Question

Visit to Lawnrest Nursing Home ​

The protagonist, Mike, visits his grandmother at Lawnrest Nursing Home after his sister Annie falls ill and cannot accompany him.
Mike feels conflicted about the visit, grappling with guilt and anxiety about entering a nursing home, which he associates with hospitals and death.
His mother, who frequently visits his grandmother, expresses concern about Mike's appearance, particularly his moustache, which has caused him issues with movie ticket pricing.

Grandmother's Condition

Mike's grandmother, once vibrant and full of life, now suffers from arteriosclerosis and memory loss, leading to her admission to the nursing home.
Despite her condition, she has moments of clarity, during which she recalls fond memories and expresses joy at Mike's visit.
The narrative highlights the emotional weight of their relationship, as Mike reflects on his grandmother's past and the impact of her illness on their connection.

Interactions and Memories

During their conversation, Mike's grandmother mistakenly believes he is her late husband, Michael, leading to poignant moments where she seeks forgiveness for past grievances.
She reminisces about their shared history, including a significant event that caused a rift in their relationship, revealing her vulnerability and longing for reconciliation.
Mike struggles with the emotional burden of her memories and the realization that she is not just his grandmother but a complex individual with her own life experiences.

Emotional Climax and Resolution

The visit culminates in a moment of tenderness where Mike, feeling overwhelmed, agrees to forgive her for past mistakes, despite the confusion surrounding their identities.
After a brief moment of connection, his grandmother's lucidity fades, leaving Mike feeling a mix of sadness and relief as he departs.
The narrative concludes with Mike shaving off his moustache, symbolizing a shift in his identity and a desire to move forward from the emotional weight of the visit.

Themes of Identity and Connection

The story explores themes of identity, as Mike grapples with his own sense of self in relation to his grandmother's memories and expectations.
It highlights the complexities of familial love, the impact of aging and memory loss, and the bittersweet nature of reconciling with the past.
Ultimately, the visit serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring bonds of family, even amidst the challenges of illness and memory.





Practice (page 7): Read “The Moustache,” a short story by Robert Cormier. Use what you have learned about alliteration and the repetition of sounds to answer the following prompts using the provided spaces below.
Prompt Answer
a. Identify all the examples of alliteration in the paragraph.

b. How does this alliteration reinforce the narrator’s feelings about the woman?

c. What do you notice about the rhythm of the sentences?

d. How do the sound devices affect you as a reader?


Rewrite the paragraph, using different words to express an experience of holding someone’s hands. Be sure to include alliteration, repetition, and rhyme where possible. Write your revision in the provided space below.

Answer 1

I can do this two ways — (A) if you paste the exact paragraph from the book, I’ll identify the exact examples of alliteration and answer a–d specifically; or (B) below I give a model set of answers you can use as a template plus a fresh rewritten paragraph that uses alliteration, repetition, and rhyme. Tell me if you want me to use the original paragraph later.

Template answers and guidance (use these with the original paragraph or as examples)

a. Identify all the examples of alliteration in the paragraph.
- Look for consecutive words (or closely placed words) that start with the same consonant sound. Typical examples you might find: “worn, warm, wrinkled,” “soft, steady squeeze,” “small and strong,” “soap and summer.”
(If you paste the paragraph I’ll underline the exact phrases.)

b. How does this alliteration reinforce the narrator’s feelings about the woman?
- Alliteration clusters sounds so the description feels concentrated and intimate; repeated initial sounds slow the reading and draw attention to key qualities (warmth, fragility, steadiness). That makes the narrator’s feeling—tenderness, nostalgia, pity—more vivid and immediate.

c. What do you notice about the rhythm of the sentences?
- Sentences that use short, repeated sound units often have a slow, pulsing rhythm (like a heartbeat). Longer, flowing sentences with repeating consonants create a gentle, lulling cadence; choppier sentences with repeated stops can create tension or awkwardness. Note where the author uses repetition and short clauses vs. longer flowing clauses.

d. How do the sound devices affect you as a reader?
- Sound devices (alliteration, repetition, rhyme) make the passage more memorable, musical, and emotionally resonant. They can create intimacy, emphasize particular images or emotions, and slow the reader to linger on the moment. They can also mirror the feeling described (steady, hesitant, comforting, etc.).

Rewritten paragraph (about holding someone’s hands — includes alliteration, repetition, and some rhyme)

I folded her worn, warm, wrinkled hands into mine—worn hands that smelled faintly of soap and summer. They were small but sure, soft and steady, steady and soft, and again and again my fingers found the familiar fold. I held and held, held to hold, feeling the pulse like a private drum—thrum and hum—pleasure and pain in the same thin skin. The squeeze was slow, a steady beat that bridged then and now; hand in hand, hand in hand, I made my stand. For a breath the years bent back and the room became a rhyme—time and rhyme, heart and part—until the moment slipped away.

If you want, paste the exact paragraph from page 7 and I’ll mark the specific instances of alliteration, give a line-by-line rhythm note, and tailor answers a–d precisely.