Author's Craft in Literature
Explore author's craft techniques like figurative language, imagery, and symbolism in literature.
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Author's Craft in Literature
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Read the instructions for each section carefully and answer all questions to the best of your ability.
Read the following excerpt from 'The Secret Garden' by Frances Hodgson Burnett and answer the questions that follow.
When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It was true too. She had a little thin face and a little thin body, thin light hair and a sour expression. Her hair was yellow, and her face was yellow because she had been born in India and had always been ill in one way or another. Her father had held a position under the English Government and had always been busy and ill himself, and her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people. She had never wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who was in charge of a number of other Ayahs, and who understood very well that if she wished to please the Mem Sahib she must keep the child out of sight as much as possible.
1. What literary device is primarily used in the description of Mary Lennox's appearance: "She had a little thin face and a little thin body, thin light hair and a sour expression"?
Metaphor
Imagery
Hyperbole
Personification
2. The phrase "her face was yellow because she had been born in India and had always been ill in one way or another" suggests the author is using which element of author's craft?
Foreshadowing
Direct Characterization
Symbolism
Allusion
3. An author's unique way of writing, encompassing their word choice, sentence structure, and use of literary devices, is known as their .
4. When an author uses words to create a mental picture for the reader, they are employing .
5. Identify one example of figurative language from the provided excerpt and explain its effect on the reader.
6. The author's tone can be determined by analyzing the word choice and overall mood of the text.
True
False
7. How does the author's portrayal of Mary Lennox's parents contribute to the reader's understanding of Mary's character at the beginning of the novel? Discuss specific details from the text.
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