Question

How does the author provide readers with important information about Aunt Gertrude in the passage's exposition?

The author foreshadows the ending by mentioning Aunt Gertrude's well-known generosity.

The author has the narrator's uncle read aloud a letter written by Aunt Gertrude.

The author includes a flashback that details the narrator's interactions with and views on his aunt.

The author includes dialogue in which characters talk about Aunt Gertrude's traits.

Answer 1

What passage are we looking at here? Also, welcome to QuestionCove!

Answer 2

Thank you
the passage is kinda long. can i post it?

Answer 3

sure, here in this thread works

Answer 4

Secret in Slovakia

After 17 hours of travel, we had finally made it. It was 10 o’clock at night and we were in Slovakia, standing in front of Great-Aunt Gertrude’s house, which stood at the end of a long, narrow street and looked to be made of ancient stone. The wind came whistling through the trees that surrounded the house in a way that reminded me of an eerie fairy tale that my grandmother told me when I was a child. In the dark, with its front windows and double-arched doors, the house looked as if it were about to eat us. Two days later, when we left, I would look at the house in the daylight and think it was very charming. Right then, I wanted nothing more than to find the inside much less frightening than the outside.

I was in Slovakia with my mother and uncle to prepare Aunt Gertrude’s house to be sold. Two years ago, when she became increasingly frail, she had come to the United States to live out her days close to the only family she had—my mother, my uncle, and their families. I had seen Aunt Gertrude more in the past two years than I had ever before in my life, and she could be terrifying, often wearing a mean scowl on her deeply lined face. She never had children of her own and worked as a governess when she was young, and although those children had to be my parents’ age by now, I still felt bad for them. My grandmother had come to the United States when she and Gertrude were in their 20s, and Aunt Gertrude rarely spoke about herself, so we knew very little about her adult life.

Although I never felt particularly close to Aunt Gertrude, it was comforting to know she was close by in her last years. And now that she was gone, we were apparently going to discover the secret she had been keeping from all of us. I’ll never forget the last moments before she died. She knew the end was near, and she was saying her goodbyes to all of us. Then she turned to my mother, grasped her hand so tight that I saw surprise on my mother’s face, and she said “I’m so sorry. You’ll find out all about it. I did what I thought was best. Forgive me.”

This was not the time to press Aunt Gertrude for details, and just a few minutes later, she died peacefully. Now we were at the house to gather her paperwork and retrieve some personal items that she had left behind. As we crossed the threshold, I realized that my wish about the inside of the house not being frightening would not be coming true. The furniture, all draped in sheets and lit only by the moonlight, looked like ghosts hovering in each room. It was so still we could hear each tick of the grandfather clock as we moved through the house. The three of us walked slowly and quietly down the wide hallway to the kitchen as if we were afraid of waking someone. My uncle turned on a light switch as we walked into the kitchen, and the bulb instantly blew out, sending my mother and me into a momentary panic. We all composed ourselves and made our way to the library. Aunt Gertrude had directed us specifically to this room so that we could gather certain books and other items that she wanted to remain in the family. As we crept into the room, we all noticed it at once. On the desk, there was an old, wooden box with a note on top in Aunt Gertrude’s handwriting that read, “Forgive me.”

I had never asked my mother or uncle what they thought we might discover at Aunt Gertrude’s house because I was certain that they would not know. Aunt Gertrude had always been such a distant, shadowy figure, even when she was living in the United States. Now we were about to find out what she had kept secret for years.

My uncle opened the box and pulled out a stack of old papers. On the top was stationery that looked as if it were about 50 years old; the letterhead had a picture of a building with the words “Bratislava School for Girls.” The second paper in the stack was a letter from Aunt Gertrude addressed to the family. In the letter, she explained that she had been bequeathed a large sum of money when she was a young woman by one of the families for whom she had worked. Aunt Gertrude had used it to open a school for orphan girls in the city where she had grown up. As he read the letter, my uncle paused at the end of almost every sentence. It was all so much to take in. Aunt Gertrude explained that she knew many orphans as a child growing up in the city and when she was given this money, she immediately knew what she would do with it.

The letter said that her only fear was that the family would be angry with her for not sharing the money. We all looked at each other in disbelief. A woman we had all feared had sacrificed what could have been a luxurious life in order to help orphans in her homeland, and she had worried that we would be angry about it. A few days later, we returned home with the surprising news about Aunt Gertrude. The news made me regret not knowing her better while she was alive, but at least our family now knows what kind of generous person Aunt Gertrude really was.

Answer 5

Well, when you read this passage, what stands out to you? How does the author approach talking about his Aunt and how did this develop during the passage? Basically, what tactics did he use?

Answer 6

i have trouble with reading and comprehension so can you help me break this down?

Answer 7

Does the speaker take us back to an earlier time? That would be an example of flashback.

Does the author speak to other characters about Aunt Gertrude, i.e. is there dialogue? Ask yourself these small questions and you should be able to figure out what is being said here.

Answer 8

And sure, I'm willing to help you piece it out. Would you mind waiting for perhaps 15 minutes, I have to go to class (I'm a college student).

Answer 9

SURE GO RIGHT AHEAD

Answer 10

Hey, I'm back :) What specific questions do you have about the reading?

Answer 11

what is the story mainly about

Answer 12

i do much better when someone reads the story to me

Answer 13

but i cant do that so that is why i posted the question

Answer 14

oh, okay! Here, I'll break down each paragraph for you then

Answer 15

oh really tysm for your time

Answer 16

After 17 hours of travel, we had finally made it. It was 10 o’clock at night and we were in Slovakia, standing in front of Great-Aunt Gertrude’s house, which stood at the end of a long, narrow street and looked to be made of ancient stone. The wind came whistling through the trees that surrounded the house in a way that reminded me of an eerie fairy tale that my grandmother told me when I was a child. In the dark, with its front windows and double-arched doors, the house looked as if it were about to eat us. Two days later, when we left, I would look at the house in the daylight and think it was very charming. Right then, I wanted nothing more than to find the inside much less frightening than the outside.

--> Summary:In the present, it's 10 pm and they are standing in front of the deceased Aunt Gertrude's place. In summation, it's kind of dark and scary and so far, this makes the Aunt seem mildly sketch. Nothing too important going on in this first paragraph

Answer 17

okay i understand that paragraph now TY

Answer 18

I was in Slovakia with my mother and uncle to prepare Aunt Gertrude’s house to be sold. Two years ago, when she became increasingly frail, she had come to the United States to live out her days close to the only family she had—my mother, my uncle, and their families. I had seen Aunt Gertrude more in the past two years than I had ever before in my life, and she could be terrifying, often wearing a mean scowl on her deeply lined face. She never had children of her own and worked as a governess when she was young, and although those children had to be my parents’ age by now, I still felt bad for them. My grandmother had come to the United States when she and Gertrude were in their 20s, and Aunt Gertrude rarely spoke about herself, so we knew very little about her adult life.

--> Summary: So far, we are finding things out about Gertrude via \(flashback\). She doesn't seem to be the most pleasant of people though, the way she is described here...

Answer 19

i totally agree with you. You are a Great Tutor

Answer 20

Although I never felt particularly close to Aunt Gertrude, it was comforting to know she was close by in her last years. And now that she was gone, we were apparently going to discover the secret she had been keeping from all of us. I’ll never forget the last moments before she died. She knew the end was near, and she was saying her goodbyes to all of us. Then she turned to my mother, grasped her hand so tight that I saw surprise on my mother’s face, and she said “I’m so sorry. You’ll find out all about it. I did what I thought was best. Forgive me.”

--> Summary: WE are still in the flashback, but now we are brought back to the present, with the reveal of a secret imminent! What could it be? This paragraph seems important.

Answer 21

Hmm i dont know

Answer 22

yeah? What questions do you have about this paragraph?

Answer 23

i dont have any i just dont know what the secret is i rlly want to know lol

Answer 24

lol well the answer is in one of the future paragraphs

Answer 25

would you like me to continue breaking down each paragraph?

Answer 26

only if you have time this is helping me ALOT

Answer 27

I'm really glad! How much time do you have? Just wondering

Answer 28

i think have till 3:00

Answer 29

bc my parents might call me to do something
im home schooled

Answer 30

gotcha. Not to be intrusive, but I'm not sure what time zone you're in lol so for me, it's 11 am rn. I am TA'ing a class, but I should be done in 45 minutes. I think I'll be able to help much faster then, but as long as you don't mind slow help I can help now (:

Answer 31

no i dont mind im central time so it is 1:02 rn. but i dont want to hold you up

Answer 32

i can even wait till tomorrow to do it
if you have an earlier time you get on and you are free

Answer 33

Alright, in that case I'll just come back in about 45 mins. that should be fine

Answer 34

ok and if i happen to be off then can we pick up tomorrow. i have a eye appt. so i will be on around 12:00 central time

Answer 35

Perfect! Yeah, I'll definitely be able to help you, English is a very strong subject of mine. See you in now... 37 minutes :p

Answer 36

OKAY!! TYSM BTW

Answer 37

i am here when you are ready

Answer 38

Sweet. Yeah, I'm ready to go.

This was not the time to press Aunt Gertrude for details, and just a few minutes later, she died peacefully. Now we were at the house to gather her paperwork and retrieve some personal items that she had left behind. As we crossed the threshold, I realized that my wish about the inside of the house not being frightening would not be coming true. The furniture, all draped in sheets and lit only by the moonlight, looked like ghosts hovering in each room. It was so still we could hear each tick of the grandfather clock as we moved through the house. The three of us walked slowly and quietly down the wide hallway to the kitchen as if we were afraid of waking someone. My uncle turned on a light switch as we walked into the kitchen, and the bulb instantly blew out, sending my mother and me into a momentary panic. We all composed ourselves and made our way to the library. Aunt Gertrude had directed us specifically to this room so that we could gather certain books and other items that she wanted to remain in the family. As we crept into the room, we all noticed it at once. On the desk, there was an old, wooden box with a note on top in Aunt Gertrude’s handwriting that read, “Forgive me.”

--> Summary: We are taken back to the present here, and basically, things are starting to turn around! The house isn't scary, and they found an old box with Gertrude's handwriting. This is curious because the words on the box match what her last dying words were.

Answer 39

I had never asked my mother or uncle what they thought we might discover at Aunt Gertrude’s house because I was certain that they would not know. Aunt Gertrude had always been such a distant, shadowy figure, even when she was living in the United States. Now we were about to find out what she had kept secret for years.

-->Summary: Basically we about to find this secret out. The suspense!

Answer 40

i understand this paragraph now ty i would be soo scared though

Answer 41

My uncle opened the box and pulled out a stack of old papers. On the top was stationery that looked as if it were about 50 years old; the letterhead had a picture of a building with the words “Bratislava School for Girls.” The second paper in the stack was a letter from Aunt Gertrude addressed to the family. In the letter, she explained that she had been bequeathed a large sum of money when she was a young woman by one of the families for whom she had worked. Aunt Gertrude had used it to open a school for orphan girls in the city where she had grown up. As he read the letter, my uncle paused at the end of almost every sentence. It was all so much to take in. Aunt Gertrude explained that she knew many orphans as a child growing up in the city and when she was given this money, she immediately knew what she would do with it.

--> so here's the big reveal! she had lots of money, and she used it to open a school for orphan girls. She did this b/c she knew so many orphan children when she was a child herself so she wanted to give back to them.

Answer 42

The letter said that her only fear was that the family would be angry with her for not sharing the money. We all looked at each other in disbelief. A woman we had all feared had sacrificed what could have been a luxurious life in order to help orphans in her homeland, and she had worried that we would be angry about it. A few days later, we returned home with the surprising news about Aunt Gertrude. The news made me regret not knowing her better while she was alive, but at least our family now knows what kind of generous person Aunt Gertrude really was.

--> End summary: Basically, Gertrude is some crazy generous woman and no one knew until she was dead :c but at least now we know that she's not sketch!

Answer 43

Sooo that's basically your passage in a nutshell

Answer 44

so the answer to my question would be A?

Answer 45

I would say that...but is it really well-known that Gertrude was generous? It seemed like everyone was surprised to find out.

Answer 46

But think about it, I mentioned it in one of the summaries -- what literary device does the author use? starts with an 'f' :p

Answer 47

@chaanah u there?

Answer 48

OHH FLASHBACK

Answer 49

yup!

Answer 50

so C!!

Answer 51

That's right :)

Answer 52

:) TYSM

Answer 53

You're welcome! Whenever I'm online I'll always be down to help :) Glad to have helped

Answer 54

okay there is a part two question to this answer can i post it and can you check my answer?

Answer 55

sure!

Answer 56

Which sentence from the exposition best illustrates the function of this part of the story as identified in Part A?


“I’ll never forget the last moments before she died.”


"I had seen Aunt Gertrude more in the past two years than I had ever before in my life, and she could be terrifying, often wearing a mean scowl on her deeply lined face."


“Although I never felt particularly close to Aunt Gertrude, it was comforting to know she was close by in her last years.”


“This was not the time to press Aunt Gertrude for details, and just a few minutes later, she died peacefully.”

Answer 57

is it B Because he is talking about the past?

Answer 58

I'd actually say that it's A. This is a tricky one, though.

Remember how remembering how his aunt died was a turning point in the author's opinion of her?

Answer 59

Therefore, I'd say that this is a good example of flashback to tell us of something that we didn't previously know about Aunt Gertrude.

Answer 60

oh ok i see thank you

Answer 61

and do i post a new question here or close this one and ask another one?

Answer 62

this question i believe is D because it made me wonder what was in the house am i right if so i will try again......
Which statement best describes the effect of the story’s resolution?


It confuses readers by forcing them to wonder why Great-Aunt Gertrude wanted forgiveness.


It satisfies readers by providing readers with a fuller picture of Great-Aunt Gertrude.


It saddens readers and fills them with regret over the untimely death of Great-Aunt Gertrude.


It frightens readers by creating mystery about what is in Great-Aunt Gertrude’s house.

Answer 63

I would say that your answer is not wrong, but it's also probably not the one the professor is looking for.

This question is asking us how the ending of the story affected us, as the reader. I'll post the ending here so you can reflect on it for a bit:

"The letter said that her only fear was that the family would be angry with her for not sharing the money. We all looked at each other in disbelief. A woman we had all feared had sacrificed what could have been a luxurious life in order to help orphans in her homeland, and she had worried that we would be angry about it. A few days later, we returned home with the surprising news about Aunt Gertrude. The news made me regret not knowing her better while she was alive, but at least our family now knows what kind of generous person Aunt Gertrude really was."

Answer 64

well then i would change my answer to B

Answer 65

I'd say that's more like it!

Answer 66

RLLY YAY!!!

Answer 67

<3

Answer 68

Listen, I gotta go eat lunch now but if you need any more help lmk!

Answer 69

okay i just had one more question but i will go let u eat TYSM

Answer 70

Alright, go ahead and post it in this thread and I'll respond to it when I'm done eating. Cya in a bit!

Answer 71

okay TYSM AGAIN

Answer 72

I dont rlly know what this one is im torn between A, and C
How does the author's use of foreshadowing in describing the aunt's past work as a governess affect the story?


The narrator's comments in this scene reveal the aunt's positive view of children.


It hints at a deep and dark family secret.


It adds surprise to the story when the aunt's true generosity is revealed.


Foreshadowing is used to emphasize the aunt's terrifying personality.

Answer 73

Hmmm... honestly, I'd say that C makes the most sense here

Answer 74

that was my first choice but A sounded right too

Answer 75

TYSM FOR YOUR HELP

Answer 76

Yeah of course!

Answer 77

I would pay u if i could

Answer 78

aww lol, dw about it!

Answer 79

RLLY TY......
do i close this question now?

Answer 80

Mhm \(\ddot\smile\)

Answer 81

lol what does that mean?

Answer 82

Mhm??

Answer 83

oh, it was just my way of saying 'yeah', lol.

Answer 84

OHH OK sorry

Answer 85

ok ima close it now TY AGAIN