Lesson 26 — Activity 1: Chapters 7 and 8 (pages 43 – 53)


Before proceeding with this activity, please read Chapters 7 and 8 of the novel (pages 43 – 53).


The rising action section of the plot continues in the next two chapters. Review Chapters 7 and 8 below.


In a way, she used the bracelet as a means of getting revenge on the people she felt were treating her and her family so badly.

The chapter began with Rennie thinking constantly about Tom McLeans's silver ID bracelet. She still had it in her pocket because she did not give it back to Julie after Julie was mean to her. Rennie decided that because it belonged to a Canadian soldier, and the "Canadians" were treating her father so badly, she would get rid of the bracelet.

After school, Rennie tried to think of a way to destroy the bracelet as a way to fight people such as Julie who were hurting her and her family. After trying unsuccessfully to burn the bracelet, she had another idea when her mother told her to weed the garden. Rennie buried the bracelet in a corner of the garden.

The chapter ended with Rennie deciding to take care of the garden for Papa while he was away as a way of keeping thoughts of him and his return home in her mind and heart.

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We also learned a bit more about where Papa had been taken.

The chapter began with the conversations in the bakery as we learned that business was not going well, the mine had been closed, and the Da Vita lumber yard was not busy. Everyone was suffering from the effects of the war.

After hearing people talk about her father and the help and support he had given to others in the community caused Rennie to dream about her Papa, and she often woke in tears. Rennie was thinking a lot about Papa, remembering both memories of happy times with him and memories of being punished by him. Rennie tried very hard to think of something she could do to make her Papa proud of her.

The chapter ended with a letter from Papa. He was being held in an internment camp in Petawawa, Ontario, with about 500 other Italians. He was safe and would be able to write them three letters every month. He shared his concern and love for his family, and was worried about the family being left to struggle for money. The family wrote back immediately, and Rennie told Papa that she would help the family by learning to make breadsticks to sell.

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As events continue to unfold in the novel, Chapters 7 and 8 include examples of literary devices and the use of Italian words and phrases.

Authors will use literary devices and interesting language in order to bring the characters to life and engage the reader in the story.

You were introduced to literary devices in Theme 2, L10 — A3, when you learned about personification and onomatopoeia.

Authors also use other devices. Common ones include similes and metaphors.



Let's begin with similes:
   
  • In January, Alberta is extremely cold.
  • In January, Alberta is like an ice cube in the freezer.

By using a simile to compare Alberta to an ice cube, the reader gets a sense as to just how cold it can be.


Metaphors do the same job, but more directly, by actually identifying something as something else:

  • The girl's eyes are very blue.
  • The girl's eyes are sky blue.

      

The reader subconsciously thinks of a blue sky, which makes it clearer just how blue the girl's eyes are.

   

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Similes and metaphors, as well as personification and onomatopoeia, are just some of the literary devices that an author will use to try to recreate an experience for the reader. Click here to see the examples of these and other literary devices.

There are several examples of these literary devices and the use of Italian words and phrases in these chapters. You will practise identifying these in the flash activities.