1a. What is the narrator determined to keep the "painter lady" from doing?
2a. What is the painter's reaction to the narrator? to Side Pocket? to the twins?
3a. What does the inscription on the wall say?
1b. Why is the narrator angry?
2b. In what way might the narrator's feelings toward the painter be related to the way the painter interacts with the people of the narrator's community?
3b. How do you think the people of the community feel when they read the inscription on the wall? How do you think the narrator feels?
4a. Look back to the story. Make a list of the reasons the narrator doesn't want the painter to paint the wall. Make a second list identifying things the narrator says, does, or plans to do to keep the painter from painting the wall.
4b. Do you think the painter took the wall from the people of the community, as the narrator thought, or gave the people the wall? Explain. Do you think the narrator's opinion changed at the end of the story? Why, or why not?
5a. Why might the narrator have been immediately opposed to the artist painting the wall?
5b. Imagine you are the artist. Identify some of the challenges you meet as you begin your painting on the wall. How might you (as the artist) have reacted to some of these challenges? Contrast how you think you might feel toward your project and the community while painting the wall with how you might feel upon finishing your work and having the community view it.
Theme. Think about the narrator's perspective of the events in the story and consider these questions: What did the narrator expect from the painter? What did the painter actually do? Based on your answers to these questions, can you make a generalization about human behavior? Now think about the events of the story from the artist's perspective. What does she wish to accomplish? How does she interact with members of the community? What obstacles does she come up against? Based on your answers to these questions, can you make a generalization about human behavior?
Irony of Situation. What examples of irony of situation were you able to identify in this story? How effective is the author's use of irony in this story? Explain.
1. Imagine you are a journalist for the neighborhood newspaper. Write a community interest article that gives details about the artist's project and about the attitudes of the community toward the painter and the wall.
2. Imagine you are the artist. Write your journal entry for the night before you begin your painting of the wall.
3. Write the conversation that the narrator and Lou might have in private after seeing the finished wall.
Writing Sentences. Write a sentence for each of the following Words for Everyday Use found in this selection.
1. drawl
2. satchel
3. scheme
Commas. Review the Language Arts Survey 3.86, "Commas." Then rewrite the following sentences, adding commas where necessary.
1. I want to call her tonight but I don't have her number.
2. When the game ended I went home.
3. I've got math science and English all before lunch.
4. I leave for Canada on June 12 2005.
5. The new school would be located at 222 Hill Road New York New York.
6. Did you pack your toothbrush toothpaste and floss?
7. Can you come to the party on Friday January 8?
8. The interview is at three so I'll need a ride.
9. My mom was born in Rome Italy.
10. Martin the funniest guy in school won the election.
