1. A Mother in Manville
p. 59

2. Literary Analysis of Setting
P. 60, column 1
What does the setting tell you about Jerry and the narrator?
P. 61, column 2
What details help you visualize Jerry as the narrator first described him? How does this contrast with the description of Jerry after he has chopped wood?

3. Integrity What does it mean for a person to have integrity?
What other qualities are related to integrity?
What clues show that Jerry has integrity?
What clues show that the narrator has integrity?

4. Mountain Laurel
P. 63 What does mountain laurel look like?

5. p. 63
Mountain laurel is the same as rhododendron, a generic name used to refer to about 800 flowering trees and shrubs of the heath family.
An evergreen shrub or small tree
Leathery leaves are dark on top and lighter underneath.

6. Narrator’s and Jerry’s friendship
How does the narrator benefit from her friendship with Jerry?
What details support your inference?

7. Conflict Internal or External?
What conflict does the narrator face when Jerry tells her about his mother?

8. Setting
How does the isolation of the setting affect the information to which the narrator has access?

9. Irony
What is ironic about the narrator’s anger at the mother and the way she herself treats Jerry?

10. Jerry’s Motivation
Why does Jerry mislead the narrator?

11. Jerry’s Thoughts We know the narrator’s thoughts
We must infer Jerry’s thoughts from his actions.
Based on Jerry’s actions, what are some of the internal conflicts he has?