Skip to main content

What words does Natalie Babbitt use to describe the first week of August in Tuck Everlasting?

The best place to look for the description of the first week of August is in the first paragraph of the prologue.


The words that Babbitt uses in that paragraph are all words that help the reader envision the season and feel hot, humid, sticky, and gross. I do not enjoy heat and humidity, so that paragraph is an awful read for me. It just makes me feel gross. Not only that, but Babbitt writes...

The best place to look for the description of the first week of August is in the first paragraph of the prologue.


The words that Babbitt uses in that paragraph are all words that help the reader envision the season and feel hot, humid, sticky, and gross. I do not enjoy heat and humidity, so that paragraph is an awful read for me. It just makes me feel gross. Not only that, but Babbitt writes the paragraph in a way that makes it seem like the heat will last entirely too long.


For example, in the first two sentences the following words are used: "hang," "long," "motionless," and "pauses." Nothing about those words suggests relief from the heat.


As for words that describe the actual heat, here are a few of them: "hot," "balmy," "breathless," "glaring," and "smeared." It's so hot that it takes your breath away. "Balmy" and "smeared" make me think of moisture and humidity. Everything is dripping with hot moisture. I'm sure the windows have condensation streaks on them the entire day. There are not likely any clouds either, which is why the sun is "glaring." The paragraph does say that at night there are storm clouds, but they bring "no relieving rain."


For me, Babbitt paints a picture of some of the worst weather that I can think of.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more