Web Links/Short Stories

Palpable - able to be touched or felt. Tense atmosphere that seems almost touchable or tangible.
Indolently - having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful
Lofty - tall; high structure
Ardent - enthusiastic or passionate.
Impudent - not showing due respect for another person; impertinent.
Scruples - a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action.
Futile - incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.

The Necklace Vocab Words

blunder - an embarrassing mistake
adorn - make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color
desolate - crushed by grief
dwell - think moodily or anxiously about something
modest - marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
deprivation - the disadvantage that results from losing something
robust - sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction

awry- turned or twisted to one side

"The Story of an Hour" | Kate Chopin

A woman is given the news that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. In the next hour, she experiences a range of emotions as she contemplates her life.

Read "The Story of an Hour" (1,020 words)

"Old Man at the Bridge" | Ernest Hemingway

An old man sits at the side of a country road during the Spanish civil war. Everyone is fleeing the area, and although he has already traveled 12 kilometers, he is too exhausted and distracted to continue. (765 words)

This story can be read in the preview of The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. (92% into the preview)

"Girl" | Jamaica Kincaid

A mother imparts advice to her daughter on how to behave and how to be a woman. This is a prose/poem hybrid; it’s one long run-on sentence. (650 words) (Summary and analysis of "Girl")

"War" | Luigi Pirandello

In a train carriage in Italy during WW1, several passengers talk about their sons who have been sent to war. They argue over who among them feels the most grief. Some of the themes in War include sacrifice, patriotism, and intellectualizing our emotions.

(1,600 words)

"Popular Mechanics" | Raymond Carver

A man is packing his suitcase to leave home for good. He and his wife have an argument that escalates quickly. This is an example of a minimalist story, stripped down and without judgment, leaving readers to interpret for themselves.

"One of These Days" | Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A corrupt mayor goes to an unlicensed dentist for treatment of an abscessed tooth. The dentist refuses to help, and they have a hostile exchange.

Read "One of These Days" (920 words)

"The Use of Force" | William Carlos Williams

A doctor makes a house call on a sick young girl. She has hidden the severity of her symptoms and resists the examination.

Read "The Use of Force" (1,565 words)

Essays

Narrative

Narrative Essay
50 Narrative Essay Topics

Descriptive

Descriptive Essay
40 Topics for Descriptive Essays

Cause and Effect

Cause and Effect Essays
100 Cause and Effect Sample Topics

Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis Essay
Literary Analysis Guide

Persuasive

Persuasive Essay.
Ideas for Persuasive Essay Topics

Compare and Contrast

Comparison and Contrast Essay
50 Compare and Contrast Ideas

MLA HELP

Citation Link - click here
MLA template - click here
MLA Example Paper - click here
Thesis - click here
Tips for writing a conclusion - click here
MLA format - click here
MLA Works Cited Page - Click Here

Literary Devices - click here

Language Arts Standards - State of Georgia

8th Grade English Writing Standards

8th Grade English Reading Literature Standards

Graphic organizers - http://eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

Grammar Blast - https://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/6_8/grammar/

Brain Pop links (WCYMS password is YMS)