| 1. F-4 | 4. F-1 | 7. F-2 | 10. T-4 | 13. F-9 |
| 2. F-3 | 5. F-1 | 8. T-3 | 11. T-5 | 14. T |
| 3. T-3 | 6. T | 9. T-3 | 12. T-5 | 15. F |
1. The Misery of Silence deals with Maxine Hong-Kingston's feelings about experiences she had as an immigrant child. How many vocabulary words can you think of to describe her feelings and actions?
2. The author uses a great many metaphors and similes. A metaphor is a direct comparison of two things, e.g. "My silence was thickest ...." (Silence cannot really be thick. She is comparing silence to something tangible, like a blanket, soup, or fog.) A simile serves the same function, but uses "like" or "as" to make the comparison. For example, she could have said "My silence was like a thick, heavy blanket."
a. How many metaphors and similes can you find in the passage?
b. Why does the author use them? (What function do they serve?)
c. Is there any consistency in the kinds of things that the author uses
metaphors and similes to describe?
3. This passage is an excerpt from a book entitled The Woman Warrior. Can you guess what the rest of the book might be about? Do you think this passage comes at the beginning, middle, or end of the book? Why?
4. Do you think that the author's gender is related at all to her experiences and feelings?
5. Why do you think the authors of our textbook (Reactions) chose to include this passage in their book?
6. Write one or two questions of your own to discuss.