Consider: The truck lurched down the goat path, over the bridge, and swung south toward El Puerto.
I watched carefully all that we left behind. We passed Rosie’s house and at the clothesline, right
at the edge of the cliff, there was a young girl hanging out brightly colored garments. She was
soon lost in the furrow of dust the truck raised.
— Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima

Discuss:

1. Circle the words that provide specific detail and contribute to the power of the passage.

2. Contrast the third sentence with: We passed Rosie’s house and saw a girl hanging out the clothes. Explain the difference in impact.

Apply:

Rewrite the passage eliminating the specific detail. Read your rewrite aloud to the class. How does the elimination of detail change the meaning of the passage? Discuss this with a partner.

Read the passage from a raisin in the sun. mama: lord have mercy, baby. you done gone and bought your grandmother a hat? travis (very proud): open it! she does and lifts out an elaborate, but very elaborate, wide gardening hat, and all the adults break up at the sight of it. ruth: travis, honey, what is that? travis (who thinks it is beautiful and appropriate): it's a gardening hat! like the ladies always have on in the magazines when they work in their gardens. beneatha (giggling fiercely): travis—we were trying to make mama mrs. miniver—not scarlett o'hara! mama (indignantly): what's the matter with you all! this here is a beautiful hat! (absurdly.) i always wanted me one just like it! which word or phrase from the text best supports the idea that the adults think the hat is inappropriate? “have mercy” (giggling fiercely) (indignantly) “what’s the matter”