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Post by Nancy on Jan 19, 2010 12:04:09 GMT -5
We are working on The Woodchuck Episode this week. The last two sentences in the model read:
"The chuck was now over half grown, and procured his own living. One day the dog, who had all along looked upon him with a jealous eye, encountered him too far from cover, and his career ended then and there."
My son and I are debating whether the dog's or the woodchuck's "career ended then and there". Can someone help?
Thanks!
Nancy
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Post by Nancy on Jan 19, 2010 12:45:08 GMT -5
My son and I are now in agreement--the woodchuck's "career ended". Anyone think otherwise?
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Post by Lene Mahler Jaqua on Jan 19, 2010 15:08:49 GMT -5
I agree. It's the woodchuck's career that ended. But I also agree with you that the pronoun 'he' used there in the last sentence leaves room for ambiguity.
Lene
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Post by Nancy on Jan 19, 2010 16:08:17 GMT -5
Lene,
Thanks for your input! Recently, you commented on one of my son's writing projects, pointing out the need for him to use pronouns carefully, and that he needed to be more specific at times--something he and I discussed afterwards. The ambiguity of the last sentence in this model sure drove that point home, as my son considered it's meaning and what the author intended. We even looked up on Google Books (The Writings of John Burroughs) to see if there was more to the story (Glimpses of Wild Life), in order to get to the intended meaning. We found the author went on to write about a different animal ("In July the woodchuck was forgotten in our interest in a little gray rabbit which we found nearly famished."), so that is what swayed our decision most. In any case, my son was glad to have put an end to the uncertainty!
Nancy
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