Week 1—Schedule - · PDF filequestions (#1-15) Read Question 2 ... “Escape” pg. 306 “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” pg. 307 ... Questions and Suggested Answers (According to

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Week 1—Schedule

History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Section Two ♦ Week 1 ♦ Schedule

Bible/Apologetics

Special Day 1: Read the Bible/Apologetics—Introduction notes in Section One of this guide. Please make sure your mom or dad reads it too.

Westminster Shorter

Catechism

Bible Guide pp. 1-261

Read Question 1, plus answer all the questions (#1-15)


More Than a Carpenter Day 1-Day 5: chap. 1 and chap. 2

Adventuring Through

the Bible

chap. 47 chap. 48 chap. 49 chap. 50 chap. 51

Memorization N2 Matthew 1:21 Mark 10:45 Luke 19:10

History and Biographies

Special Day 1: Read the History and Biographies—Introduction notes in Section One of this guide. Please make sure your mom or dad reads it too.

The Story of Christianity

History Guide pp. 109-162pp. 7-11 pp. 12-19 pp. 20-23 pp. 24-29 pp. 30-35

The 100 Most Important

Events in Christian History

History Guide pp. 85-108

pp. 15-17 Titus

From Jerusalem to

Irian Jaya


pp. 26-30 Paul

How to Read Church

History, Volume 1


Optional: chap. 1

Current Events Please read the notes for Current Events in Section One of this guide. Make sure your mom or dad reads it too.

Literature

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Literature Guide pp. 63-641st picture-chap. 3 chap. 4-8th picture chap. 9-11th

picturechap. 13-end

The Flames of Rome

Literature Guide pp. 19-24chaps. 1-2

Mom or Dad: Please read the Introductory Note (Section One) before assigning this text!

A Child’s Anthology

of Poetry

“Hiding” pg. 3 “The Creation” pg. 5

“Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” pg. 6

“Song for a Young Girl’s Puberty

Ceremony” pg. 8“Song for the Sun that Disappeared

… pg. 9

“A Visit From Mr. Fox” pg. 10

Creative Expression N Literary Analysis Overview &

Pictures of You

Physical Education

Other Notes

1 These page numbers refer to the pages within the appropriate Study Guide: Bible/Apologetics, History and Biographies, or Literature. The Study Guides follow Section Three: Appendices.2 The N symbol means there is a note for this book in the notes section immediately following the schedule page.

Date: Day 1 1 Day 2 2 Day 3 3 Day 4 4 Day 5 5

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2 ♦ Week 1 ♦ Section Two ♦ History of God’s Kingdom

Week 1—Notes

Memorization

Time Line InstructionsAs stated in the Introduction, during this year’s study

you will have the opportunity to memorize and quote var-ious texts of Scripture. The memory verses are taken from the Bible reading list for each week, and more often than not, are key verses in the portion of the New Testament you will read for the week (the assignments for Week 1 and Week 36 have three memory verses, but all the other weekly assignments have only one memory verse).

You will be assigned to quote your memory verses aloud at the end of Weeks 12, 24, and 36. Preparation for these quoting assignments will enable you to commit to memory some important biblical passages, and quoting the passages aloud will enable you to practice some public speaking skills.

Literature/Creative ExpressionPlease read the Literary Analysis Overview, located in

Section Three: Appendices, before you read this week’s

Creative Expression assignment or start Pictures of Hollis Woods. Note: Because the Creative Expression assign-ments are tied closely to the books you will be reading, each week’s Creative Expression assignment can be found at the end of the Literature Study Guide notes for the book to which it corresponds. For example, this week’s assign-ment, “Pictures of You,” can be found at the end of the Literature Study Guide notes for Pictures of Hollis Woods.

For clarity and ease of use, Sonlight uses only one moniker (“Creative Expression”) to identify writing assign-ments in its materials. The actual assignments, however, encompass a wide variety of writing tasks, styles, and skills. For example, your children will encounter traditional composition practice (ranging from formal essays to informal thank-you notes), research, poetry, book reports, analysis, and fun, inspired creative writing assignments. We believe that the breadth and variety of Creative Expression assignments will launch your children to new heights in their writing—and that they’ll have a lot of fun in the process! n

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Week 18—Schedule



Bible/Apologetics

Westminster Shorter

Catechism


Question 37, plus answer questions #1-7 and 10-14;

Question 38, plus answer all the questions (#1-14)

What if Jesus Had Never

Been Born?

pp. 149-153 pp. 153-156 pp. 157-160 pp. 160-164 pp. 164-167

Bible Reading 1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 12 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 15

Memorization 1 Corinthians 13:13


The Story of Christianity

History Guide pp. 109-162pp. 172-175 pp. 176-177 pp. 178-180 pp. 180-181 pp. 182-183

The 100 Most Important

Events in Christian History


pp. 142-144 Wilberforce; 157-

159 Keble

pp. 162-164 Kierkegaard;

138-140 Raikes

pp. 140-142 Carey

From Jerusalem to

Irian Jaya


pp. 114-120 The Great Century

pp. 121-122 Carey

How to Read Church His-

tory, Volume 2


Optional: Day 1-Day 5: Read chap. 13, pp. 54-63. See Notes about the United States’ British Protestantism. Also see Notes for Vocabulary and Questions.

Current Events Day 1-Day 5: Same instructions.

Literature

Jane Eyre

Literature Guide pp. 33-42chaps. 1-4 chaps. 5-8 chaps. 9-12 chaps. 13-15 chaps. 16-18


of Poetry

“The Idea of Ancestry” pg. 148

“Snake” pg. 150 “The Owl and the Pussycat” pg. 153

“Viewing the Waterfall at Mount

Lu” pg. 154

“The Childlren’s Hour” pg. 155

Creative Expression Motif

Physical Education

Other Notes

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Week 36—Schedule



Bible/Apologetics

Westminster Shorter

Catechism



The Jesus I Never Knew chap. 14

Bible Reading 1 John 4 1 John 5 2 John 3 John Jude

Adventuring Through

The Bible

chap. 74 chap. 75 chap. 76

Memorization 2 Jn 1:6; 3 Jn 1:11; Revelation 5:12; 22:7—Review week. Please present your verses learned from Week 25 to now.


From Jerusalem to

Irian Jaya


pp. 458-464 pp. 464-467 pp. 468-472 pp. 472-478 pp. 479-482

Current Events

Literature

Enchantress from

the Stars

Literature Guide pp. 15-17

The Stone The Fire The Sacrifice The Dragon The Ending &Epilogue


of Poetry

“Escape” pg. 306 “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” pg. 307 “To a Squirrel at

Kyle-Na-No” pg. 308

“The Song of Wandering

Aengus” pg. 309

“He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” pg. 311 “Epitaph

for a Concord Boy” pg. 312

Creative Expression Victory in Defeat

Physical Education

Other Notes

You’re done!

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History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Bible/Apologetics Study Guide ♦ The Westminster Shorter Catechism ♦ 1

The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Question 1Questions and Suggested Answers (According to the Catechism)

1. What is meant by the word “chief” in the Catechism?

2. What is meant by the word “end” in the Catechism?

3. What is meant by the word “glorify”?

4. Why is man’s chief end what the Catechism says that it is?

5. Man, as originally created, was ______________ centered.

6. Man, as he became by sin, ___________ centered.

7. What do we mean by saying that the true Christian life is God-centered?

8. What would some people put in the center of figure 1.2 rather than the word “self”?

9. Why is this really just as bad?

10. What does “glorify God” not mean?

11. What is the difference between the way in which the heavens glorify God, and the way in which man ought to glorify God?

12. Do the wicked glorify God? Explain.

13. Is it proper for a Christian to have other “ends” besides the end of glorifying God?

14. What departments of life ought to serve the glory of God?

15. Which is more to the glory of God: a person who preaches, or a man who works in a factory? Explain.

Question 21. What is meant by the word “contained” in the

Catechism?

2. What is meant by the word “scriptures”?

3. What is meant by the word “rule”?

4. Are the educated and intelligent more certain to know God’s truth than the uneducated and simple? Why?

5. Was man’s knowledge originally supposed to come from nature alone?

6. What are the two sources of “truth”?

7. What is the principle of the so-called “scientific method?”

8. What does natural revelation alone (by itself ) now do for all men?

9. What does Liberalism mean when it says the Bible “contains” the Word of God?

10. What does Neo-orthodoxy mean by saying this?

11. What does Reformed Christianity mean by saying this?

12. What do you mean by saying the Bible is infallible?

13. What do we mean by saying it is clear? Who (for exam-ple) denies this?

14. What do we mean by saying it is sufficient? Who de-nies this?

15. If the Bible is what we say it is, why do we have the Catechisms?


1. What is meant by the word “principally” in the Cat-echism?

2. Are there things we cannot learn from the Bible? Give an example.

3. Name a subject about which the Bible says nothing what-soever.

4. How much of the world does the man in figure 3.1 really understand correctly? Why?

5. Why does the man in figure 3.2 understand the world in a true sense?

6. Explain these words from the Bible: “in thy light shall we see light.”

7. What are the two basic parts of the Catechism? Why?

8. Upon what does the Catechism place first emphasis? Why?

9. Is true faith enough? Explain.

10. Would it be wrong if the Catechism treated the law before faith? Why?

11. What are some of the reasons in favor of treating faith before law?

12. What is the most important truth that we can learn from this Catechism question?

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History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Answer Keys for Bible/Apologetics Study Guide ♦ The Westminster Shorter Catechism ♦ 1

The Westminster Shorter Catechism


1. man’s one thought and desire is to serve God and take delight in Him

2. goals, aims, purposes

3. to reflect God’s glory

4. the Word of God declares it: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Revelation 4:11; Psalm 73:25, 26

5. GOD

6. self

7. only the person who truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ can glorify God and enjoy Him forever

8. the good of man

9. it is not God-centered; it is man-centered

10. to make God glorious

11. the heavens cannot help but declare the glory of God. Man is given the wonderful privilege of doing it because we want to do it

12. yes, he still remains subject to God. God’s wrath and justice can be seen and honored

13. no, the Christian glorifies God at all times and in all activities to do that which is pleasing in God’s sight

14. the true Christian life cannot be divided up into various departments or compartments separated the one from another. All departments of life ought to serve the glory of God

15. faithful work, and wholesome recreation, are just as much a part of glorifying God as the worship of God on the Sabbath, or witnessing to an unbeliever

Question 2 1. the very words, which we find in the Bible, are from God

2. special revelation, the Word of God

3. that which teaches men what they must believe (in order to be saved from sin) and do (in order to serve God once more)

4. no, some of the most intelligent and best-educated people lack true wisdom; true wisdom can be given to any man regardless of his education

5. no, nature only taught man that there is a God, the Bible was given to show man how to learn about God

6. natural revelation and Special revelation

7. the “trial and error” method of discovering truth

8. it reveals God and leaves man without excuse

9. some parts of the Bible are the Word of God, and that other parts are the word of man; they can decide for themselves which part is true and which part is false

10. New Modernism; the whole Bible is the fallible word of man; God somehow uses these words so that through them man receives (in his own mind) the true word of God; one part may “speak” to one man and another part “speaks” to another man

11. they believe that the whole Bible (every single word) is the truth of God

12. everything that the Bible says is true

13. the scriptures were written so that ordinary people and even children could understand

14. we do not need something else in addition to the Bible in order to know what we need to know; many false reli-gions deny this, they say we need tradition, the findings of science and other books

15. the Catechisms are convenient summaries of the teaching of the Bible


1. the Bible was given to teach us “what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man”

2. there are many things that we cannot learn from the Bible; examples: complete history of the human race; technical information needed in the various sciences; all the information we might wish about Jesus

3. the Bible has something to say about everything

4. Fig. 3.1 man is in darkness and does not understand the world at all

5. the man in Fig. 3.2 has the light of God’s word and is able to understand his place in the world

6. the Holy Spirit has regenerated the heart so that God’s Word is received and believed

7. what the Bible teaches us to believe concerning God; the duty that God requires of man

8. what we are to believe; you cannot live a right life with a wrong faith

9. no, we also need right practice

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68 ♦ From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya ♦ History and Biographies Study Guide ♦ History of God’s Kingdom

excluded them from any sort of leadership role in the church, including mission work. This belief was based on a straightforward interpretation of certain biblical texts like 1 Timothy 2:11-15; Titus 2:3-5; and 1 Corinthians 11:3-16. What do you believe these passages teach about a woman’s role in the church today? How about a woman’s role outside the church—at home, or in the community at large? Do Judges 4:4-5 or Proverbs 31:16 and 24 alter your perceptions? Why or why not? Roseveare believed that the “traditional” medical mission approach was faulty. Why? So what method did she advocate? Roseveare encountered severe opposition to this idea. Why? Do you think her colleagues’ objections were valid? Why or why not? What are the dangers involved in having mis-sionaries get involved in medical training? Tucker makes it sound as if it was supremely unfair for Roseveare to have set up the hospital and training center at Ibambi only, then, to be movedo on to Nebobongo. Do you think that such a view is correct? Why or why not? How else might one view such a forced move? (Might 1 Corinthians 3:5-10 speak to this kind of situation?)

Tucker writes that “[w]hen differences prevented warm fellowship between her and other foreign missionaries, [Roseveare] spent time with her African friends; and it was an old African pastor without whom she went for spiritual counsel. That a missionary would humble herself before an African in such a way was unacceptable … and … created even greater strain between her and her colleagues.” What do you think? Did she act inappropriately? Was her behav-ior somehow especially humiliating or humbling? Why or why not? If she could not (or should not) have gone to the African pastor, then to whom do you think she should have turned? Suppose you had been Roseveare: how would you have wanted to react to criticism such as what her colleagues leveled against her? Tucker writes, “Without defending Helen’s attitude, it is safe to say that such [proud and/or dictatorial] traits might have been overlooked in a male medical doctor.” —Do you think that is true? How did Roseveare react when, having done all the work to establish the center at Nebobongo, the mission handed its leadership over to John Harris? How do you think you would have reacted to such a move if you had been in Roseveare’s place? And suppose you had been in her place when Harris fired your chauffeur without consulting you?

Roseveare returned to the Congo just as it was entering civil war. How did that create new tensions for the mis-sion? How do you think you would have felt if you had been one of the single women? How would you have felt if you had been one of the married men?

How did Roseveare’s rape open up an area of ministry for her?

According to Tucker, Helen Roseveare’s last years in Africa were filled with turmoil and disappointment. How did Roseveare react to the disappointments?

Vocabulary Development… such reasoning had no merit and was, in her biogra-pher’s words, ‘pure male chauvinism.’

pp. 472-475—Jackie PullingerJackie Pullinger (late-1940s?-present) goes to the Walled City area of Hong Kong (1966)

➣ Hong Kong; Indonesia; Malaysia (map 5)

➣ Europe; the Philippines (map 10)

➣ Kowloon; India; Sri Lanka (map 11)

Pullinger drastically reduced her use of Christian litera-ture at a certain point in her ministry to the people in the Walled City area. Why? How did Pullinger interpret that statement? What do you think: can literature become an excuse for avoiding personal interaction with someone? When would literature be a better option than personal interaction, and when is personal interaction a better option?

What is Pullinger doing now that the Walled City has been torn down?

pp. 475-478—Don RichardsonDon (1935-present) and Carol (1937?-2004) Richardson goes to Irian Jaya to serve among the Sawi peoples (1962). Don publishes Peace Child (1974), a book that moves him into the international spotlight as a spokes-man for missions. He and Carol move, with their chil-dren, to the United States to promote ministry among tribal peoples and to research more effective methods of communicating the gospel (1976)

➣ Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada (map 10)

Some updates: Peace Child, at this time, has sold almost half a million copies and has been translated into 27 differ-ent languages. We read that Don and Carol moved to New Guinea while “awaiting the birth of their first child.” That first child was born before they first entered Sawi territory. Indeed, as the Richardsons learned several years after they had been living among the Sawi, it was only because Don came with Carol and their newborn baby that the Sawis did not murder him on sight. One further note: Steve, that first child, was, himself, a field missionary for 14 years; he is now (and has been, since 1999) the director of Pioneers USA, an agency dedicated to ministering among “the least reached peoples of the world.

What uniquely awful fact was true about the Sawi peoples as opposed to almost every other people throughout world history? What fearsome character “quality” (or, rather, perversion) did the Sawis hold higher than almost any other? Why was that a problem for the Richardson

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History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Answer Keys for History and Biographies Study Guide ♦ From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya ♦ 45

operation? (they arrested hundreds of Chinese citizens who were involved in the operation and tightened restrictions on religious activities)

pp. 468-472—Helen Roseveare

➣ Cornwall, England I (map 3)

➣ Ibambi, Congo Q; Nebobongo, Congo Z (map 4)

Roseveare believed that the “traditional” medical mission approach was faulty. Why? (because it required foreign-trained doctors to work “around the clock” and not even get close to meeting the needs) So what method did she advocate? (establish a medical training center where nurses would be taught the Bible and basic medicine and then sent back to minister in their villages) Roseveare encountered severe opposition to this idea. Why? (because her col-leagues believed that missions ought not to be involved in medical training)

How did Roseveare react when, having done all the work to establish the center at Nebobongo, the mission handed its leadership over to John Harris? (she was devastated)

How did that create new tensions for the mission? (the married men felt terrible—like they were a bunch of sissies—when they wanted to leave … but the single women mission-aries wanted to stay on)

How did Roseveare’s rape open up an area of ministry for her? (it gave her the opportunity to minister to other women who suff ered similar treatment)

How did Roseveare react to the disappointments? (she turned to God and found a spirit of humility and a new appreciation of what Jesus had done for her in his suff ering)

Vocabulary Developmentmale chauvinism (activity which indicates the belief that men are superior to women)

pp. 472-475—Jackie Pullinger➣ Hong Kong U; Indonesia P; Malaysia K (map 5)

➣ Europe t; the Philippines w (map 10)

➣ Kowloon P; India I; Sri Lanka O (map 11)

Pullinger drastically reduced her use of Christian litera-ture at a certain point in her ministry to the people in the Walled City area. Why? (she handed a book to a young man who asked to know about Jesus; after he received the book, he disappeared for two years; when next she saw him, Jackie asked him why he had stayed away; “Because I asked you to tell me about Jesus, and you gave me a library,” he said) How did Pullinger interpret that statement? (as him—or, rather, the Lord through him—saying, “literature isn’t the only, or, even, necessarily, the best way to communicate; the early Christians didn’t have lots of Bible tracts; they learned through personal interaction; I can teach the same way)

What is Pullinger doing now that the Walled City has been torn down? (she is concentrating on drug rehab and evange-lism all over the world)

pp. 475-478—Don Richardson

➣ Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada e

(map 10)

What uniquely awful fact was true about the Sawi peoples as opposed to almost every other people throughout world history? (they were both head-hunters and cannibals [most societies that engage in one of those practices never engage in the other]) What fearsome character “quality” (or, rather, perversion) did the Sawis hold higher than almost any other? (treachery) Why was that a problem for the Richardson as they attempted to communicate the gospel to the Sawis? (it meant that, to them, Judas was a hero, Jesus was a fool)

Concerning “Redemptive Analogies”: What is a “Redemptive Analogy”? (a local custom that enables a people to understand a scriptural/spiritual truth that they would otherwise fi nd diffi cult to understand … or that would, otherwise, not strike them as being so deeply meaningful) Can you give an example of a Redemptive Analogy? (the Sawi Peace Child is one; from the Bible we can point to Jesus as the “Lamb of God” or “our Passover”; the idea of baptism being the gentiles’ “circumcision” [see Colossians 2:11-12]; the image of God as our “Father” … or our “Mother” [Isaiah 49:15; 66:13]; Paul’s suggestion that Yahweh is “the Unknown God” for whom the Athenians had erected an altar [Acts 17:23]; etc.)

Whether they were about to follow Satan down the wrong path: what occurred when the Richardsons told the Sawis that they were going to leave? (the Sawis became moti-vated to do something they only very rarely ever did: they participated in the Peace Child ritual) Why do you think this is important? (suggestion from John: one reason this is important: when changes fi nally would come about, they would be as a result of Sawi initiatives; they would be truly “indigenous” rather than “missionary-imposed”; that would mean they would be far more signifi cant to the Sawis than if the Richardsons had “forced” the practices upon the Sawis)

Vocabulary DevelopmentRedemptive Analogy (a custom, belief or story within a culture that parallels or illustrates an aspect of the gospel; it allows the culture to understand in a deep and meaning-ful way what the missionary is sharing about Christ [source: http://www.riverwoodcommunitychapel.org/base.cfm?page_id=970 {accessed 2002}])

concept fulfi llment (using a concept’s potential to make a connection to a truth; example: a legend which stated that one day a teacher of truth would come with a black object under his arm; when the fi rst missionary came carrying a black Bible under his arm, the group was very interested [source: http://www.cchb.org/campus/approach.pdf]) n

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46 ♦ From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya ♦ Answer Keys for History and Biographies Study Guide ♦ History of God’s Kingdom

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History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Literature Study Guide ♦ Oliver Twist ♦ 47

Oliver Twist

OverviewOliver Twist, born an orphan, suffers deprivations for

the first decade of his life: too little to eat, scanty clothing, physical abuse, and, worst of all, no loving kindness. After a short stint working for an undertaker, he runs away to London where a young pickpocket immediately befriends him and introduces him to his gang. After weeks of train-ing, Oliver witnesses the young man rob an old man, who mistakenly accuses Oliver. Thankfully a kind bookstore owner reveals Oliver’s innocence, and the old man takes Oliver home. The gang, however, wants Oliver back, so they kidnap him back to a life of crime. The leader of the gang forces Oliver to break into a house, but the inhabit-ants wake and shoot Oliver. The gang leader flees, but Oliver lies on the ground overnight until, ill and bleeding, he returns to the very house he sought to rob. The good ladies there take him in and love him. The gang leader tries to steal Oliver again, then kills an informer, arouses the anger of all of London, and dies. The others in the gang get their just desserts, while Oliver discovers his parentage and goes to live permanently with the kind old man.

SettingOliver Twist takes place during the 1830s in London,

England and surrounding areas. As you read, consider whether you would have wanted to live during this era.

chaps. XX-XXIIHalliford

Shepperton

Chertsey

chaps. XXVIII-XXXIKingston

chaps. XXXII-XXXIIIWest Indies

CharactersUnlike most of the books you have read so far, the

protagonist and title character, Oliver Twist, is a flat char-acter. Throughout the book, he speaks perfectly (with no schooling), has a strong moral compass, has an angelic face, and does no wrong. As you read, you will meet many interesting characters. Evaluate each. Are there any round characters? Who is Oliver’s antagonist?

Point of ViewOliver’s story is told from the third person omniscient

point of view. As you read, evaluate whether a different perspective would have made the story better.

ConflictWhile there is a lot of interpersonal conflict in the story,

these obvious conflicts only serve to highlight the true conflict at the heart of the story: Oliver’s struggle against society as he attempts to overcome his low social status.

ThemeOliver Twist features several intertwined themes,

including the failure of government charity systems, the foolishness of individualism, and the idealization of the countryside compared to the villification of the city. As you read, mark passages that demonstrate these themes particularly well.

Preface & chaps. I-IIIWorkhouse (a poorhouse where able-bodied poor are com-pelled to labor. See also Appendix 3 for further notes)

Flock mattress (mattress stuffed with rags or wool-refuse)

Beadle (a minor official of a parish with a range of duties, but by by the nineteenth century mostly to do with supervis-ing paupers and maintaining public order)

Daffy (a widely used tonic, named after its inventor)

Half-baptized (baptized privately and without full rites, a measure only taken when there is a fear that the newborn child might die before a proper baptism could be arranged)

Doctors’ Commons (the only court through which divorce could be gained)

Copper (a large copper vessel in a brick or stone structure, under which a fire could be lit)

Porringer (a small bowl)

Per diem (Latin for ‘each day’)

Commons (staple food, shared with others)

Parochial (of, relating to, supported by, or located in a parish)

Oakum (loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes. Picking oakum was a horrible job that was assigned to felons in prison)

Parish (a local church community; a political subdivision of a British county, usually corresponding in boundaries to an original ecclesiastical parish. A parish surgeon was someone who attended to the workhouse inmates for an agreed fee)

Stoves (iron stoves replaced open fireplaces with chimneys during the nineteenth century. Gamfield probably means that Oliver is small enough to fit up a narrow chimney or flue to clean it)

Powdered heads (the use of once fashionable hair powder was declining in the early nineteenth century. This refrence

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56 ♦ History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Literature Study Guide ♦ Oliver Twist

… even then, he could not dissemble, at the astonished …

… passed beyond the feeble censure of the world …

Sikes falls to his death while attempting to escape. His dog follows his example soon thereafter. Why do you think Dickens has Sikes’ dog die in this manner?

Many loose ends are tied up in Chapter LI. What do you think of how Dickens resolves some of these open issues? Which are satisfying? Which are not?

chaps. LII-LIIINewgate (Dickens visited Newgate, including the con-demned cells, and recorded his impressions)

Informer (someone who made a living by bringing breaches of law to the notice of the authorities and thus claiming part of whatever fi ne might be imposed)

Northamptonshire (a landlocked county in central England)

Grazier (a rancher who grazes cattle or sheep for market)

… and they assailed him with opprobrious names and …

… the cap, the noose, the pinioned arms, the faces that …

… with his favourite asseveration, that his mode is the …

As you read the description of Fagin’s last days in the con-demned cell, what were your feelings? Relief? Sadness? Mercy? Oliver cries to God to “forgive this wretched man!” Could you?

Mr. and Mrs. Bumble “were gradually reduced to great indigence and misery, and fi nally became paupers in the very same workhouse in which they had once lorded it over others.” Is this poetic justice? Or a clumsy ending that doesn’t quite seem real?

Oliver Twist has many inconsistencies, primarily because Dickens wrote it as a serial (a magazine published new installments each month for several months). Because he did not know the end when he began, “what began as a topical satire on the workhouse system … became a moral fable about the survival of good, a romance in which a cheated orphan is restored to his inheritance, and a gripping story which culminates in three violent deaths.” Despite the inconsistencies (like when all of London rises up enraged against Sikes), generations of readers have considered Oliver Twist an excellent book. Why then, when the success of so many aspects of the novel is open to question, does it make such an overall compelling imagi-native impact?

Review

SettingWhat elements of the setting do you feel most eff ectively conveyed the severity of Oliver’s plight? Support your opinion with examples from the book.

CharactersWho was your favorite character? Why? Were there any round characters? Who was Oliver’s antagonist?

Point of ViewWhat is your opinion of how the story was told? Would you have preferred to hear the story from a more personal perspective? Perhaps Oliver’s? Why or why not?

Confl ictHow is the primary confl ict resolved? Were you satisfi ed with this resolution? Or would you rather have seen a dif-ferent, more generalized answer to the ills of social class portrayed in the story?

ThemeWhat themes did you identify with most? Why? For which theme did Dickens make the most convincing case? As a Christian, how do you feel about Dickens’ views on char-ity? Whose responsibility is it to ensure the welfare of the poor?

Creative ExpressionOkay, you have a decision to make. As you read Oliver

Twist over the course of the next four weeks, you can do one of two writing assignments: a research project or a radio broadcast. Our recommendation? If you’re new to Sonlight or have not had much practice with research papers, you would probably benefi t most from doing the research project. On the other hand, if you’ve been with Sonlight for a while and/or feel comfortable with your research skills, then the radio broadcast is a chance to let your creativity fl ow on a project that’s a refreshing depar-ture from “standard” writing assignments. So read through the assignment specifi cs below, make your choice, and dive in!

Research ProjectAs noted above, we recommend that you do the

research project if you are new to Sonlight and/or have not had much practice with research papers. Why? Because we can’t stress highly enough how important it is to develop good research skills. Not only will these skills be required in college and beyond, but they will serve you well throughout your entire life.

“My entire life?”That’s right. Unlike some subjects whose long-term

usefulness is sometimes questioned (trigonometry comes to mind!), the “basics” of research that you’re learning right now will be useful (often critical) throughout the rest of your life. The critical thinking, analysis, and research skills we focus upon in the research project are fundamental building blocks you will use to build a foundation—the foundation that will give you the confidence needed to

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History of God’s Kingdom ♦ Answer Keys for Literature Study Guide ♦ Oliver Twist ♦ 29

Oliver Twist

Preface & chaps. I-IIIextant (still in existence; not destroyed, lost, or extinct)

indubitably (unquestionable; without a doubt)

appendage (a part or organ, such as an arm, leg, tail, or fin, that is joined to the axis or trunk of a body. In this case, something that issues forth from the body. The voice reaches out, so to speak, to grab the attention of others)

gruel (a version of porridge; thin, watery porridge, usually made of oatmeal or cornmeal)

tender mercies (this phrase means that Oliver was left in the care of the churchwardens. He was at their mercy and had to depend on them to provide for him)

domiciled (residing, living)

appropriated (to set apart for a specific use)

rampacious (high-spirited, wild)

impertinences (something that is either irrelevant or bold and of poor manners)

board (the body charged with administering poor relief)

appartition (a ghostly figure; a specter; a sudden or unusual sight)

choleric (easily angered; bad-tempered)

emanated (to come or send forth, as from a source)

stipendiary (one who receives a fixed and regular payment, such as a salary for services rendered or an allowance)

officiously (informally; unofficially)

elysium (a place or condition of ideal happiness)

assiduously (unceasing; persistent)

voracious (ravenous; eager to consume great amounts of food)

temerity (fearless daring)

controverted (to raise arguments against; voice opposition to)

sinecure (a position or office that requires little or no work but provides a salary)

ablutions (a washing or cleansing of the body, especially as part of a religious rite)

auspicious (marked by success; prosperous; attended by favorable circumstances)

arrears (an unpaid, overdue debt or an unfulfilled obligation)

sanguine (cheerfully confident; optimistic)

cudgelling (to beat or strike with or as if with a stick or club)

imprecation (a curse; a slanderous accusation)

encumbered (to burden with legal or financial obligations)

indentures (a contract binding apprentice and master; a legal document which required formal conveyance before a magistrate)

magistrate (a public official authorized to decide questions bought before a court of justice)

obeisance (bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame)

Why doesn’t he? (no one had taught him) What does this say about those in charge? (they were not fulfilling their own Christian duty to teach the children about Jesus)

Can you identify the satirical passage in Chapter III? (the passage that begins “Let it not be supposed by the enemies of ‘the system,’ that, during the period of his solitary incarcera-tion, Oliver was denied the benefit of exercise, the pleasure of society, or the advantages of religious consolation.”)

chaps. IV-VIjocosity (joking; humorous; merry)

millstone (Bumble could hardly have chosen a less appropri-ate image. Read Matthew 18:6)

evinced (to show or demonstrate clearly; manifest)

denominated (to give a name to; designate)

slatternly (a dirty, untidy woman)

avidity (ardent desire or craving; eagerness)

auguries (a sign of something coming; an omen; an inspired guess or presentiment)

diurnal (relating to or occurring in a 24-hour period; daily)

ignominious (degrading; debasing)

epithets (a term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person; a term used to characterize a person or thing. Ignominious and epithets together mean a degrading title or name.)

corpulent (excessively fat)

facetious (tongue-in-cheek; playfully jocular)

What is wrong with this picture? (if a man makes a child stumble, he would be better off putting a millstone around his neck and drowning himself—the child is not the millstone that brings the parish down; man’s sins bring the parish down; Mr. Bumble wore the Good Samaritan seal for the first time at an inquest for a man who froze to death in the street—no one cared for the helpless man, yet Mr. Bumble thinks he is the modern equivalent—so blind!)

What does he mean? (Dickens is being facetious, noting that sin exists at all levels, from Mr. Bumble down to Noah Claypole)

Documents

Week 1—Schedule - · PDF filequestions (#1-15) Read Question 2 ... “Escape” pg. 306 “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” pg. 307 ... Questions and Suggested Answers (According to