THE WOLVES OF CERNOGRATZ
Understanding the Text
A.
1.
a. The old governess, Amalie Schmidt, is being referred to here.
b. Everyone looked at her in astonishment because she usually sat silently and primly at her place, and never spoke unless someone spoke to her. Today, she had suddenly spoken out of turn, replying unexpectedly to the Baroness.
c. She, meaning Amalie, continued rapidly and nervously. She spoke in that manner because she was feeling awkward to be talking in front of so many people, out of turn. Yet she was also determined to talk and explain about the legend, so she spoke rapidly.
2.
a. Baroness Gruebel is being referred to here.
b. The Baroness had taunted Amalie, saying she did not know that Amalie was an expert in family histories, because Amalie had challenged her. She had explained what the legend really was and that it would not apply to someone who was not a von Cernogratz.
c. Amalie’s answer to the Baroness’ taunt was that she knew the legend because she herself was a von Cernogratz. It was unexpected and astonishing because the Baroness and her guests knew Amalie as an old and poor governess, whereas von Cernogratz, which was an old and rich family which had owned the castle.
3.
a. The Baron said these words. He snapped as he spoke because he was angry.
b. The impertinence was Amalie’s claim that she was actually a von Cernogratz. It was considered an impertinence because the Baron did not believe her. He thought she was trying to prove herself to be superior to them.
4.
a. The speaker is Baroness Gruebel. She was referring to Amalie, the governess.
b. The Baroness was sorry for Amalie because she was ill and looked withered and shrunken. She was annoyed because Amalie could not work as much as usual when there were so many guests in the house.
c. Suggested answer (accept any logical answer): No, the Baroness was not really sorry for Amalie. She was just annoyed that Amalie could not work as much as usual. She was already angry with Amalie because she had claimed that she was a von Cernogratz, an old and famous family.
5.
a. Conrad was referring to the howling of the wolves. He called it music because he found it strange and wonderful that the wolves were howling right at that time when the governess was ill and possibly dying.
b. Conrad said this in response to the Baroness’ comment that she would not have such music—meaning the wolves’ howling—for much money. She found the sound disturbing.
c. He said that the music could not be bought because he believed the legend. He knew that they, the human beings, could not control the music in any way—they could not make the wolves howl, nor could they make the wolves stop howling.
B.
1. when her mother-in-law had died in the castle, no wolves had howled.
2. the wolves howled only when a member of the von Cernogratz family died in the castle.
3. She herself was a von Cernogratz.
4. she had been talking to the peasants about the old Cernogratz family and because her grandfather may have been a pantry boy in the castle.
5. it sensed that something strange was going on—the dogs outside were barking loudly and angrily.
6. she wanted to listen to the wolves’ howling—she believed they had come to sing for her.
No comments:
Post a Comment