EF5/6 The Wise Woman of Cordoba

opening is like a fairy tale


literary terms

Setting-
place - Cordoba, Mexico
time -maybe several hundred years ago - witches, used gold
culture - connection to Spain
psychology - superstitious

Character - major - 1. the Wise Woman, 2. the Judge
minor characters - townspeople, no names, background characters

Plot - the events of the story (basic reading comprehension)
plotline
Exposition
Rising action
Climax
Falling action
Denouement (resolution)



vocab.
astonished (adj) - very surprised, amazed
astonishment (n) amazement, surprise
fulfill (v) - complete, finish, meet expectations 
bewildered (adj) - really confused, can't understand
wretch (n) - a sorrowful person, a person who is without hope
wretched (adj) - really sorrowful, in bad shape
"I have a bad flu. I feel wretched. I feel awful/terrible."
steer (v) - to guide a boat or car/bus
a steering wheel - "Sherry can adjust the height of the steering wheel in her car."


witches - in Western culture it has a negative connotation, scary
-magic, impossible feats

magic man - a wizard "Galdalf the Grey"
Harry Potter - portrayed in a positive way

magic woman - a witch, "The Wizard of Oz"
-portrayed in a negative way

a witch is powerful woman, special power
- a threat/danger to the authorities, government

-long history in the West of young women being accused of witchcraft - Europe, US, Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, 200 people were accused, 19 were executed
The Salem Witch Trial

Witch Trials - trial - go to court, judge

Medieval (Middle Ages 1200s-1600s)law;
Trial by Fire - belief that fire could not hurt a witch, burned at the stake,
"Joan of Arc"

Trial by Water - belief that water was pure element, push out a witch

Western culture - bad luck, bad omens
femininity - feminine power is often mistrusted

the moon - feminine symbol -
French la lun, Spanish la luna
lun - moon
lun - crazy - lunatic, lunacy, madness
full moon - symbol of fear, negative
witches
werewolf - were -ancient word "man", world wer - the place of men
manwolf - a normal man become crazed when exposed to the moon

Adam and Eve - the Bible,

culture and psychology - anti-women

The Wise Woman was victorious. She didn't get revenge. She just laughed at him. He was humiliated.

MY IDEA: Men are often afraid of powerful women.

the sun - masculine symbol -

Idiom "She wears the pants in the family. She makes the decisions and is the boss."

eat soft rice - wife earns money, husband doesn't