Teach the Selection
CLOSE READ
Analyze Literature Setting Remind students that a story ’ s setting includes cultural , social , and economic conditions as well as time and place . Ask students how important the cultural details are to the setting and to the resolution of this story ’ s conflict . Model a response by naming some cultural details , such as those relating to the closeness of the Mexican-American community and Don Mateo ’ s certainty that he would find the salesman .
Analyze Literature Plot Ask students to explain the resolution of the conflict in their own words . Model how to begin : “ Don Mateo ’ s problem was that he did not get the portrait he paid for , and Chuy ’ s picture was destroyed . The problem was solved when . . .” A
Mirrors & Windows
Answer : Some students may say that it is always better to know the truth ; others may say that it depends on the circumstances . Students ’ opinions about the relative value of truth or happiness will vary .
More by This Author Students who like “ The Portrait ” might enjoy Tomás Rivera ’ s short story collection , The Harvest .
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“ Well , you know , I stayed in Esteban ’ s house . And every day I went with him to the market to sell produce . I helped him with everything . I had faith that I would run into that son of a gun some day soon . Then , after I ’ d been there for a few days , I started going out to the different barrios 6 and I found out a lot that way . It wasn ’ t so much the money that upset me . It was my poor vieja , crying and all because we ’ d lost the only picture we had of Chuy . We found it in the sack with all the other pictures but it was already ruined , you know .”
“ I see , but tell me , how did you find him ?”
“ Well , you see , to make a long story short , he came by the stand at the market one day . He stood right in front of us and bought some vegetables . It was like he was trying to remember who I was . Of course , I recognized him right off . Because when you ’ re angry enough , you don ’ t forget a face . I just grabbed him right then and there . Poor guy couldn ’ t even talk . He was all scared . And I told him that I wanted that portrait of my son and that I wanted it three
Mirrors & Windows
50 UNIT 1 FICTION CONNECTIONS
Differentiated Instruction
Reading Proficiency Tell students that summarizing is a skill that can help them read fiction . Remind them that when you summarize , you retell the main events in a selection ( or a part of a long selection ) using your own words . Ask them to summarize “ The Portrait .”
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39 dimensional and that he ’ d best get it for me or I ’ d let him have it . And I went with him to where he lived . And I put him to work right then and there . The poor guy didn ’ t know where to begin . He had to do it all from
“ Well , to be
honest , I don ’ t remember too well how Chuy looked .”
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37 memory .” “ And how did he do it ?”
“ I don ’ t know . I suppose if you ’ re scared enough , you ’ re capable of doing anything . Three days later he brought me the portrait all finished , just like you see it there on that table by the Virgin . Now tell me , how do you like the way my boy looks ?”
“ Well , to be honest , I don ’ t remember too well how Chuy looked . But he was beginning to look more and more like you , isn ’ t that so ?”
“ Yes , I would say so . That ’ s what everybody tells me now . That Chuy ’ s a chip off the old block and that he was already looking like me . There ’ s the portrait . Like they say , one and the same .” D
6 . barrios . Neighborhoods ( Spanish )
How satisfying did you find the ending of the story ? If knowing the truth about something would make you unhappy , would you want to know the truth , or would you rather not know but remain happy ? What do you think is more important : truth or happiness ?
SAMPLE
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Enrichment Have interested students use the Internet to find out about historical three-dimensional portraiture or contemporary , computerized three-dimensional portraiture . Topics can range from old-fashioned cameo carvings to holograms . Ask students to narrow the topic , research basic methods for creating the portraits , and identify possible sources of examples they could show the class .
50 UNIT 1 FICTION CONNECTIONS