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SPUNK CommonLit Answers Key – FREE Access
Find the answer key for the topic “SPUNK” below:
Note: Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.
Discussion Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. How can gossip and community storytelling influence the way people perceive themselves or a situation? What should people be aware of when listening to these types of stories? What should people be aware of when telling these types of stories? Can gossip and community storytelling be both good and bad?
Ans: Gossip is like rumors so they can be good or bad and help the community or hurt the community. So once someone starts gossiping people will start to know that a good one is that Marvel is making a new movie it called Avengers Infinity War 3 then everyone will be happy about it. A bad one is that someone said there was a murder around town and most people would believe it and stay home or keep going outside if it gonna keep spreading it would give the neighborhood a bad reputation so people will move out somewhere safer then that will hurt the community.
Q.2. The word “spunk” is a synonym for courage, bravery, or determination. Why do you think the author titled this story “Spunk”? Which character do you think has the most spunk? Why?
Ans: The author titled the story “Spunk” because that is the name of the main character and because it represents the most important feature for the characters to survive within the story. We can consider that Joe is the most courageous character.
In this story, Joe discovers that his wife is cheating on him with a man named Spunk. This discovery causes a lot of fear, sadness, and uncertainty in Joe. He loves his wife and suffers a lot of criticism for staying with her, even after discovering the adultery.
It takes a lot of courage for Joe to get rid of all these situations that oppress him and he does that with the passage of time, which shows how brave he is.
Q.3. Which character, or characters, in “Spunk” would you consider to be the most wicked? Do you think this wickedness is intentional or unintentional? Which type of wickedness do you think is most destructive? Why?
Ans: Joe would be the most wicked because he’s nervous and Spunk’s rival and that rivalry and turn into something bad making him wicked.
Q.4. In the short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, the grandmother believes she is a good person because she looks and appears that way. Do you think the men at the general store in “Spunk” think they are “good”? Why? How do you think they determine whether people are “good” or “bad”?
Ans: The grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a manipulator. Whenever something runs up against the grandmother’s will, she tries to have it her way. The rest of the story shows the grandmother doing more of the same. So the grandmother seems to be selfish and tries to satisfy her selfishness by manipulating people.
Q.5. At the end of “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” “the grandmother’s head clear[s] for an instant” and she seems to honestly recognize and care about another person for the first time in the story. Compare this ending to the end of “Spunk.” How are the characters of “Spunk” changed or unchanged by their experiences?
Ans: The grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” changes in the sense that she seems to care about another person for the first time. On the other hand, in “Spunk” the characters change by becoming the opposite of who they initially were. The coward becomes brave, the brave becomes a coward.
In the short story “Spunk,” Joe is perceived as a coward by the community where he lives, especially because of his inability to confront his wife and her lover, Spunk.
By the end of the story, however, the roles are inverted. Joe confronts Spunk in his first act of bravery but gets killed. Still, his ghost comes back, haunts Spunk, leaves him terrified, and then kills him.
While the grandmother in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” goes from uncaring to caring, Joe goes from coward to brave, whereas Spunk goes from brave to coward.
Assessment Questions & Answers
Following are our answers based on the questions provided:
Q.1. What is the purpose of the introductions of Spunk and Joe in paragraphs 1-6?
Ans: to present their contrasting images and personalities
Q.2. Which piece of evidence best reveals how Elijah’s words contribute to Joe’s death?
Ans: “Aw, Ah doan’t know. You never kin tell. He might turn him up an’ spank him fur gettin’ in the way, but Spunk wouldn’t shoot no unarmed man.” (Paragraph 22)
Q.3. What do paragraphs 30-36 reveal about Spunk?
Ans: He understands that the other men in town will never stand up to him.
Q.4. How does Walter’s description of bravery develop the theme of the story? (Paragraphs 43-45)
Ans: It reveals the courage it takes to admit a mistake.
Q.5. Which piece of evidence best reveals why the men do not question Spunk?
Ans: “Ah wuz glad when knockin’ off time come. I’m skeered of dat man when he gits hot. He’d beat you full of buttonholes as quick as he’s look etcher.” (Paragraph 46)
Q.6. How does the author most develop Spunk’s character over the course of the story?
Ans: through the eyes of the men in the town
Q.7. Which statement best expresses a theme of the story?
Ans: When people gossip, they do more harm than they realize.
Q.8. What is the effect of telling the story through the eyes of the towns people instead of Joe or Spunk?
Ans: The effect of telling the story through the eyes of the townspeople instead of Joe or Spunk was that the story was full of opinions from the men at the store. In the first paragraph, it states, “A round-shouldered figure in overalls much too large, came nervously in the door.” The townspeople are unbothered by the story and only care to spread the gossip.
You can find answer keys for other grade 11 topics below:
=> THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY
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Conclusion
In CommonLit, “SPUNK” is one of the students’ favorite lessons authored by Zora Neale Hurston for grade 11 students.
In this beautiful lesson, you’ll practice analyzing how an author’s use of a particular story element affects the story’s meaning as a whole.
Hope you got SPUNK CommonLit Answers Key for free as promised. Share with your batchmates if you find this helpful.
Hi, I’m Annie Smith, and I’ve been a teacher for over 5 years and have taught students at all levels. I love to help students get ahead of their exams and provide helpful guides on various topics.