Mister Porter - Porter Has Class

Student Response to “The Monkey’s Paw” in 2020

Post published:November 15, 2020
Post category:Student Work

Writing Task You have read “The Monkey’s Paw,” a short story about a family that is granted three wishes, but after receiving their wishes, suffer unexpected consequences. Write an essay identifying a theme and how it is developed over the course of the story. Be sure to use specific evidence to support your response. Student Response “I just want my son back.” This unforgettable line from the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” is written by W.W Jacobs where he tells the story of how the White family lost their son because of a wish upon a magical monkey's paw. Jacobs describes…

Student Response to “Examination Day” in 2020

Post published:October 10, 2020
Post category:Student Work

Writing Task You have read “Examination Day” a short story about a twelve-year-old boy named Richard “Dickie” Jordan who takes a government intelligence exam to see how smart he is. Write an essay describing a characteristic of the government and how it is revealed throughout the story. Be sure to use specific evidence to support your response. Student Response “The Jordans never spoke of the exam, not until their son, Dick, was 12 years old.” This line from the short story “Examination Day” is written by Henry Slesar where he tells the story of twelve-year-old children being forced to take a…

You Never Know What You Mean To Someone

Post published:June 23, 2020
Post category:Blog

Saying that 2020 is a year like no other is an understatement. It's been especially different for teachers and students as we have all tried to navigate social distancing and distance learning. Even now the class of 2020 is still trying to complete their graduation ceremonies around the country. My current students will be going through one of these delayed ceremonies this week. I am sure they are uncertain of how it will all play out just as I am. Undoubtedly, this will be very different. Nonetheless, they will graduate and go on with their lives and be able to…

Student Response to “The Landlady” in 2017

Post published:April 5, 2020
Post category:Student Work

Writing Task You have read the short story “The Landlady” written by Roald Dahl about a young, aspiring businessman discovering a bed and breakfast with a mysterious landlady. Write an essay explaining the word “dotty” from page 174 and how it impacts the plot of the story. Be sure to use specific evidence to support your response. Student Response “‘Left?’ she said, arching her brow. ‘But my dear boy, he never left.’” Throughout the story, the main character struggles with the lady’s politeness versus her awkwardness. In the short story “The Landlady”, the word “dotty” impacts the plot of the story. The…