“La Gioconda’s Smile”, English homework help

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  1. Read the chapter called “La Gioconda’s Smile” (66-73) [attached below].
    • Explore language, our next literary term, through Guevara’s diction (word choices) and the denotation and connotations of those words. Noticing the language of a text helps you be a more critical reader. The author chose particular words that are unique and distinctive in order to convey a tone and meaning.
  2. Find the following eight words in this chapter: prosaic, miasmas, indolent, acrid, acrimony, proletariat, macabre and wrested.
    • Notice the context of these words in the sentences from the chapter.
    • If you do not already know the meaning of these words, can you guess at the meaning from the context?
  3. Look up the denotations (dictionary definitions) of these words on the Internet and make a vocabulary list of words and definitions. Determine how the definitions help you understand the sentence.
  4. Locate these words in the chapter:
    • “knights,”
    • “hitchhikers,”
    • “assaulted,”
    • “parasites,”
    • “clambered,”
    • “riff raff”
  5. List 5 connotations (emotional associations) of each of these words and determine how those connotations change the tone of this chapter or the reaction you have to each of their sentences.
  6. Post your list of denotations and your list of connotations. Also, post two paragraphs, one on denotation and one on connotation, answering the follwing questions:
    • How do the dictionary definitions help you understand the meaning of the story.
    • How do the connotations of the other words add to the overall emotional tone of this chapter, and to your understanding of Che’s character?

md_pgs_66_67_1_.pdf

md_pgs_68_69.pdf

md_pgs_70_71.pdf

md_pgs_72_73.pdf