Discover the Journey of Gertrude in "When Gertrude Grew Great"
When Gertrude Grew Great
Gertrude was just an average kid with an average life. She lived in an average sized house in an average neighborhood in a totally typical town. At home, she helped out just enough to slide by. At school, she did just enough homework to stay out of trouble. She had straight ‘C’s in all of her classes.
Gertrude's Turning Point
One day Gertrude’s teacher, Mr. Mister, stopped her after class. "Gertrude," he said, "I know that you can do better. I’ve seen the work you do in class, and some of it is amazing… way better than ‘C’ work." Gertrude knew that there were moments when she did try a little harder than what everyone expected, like when she put extra elbow grease into some of the dishes to make them really sparkle; or, when she took extra time with her handwriting on a few problems of her homework to make it look fancy. But she just didn’t have confidence in herself.
Gertrude's Dream
That night, Gertrude had a dream. It was ten years into the future and she was still living with her mom in her average neighborhood. She could not find an average job, because even the average jobs were filled by above-average workers: people who did more than what was expected of them. Gertrude began crying average sized tears, because she knew that she helped shape the world in which she lived, and the choices she made produced the options she had.
Gertrude's Transformation
The next day, Gertrude woke up with determination. She started trying harder in school, helping more around the house, and taking more care in everything she did. Soon, the pattern of success replaced the pattern of mediocrity, and Gertrude excelled at everything she put her mind to.
Gertrude's Fulfilling Life
Fast forward ten years, Gertrude lived a fulfilling life in her own house in the same town. She worked hard and was above average in her happiness. She still visited her mom but enjoyed coming back to her own space. Gertrude was living the great life she had always dreamed of.
Worksheet
- Author’s Purpose: to entertain to inform to persuade Why did the author write this?
- Genre: ___________________ Subgenre: ______________________________
- Narrator’s Point of View: ______________________________________________________
- Summarize the text: Five key events from beginning, middle, & end.
- Exposition, Setting, Conflict, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution
Final answer:
The story "When Gertrude Grew Great" is a fictional, coming-of-age narrative meant to entertain and also convey a message about personal growth. It features a third-person limited point of view and follows Gertrude's journey from mediocrity to a fulfilling life through hard work and determination.
Explanation:
The story "When Gertrude Grew Great" is an example of a literary narrative with the primary author's purpose to entertain, while also offering a subtle message about personal growth and responsibility. The story falls under the genre of fiction, and its subgenre would be a coming-of-age tale, centered on the protagonist's transformation from mediocrity to excellence through hard work and changed mindset. The narrator's point of view is third-person limited, as we primarily follow Gertrude's internal and external journey.
The exposition introduces us to an average girl named Gertrude, setting up her average life as the backdrop for the story. The conflict is Gertrude's internal struggle against mediocrity and her fear of change. Rising action includes Gertrude's teacher encouraging her to do better, and Gertrude disregarding his advice. The climax occurs in a dream that propels her to start making different choices. Following her dream, the falling action shows Gertrude applying herself more diligently in various aspects of her life. The resolution is her living a more fulfilling, average life with above-average happiness.