Across Five Aprils - Itasca Middle School

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Key Facts 37 Milton’s comment about peace not being a "perfect pearl," Hunt’s description of the deserters, the men in the store being angry about Bill’s involvement with the South. Copyright 2002 by SparkNotes LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, any file sharing system, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of SparkNotes LLC.
Study Questions and Suggested Essay Topics 38 STUDY QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTED ESSAY TOPICS Study Questions 1. What does Ross Milton mean when he says peace will not be a "perfect pearl?" Is he right? What Milton means is that just because the war is over does not mean that everything will go back to the way it once was. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are dead—hundreds of thousands of husbands, fathers, and brothers will not come home, including Tom. Also, there is much reconstruction to do. Even though the Union won, the country is still divided and deeply wounded. It also extends to the country’s divided attitude toward slavery—just because there is an amendment abolishing slavery does not mean that people will readily accept blacks or will treat them nicely, employ them or respect them as fellow citizens. Milton’s statement ends up being even more prophetic than that and takes on a whole new meaning when Lincoln is assassinated. 2. How does Hunt represent the war in her book? Hunt does not seem to be anti-war or pro-war. She represents the death and destruction of war but does not suggest that the Civil War was unnecessary. She does represent the war as an imperfect solution to a problem—a problem that seems to have no real answer. Hunt does not extol the virtues of either side of the war and even has a character fight for the South in order to represent the legitimacy of both sides. In many ways, the war is understandable—both sides have legitimacy grievances, and while in the wake of history it is easier to sympathize with the Union cause, Hunt fairly represents the complaints of the Confederacy throughout the text. The aspect of war that Hunt disdains heavily is Sherman’s treatment of Savannah. It pillages homes, farmsteads, and land in a way that is disrespectful not just to the enemy, but to honor and to life itself. Hunt represents those acts in a tone of disgust, but she withholds such sentiment at other times throughout the text. Hunt also includes a portrayal of war’s effects on the families on the home front. Indeed, for the Creightons at home, the war is as hard if not harder on them as it is on the soldiers actually fighting in it. The waiting, speculating, and sorrow that the soldiers’ families must endure for years become nearly unbearable, yet they have no power to affect anything about the war. They can only wait and hope. 3. How does President Lincoln shape Jethro’s growth? Copyright 2002 by SparkNotes LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, any file sharing system, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of SparkNotes LLC.
Page 1 and 2: TM Across Five Aprils SMARTER BETTE
Page 3 and 4: Stopping to Buy SparkNotes on a Sno
Page 5 and 6: Context 4 CONTEXT Irene Hunt was bo
Page 7 and 8: Plot Overview 6 Lincoln to ask for
Page 9 and 10: Character List 8 Eb Creighton—Jet
Page 11 and 12: Analysis of Major Characters 10 the
Page 13 and 14: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols 12 town
Page 15 and 16: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols 14 bitt
Page 17 and 18: Summary and Analysis 16 cousin, are
Page 19 and 20: Summary and Analysis 18 nightmares.
Page 21 and 22: Summary and Analysis 20 Chapter 5 S
Page 23 and 24: Summary and Analysis 22 An unlikely
Page 25 and 26: Summary and Analysis 24 time. Matt
Page 27 and 28: Summary and Analysis 26 awful place
Page 29 and 30: Summary and Analysis 28 Ross Milton
Page 31 and 32: Summary and Analysis 30 Chapters 12
Page 33 and 34: Summary and Analysis 32 exchanged l
Page 35 and 36: Important Quotations Explained 34 A
Page 37: Key Facts 36 TENSE Past SETTING (TI
Page 41 and 42: Review and Resources 40 Quiz REVIEW
Page 43 and 44: Review and Resources 42 12. What do
Page 45 and 46: Review and Resources 44 24. What do
Page 47: Review and Resources 46 Suggestions

Across Five Aprils - Itasca Middle School

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