Answer:
1. How would you characterize Sam and Peter's mother? Explain.
I would characterize and compare Sam and Peter's mother to a good dancer— active, flexible, strong, determined, and motivated woman. The story made us realize that you don't need to be literally a good dancer to be renown as one. You can be like a good dancer with small dance skills but with an independent big work.
2. As the boys remember the past and think of their mother, what did Sam and Peter learn from her? (This is a theme question) Explain.
Sam and Peter learned "dancing with life" from their mother. With all their reminiscing, they've realized how their mother managed to gracefully dance with life— that although it's tough for their mother to raise them alone, they've never felt any kind of inadequacy growing up.
Reference Statements:
"Dance with life" means moving on from bad (single parent/widower, plumbing problem, etc.) to good (dancing twist, fixed plumbing, etc.) days, no matter what struggles you might have encountered in life.
• "It must have been tough for her, raising the two of us alone," said Sam. = This means that their mother is either a single parent or a widower who raises both alone— with her own capabilities and resources.
• "Yup," said Peter. "She had to do a lot of fancy footwork to keep things going, but we were always OK. = This statement highly supported the story title "Good Dancer"— fancy footwork. In here, fancy footwork might mean life actions and coordination to give or provide both a good life.
• Sam took his glasses off and wiped his eyes. "Yeah. We should have guessed she would be one heck of a good dancer," he said. = In here, we can say that Sam is sad while reminiscing. The phrase "We should have guessed" concludes that their mother is not a dancer by profession. It is like more on the figurative language side, yet their mother has skills in twist dance. They figuratively compared their mother to a good dancer, overall. But why to a "dancer"? First, for you to be called a "good dancer," you need to be flexible and active with your moves, actions, or even in mobility. Second, you need to have strength and coordination. Third, you have the determination. And lastly, you have the motivation.
- Flexible and active = "She was never a person who just stood around, was she?" said Peter.
- Strength and coordination = "No, it's true. Somehow, she always knew the right thing to do and then did it," agreed Sam. "She was a powerhouse. Strength under pressure, as the saying goes."
- Determination = The brothers were thoughtful now. "Remember that time when our property owner refused to fix the plumbing senility? And he would not fix it and we had no water? ... And he said he would call the police officers and have her arrested. And she said if he did, she would go to the newspapers... And the next thing we knew," continued Peter, "she had contacted a reporter and there you and I were, in a big newspaper photo, looking sad and sorry." "And the day after that, the plumbing was fixed and paid for." = This also shows breaking gender norms, although the property owner is a male/man, their mother still managed to get that male/man did what needed to do.
- Motivation = "It must have been tough for her, raising the two of us alone," said Sam. "Yup," said Peter. "She had to do a lot of fancy footwork to keep things going, but we were always OK."
