MW TEXAS AUTHORS – Tomas Rivera - The Portrait | Page 2

Teach the Selection
Summary
PL
A salesman convinces migrant worker
Don Mateo and his wife to purchase an
expensive three-dimensional portrait of
their only son, Chuy, who was killed in
the Korean War. They hand over their
only photograph of Chuy, pay cash, as
the salesman insists, and await delivery
of the finished portrait. Many weeks
later, a sack of wet, worm-eaten
photographs is found near the dump,
and Chuy’s ruined photograph is among
them. Don Mateo goes to San Antonio,
finds the salesman, and insists that he
provide the portrait of Chuy. Since the
photograph has been ruined, the man
must create the portrait from memory.
He finally delivers the portrait to Don
Mateo, who is pleased, and perhaps a
little surprised, when people point out
that Chuy had a remarkable
resemblance to Don Mateo.
Mirrors & Windows
The Mirrors & Windows questions at
the end of the story focus on the
theme of the value of truth. Before
students begin reading, ask: When, if
ever, is it all right to ignore the
truth?
Private First Class Eugene A. Obregon was
awarded the Medal of Honor in Korea
for giving his life to save a fellow soldier.
The Portrait
A Short Story by Tomás Rivera
46
Program Resources Unit & Selection Resources
Program Planning Guide, Selection Lesson Plan
Assessment Guide, Lesson Test
ExamView Differentiating Instruction
Planning and Assessment
0026-0052_G07_U1_PE_Transmit_3-21-2018.indd 46
Passport Tools
Multiplatform Student eBook
Visual Teaching Package
Audio Library
Media Library
46  
UNIT 1  FICTION CONNECTIONS
Fiction Connections: Unit 1, Directed Reading,
pp. 45–53
Enrichment Projects & Activities, Cultural Connection
Project, p. 4
3/26/18 1:59 PM