Reynier Francis Espinola 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE 12 STEM-Fortitude

Activity 1. Read Me!

Direction: Read the selection Chenchnya by Anthony Marra and answer the questions
that follow.

Direction: Fill out the table with the setting and character. Use skimming as reding
technique.

Literary Element Question Answer

Setting 1. Where and when did 1. The story about the

the story happen? Caucasian war in
Chechnya, Russia
1994.

Character 2. Who are the 2. The story's three main

characters in the characters are Havaa,
story? a young girl who
Akhmed saves from
Russian custody,
Sonia, a surgeon
working in a Chechen
hospital, and Akhmed,
a medical student who
becomes her hesitant
helper.
•Sonja - a medical doctor and
Natasha's sister, who at first
refused to take good care of
Havaa but eventually adopted
her.

• Akhmed - an aspiring
medical professional and a
determined man who saves
Havaa from war, he also asks
Sonja to adopt Havaa

• Natasha - Sonja's sister and

who died earlier from the
story

• Havaa - a young girl whose

parents were captured by the
rebels and the Russians and
rescued by Ahmad
Reynier Francis Espinola 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE 12 STEM-Fortitude

Assessment 1. Comprehension Check:

Direction: Now, answer the following questions to test your understanding on the given
story.

1. What description were given about the setting of the story?

a. The Caucasian War, which took place in 1851–1852, is the scene for this story,
which takes place in Chechnya, Russia. In the story, the Muslim-Avars of
Chechnya, the native Caucasian ethnic group, resist the conquest during a point
in the Caucasian War under Imam Shamil's leadership

2. What seems to be the conflict surrounding the story?

a. Conflict in a story creates and drives the plot forward. External conflict refers to
the obstacles a character faces in the external world. Internal conflict refers to a
character's internal or emotional obstacles.

3. What was the deal made by Sonja and Akhmed?

a. The narrative opens with Akmed escaping his war-torn hometown in Chechnya
with a little girl who is the daughter of his best friend. The father of the girl has
been imprisoned and sent to a location called "Landfill," where he will be
questioned.

Akmed transports the young woman to a local hospital and entrusts Sonja, a
female surgeon, with her care. Akmed strikes a bargain with Sonja, promising to
work at the hospital in return for her protection.

4. What change in attitude was evident in the main character of the story at the
beginning and at the end?
a. One of the factors that contributed to the main character's considerable attitude
change from begging compared to the story's conclusion was the passing of her
sister.

5. Why was it important foot the writer to narrate the events that happened during
the wars to reveal tradition in Chechnya?
a. To make it easier for the readers to imagine the events in the novel and to help
them connect what they are reading with how they are feeling.

Whether the story is factual or not, narrative writing ultimately seeks to

emotionally grip readers by describing a series of events. Strong emotions like
empathy, dread, rage, and so on are what authors want to arouse in their readers
through their works of fiction.
Reynier Francis Espinola 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE 12 STEM-Fortitude

Activity. Scan Me!

Direction: Read and understand the story below and answer the questions that follow.

Direction: Fill the table with point of view, conflict and theme. Use Scanning as a reading
technique.

Literary Element Question Answer

Point of View 1. Who is narrating the 1. Maia is narrated as

story? part of the journey to
the river sea. Eva
Ibbotson wrote the
adventure book
Journey to the River
Sea, which was
released in 2001 by
MacMillan. The early
20th century is
primarily depicted in
Manaus, Brazil, and it
presents the author's
interpretation of the
Amazon River. Maia's
life journey is
chronicled in Journey
to the River Sea.

Conflict 2. What is struggle is the 2. The Carter family's

main charater facing brutality and greed
in this sotry? must be endured by
Maia.

From the twins who

tease Maia to Mrs.
Carter's deception to
stop Maia from being
escorted to see Clovis
perform in his play to
Mr. Carter's decision
to save his glass
eyeball collection
instead of his ward
when the home is set
on fire.

Conflict refers to the

Reynier Francis Espinola 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE 12 STEM-Fortitude

fight between the

protagonist and the
antagonist.

Theme 3. What is the main idea 3. The idea of the story

expressed in the is to focus on nature
story? and its strong
connection to the
human spirit.
- This question
is from the
famous story
called "The
Journey To
The River
Sea" written by
the amazing
Eva Ibbotson.

- Maia Fielding
is one of the
main
characters of
the story. She
is an orphan
who has a very
strict
governess.
She has to live
far away in the
Amazon.

- The other main

themes of the
story are
family,
friendship and
being brave
enough to
pursue your
dreams.

Assessment 2.1. Comprehension Check

Reynier Francis Espinola 21ST CENTURY LITERATURE 12 STEM-Fortitude

Direction: the story was quite interesting. Now, answer the questions that follow to test
understanding.

1. What problem a did Maia experience during her travel Brazil?

- While Maia finds the mystique of Brazil interesting, she couldn’t bear the
enigmatic attitude of her distant relatives, the Carters who look down at the
natives and would complain about everything in Brazil. As a result, they hardly go
out and would often express hate about the place they live in which means Maia
must also stay indoors.

2. What are the characteristics of Gwendolyn and Beatrice?\

- The sisters, Gwendolyn and Beatrice, Maia’s cousins, seem to have imbibed the
attitude of their parents towards Brazil. They would also fight even about the
littlest of things.

3. What life lessons did she learn from her friends Finn and Clovis?
- Maia’s two friends, Clovis and Finn have shown her that one can do what he/she
resolves to do if he/she sets sights to it. They were able to pursue what they want
to do with Clovis returning to England disguised as Finn, the rich heir, so he can
go back to his foster mother while Finn who used Clovis’ identity has been free to
roam Brazil in search of his mother’s tribe, the Xanti.