an invisible thread
1. Setting: NYC/Manhattan/September, 1986 Labor Day Weekend
Book continues to the present day.
Main Characters: Laura and Maurice
2. First person narrative
3. Maurice’s background: poor, drug ridden, violent, unstable
4. Laura’s background: abusive, but hidden from sight; middle class and suburban
5. Maurice is on the street asking for money, he asks Laura for money for food b/c he is hungry. She passes him at first, but then goes back and they go to McDonalds for lunch. They then meet for the next 150 Mondays.
6. Maurice’s teacher had tried to help him and had gone to his apartment to try to get his family involved in his school work. She told Laura that if she wanted to help Maurice she needed to get involved and stay involved; she could never abandon him. Laura never forgot what Miss House said.
7. “Junebug” was Maurice’s father’s nickname.
8. Foreshadowing: a hint of what is to come in a story. Laura had brought coffee to a homeless man named Stan until he disappeared. This tells us that Laura is more likely to get involved than other people.
9. The name of the gang was the Tomahawk gang.
10. Laura’s mother, Marie, was raised in an abusive household too. Her father was very strict and even cruel, so when she was 19 she married a man who she thought would protect her to get out of her father’s house and away from the abuse. However, her husband turned out to be just as abusive as her father was. This is an example of irony.
11. Laura’s 50th birthday party was a great occasion for her because Maurice and all of his family, as well as her brothers and sisters and their families were there.
12. Explain this in a two paragraph response, one paragraph for Maurice and one for Laura. Each paragraph in your response should be at least 7-9 sentences. You will write the answer to this question on the test. You may NOT write it before and then hand it in.
Book continues to the present day.
Main Characters: Laura and Maurice
2. First person narrative
3. Maurice’s background: poor, drug ridden, violent, unstable
4. Laura’s background: abusive, but hidden from sight; middle class and suburban
5. Maurice is on the street asking for money, he asks Laura for money for food b/c he is hungry. She passes him at first, but then goes back and they go to McDonalds for lunch. They then meet for the next 150 Mondays.
6. Maurice’s teacher had tried to help him and had gone to his apartment to try to get his family involved in his school work. She told Laura that if she wanted to help Maurice she needed to get involved and stay involved; she could never abandon him. Laura never forgot what Miss House said.
7. “Junebug” was Maurice’s father’s nickname.
8. Foreshadowing: a hint of what is to come in a story. Laura had brought coffee to a homeless man named Stan until he disappeared. This tells us that Laura is more likely to get involved than other people.
9. The name of the gang was the Tomahawk gang.
10. Laura’s mother, Marie, was raised in an abusive household too. Her father was very strict and even cruel, so when she was 19 she married a man who she thought would protect her to get out of her father’s house and away from the abuse. However, her husband turned out to be just as abusive as her father was. This is an example of irony.
11. Laura’s 50th birthday party was a great occasion for her because Maurice and all of his family, as well as her brothers and sisters and their families were there.
12. Explain this in a two paragraph response, one paragraph for Maurice and one for Laura. Each paragraph in your response should be at least 7-9 sentences. You will write the answer to this question on the test. You may NOT write it before and then hand it in.