Star Food
Interpretive Questions: Answer all questions in complete sentences, using quotes to support.
1.) Why does Dade spend so much time on the roof of the store?
1.) Dade spends so much time on the roof of the store because he is avoiding working and doing his chores and he is thinking about what he should be doing in life “I could avoid a certain amount of stock work by staying up on the roof.” (p 132).
2.) Why does Dade try to confuse his father by looking at the clouds when his father speaks to him about his future?
2.) Dade tries to confuse his father by looking at the clouds so he avoids the question and makes it look like he is thinking about what he will be “Usually I stared into the clouds when he said something like that.” (p 131)
3.) Why does Dade think that the discovery of what he wants will come to him when he is on the roof?
3.) Dade thinks the discovery of what he wants will appear from the stars, he believes they will provide him an answer and they will feed his ambition. When Dade didn't know what he wanted he went up on the roof and said "Tell me what I want." (p 143) he wants a sign of what he should do in life.
4.) Why does Dade finally tell his mother, “I’m not sure what my dreams are,…And I’m never going to discover anything”? (p. 147)
4.) Dade tells his mother this because he is starting to realize he wont do anything awesome and will just take over the store. When he says “I’m never going to discover anything” (p 147) he realizes that staring into the sky hasn't brought him anything.
5.) Why does Dade feel “alone in the world” at the end of the story? (p. 150)
5.) Dade feels alone in the world because his dad wants him to take over the store and his mother wants him to follow his dreams while Dade just doesn't know what to do. He is “alone in the world” (p 150) because he has no idea of what he wants and he doesn't want to disappoint the people who want things from him.
6.) Why does Dade let the woman go after they go into the stockroom?
6.) Dade lets the women go because he doesn't know what to say and panics and lets her go. When he says “Do you know what it is to steal?” (p 149) he sees that he scared her and realizes he isn't that kind of person so he lets her leave.
7.) Why does Dade feel that the woman who is shoplifting knows something about him?
7.) Dade feels that the women knows something and Dade understands that she has nothing and is letting her steal while the lady is stealing just what she needs she is not taking advantage she knows that they are mutual. When he said “Her gray eyes were looking into mine.” (p 136) they had a agreement that he understood she needed to do what she needed to do.
8.) After he sees the air force jets, why does Dade decide that he wants the woman to be caught?
8.) Dade decides to go after the women when he sees the jets because he sees them as a sign to catch the woman who is shop lifting “I knew I wanted the woman to be caught. I had seen a sign.” (p 146) the sign was the jets flying above him.
9.) Why does Dade feel “strong and good” when he catches the woman but then feel “flushed…with remorse”? (p. 148)
9.) Dade “feels flushed with remorse” (p 148) because by doing the right thing he caught the women but he is doing the wrong thing by letting her free he doesn't know if he should do what his mom or dad would want him to do. He feels “strong and good” (p 148) when he catches her because he feels that thats what he was destined to do and thats why he got a sign to do so.
10.) Why does Dade walk with the woman after he lets her go?
10.) Dade walks with her because he wants to see if he will find a sign of what he should do. He wants information and truth from the lady. “It seemed we would be able of a great communication now, but as we walked I realized I didn't know what to say.” (p 149) he wants answers but he doesn't know what he wants answers to.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Appease (p. 134)
Quote: "To appease my father I cleaned the electric star, and though he often came outside to sweep, he stopped telling me to come down."
Definition: The definition of appease is to make happy
Synonym: satisfy
Sentence: He was appeased when he was given his toy back.
2.) Competence (p. 137)
Quote: "For years my father had been trying to teach me competence and industry."
Definition: The definition of competence is to do something successfully
Synonym: ability
Sentence: He was a competence person in the law industry.
3.) Retrospect (p. 148)
Quote: "I was standing in front of the counter, hands in my pockets, my mother's eyes watering over, the guard looking out the window at a couple of girls, everything revolving around the point of calm that, in retrospect, precedes surprises."
Definition: The definition of retrospect is a review of something that happened in the past
Synonym: Hindsight
Sentence: In retrospect that was a bad idea.
4.) Precedes (p. 148)
Quote: "I was standing in front of the counter, hands in my pockets, my mother's eyes watering over, the guard looking out the window at a couple of girls, everything revolving around the point of calm that, in retrospect, precedes surprises."
Definition: The definition of precede is come before something in time
Synonym: introduce
Sentence: This precedes to be more difficult than I thought.
5.) Remorse (p. 148)
Quote: "This flushed me with remorse."
Definition: The definition of remorse is to regret something
Synonym: guilt
Sentence: I felt remorse for the grade I got on my test.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when Dade is doing something to please himself or when he is doing something to please others. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Dade pleases himself when he goes on the roof and stares at the clouds (p 132)
Dade pleases himself by letting the lady free when he knows he shouldn’t (p 149)
Dade pleases himself when he tries to catch the shoplifter (p 148)
Dade pleases himself when he avoids work (p 132)
Dade pleases himself when he tries to find his dreams (p 132)
Dade pleases others when he goes on the roof like his mother wants (p 139)
Dade pleases others when he does his work for his dads (p 147)
Dade please others when he catches the lady for his dad (p 148)
Dade pleases others by letting the women go and understanding her (p 149)
Dade pleases others when he lets the lady steal from the store (p 135)
1.) Why does Dade spend so much time on the roof of the store?
1.) Dade spends so much time on the roof of the store because he is avoiding working and doing his chores and he is thinking about what he should be doing in life “I could avoid a certain amount of stock work by staying up on the roof.” (p 132).
2.) Why does Dade try to confuse his father by looking at the clouds when his father speaks to him about his future?
2.) Dade tries to confuse his father by looking at the clouds so he avoids the question and makes it look like he is thinking about what he will be “Usually I stared into the clouds when he said something like that.” (p 131)
3.) Why does Dade think that the discovery of what he wants will come to him when he is on the roof?
3.) Dade thinks the discovery of what he wants will appear from the stars, he believes they will provide him an answer and they will feed his ambition. When Dade didn't know what he wanted he went up on the roof and said "Tell me what I want." (p 143) he wants a sign of what he should do in life.
4.) Why does Dade finally tell his mother, “I’m not sure what my dreams are,…And I’m never going to discover anything”? (p. 147)
4.) Dade tells his mother this because he is starting to realize he wont do anything awesome and will just take over the store. When he says “I’m never going to discover anything” (p 147) he realizes that staring into the sky hasn't brought him anything.
5.) Why does Dade feel “alone in the world” at the end of the story? (p. 150)
5.) Dade feels alone in the world because his dad wants him to take over the store and his mother wants him to follow his dreams while Dade just doesn't know what to do. He is “alone in the world” (p 150) because he has no idea of what he wants and he doesn't want to disappoint the people who want things from him.
6.) Why does Dade let the woman go after they go into the stockroom?
6.) Dade lets the women go because he doesn't know what to say and panics and lets her go. When he says “Do you know what it is to steal?” (p 149) he sees that he scared her and realizes he isn't that kind of person so he lets her leave.
7.) Why does Dade feel that the woman who is shoplifting knows something about him?
7.) Dade feels that the women knows something and Dade understands that she has nothing and is letting her steal while the lady is stealing just what she needs she is not taking advantage she knows that they are mutual. When he said “Her gray eyes were looking into mine.” (p 136) they had a agreement that he understood she needed to do what she needed to do.
8.) After he sees the air force jets, why does Dade decide that he wants the woman to be caught?
8.) Dade decides to go after the women when he sees the jets because he sees them as a sign to catch the woman who is shop lifting “I knew I wanted the woman to be caught. I had seen a sign.” (p 146) the sign was the jets flying above him.
9.) Why does Dade feel “strong and good” when he catches the woman but then feel “flushed…with remorse”? (p. 148)
9.) Dade “feels flushed with remorse” (p 148) because by doing the right thing he caught the women but he is doing the wrong thing by letting her free he doesn't know if he should do what his mom or dad would want him to do. He feels “strong and good” (p 148) when he catches her because he feels that thats what he was destined to do and thats why he got a sign to do so.
10.) Why does Dade walk with the woman after he lets her go?
10.) Dade walks with her because he wants to see if he will find a sign of what he should do. He wants information and truth from the lady. “It seemed we would be able of a great communication now, but as we walked I realized I didn't know what to say.” (p 149) he wants answers but he doesn't know what he wants answers to.
Vocabulary in Context:
1.) Appease (p. 134)
Quote: "To appease my father I cleaned the electric star, and though he often came outside to sweep, he stopped telling me to come down."
Definition: The definition of appease is to make happy
Synonym: satisfy
Sentence: He was appeased when he was given his toy back.
2.) Competence (p. 137)
Quote: "For years my father had been trying to teach me competence and industry."
Definition: The definition of competence is to do something successfully
Synonym: ability
Sentence: He was a competence person in the law industry.
3.) Retrospect (p. 148)
Quote: "I was standing in front of the counter, hands in my pockets, my mother's eyes watering over, the guard looking out the window at a couple of girls, everything revolving around the point of calm that, in retrospect, precedes surprises."
Definition: The definition of retrospect is a review of something that happened in the past
Synonym: Hindsight
Sentence: In retrospect that was a bad idea.
4.) Precedes (p. 148)
Quote: "I was standing in front of the counter, hands in my pockets, my mother's eyes watering over, the guard looking out the window at a couple of girls, everything revolving around the point of calm that, in retrospect, precedes surprises."
Definition: The definition of precede is come before something in time
Synonym: introduce
Sentence: This precedes to be more difficult than I thought.
5.) Remorse (p. 148)
Quote: "This flushed me with remorse."
Definition: The definition of remorse is to regret something
Synonym: guilt
Sentence: I felt remorse for the grade I got on my test.
Thinking Map:
Use textual evidence to show examples of when Dade is doing something to please himself or when he is doing something to please others. Include 5 examples and support with page numbers and opinion for each column.
Dade pleases himself when he goes on the roof and stares at the clouds (p 132)
Dade pleases himself by letting the lady free when he knows he shouldn’t (p 149)
Dade pleases himself when he tries to catch the shoplifter (p 148)
Dade pleases himself when he avoids work (p 132)
Dade pleases himself when he tries to find his dreams (p 132)
Dade pleases others when he goes on the roof like his mother wants (p 139)
Dade pleases others when he does his work for his dads (p 147)
Dade please others when he catches the lady for his dad (p 148)
Dade pleases others by letting the women go and understanding her (p 149)
Dade pleases others when he lets the lady steal from the store (p 135)