Apple Tree
“The Apple Tree” Essay Prep
Literature and Your Life
Reader’s Response: Were you surprised by the ending? Why or why not?
Thematic Focus: Why do you think that eagerly anticipated events so often fail to live up to people’s expectations?
Written Discussion: Discuss why the children mislead their father about the taste of the apple. What would you have done in that situation? Why?
Check Your Comprehension
1. What does the friend from England tell the father about the apple tree? 2. How does the father treat the tree after his friend’s revelation? 3. Describe the apples’ appearance. 4. Explain how the apples’ taste compares with the characters’ expectations.
Critical Thinking
INTERPRET 1. Why is the father so easily convinced by his friend that the tree produces wonderful apples? [Infer] 2. What are the first hints that the taste of the apples might not live up to expectations? [Infer] 3. skip this one 4. What lesson do the father and the children learn? [Draw Conclusions]
APPLY 5. How do image and public approval play a role in determining the worth of some of the things we value? [Apply]
EXTEND 6. What are some careers in which public opinion influences how a person performs his or her job? [Career Link]
Reading Strategy
QUESTION
After you’ve finished reading a literary work, reflect on the questions that came to mind as you read. Answer any unresolved questions by piecing together details from the work and, if necessary, going back to the text. 1. What is the main question that came to mind about the father’s behavior? 2. After reading the story, how would you answer that question?
Literary Focus
ALLUSION
In “The Apple Tree,” Katherine Mansfield makes an allusion to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. 1. Point out two references in “The Apple Tree’ to the biblical story. 2. How does “The Apple Tree” differ from the biblical story? 3. How does knowing the
Literature and Your Life
Reader’s Response: Were you surprised by the ending? Why or why not?
Thematic Focus: Why do you think that eagerly anticipated events so often fail to live up to people’s expectations?
Written Discussion: Discuss why the children mislead their father about the taste of the apple. What would you have done in that situation? Why?
Check Your Comprehension
1. What does the friend from England tell the father about the apple tree? 2. How does the father treat the tree after his friend’s revelation? 3. Describe the apples’ appearance. 4. Explain how the apples’ taste compares with the characters’ expectations.
Critical Thinking
INTERPRET 1. Why is the father so easily convinced by his friend that the tree produces wonderful apples? [Infer] 2. What are the first hints that the taste of the apples might not live up to expectations? [Infer] 3. skip this one 4. What lesson do the father and the children learn? [Draw Conclusions]
APPLY 5. How do image and public approval play a role in determining the worth of some of the things we value? [Apply]
EXTEND 6. What are some careers in which public opinion influences how a person performs his or her job? [Career Link]
Reading Strategy
QUESTION
After you’ve finished reading a literary work, reflect on the questions that came to mind as you read. Answer any unresolved questions by piecing together details from the work and, if necessary, going back to the text. 1. What is the main question that came to mind about the father’s behavior? 2. After reading the story, how would you answer that question?
Literary Focus
ALLUSION
In “The Apple Tree,” Katherine Mansfield makes an allusion to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. 1. Point out two references in “The Apple Tree’ to the biblical story. 2. How does “The Apple Tree” differ from the biblical story? 3. How does knowing the