The Friday Everything Changed

  1. Why are the boys so upset about the girls carrying the water bucket?

Carrying the water bucket meant you had strength and power. To the boys, having power meant that they were more important. They don’t want the girls to break this. 

2. What strategies do the boys use to pressure the girls into giving in? How do the girls react?

The boys used violence to try to get the girls to give in. They would bully them and threaten them. They also try to kick them out of the things they love doing or playing. The girls realize that they need them as fielders, so they were patient on coming back in. 

  1. Who is telling the story? What does she think of Ms. Ralston and the conflict over the water? From what point of view is the story told?

The story is told by one of the background girls. She thinks Ms. Ralston doesn’t know what is happening between the two groups. When the teacher comes in and hits the ball out of the park, they get inspiration that they might be able to make a change in the school. The point of view is limited omniscient. The story is told from a character who doesn’t have a main character role in the story and we still have access to her thoughts.

  1. What is the setting? How does the setting intensify the conflict? What kind of conflict is it?

The setting is in a small, one room school. The school is near a railroad station that is used to get the water. They live in Ontario because of the mention of the Toronto Maple Leaves hockey team. The mood is frustration at the start, but hopeful as the story changes. This story could be a person vs society conflict.

  1. Who is the protagonist? How do you know?

The protagonist is Alma Niles. She was the person who asked for the water bucket for girls to carry and forced the change. She also did all the talking and got teased by the boys.

  1. In what way, did everything change on that Friday? What is the significance of what Ms. Ralston did in the last paragraph? What is the message the author is exploring?

In the story, the boys and girls are now more equal. They have more power together from all the events leading up to the change. The boys now don’t have power over the water. When Ms. Ralston hits the ball out of the park, it showed the boys that girls can play baseball too. 

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