Write an essay in which you analyze the importance of plot events and characters’ actions to the development of a story’s theme. review and evaluate a story from the unit that has a clearly identifiable theme. you might choose “raymond’s run” by toni cade bambara, “the story-teller” by saki, “the finish of patsy barnes” by paul laurence dunbar, or “the drummer boy of shiloh” by ray bradbury. be sure to identify the story and write a clear statement of its theme. in your essay, answer the following question: how do various elements of the story—conflict and resolution, characters’ dialogue and behavior—contribute to the story’s theme? support your ideas with references to the text.

Read the excerpt from "mother tongue." lately, i’ve been giving more thought to the kind of english my mother speaks. like others, i have described it to people as “broken” or “fractured” english. but i wince when i say that. it has always bothered me that i can think of no other way to describe it other than “broken,” as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. what best supports the inference that tan believes nonstandard english is no less valid than standard english? tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother’s “fractured” english. tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing. tan’s american education makes it difficult for her to understand her mother. tan winces when she describes her mother’s english as “broken.”