Image. An image is language that creates a concrete representation of an object or an experience. An image is also the vivid mental picture created in the reader’s mind by that language. The images in a literary work are referred to, when considered together, as imagery. As you read, jot down images from the selection that make a strong impression on you.
Dialogue. Dialogue is conversation involving two or more people or characters. Dialogue is often enclosed in quotation marks and is often accompanied by tag lines such as he said or she replied that tell who is speaking. As you read, consider how the author’s use of dialogue adds to her essay.
Irony of Situation. An event that contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience of a literary work is an example of irony of situation. As you come to the end of the story, reflect on events that take place that you or characters in the story weren’t expecting.
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The selection you are about to read is an example of a personal essay, a short nonfiction work on a single topic related to the life of the writer. A personal essay is written from the author’s point of view. In this essay, the author relates the humorous details of a weekend she and her sister spend readying their mother’s untidy house for Thanksgiving guests.
As you read “Good Housekeeping,” finish a floor plan of Mama’s house. Use the diagram below as a starting point. Add and label doors, pieces of furniture, and other items, include things that are outside, and if you wish, move the walls to fit the image you have of Mama’s house.
What are some of your most valued possessions? What do they tell about you as a person?
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