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291 QUESTIONS Understanding and Interpreting 1. How would you describe Kayla%u2019s boxing coach? Is he the type of person you would want to work with? Why or why not? To capture the nuance of his personality, construct your description of him using a combination of %u201cand yet%u201d or %u201cbut also.%u201d For example, %u201cKayla%u2019s coach is ____________ and yet ____________ ,%u201d or %u201cKayla%u2019s coach is ____________ but also ____________ .%u201d 2. Why do you think Kayla ultimately decides to skip the fight to stay with Mary? Is it out of duty, a way to honor her mother, or another reason? Cite evidence to support your answer. 3. Mary often responds coherently to Kayla and the medical staff, and yet she sometimes doesn%u2019t make much sense. To what do you attribute her apparent inability to remember she no longer works at the diner and her tendency to say such things as %u201cTake two aspirin and call me from the grave%u201d (par. 55)? 4. The narrator explains in paragraph 109 that %u201c[Kayla] tries to understand her role%u201d in remaining with Mary. What would you say is Kayla%u2019s role in the course of events that day? 5. What contributes to Kayla%u2019s boxing breakthrough %u201cto a different place%u201d (par. 119)? Does her ability to %u201cmove with a finely honed aggression%u201d point more to physical or mental growth? QUESTIONS Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure 6. Vocabulary in Context. In paragraph 110, the narrator explains that %u201cMary gazes up at Kayla with a strange opacity, as though she is just now starting to absorb all that has happened.%u201d In this sentence, what does %u201copacity%u201d suggest about Mary%u2019s understanding of the situation? Try to explain the paradox of coming to understand a situation with %u201copacity.%u201d 7. The narrator conveys a lot of important information about Kayla%u2019s past in the final sentences of paragraph 4. How do the diction and syntax contribute to the tone of the paragraph? Does the narrator seem to be an extension of Kayla%u2019s mind or a distant observer? 8. Skim the story for references to water. How does the narrator characterize water on a literal level? What does water seem to symbolize throughout the story? 9. %u201cFight Week%u201d does not follow a truly chronological order of events. Trace the shifts in the narration of events in the story. What kinds of details do the shifts emphasize? How do they contribute to the meaning of the story as a whole? 10. Even though the story never addresses Kayla%u2019s grief directly, one could argue that she is experiencing grief over the death of her mother and the sudden loss of her best friend. How do Kayla%u2019s experiences influence her decisions? Does she respond in certain ways because of grief or despite it? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your analysis. QUESTIONS Topics for Composing 11. Analysis. Protagonists in short stories usually change and often show growth as characters. Consider Kayla%u2019s development throughout %u201cFight Week,%u201d and write an essay that analyzes whether Kayla shows personal growth as a result of her experiences. 12. Speaking and Listening . Prepare for and hold a discussion with classmates in which you address the following question: Was Kayla%u2019s decision to stay with Mary and miss the fight against her former best friend that day worth it in the long run? 13. Connections. Write a personal essay in which you describe a time involving the sacrifice of a personal goal for someone or something else. If you plan to apply for college, for a job, or for another opportunity in which you must explain how your experiences have shaped your character, this response may serve as a fruitful first draft. QUESTIONS Understanding and Interpreting QUESTIONS Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure QUESTIONS Topics for Composing 5 Laura van den BergCopyright %u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.