85)
6.) Why does Al refuse to accept the job at Woolworth’s? Al didn't accept the job at Woolworth's because he hated the two men there. " 'Because I hate both of them,' said the boy." (p. 87)
7.) What does Al mean when he says he would never work for “people like that”? (p. 87) Al is saying that he doesn't want to work for the people who caught him shoplifting.
8.) When Al walks out of Woolworth’s, why does he refuse the dollar but take the hammer? He refuses to take the dollar because he doesn't want the dollar but he wants the hammer. " 'I left the dollar on Mr. Clemmer's desk,' Al Condraj said." (p.87)
9.) At the end of the story, why doesn’t Al feel humiliated anymore? He doesn't feel humiliated anymore because he knows he did the right thing by helping them.
10.) Why can’t Al stop hating the two men “even though he knew they hadn’t done anything they shouldn’t have done”? (p.87) Al cant stop hating the two men because they were the ones that caught him and humiliated him.
Vocabulary:
1.) Monotony (p. 79)
Quote: "He believed it was just what he needed by which to break the monotony and with which to make something." (p. 79)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): lack of interest
Synonym: dullness
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): I hate the monotony of school.
2.) Humiliated (p. 81)
Quote: "The first thing he did when he was free was laugh, but he knew that he had been humiliated, and he was deeply ashamed." (p. 81)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): ashamed
Synonym: embarrassed
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): My mom sometimes posts humiliating pictures of me on Facebook and Instagram
3.) Systematically (p. 84)
Quote: "He also believed it would be necessary for him to steal systematically and successfully the rest of his life." (p. 84)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): plan
Synonym: detailed
Sentence (underline the vocabulary word): Sometimes I do my homework systematically.
4.) Indicated (p. 86)
Quote: "They drank coffee and smoked a cigarette apiece, and told one another stories about their experiences in the old country and here in Fresno, and then they looked into their cups at the grounds to see if any good fortune was indicated, and there was: health and work and supper out of doors in the summer and the money for the rest of the year." (p. 85-86)
Definition (based on context/in your own words): pointed out
Synonym: hint
T-Chart:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when Al deals with his problems in a P/positive way or a N/negative way. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Al deals with his problems in a P/positive way V. Al deals with his problems in a N/negative way
- Al works for the hammer all day
- Al makes a bench for his mother's garden - Al prepares the garden for his mom and her guest - Al works for the hammer all day even though he only needed to work for an hour - Al refuses to take the money his mom gives him to buy the hammer |
- Al steals the hammer
- Al lies to the owner of the store saying that he didn't mean to steal the hammer - Al plans to steal the hammer again - Al hates the two men at Woolworth - Al thinks of getting revenge on the two men |