The Book Without Words – Period 5 Discussion Area
PERIOD 5 Discussion Area – In this area you are to discuss all of the Discussion Questions posted.
- Discussion Question #1 is CLOSED.
- Discussion Question #2 is OPEN.
Consider what the discussion question is. Be sure to address the question.
STEP 1 – UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
STEP 2 – ADDRESS THE QUESTION (50%). (Question in the answer, your answer, details to support your answer)
- Give us your entire thought process.
- Give us details from the text to prove you know what you’re talking about. Otherwise, who knows what you’re basing your thoughts on?
- Your details do not have to be direct word-for-word quotes (mainly because you do not have the books at home).
- STILL, give us a clear idea of what thing(s)from the book you are basing your answer on. You can paraphrase, in other words.
- Please address the topic of your choice in as much detail as possible. The more detail you give us, the better we will understand your thought process, AND the better we will be able to argue/discuss with you.
- You see, if you give us your entire thought, we can see if there is anything wrong with it – any faulty logic going on there. We are in this discussion to sharpen our wits and gain the ability to think better than we ever have.
STEP 3 – Post a response to classmates (50%).
- Option #1 – If you agree with someone’s answer . . .
. . . Then explain what you agree with – be specific. And extend or expand on the thought you are agreeing with by backing your comment up with details from the text, from your own life, whatever is appropriate. You could agree with someone and support your agreement with other more, unused descriptive details from the book, other books, or your own life. Get it?- Option #2 – If you disagree with someone’s answer . . . . . . Then justify your disagreement by taking a stance backed up by your own details from the text.
i agree with Breanna and Robert because i am also afraid of how life will turn out and what the world might throw at me, when i am alive.
When your’re dead you have absolutely nothing to worry about because
you don’t have to go through anything anymore.
I chose quote c.The quote is from Alfric he said that his father used to enjoy telling his children, “The shorter the sermon, the longer the truth,.” Basically, Alfric is telling Sybil,Damien,and Odo that the longer you talk about something the more untruth you get. For example Sybil saying she knows magic and the more she talk about it the more it sounded fake.
When Sybil says “it is not my death i fear…but my life” she means that she is afraid that her life will be torcher. For example, if Thorston dies she will lose everything she has now and live on the streets with no food. I can relate to this quote because I am worried about the many obsatcles I will have to go through and the problems I will have to overcome in my lifetime.
I would like to respond to quote A
Quote A “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life,” says Sybil in Chapter 3 Section 9
When Sybil says this,I think she means that she is not scared of her death being taken away,but she is fearful of her life being taken from her. She does not wish to die and in the book when Brother Wilfred told her that once Thorston swallowed the last stone her life will be taken from her, she does not believe him. She starts to though and eventually comes to believe he is right. When Alfric asks her what is wrong after she comes inside from her hat with brother Wilfred she then says “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life.”
I agree with Johnathon when he says there is more to fear in living than in death but I do think that what sybil said is a little more complecated than that.
“The more one sins,the heavier one gets,”said Damian.I agree with Damian when he says this because
when someone does something bad, there guilt builds up on their shoulders.So,it makes their shoulders feel “heavier”,until they finally crack.
Quote A:
When Sybil says, “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life,” she is saying that her life can be much worse than her death. In the beginning of the book when they describe where she came from and how she was Thorston’s server, she seemed depressed and she didn’t like her life. When you’re alive, you can go through a lot of horrible things. When you’re dead, you dont have to see or do anything you don’t like because you are gone..
I agree with Jonathon when he says when your dead you don’t have to worry about anything because being dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can hurt you.
I agree with Sybil when she says, “It is not my death I fear…but my life because you have more things to be scared of when you are living, than when your dead. When you are alive there are many things to be scared of. For me, I’m scared of what the world might throw at me. When i’m dead, I don’t have a single thing to worry about.
“It is not my death I fear . . . but my life,”. This quote that Sybil said means that she is more afraid of how your life will turn out later then she fears of her death. I do kind of relate to this quote because if my life gets hard then I would fear how my life would turn out. However, if I am dead then there is nothing left to worry about.
I would have to agree with Jonathan. I agree with him because Sybil does feel lonley. However, with Thorston’s death she makes friends with an orphan, a servant, and a raven.
I agree with Benjamin B. because Sybil is always lonely and she feels like she has no friends but soon after Thorston dies she gains new friends because of her search for green-eyed children and doesnt have to do much work and she also feels like she has become someone.
I choose Quote A
I agree with Sybil when she says “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life.” I agree with her because when you are dead there is not much to fear. When you are alive there is so much to fear. While you are living you go through many things. For example a death of a close relative or friend, natural disasters, and the occasional scary teacher. When your dead you do not have to worry about any given thing in the world.
What I believe Sybil means by, “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life,” is that anything could happen to her. For example, you can go bankrupt and lose all your belongings, house burns down, family member dies in some sort of accident, become paralyzed, or you’re stricken by some dreadful disease that doesn’t even have a cure, etc you would fear for your life. So through her point-of-view she’s actually viewing Thorston as probably a threat to her life as to what Brother Wilfrid has told her, and that all that gold searching to help her live would all be useless if she died.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the characters throuqhout the world by qivinq them character traits , and describinq there physical features. For example , in the book Avi described Damian as “He was somewhat plump ; his fair hair had been clipped round his head like an inverted bowl . His red, splotchy face bore sleepy eyes , turned up nose , and turned down lips , all of which he marshaled to provide a mask of indifference” . Also he tells what each character’s personality is like with qreat detail . He may not exactly tell you what kind they have but he may hint towards it . Another example is , when Damian first came to Master Bashcroft’s place he said many harsh thinqs . One thinq he said to Sybil was “who are you ?” “Master Thorston’s servant.” “Than my business is not with you” . To me that is kind of implyinq that Damian has a rude personality , and that he’s stuck up and thinks he’s better than everyone . And those are the reasons why i think Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the characters throuqhout the world .
When Sybil is saying it is not death I fear, but my life. She means that when thorston was dying It was kind of good for her because she did work all the time and really never got a time to get a break or rest. Also Thorton was mean to Sybil too. So all sybil wants is a better life and to get treated nicer.
Question A.
response…
Avi delivers a look at the world with the crisp clear scenery. For example. in thorstons home he describes how dirty and how horrifyingly untidy it was he also states that the pots hung unwashed among other things. I agree with Breannathat avi also described the harsh treatment of the characters. The author makes sure we feel as if we were in the book.
when sybil states “It is not my death i fear . . . but my life” she was a slave for thorston and dying was better than him controlling her. At the time sybil could do only work, have no fun and got treated like crap by odo and thorston. Later after thorstons death she seems to be less and less of a slave until sybil gets free. An example of sybil’s slavery was washing clothes, getting water from a well and running errands for thorston. When thorston dies she gets water for her and new friends which is anormal ritual in any house. Also she washes her own clothes and runs erramds for herself. So basically throughout her life sybil went from a badly treated slave to a trusted friend and care giver treated much better.
Mr Moshe Talked to me in class.
I agree with Invictus with his opion on the setting, when Avi used, “on a cold winters night,when a thick fog,as thick as wool and dank as a dead man’s hand crept up from the River Scrogg,” I too got wrapped up in the setting.
Mr. Moshe talked to me in class.
I picked Question B.
Avi gives a crisp look on the character by describing them in detail. For instance, the descriptions he gave for Brother Wilfred and Thorston made them see like ugly, disgusting old men. He made Master Bashcroft seem intimidating and scary and Sibyl timid and weak. Avi makes you imagine what these people look like in your head as you read the story.
Discussion Question #1 is closed.
Discussion Question #1 is closed.
Discussion Question #1 is closed.
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Please continue in this discussion area with the topics for
The Book Without Words: Discussion Question #2.
THINK OF YOURSELF AS A CONNECTION MAKER. WRITE ABOUT A QUOTE YOU CONNECT WITH IN SOME WAY. THIS IS NOT AS MUCH OF A TEST PREPARATION QUESTION AS DQ#1. WRITE WHAT COMES. DISCUSS WHAT COMES TO MIND.
You have three Quotes to consider:
A and/or B and/or C.
You can discuss one, two or all three of the quotes.
* Quote A “It is not my death I fear . . . but my life,” says Sybil in Chapter 3 Section 9.
* Quote B “the more one sins the heavier one gets,” says Damian figuratively in Chapter 3 Section 11.
* Quote C : Alfric said that his father used to enjoy telling his children, “The shorter the sermon, the longer the truth,” in Chapter 3 section 11.
You only have to deal with one of the quotes, but you are more than welcome to deal with more. If you have enough to say, by all means say it all.
I picked question (C)
The author gives a very clear look at the problems when the characters wrestle with within themselves. Sybil, deals with many conflicts in the passage. First of all, Sybil is always told that she is worthless by others, especially Odo. Odo tells her that she was just a girl Thorston piced up off the street. Sybil also has the responsibility of finding a green-eyed child to help save Thorstonfrom dying. If she does not save him, then her own life will be in jeopardy. She will have no one to take care of her. Another conflict in the book is how Ambrose Bashcroft betrayed Mistress Weebly.Ambrose Bashcroft used Mistress Weebly to get to Thorston and his gold making secret. Now,Mistress Weebly is on house arrest and Bascroft is going to try to find the secret.There is also the conflict between Brother Wilfried and Thorston. Borther Wilfried is going to do whateverit takes to obtain the Book Without Words.
I also agree with Jessica’s point, the way Avi desribes the world of Northumbria makes you feel as if you yourself were truly there. Even in the first chapter as it describes Fulworth as a cold, run down, dirty town. Avi used your senses, explaining that the air smelt of rancid ale and vinegar wine. By useing the reader’s senses, Avi makes you fell as if you were there, in the town of Fulworth, smelling the rancid ale and vinegary wine in the air.
Answering Question 2–
I feel that Avi does a great job in the detail of the characters. Specifically Odo and Damian. Avi describes Odo as a raven, black as the midnight sky(or something like that), about a foot long, and with glossy black eyes. Avi also described Damian, the apothecary’s apprentice, with colorful detail. In the text, Damian is round and chubby with green eyes, rosy cheeks, and a self-important look upon his face. Overall, I feel that Avi paints vivid pictures of these characters in our minds as we read.
I like how this is going!!
Keep it up.
This will close at 11:59:59 this evening.
i agree with stephanie because when Avi describes places (especially the apothecary’s shop), he is able to almost place you into the setting. it seems like you are actually there.
Question A
Avi delivers a crisp, clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, Alfric, and the others. He uses very descriptive words and tries to paint a picture in your mind. In the beginning, when he described the town of Fulworth, he said that it was “a cold winter’s night, when a fog, thick as wool and dank as a dead man’s hand, crept up from the River Scrogg into the ancient town of Fulworth.” This was an extremely vivid way to illustrate the town.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, Alfric, and the others by using very vivid and descriptive vocabulary words that show the setting and how each character looks with great detail.
I want to also say, as a reason for agreeing with Robert,that it says in the text that Damian has a “pimpled face”. As I said in my response to the way in which he describes Thorston: “an
aging green-eyed alchemist”,and Brother Wilfrid: “an old monk”. These are some of the many reasons in which Avi gives us a detailed description about each person. I also mentioned some reasons in which I agree with Robert.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the characters and their surroundings by describing in detail the setting and how each of the characters act. The setting was described as on a Cold Winter’s day when a fog crept up the river scrogg toward the town of Fulworth, Northumbria. This description added a lot of depth and gloominess to the Book Without words along with the cover. Avi also included that the fog enhanced the stench of vinegary wine and ale. The fog clung to hte crumbling walls which formed a shadow over the town. Avi did such a great job of useing show not tell features into an already spooky yet exciting book.
I will have to agree with Jasmine because what she said was that basicly Avi really got us into the whole idea of what the story was all about based on the setting of the book.
I agree with Robert S. beacause Avi literally describes the chracters in a way that you can get a vivid and clear picture of them in your mind. For example, when he describes Thorston. Avi describes Thorston as an aging green-eyed alchemist who would do anything to gain immortality.
QUESTION C
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the issues that characters wrestle with within themselves and between each other in a very unique and easy way to understand. For example, Thorston trying to gain immortality. He risked his life and Sybil’s also just to get the ingredients to make him immortal. Another example, is when Sybil is by the brazier and keeps on leaning towards it and Odo keeps on tensing up. Finally, Sybil asks Odo “Do you know if Master has made gold?”. Odo then replies “I think so. Master screamed and thats what woke me up. I thought he had made gold.”
This shows one of the many differnt conflicts between characters in the story
I agree with Stacy and Robert because Avi describes the characters in the book with very specific details so you think that they can be people in real life, and perfectly imagine what they look like in your head.
I chose Question B
Avi deliver a crisp clear look at the characters throughout the world in the book by giving us very descriptive detail on how the person looks or behaves. For example Avi explain to us how Thorston looks by saying “dirty, high cheeked boned-face, baggy eyes, long narrow nose, deeply lined, toothless, unkempt hair, hoary eyebrows” and Brother Wilfred with green eyes, short (because Sybil thought it was a child cause of the height), and his skull of his head was really bad because Sybil ran away with horror and Avi describe it like that but with better word choice. He also tells us how they behave by with Master Bashcrot with him wanting the gold for himself when he tells Alfric “to tell nobody but me how he makes gold” and he’s abusive when he tells Alfric that he’ll beat him if he doesn’t find out how Thorston makes gold. Avi also explains to us that Alfric is afraid of Bashcrot when he says, “he doesn’t want to go” and starts to cry. I also agree with Robert when he says that Avi’s details are giving you a good picture in your mind.
I would also have to agree with Robert S. He became very descriptive when he explained the characters looks. Like for example, when Avi described Damian, if I can remember it well, he said he was “plump” showing that he was well fed, and also “pimpled-face” to show that he’s going through a(n) puberty phase which most teenagers go through in reality. So Here avi showed us the sense that these characters have realistic qualities of people in reality.
I would have to agree with Jasmine N. because like she says “you can start to get an image in your head from every detail he writes.”In the story when he writes “the heightend stench of decaying hay” you can actually start to smell that stench in your head.
Question A
Avi gives an excellent setting for the story by giving so many details to create an image in your head.When Avi writes this story he is describing the smells,the feels,,the sounds,and the sites that you can’t experince yourself in reality.In one of the passages in the story he writes “on a cold winters night,when a thick fog,as thick as wool and dank as a dead man’s hand crept up from the River Scrogg.”As you read these few lines you already start to wrapped into the story.
Let’s get really honest here.
If you do not get into the habit of giving me details from the text to support your opinion/answer/response/whatever, how do you really think you are going to do on that dreaded test? You will not do the best you could. i guarantee that.
Go back through, check everything you’ve posted.
If you have not given us details for your answer, know that you will not get that 50% of the points.
If you have not given us details for your response to someone else, know that you will not get that 50% of the points.
I agree with Robert S because the book describes the characters in specific details providing you a picture in your mind about how a certain character looks like. He also made the characters act in a way real people wold have responded.
I agree with Micheal C. becuase when you really think about it, you can remember most of the arguments that occured in the reading stage of the round we read. So by remembering those vivid pictures after a few hours or more, it proves that he can use words to show things in a crisp and clear look at the fable’s plot.
I choose question C.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the issues that characters wrestle with within themselves and between each other by explaining every argument that the characters have. For example, when Odo and Sybil argued about what to do after Thorston died, he explained every single detail they said to eachother in a descriptive way. He has also described more arguments throughout the fable, atleast in what we’ve read so far he has.
How does Avi deliver a crisp clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, Alfric, and the others. Use details and information from the text to support your answer.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, and Alfric by describing te hard time that they had to go through. Having to serve masters that do not apprectiate them. Avi also describes that their masters do not treat them right. For example, Master Bashcroft threatned that he would hurt Alfric if he does not do what he says.
I would have to agree with Stacy. If they were to bury him in the front it would be too obvious. So it would be best to bury him the spot they chose.
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, Alfric and the others by describing what each of them have to go through. They described how much Master Bashcroft bought Alfric for and how he treats him. Avi also describes how Thorston treats Sybil. He tells Sybil to do everything and gives her no respect that she dserves. He aslo very well describes how everyone acts around them and shows what kind of people they are.
I would have to agree with Stacy. I agree with Stacy because it would draw attention if they were to bury him in the front yard.
I choose to answer question C.
Avi clearly shows the conflicts that each of the characters face either with themselves or other characters. For example, as I read in the text, Sybil said “Were going to bury him (Thorston) in the cellar.” It came as a shock to them (Alfric and Damian) because they said it wasn’t a proper way to bury someone in their own home it should be on “sacred ground”, but the text also said that if they buried him outside it might draw attention to the towns people along with Master Bashcroft, Brother Wilfrid, and Mistress Weebly, and they didn’t want anyone to know. So there Avi showed a bit of conflict between the characters’ opinions.
Question A
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the world around the characters by describing the settings in such detail that you can imagine the settings clearly and feel like you are actually there. For example, when the author was describing the town in the beginning of the book he said “On a cold winter’s night, when a fog, thick as wool and dank as a dead man’s hand, crept up from the River Scrogg into the ancient town of Fulworth. The fog settled like an icy shroud over the town, filling the mud-clogged streets and crooked lanes. It clung to the crumbling city walls. It heightened the stench of rotten hay and offal, of vinegary wine and rancid ale.” You can just imagine that you are in the cold, foggy town and smell the rotten odors by the way the author vividly describes the setting.
I agree with Michael because Avi tells you the emotions of the character and how they feel about themselves and others.
Question B
The way Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the characters throughout the world in the book is he makes them as if they could really exist in the real world. He gives us descriptive deatils on how the character looks. For example, the city reeve, Ambrose Bashcroft, could be a policeman and Mistress Weebly, the apothecary, could be a doctor or local medicator. When he describes the characters, he makes these fictional “beings” have realistic attributes to them that make them seem real. Like Thorston, he is described as “dirty, highcheeked boned-face, baggy eyes, long narrow nose, deeply lined, toothless, unkept hair, hoary eyebrows, wispy beard, old torn blue robe, twisted, twigthin, and stained fingers.He has green eyes.” I could picture this as some really old guy who doesn’t have any personal hygeine. Also Brother Wilfred is a monk and looks a lot like Thorston and his soul purpose is to get the book back. Hasn’t any one ever wanted something so bad that they will do anyhting for it? This is what I mean about giving these fictional characters realistic attributes. Avi gives you the sense that you could picture these characters in real life.
Question C
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the issues that characters wrestle with within themselves and betweeneach otherby giving a percise description of the characters who enter that section, how they feel, why they feel thiis way, and how they feel towards others. An example is when Sybl had gotten close to the brazier filled with goop and she saw how Odo tensed up and relaxed as Sybl got closer then farther to it and yet the raven said nothing. This showed how Sybl and Odo weren’t the least bit trusting of eachother and were only looking out for themselves.Avi showed how Sybl had to force the secrets between her and Odo such as Odo thinking that Thorston was making gold when he died. Avi is showing how there is a problem with trust between the bird and the girl. Sybl sticking her hand into that goop to find if Odo is lieing about nothing (gold) being in the pot, shows that neither one is attempting to fix this.
Question A- Setting Question
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the world around the characters because he is so in detail about there surroundings.For example,when Sybil went to the Apothecary’s Shop.He explained to us that it was a small crowded room walled with shelves that bore bottles and jars containing roots,like ginger;herbs like mandragora;spices,like cloves ;powdered minerals,like lead;ointments like spikenard.When he does this it makes you think your in the shop because you know whats in it and how it looks like.
Question C
Avi delivers a crisp clear look at the issues that characters wrestle with within themselves and between each other by explaining every situation. For example, when Odo was convincing Sybil to save Thorston from dying, Odo had to explain to her why Sybil should save him by saying that she would end up alone, hungry, without shelter, and with no one to take her in. Avi was giving the consequenses to the possible actions.
I would like to answer question B-The Characterization Question
Avi, the author, created the sense that the characters in the book, specifically Thorston and Brother Wilfrid, could really exist. He did this by giving us specific details on how they both looked. For example, He described Thorston as: “dirty, highcheeked boned-face, baggy eyes long narrow nose, deeply lined, toothless, unkempt hair, hoary eyebrows, wispy beard, old torn blue robe to which was attatched a small leather purse, twisted, twigthin, and stained fingers.” He also has “green eyes.” Though I do not remember exactly how he described Brother Wilfid, I could say that he is somewhat like Thorston. He is also very old and has green eyes. Their speech or thoughts is that they both want the book without words. Brother Wilfrid’s purpose in life is to retrieve the book from Thorston since he was the original keeper of the book. Thorstn does not want Brother Wilfrid to take it away from him so that is why he intends to protect until one day he becomes very ill. So he says to Sybil that she has to keep it away fom Brother Wilfrid. Brother Wilfrid took advantage of this and went to talk to her alone but Sybil ran away. Those were their recent actions that they both did.
Just to be clear, here are the core questions that you have to choose from:
QUESTION A – How does Avi deliver a crisp clear look at the world around Sybil, Odo, Alfric, and the others. Use details and information from the text to support your answer.
QUESTION B – How does Avi deliver a crisp clear look at the characters throughout the world in the book? I’d suggest you focus on one or two characters to explain how characters are characterized. Use details and information from the text to support your answer.
QUESTION C – How does Avi deliver a crisp clear look at the issues that characters wrestle with within themselves and between each other? Use details and information from the text to support your answer.