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Schule > Englisch > Englisch-Klausur über "Coming of Age" von Lorri Hewett

Klausur zu Coming of age (Klasse 11 Schuljahr 2003/04)

Aufgaben:

1. Language/Form

- find other words and expressions for the underlined words
1. The title of the novel is "Coming of Age” what does it mean?
2. He was embarrassed.
3. I gathered up his toys.
4. He looked preoccupied.
5. The mood I’m in, I might have sliced her.

1. Comprehension

- answer the questions!
1. Characterize Erica and Ruthie. Where are the most important differences?
2. What do you think, why did AJ fall in love with Ruthie? Compare how he thought about her at the beginning and at the end. (p. 6, 139, 146)
3. There are different narrators in the novel. What is the effect the author reaches with the steady change of the narrator?
4. What do you think about the decision that Anthony should stay with Ruthie’s parents? Give reasons.

1. Comment

- choose one of the topics and write about 200 words!
1. Do you think AJ and Ruthie will stay together forever? Give reasons!
2. You read in this book that it is possible to go to college only because you are very good at sports. What is your opinion about that?
3. Being together with Ruthie changed AJ completely. Do you think that something like this is possible? Why?

Zu "Language”

1. "Coming of age means as much as "becoming adult” or "growing up”. I think that according to the book and the characters it is meant, that youths become more mature through their experiences
2. He was ashamed.
3. I collected his toys.
4. He looked concerned.
5. The way I feel right now, I might have cut her up.

Zu "Comprehension”

1. At the beginning of the book Erica is a very superficial and vicious girl. She loves to fight with black girls of her school and she is a real egoist. Erica gets jealous very fast. She ist the child of a black father and a white mother, so that all her enemies call her half-breed, which causes her some identity-problems. She acts and talks more like a black girl and what we also get to know about her is that she has a temper. Erica can sing very well and tries hard to be successful in the choir she is in. Ruthie is, at the beginning, a very quiet girl. She works hard in school the receive good marks, because she wants to go to university. Ruthie is a black girl, but a lot of people say that she acts and talks as if she was white. So she has some problems to fit in with other black students. Ruthie is very smart and friendly, she is concerned about others a lot and does not fight with her fists but with words. Both of them change into mature girls in the end but there are some differences anyway. Ruthie does think about others, Erica does not. Ruthie wants to discuss problems, Erica wants to fight. Erica is more white and acts black, Ruthie is black and acts as if she was white. AJ loves Ruthie for who she is, but he cannot do the same with Erica , because she is nothing but a good-looking girl. Ruthie loves her family and gets along with them, Erica has only a mother and they have a lot of arguments. Erica gets a lot of attention while Ruthie is more calm and shy. But Ruthie is brave and Erica is not, which you can see when it comes to their big fight.
2. I think that AJ fell in love with Ruthie because she shows real interest about him. She does not only look at his success and his look but she really wants to get to know him and tries to help him with the problems he has, for example the death of his mother and to find a place to live for his little brother Anthony. At the beginning of the book he has no very high opinion of her. He thinks that she is boring because she studies a lot and he really does not like the way she talks and acts. AJ also hates that Ruthie looks him straight in the eyes, which makes him feel un comfortable. Soon he finds out, that she is a very kind and clever girl and wants to have her opinion of different things that pertain to his life. AJ recognizes, that Ruthie is really interested in his life. At first he hates that but later, when they come closer, his opinion changes. He sees, that she is more mature than Erica, that she can be a real help for him and he thinks, that he would never be good enough for her. AJ loves Ruthie seriously for what she did for him.
3. Every chapter is told by one of the characters: Ruthie, AJ or Erica. Sometimes there are also friends of them talking. What the author reaches with that is, that the reader gets to know the different points of view and that makes it more interesting to read the book. All of the narrators have a limited point of view but the reader gets to know everything because he knows the different points of view. He can draw his own conclusion out of what he is reading.
4. I think that it is a really good decision to let Anthony stay with Ruthie’s family. As we got to know out of the book, Anthony does not really have somebody who really looks after him. AJ is too busy with himself, anyway he tries to care for Anthony. They do not have a mother and their father works the whole time, so that Anthony does not really have parents. The parents of Ruthie built up a loving relationship to their children so that they have a nice family. Anthony needs a secure place to grow up and somebody who can look after him all the time and to help him with his problems so that the family of Ruthie seems to be the only solution. They love him and really care for him. That is the best thing that could have happened to him as a six year old boy without parents and real family. He does not get in contact with his elder brother Franco, who deals with drugs, he receives love and care and he can stay in contact with AJ, because he does not have to leave the town to get into another family. Another fact is, that the parents of Ruthie do not want to get paid for this which shows, that they really love Anthony. With that they also take care of AJ, because he does not have to worry anymore and he can save his money for his studies. He can fully concentrate on that and so might have a good future without playing football.

Zu "Comment” – topic 1

To be honest I do not think that they will stay together forever. I think, that it is very complicated to live in such a relationship, where they live about 3000 miles apart. The first thing about that is, that to stay in contact over such a big distance is too hard, it would certainly not work longer than one year. Both of them are going to university and have to work a lot so that there is not much time left to write letters or to call each other. Furthermore they will see each other perhaps 3 or 4 times a year and that also seems difficult to me. Without seeing each other, only hearing from each other perhaps two times a month is not enough of the contact to build a real relationship on it. Another fact is, that if AJ really becomes a famous footballplayer, they will meet even less, because he has to travel around then. It would be really hard for Ruthie to know where he is and even if she gets to know it, it is not said that she could go there. Thirdly I see the problem, that they might fall in love with somebody else. Living 3000 miles apart really means, that they do have to trust in each other. Being faithful in such a relationship is hard and when they meet somebody else, they really like – and perhaps even love – they would certainly not be. I do not know if they could manage it to be silent about a new boyfriend or girlfriend. I think they would recognize, that their love has got no future and break up, but stay friends. It does also not happen very often, that the partner you date with in your youth will be your wife or husband later (and I think that this is meant with "forever”). The relationship you are in as a teenager will really give you a lot of experience you can use later and I think that is, what the relationship of AJ and Ruthie is good for. They got together in a very special way and I think that they are very good for each other, but the only thing they will get out of this relationship are a lot of good experiences they can use later. I do not even think that this is bad, because out of the relationship AJ had with Erica he certainly did not get too much of experiences. Because they, AJ and Ruthie love each other, their relationship certainly is something special but it will not last forever.

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