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CHAPTER 2
Setting
and
Props
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
43
“The Hockey Sweater” Roch Carrier
On the surface, students will enjoy the easy humor of this boy who must try to
adapt when the wrong team sweater arrives from the catalogue order. Carrier
uses this as a vehicle to satirize the conflict between French-speaking and
English-speaking Canadians. Although students will probably be unaware of the
political overtones, the story on its own is humorous and relatively easy reading.
Vocabulary. Words crucial to understanding the story are presented in Prereading Vocabulary—Context. Words that apply structural-attack skills are
presented in Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack. However, all potentially troublesome words are listed here in the order in which they appear in the
text, so that 1) you can easily identify words you may wish to stress and 2) you
can locate them easily in the text.
A World of Short Stories
44
Vocabulary — “The Hockey Sweater”
1. hockey
2. season
3. skating rink
4. punishment
5. strategies
6. tranquillity
7. recite
8. uniform
9. Montreal
10. Canadien
11. referee
12. whistle
13. puck
14. blazing
15. enthusiasm
16. catalogue
17. disappointment
18. experience
19. sorrow
20. maple leaf
21. Toronto
22. trounce
23. triumphant
24. crease
25. abominable
26. insulted
27. perfectly
28. position
29. defense
30. penalty
31. persecution
32. relieved
33. debris
34. vicar
35. moth
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
45
Journal Answers.
MLA Works Cited.
Carrier, Roch. “The Hockey Sweater.” A World of Short Stories. 3rd ed. Ed.
Yvonne Sisko. New York: Pearson, 2014. 106–108. Print.
Main Character(s). The narrator, a young boy who loves to play hockey, is the
central character. Mother may also be listed as a main character as she is the one
who initiates the conflict by retiring the old Canadien sweater and erroneously
ordering the new Maple Leaf sweater.
Supporting Characters. If mother is not listed as a main character, then she
certainly must be listed as a supporting character. Eaton’s, the department store
and catalog supplier, is the player that delivers the wrong sweater. The narrator’s
fellow players set the stage for his torment. The coach who does not let him play,
the referee who calls a penalty on him, and the vicar who scolds him are all
supporting characters.
Setting and Props. First, this story is framed around hockey and is set in Québec,
Canada. Although this implies a cold place, a place where hockey is important—
Canada, the northern Midwest—is also essential. The political overtones largely
limit the setting to Canada, but the student may not recognize these overtones.
Just as important as where is what; the sweater—the prop—is essential to the
story.
Sequence. Here is an informal outline, but answers will vary.
I. The narrator plays hockey.
A. He loves hockey.
B. He is absolutely loyal to the Montréal Canadiens.
II. The narrator’s sweater gets too small and too worn-out.
A. His mother orders a new sweater.
B. Eaton’s sends a Maple Leaf sweater instead of a Canadien
sweater.
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III. The narrator must wear the Maple Leaf sweater.
A. The narrator is mortified.
B. The coach changes his position and benches him.
C. The referee calls a penalty on him.
D. The vicar scolds him.
Plot. With a two-sentence limit, answers will vary. A boy receives a team sweater
for the wrong team and suffers the consequences.
Conflicts. Human versus human applies to the conflict between mother, who
thinks the new sweater is just fine, and the narrator, who is mortified. Human
versus society applies to all the people—the teammates, the coach, the referee,
the vicar—who are in conflict with the narrator and his new sweater. In the larger
picture, human versus society applies to the tensions between French-speaking
and English-speaking Canadians.
Significant Quotations.
a. The student should explain the importance of hockey to the narrator and
his friends.
b. The student should explain the importance of the Montréal Canadiens to
the narrator and his culture. Although the student will probably not
understand the difficulties between the English- and French-speaking
populations in Canada, the devotion to the Canadiens is repeated and is
central to the story.
c. The student should explain the crisis which this initiates; the sweater
must be replaced for valid reasons, much though the narrator loves it.
d. The student should explain that this is the point of crisis—the new
sweater has arrived and it represents entirely the wrong team and
allegiance. The student should explain mother’s purchasing process—
from English-speaking Eaton’s—and the resultant shock to the narrator.
e. The student should explain the dénoument, the consequences in the
narrator’s culture of having the wrong, albeit English-speaking, team
sweater. In addition to being benched by the coach, the narrator is jeered
by his teammates, penalized by the referee, and chastised by the priest.
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
47
Literary Elements. This is placed in Setting and Props because the hockey rink
and the French-speaking/Canadiens’ rooting location are essential. Equally
essential is the central prop—the hockey sweater. This can also be placed in
Characters and Conflicts because this is certainly a study of the narrator’s desires
and the conflicts therein. This can be placed in Plot and Foreshadowing because
the events swirl around the narrator once the new sweater arrives. And this can
be placed in Irony because, although it is a hockey sweater, the narrator’s
receiving the wrong hockey sweater that makes all the difference from the
English-speaking Eaton’s piles irony on top of irony.
Foreshadowing, Irony, and/or Symbols. Mother’s hand-written letter and her
sending it to Toronto-based Eaton’s may foreshadow problems to come.
Certainly, receiving the wrong sweater and receiving it from an English-speaking
company are ironies. And, of course, the Canadiens’ sweater symbolizes Frenchspeaking Canada as opposed the Maple Leafs’ sweater that symbolizes Englishspeaking Canada.
Follow-up Questions. 10 Short Questions
What is the best answer for each?
1. c The narrator clearly states that the rink is the center of his and his
friends’ lives. School is good for planning the game and church is
good for praying for the game.
2. c The narrator kindly refers to church attendance, but he also makes it
clear that the church is for praying for victories.
3. b He would never “get sick of” his Canadien sweater and he surely
would not lose it. Rather, he has outgrown the worn-out sweater.
4. a From the reading, the student should be aware of the rivalry between
Toronto in Ontario and Montréal, which is a city in the province of
Québec.
5. a Also key to the story, the narrator totally supports the Montréal
Canadiens.
6. b This is key also. Mother does not go to the store, which would have
been in Québec and which might have resulted in no error. Rather,
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she orders from Eaton’s catalogue, which represents Englishspeaking Canada.
7. b There is no question that the narrator’s world is turned upside down
when the new sweater arrives.
8. a Again, the upset is strictly due to the wrong team’s logo and colors.
9. b Central to the family conflict, mother thinks the sweater is fine while
the narrator probably wants to burn it.
10. a The problems are very much a part of the story. The team members
show disdain, the coach gives him problems, the referee assigns him
a penalty, and the vicar scolds him, all presumably because of the
new sweater.
Follow-up Questions. 5 Significant Quotations
What is the importance of each of these quotations?
1. The student should note the place of each of these sites in the narrator’s
hockey-focused world. School is for setting up the team. Church is for
praying for victory. The hockey rink, however, is the center of his and
his friends’ world.
2. The student should note the importance of the uniform—that it represents
Montréal and that it is the Canadiens.
3. The student should note that this sets up the crisis when mother orders
the new sweater and it represents the wrong team. The more astute
student may comment on the English-speaking slant of Toronto’s
Eaton’s.
4. The student should comment on the humor here. Monsieur Eaton, of
course, would be the CEO and certainly would not be responding
personally to catalogue transactions.
5. The student should comment on this and on the other problems the
narrator faces—the coach benching him, the vicar scolding him—as a
result of the new sweater.
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
49
Follow-up Questions. 2 Comprehension Essay Questions
These are highly focused and are intended for subjective assessment of
comprehension only, purposely avoiding literary controversy and/or ancillary
opinions. Intended to draw upon all facets of the story, questions 1 and 2 may
repeat and/or complement each other.
1. The student should focus on the prop and the events it spins into place.
By explaining the sweater’s importance, the student will review the
events of the story.
2. This calls for more sustained thinking and requires awareness on the
student’s part. The student may find any number of things funny—the
importance of the rink, mother’s correspondence with Eaton’s, the
narrator’s mortification, the various problems the new sweater causes,
and so forth.
Discussion Questions.
Unlike the Follow-up Questions which are intended to measure comprehension
only, thereby avoiding personal opinions and/or literary controversy, these
questions are intended to elicit opinions and/or debate. Answers here are only
suggestions, as the literary discussion may take many forms.
1. The idea of this question is to have students identify with the story and
with the narrator’s plight. A lively discussion about team favorites, good
luck practices, and so forth may ensue.
2. This should make for a lively and interesting discussion. Humor is based
on intelligence—one has to know something in order to know why
something is funny—and there may be elements of the story’s humor
that need to be explained, as one often has to explain why a joke is funny
when it is not understood. Students may find many things funny—the
importance of the rink, mother’s correspondence with Eaton’s, the
narrator’s mortification, the various problems the new sweater causes,
and so forth. In contrast to the similar question posed in question 2
Comprehension Essay Questions, this open exchange may lead to greater
understanding for the students who do not understand all the humor. The
higher levels of political satire may also appear in discussion.
A World of Short Stories
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“Bone Girl” Joseph Bruchac
This is an especially interesting story that combines the observations of Joseph
Bruchac, of Abenaki Native American heritage, with very eerie tales. It is downto-earth yet supernatural and is readable for all students.
Vocabulary. Words critical to understanding the story are presented in Prereading Vocabulary—Context. Words that apply structural-attack skills are
presented in Pre-reading Vocabulary—Structural Attack. However, all potentially troublesome words are listed here in the order they appear in the text, so
that 1) you can easily identify words you may wish to stress and 2) you can
locate them easily in the text.
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
51
Vocabulary — “Bone Girl”
1. abandoned
2. quarry
3. reservation
4. ghost
5. condemned
6. wander
7. eternity
8. ectoplasm
9. remnants
10. violent
11. vengeful
12. apparition
13. Indian
14. muted
15. tomtom
16. continent
17. equivalent
18. ghoul
19. international
20. ancestor
21. dread
22. cemetery
23. foundation
24. lodge
25. relatives
26. chief
27. Seneca
28. familiar
29. extension
30. crest
31. ditch
32. metaphor
33. cute
34. model
35. spirit
36. weird
37. stranger
38. ignored
39. Cherokee
40. Abenaki
41. development
42. polluted
43. recession
44. depression
45. digressing
46. circle
47. generation
48. Puritan
49. neurotic
50. lantern
51. spooky
52. flickering
53. goofing
54. blond
55. disgust
56. interfere
57. ashamed
58. bridge
59. stagger
60. pale
61. figure
62. shy
63. fool
64. romance
65. moon
66. face
67. skull
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Journal Answers.
MLA Works Cited.
Bruchac, Joseph. “Bone Girl.” A World of Short Stories. 3rd ed. Ed. Yvonne
Sisko. New York: Pearson, 2014. 117–123. Print.
Main Character(s). The narrator and the Bone Girl are the central characters.
Certainly, the narrator is the main character. The student may also consider the
Bone Girl as main as she is central to the narrator’s story and change and she is,
after all, the title character.
Supporting Characters. The surrounding community on the reservation may be
considered supporting. The narrator’s wife and nephew and the nephew’s friends
who have the graveyard adventure are also supporting. The nephew’s story is, in
fact, a form of foreshadowing. The various ghosts also are supporting here.
Setting and Props. The story is set on a present-day reservation. The reservation—and all the qualities the narrator attributes to the reservation—make this
location central to the story. In addition to the key role the reservation plays,
another reason this story is placed in Setting is because of the important role the
Bone Girl’s hair plays. It is an important prop because it originally lures the
narrator and then becomes a sort of mask to hide the Bone Girl’s real identity as a
ghost.
Sequence. Here is an informal outline, but answers will vary.
I. Introduction to Indian graveyards.
A. They are close to home.
B. Native Americans “stay put.”
II. Nephew’s graveyard adventure.
A. Nephew and friends set up trick at the graveyard.
B. Nephew is tricked by a ghost.
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
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III. Narrator meets the Bone Girl.
A. Narrator’s life spirals to drinking and available women.
B. Narrator pursues a young girl who is really a ghost.
C. Narrator changes his life.
Plot. With a two-sentence limit, answers will vary. A man meets a ghost and
changes his wayward life.
Conflicts. Human versus supernatural is central here, as ghosts spook both the
nephew and then the narrator himself. Human versus himself would apply again
to both the nephew and the narrator as their woeful pursuits lead both to
encounters with the ghosts. Human versus society may apply to the narrator’s
unacceptable ways that are changed by the ghostly encounter.
Significant Quotations.
a. The student should discuss the narrator’s observations on the uniting of
the present-life and the after-life in Native American thought. This
thinking is central to setting up the believability of the story.
b. The student should discuss the narrator’s observations on the settlement
of Native Americans close to ancestral lands. This also sets up the story.
c. The student should discuss the graveyard prank played by the nephew
and his friends and the ultimate lesson taught by the ghost(s).
d. The student should discuss the narrator’s wanton ways and the meeting
with the assumed young girl.
e. The student should identify that the narrator meets not a young girl but
rather the Bone Girl and that this causes him to change his ways.
Literary Elements. This is here because the setting is so essential. However, the
foreshadowing in the nephew’s story could place this in Plot and Foreshadowing.
Foreshadowing, Irony, and/or Symbols. The student should discuss how nicely
the nephew’s ghostly encounter foreshadows the narrator’s encounter, setting the
reader up for the role of such apparitions in Native American thinking.
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Follow-up Questions. 10 Short Questions
What is the best answer for each?
1. b It is central to understanding the story that the student recognizes that
the narrator is a Native American. This also tests “reservation” and
other words from Context.
2. a This tests an important detail. The narrator is married and has taken a
wrong turn in life for a married man during the time that he meets
the Bone Girl.
3. c Again, this is central to understanding the story. The narrator clearly
tells us that spirits are a part of the Native American experience.
4. b The narrator clearly states and even contrasts the differences between
Western and Native American spirits. He certainly does not think
they are “irrelevant.”
5. a This is the only correct answer here. He certainly believes in spirits,
and scaring “everyone” offers practice in applying the test-taking
technique of avoiding extreme answers.
6. b The nephew is neither turned into a ghost nor scared by his friends.
Rather, it seems that a ghost has now scared him at the graveyard.
7. c As a relevant detail, the narrator tells us that he is writing this story
for a writing course. Changing his life seems to “clear his conscience” and he is resentful of “cute” Indians.
8. c The narrator clearly states he has had marital problems. Further, both
answers a and b apply avoiding extreme answers in test-taking.
9. c The narrator certainly does not think the Bone Girl is a spirit. He
does think she is a young girl and that she is chilled by the weather.
This type of question requires careful reading and offers practice in
solving negatively phrased questions.
Chapter 2, Setting and Props
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Follow-up Questions. 5 Significant Quotations
What is the importance of each of these quotations?
1. The student should discuss the role of spirits in the narrator’s and, by
inference, Native American thinking. This closeness is central to making
the story believable.
2. The student should discuss the narrator’s observations on Native
American settlement patterns and on the importance of the setting.
3. The student should discuss the nephew’s graveyard adventures wherein
his trick ends up with a ghost(s)’ spooking him.
4. The student should discuss the narrator’s wanton ways and his pursuit of
what turns out to be a ghost.
5. Building on the above answer, the student should discuss the lessons
learned from the narrator’s meeting with the ghost.
Follow-up Questions. 2 Comprehension Essay Questions
These are highly focused and are intended for subjective assessment of
comprehension only, purposely avoiding literary controversy and/or ancillary
opinions. Intended to draw upon all facets of the story, 1 and 2 may repeat
and/or complement each other.
1. This asks the student to focus on the setting and the many insights the
narrator offers concerning Native Americans, land, and location. Staying
close to the land means staying close to the ancestors and spirits that also
remain with the land, and this thinking is central to the story.
2. This asks the student to focus on the characters. The narrator and the
Bone Girl, of course, are the central story, but the nephew and the
graveyard adventures are also part of the story. The student needs to
focus on both the living and the spirits and the lessons learned therein.
Discussion Questions.
Unlike the Follow-up Questions which are intended to measure comprehension
only, thereby avoiding personal opinions and/or literary controversy, these
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questions are intended to elicit opinions and/or debate. Answers here are only
suggestions, as the literary discussion may take many forms.
1. This may elicit varying and often animated responses. The Bone Girl in
the story seems to be rather a benevolent character who leads the narrator
to reform, but students may bring their own preconceived notions about
spirits, ghosts, and the like.
2. Unlike the responses to question 1 which have already focused on the
ghosts within the story, this asks students now to compare their own
feelings and/or experiences with those of the narrator. If question 1
focuses on characters then this question focuses on events.
