Collections Grade 12 Guiding Questions
Collection 1
“A Walk to the Jetty” from Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
Read “A Walk to the Jetty” from the novel Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid. As you read, answer each question, citing text evidence.
1. Lines 1–10: In what ways do the sentence structures and the choice of words sound like a teenage girl telling about her own life?
2. Lines 11–13: What is Annie’s attitude toward her life in Antigua?
3. Lines 23–39: What inferences can you draw about Annie’s childhood and about her current feelings? Cite evidence in the paragraph to support your inferences.
4. Lines 52–62: What phrase is repeated in these lines? What overall meaning is conveyed by this repetition? What does it reveal about Annie’s attitude toward her life?
5. Lines 95–131: Review Annie’s description of the start of her last day in her parents’ home. What inferences can you draw about Annie’s parents, especially her mother?
6. Lines 139–149: What can you infer about Annie’s relationship with her mother from their conversation in these lines?
7. Lines 169–176: What simile is in these lines? What two things are compared, and what does this comparison reveal about Annie?
8. Lines 200–203: What metaphor is in these lines? Explain why Annie makes this comparison and what it means in the context of her present situation.
9. Lines 204–230: Review Annie’s account of her first independent shopping trip. What details reveal the character of Annie’s mother? How has the relationship between mother and daughter changed over time?
10. Lines 232–239: Review the memory that Annie shares in these lines. What can readers infer about Annie’s relationship with her mother from this story?
11. Lines 254–278: Does Kincaid use mostly concrete or abstract language in lines 260–287? Cite specific words and phrases to support your answer. What do these details reveal about Annie?
12. Lines 268–273: Think about the sunglasses that Annie’s mother finally gets for her. What aspect of Annie’s character might the sunglasses symbolize?
13. Lines 287–303: What does this passage reveal about Annie’s mother? What traits do Annie and her mother share?
14. Lines 304–315: Why does Annie experience her “old fear” about the jetty in this situation?
15. Lines 331–368: Find examples of parallelism in these lines. Explain the effect of each instance.
16. Lines 359–368: What do all these details about the setting reveal about Annie’s feelings?
17. Lines 378–384: Is the pacing of this scene fast or slow? How does the author create this pace for readers?
18. Lines 389–404: In the lines in which Annie says goodbye to her mother, note words with strong connotations. What do these word choices reveal about Annie’s relationship with her mother?
19. Lines 413–414: Review Annie’s description of lying down in her cabin after waving goodbye to her parents. What sensations are readers invited to share with Annie? How do these sensations match her emotions at this moment?