“New Directions” Nick Sandusky August 17, 2012

New Directions!!! The main character is Annie Johnson and she is at her house with her husband and her kids. Both she and her husband are unhappy with their marriage.

By: Maya Angelou “In 1903 the late Mrs. Annie Johnson of Arkansas found herself with two toddling sons, very little money, a slight ability to read and add simple numbers.” This quote tells us the time period and where she is located. It also tells us she has two sons, has very little money and is not very smart.

Language Arts Speech; She told herself that she wasn’t a fancy cook but that she could “mix groceries well enough to scare hungry away and from starving a man.” Actions; “One early evening to see if she was ready, she placed stone in two five-gallon pails and carried them three mile to the cotton gin.” Inner Thoughts; “I looked up the road I was going and back the way I come, and since I wasn’t satisfied, I decided to step off and cut me a new path.” Others’ opinions; “When she felt certain that the workers had become dependent on her, she built a stall between the two hives of industry and let the men run to her for their lunchtime provisions.”

Physical Appearance; “Annie, over six feet tall, big-boned, decided that she would not go to work as a domestic and leave her “precious babes” to anyone else's care.”

English!! Determined; Annie was determined to survive and feed her kids. Strong; Annie was determined to never give up. Helpful; Annie fed the workers for lunch and it helped them stay healthy while she makes money.

Reading! Most people were domestic and she did not want to be. It states, “Annie, over six feet tall, big-boned, decided that she would not go to work as a domestic and leave her “precious babes” to anyone else's care.” She was not happy with her marriage. It says, “ When she told her husband, Mr. William Johnson, of her dissatisfaction with their marriage, he conceded that he too found it to be less than he expected, and had been secretly hoping to leave and study religion.”

Writing!! An event in the beginning of the story that changed Annie was when her husband left to study religion. This changed her because she realized that she needed to cut a new path of her life and she did and succeeded.