RL 3 Is seeing BELIEVING? - Dearborn Public Schools...reading strategy: reading a radio play A radio...

Focus and Motivate

Selection Resources

Before Reading

The HitchhikerRadio Play by Lucille Fletcher

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Is seeing

BELIEVING?Occasionally, something happens so quickly or unexpectedly, you can’t be sure what you’ve seen. Was that a rabbit racing through the field, or was it just wind in the grass? Did you see a man hiding in the alley, or did you see only a shadow? To be convinced that something is real, you need proof, or solid evidence. In The Hitchhiker, a man is desperate for proof that what he’s seeing can be explained.

DISCUSS Think of something you’ve seen that you can’t explain. Maybe it was oddly shaped footprints in an empty lot, or a bright shape flying through the sky. Share your experience with a small group, and together brainstorm possible explanations. Then tell what proof you’d need to determine which explanation is the right one.

RL 3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

Video link at thinkcentral.com

RESOURCE MANAGER UNIT 1Plan and Teach, pp. 95–102Summary, pp. 103–104†‡*Text Analysis and Reading

Skill, pp. 105–108†*Vocabulary, p. 109*Grammar in Context, p. 112

DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTSSelection Tests, pp. 39–42

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITSequence Chain, pp. B21, B45Cause-and-Effect Diagram,

pp. B16, B38

TECHNOLOGY

Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM

Student One Stop DVD-ROM

Audio Anthology CD

GrammarNotes DVD-ROM

ExamView Test Generator on the Teacher One Stop

* Resources for Differentiation † Also in Spanish ‡ In Haitian Creole and Vietnamese

See resources on the Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM and on thinkcentral.com.

RL 3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL 5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts. W 1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. L 1 Demonstrate command of standard English grammar when writing.

summaryRonald Adams leaves his home in New York City to drive to California. While crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, he swerves to avoid hitting a hitchhiker. As he continues westward, he encounters this same man with increasing regularity. His sense of panic increases when he realizes that no one else can see the man. By the time Adams arrives in Gallup, New Mexico, he is beside himself with fear and uncertainty. He calls home. The woman who answers tells him that his mother is in the hos-pital, prostrate with grief over the death of her son Ronald in a car accident six days before.

Is seeing BELIEVING?Poll students with this question: Does every-thing have a logical explanation, or do some things happen that cannot be explained or supported by proof? Then have groups complete the DISCUSS activity.

Video link at thinkcentral.com

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TeachMeet the Author

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

text analysis: foreshadowingWhen a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story, the writer is foreshadowing. For example, if a character says, “Whatever you do, don’t open that door,” you might suspect that the door will eventually be opened to create a dramatic effect. Anticipating that event can add to the story’s suspense, making you more excited to find out what happens next. As you read The Hitchhiker, make a chart to note events or dialogue that might foreshadow what happens later. You’ll complete the chart at the end of the selection.

Foreshadowing Events That Were Foreshadowed

reading strategy: reading a radio playA radio play is a play written for radio broadcast, which means that it is primarily meant to be heard, not seen. Since listeners can’t see the actors, radio playwrights give information about the characters through

• Dialogue, or the words spoken by the actors • Stage directions, which include instructions to the actors

about how dialogue should be spoken and instructions to the crew about sounds effects

As you read The Hitchhiker, notice what these elements suggest about the personality and state of mind of the protagonist, or main character. Also notice what these elements suggest about the appearance and actions of the antagonist, or the force working against the main character.

vocabulary in contextThe words in Column A help Lucille Fletcher tell about one man’s encounter with a mysterious hitchhiker. Match each word with the word or phrase in Column B that is closest in meaning.

Column A Column B 1. lark a. guarantee 2. junction b. carefree adventure 3. sinister c. evil 4. assurance d. sameness 5. monotony e. place of joining

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Lucille Fletcher1912–2000

Suspenseful Stories As a young adult, Lucille Fletcher wanted to become a novelist. After she took her first job as a script typist and began reading scripts by other writers, she decided she wanted to write plays as well. She was successful at both. Fletcher penned more than 20 radio plays, including the well-known Sorry, Wrong Number and The Hitchhiker. In addition, she wrote several novels. Her works were suspenseful, full of mystery, and often terrifying.

background to the playRadio Plays Though the television was invented in the 1920s, most American households did not have television sets until the late 1950s. Before then, families gathered around the radio to listen to their favorite radio plays. These plays took the form of dramas, mysteries, or comedies. Actors at the radio station read their lines into the microphone with dramatic flair. Background music helped set the mood.

Hearing Is Believing Sound effects were an important part of a radio play. They were often produced in the radio studio. Sheet metal, shaken up and down, replicated rolling thunder. A wooden match, broken close to the microphone, sounded like a baseball bat striking a ball. Coconut halves clapped against wood imitated the sound of horses’ hooves.

Author OnlineGo to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML8-91

T E X T A N A L Y S I S

Model the Skill: reading a radio play

Write this example on the board:Driver. Where are you going, buddy?Hitchhiker. I’d love a lift to Amarillo.Driver. I’m going that way, too. Get in.

Explain that playwrights try to make dialogue sound like natural speech.GUIDED PRACTICE Have students explain what stage directions for the actors might work with the dialogue.

R E A D I N G S T R A T E G Y

vocabulary in contextDIAGNOSE WORD KNOWLEDGE Have all students complete Vocabulary in Context. Check students’ answers. (1. b; 2. e; 3. c; 4. a; 5. d) Preview selection vocabulary definitions:

assurance (E-shMrQEns) n. a guarantee or pledgejunction (jOngkQ shEn) n. a place where two

roads meetlark (lärk) n. a carefree or spirited adventure

monotony (mE-nJtQn-C) n. tedious samenesssinister (sGnQG-stEr) adj. suggesting or

threatening evil

PRETEACH VOCABULARY Use the following copy master to help students understand word meanings.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Study p. 109

Model the Skill: foreshadowing

To model analyzing foreshadowing, write this example on the board:

At last he had what he needed to prove his theory. Overjoyed, he set the valu-able document on his desk. He did not notice the slight breeze from the open balcony door behind him.

Say: This passage might foreshadow the papers being blown out the door.GUIDED PRACTICE Elicit other examples of foreshadowing from stories or movies.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterForeshadowing p. 105

V O C A B U L A R Y S K I L L

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Practice and Apply

CAST OF CHARACTERSOrson WellesRonald AdamsAdams’s MotherVoice of HitchhikerMechanicHenry, a sleepy man

Woman’s Voice, Henry’s wife

GirlOperatorLong-Distance OperatorAlbuquerque OperatorNew York OperatorMrs. Whitney

Welles. Good evening, this is Orson Welles . . . (music in) Personally I’ve never met anybody who didn’t like a good ghost story, but I know a lot of people who think there are a lot of people who don’t like a good ghost story. For the benefit of these, at least, I go on record at the outset of this evening’s entertainment with the sober assurance that although blood may be curdled on this program none will be spilt. There’s no shooting, knifing, throttling, axing or poisoning here. No clanking chains, no cobwebs, no bony and/or hairy hands appearing from secret panels or, better yet, bedroom curtains. If it’s any part

of that dear old phosphorescent1 foolishness that people who don’t like ghost stories don’t like, then again I promise you we haven’t got it. What we do have is a thriller. If it’s half as good as we think it is you can call it a shocker, and we present it proudly and without apologies. After all a story doesn’t have to appeal to the heart—it can also appeal to the spine. Sometimes you want your heart to be warmed—sometimes you want your spine to tingle. The tingling, it’s to be hoped, will be quite audible as you listen tonight to The Hitchhiker—That’s the name of our story, The Hitchhiker—

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1. phosphorescent (fJsQfE-rDsPEnt): glowing with a cold light.

Lucil le Fletcher

92 unit 1: plot and conflict

differentiated instruction


for english language learnersComprehension Support Read the Summary from the Resource Manager to students and explain what hitchhiking is and how dan-gerous it has become. Make sure students understand that most of the story takes place in a flashback, as Ronald Adams, the main character, narrates what has happened to him.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersSummary pp. 103–104

for struggling readersIn combination with the Audio Anthology CD, use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 94, 95, 99, 101) to ensure that students focus on key selection events, concepts, and skills.

Model the Skill: foreshadowing

Help students understand foreshadowing by discussing the effect of Orson Welles’ introduction. Say: In the introduction, Welles helps heighten listeners’ anticipation by promising them a spine-tingling pre-sentation. He calls the play a thriller and a shocker. By saying that the company pres-ents the play “proudly and without apolo-gies” (line 19), he makes listeners expect something shocking.

Extend the Discussion What kind of voice would you expect Welles to use for this introduction?

read with a purposeHelp students set a purpose for reading. Tell them to read “The Hitchhiker” to find out why a mysterious hitchhiker disturbs a man driving across the country.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word assurance: What effect does Welles’

assurance have on the listener?


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photo of 1940 ford v8or close-up shot of car’s tires as they lead off into the distance

backgroundRoute 66 In lines 30–31, Ronald Adams describes his location as an “auto camp on Route Sixty-six.” In the 1940s, Route 66 was the primary highway connecting the Midwest with the West Coast. Its approximately 2500 miles ran from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles and later Santa Monica, California. It opened in 1926 and was finally rendered obsolete in 1985 when new interstates bypassed the last section in use. Featured in songs, ads, novels, and other elements of popular culture, Route 66 is now considered an important part of the country’s history. Auto Camps Along with Route 66 and other major highways came a phenomenon known as auto camps. Ronald Adams is stopped in one in Gallup, New Mexico. These were origi-nally sections of land alongside highways that were roped off for the use of travelers. People carried their own tents and gear in their cars. Later, toilets and showers, and eventually cab-ins, were added to these locations.

for english language learnersStrategy Support: Reading a Radio Play Have students listen to the Audio Anthology CD and follow along in the text. Tell them to notice the italicized words in parentheses are not read out loud; they give direction to the actors.

beginning intermediate advanced advanced highIn pairs, choose a sec-tion to read aloud as a play. (4 lines)

In pairs, choose a section to read aloud as a play. (8 lines)



for advanced learners/pre apOrson Welles was an actor, writer, director, and producer with a distinguished career. He worked in film, television, radio, and on stage. Encourage students to find out about his accomplishments.

Analyze Visuals

Activity What mood, or feeling, is established by this photograph? Possible answer: The il-lustration looks foggy and indistinct, creating a ghostly mood.About the Art This print, by photographer Gene Laughter, was prepared using a process called bromoil. This involves several steps that result in the ink’s adhering to some parts of the print and not to others.

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(sound: automobile wheels humming over concrete road )

(music: something weird and shuddery)Adams. I am in an auto camp on Route Sixty-six just west of Gallup, New Mexico. If I tell it perhaps it will help me. It will keep me from going mad. But I must tell this quickly. I am not mad now. I feel perfectly well, except that I am running a slight temperature. My name is Ronald Adams. I am thirty-six years of age, unmarried, tall, dark, with a black mustache. I drive a 1940 Ford V-8, license number 6V-7989. I was born in Brooklyn. All this I know. I know that I am at this moment perfectly sane. That it is not I, who has gone mad—but something else—something utterly beyond my control. But I must speak quickly. At any moment the link with life may break. This may be the last thing I ever tell on earth . . . the last night I ever see the stars. . . .

(music in)

Adams. Six days ago I left Brooklyn, to drive to California . . .

Mother. Goodbye, son. Good luck to you, my boy . . .

Adams. Goodbye, mother. Here—give me a kiss, and then I’ll go . . .

Mother. I’ll come out with you to the car.

Adams. No. It’s raining. Stay here at the door. Hey—what is this? Tears? I thought you promised me you wouldn’t cry.

Mother. I know dear. I’m sorry. But I—do hate to see you go.

Adams. I’ll be back. I’ll only be on the coast three months.

Mother. Oh—it isn’t that. It’s just—the trip. Ronald—I wish you weren’t driving.

Adams. Oh—mother. There you go again. People do it every day.

Mother. I know. But you’ll be careful, won’t you. Promise me you’ll be extra careful. Don’t fall asleep—or drive fast—or pick up any strangers on the road . . .

Adams. Of course not! You’d think I was still seventeen to hear you talk—

Mother. And wire me as soon as you get to Hollywood, won’t you, son?

Adams. Of course I will. Now don’t you worry. There isn’t anything going to happen. It’s just eight days of perfectly simple driving on smooth, decent, civilized roads, with a hotdog or a hamburger stand every ten miles . . . (fade)(sound: auto hum)

(music in)

Adams. I was in excellent spirits. The drive ahead of me, even the loneliness, seemed like a lark. But I reckoned without him.(Music changes to something weird and empty.)

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Lines 47–60

Lines 61–68

Model the Skill: reading a radio play

Remind students that playwrights use dialogue to give information about the characters. Read aloud lines 47–60 and point out that these lines show that Adams and his mother have a good rela-tionship. His mother cares about him and he is concerned about her.

R E A D I N G S T R A T E G Y :

foreshadowingWhat potential dangers does Adams’s mother warn him about? (Remind stu-dents to record their ideas in the chart from page 91.) Possible answer:


Foreshadowing

Adams’s mother warns him against falling asleep, speeding, and hitchhikers (lines

61– 68).

for english language learnersLanguage: Punctuation and Print Cues Read aloud lines 44–46 to illustrate the effect of an ellipsis in a sentence. Students should hear the trailing off of the speaker’s voice. Explain that an ellipsis indicates that the speaker does not complete his or her thought or that there is a longer pause than would be the case with a period. Have small groups practice reading lines 47–53 and 65–77 paying attention to this punctuation cue.

for struggling readers1 Targeted Passage [Lines 47–83]

This passage presents the transition into the flashback and hints at the conflict to come.• What is Adams’s destination? Where and

when did he begin his journey? (lines 47–48)• Why is Adams’s mother crying? (lines 61–62)• In what kind of mood does Adams begin his

trip? What happens to change how he feels? (lines 80–82)

Comprehension Support Explain that much of the play’s action takes place in the recent past and is told through flashbacks, or episodes that occurred before Adams reached the auto camp in New Mexico. Point out the transition to the first flashback in line 49. The ellipsis and Adams’s previous comment cue readers that the action has moved to the past. Music may also indicate a change in the time frame. Have students read to find out where in this play the action moves back to the present. Ask what clues help them figure this out.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word lark: Ask students what they might like

to do for a lark.

Targeted Passage1



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Adams. Crossing Brooklyn Bridge that morning in the rain, I saw a man leaning against the cables. He seemed to be waiting for a lift. There were spots of fresh rain on his shoulders. He was carrying a cheap overnight bag in one hand. He was thin, nondescript, with a cap pulled down over his eyes. He stepped off the walk, and if I hadn’t swerved, I’d have hit him.

(sound: terrific skidding)

(music in)

Adams. I would have forgotten him completely, except that just an hour later, while crossing the Pulaski Skyway over the Jersey flats, I saw him again. At least, he looked like the same person. He was standing now, with one thumb pointing west. I couldn’t figure out how he’d got there, but I thought probably one of those fast trucks had picked him up, beaten me to the Skyway, and let him off. I didn’t stop for him. Then—late that night, I saw him again.

(music changing)

Adams. It was on the new Pennsylvania Turn-pike between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. It’s 265 miles long, with a very high speed limit. I was just slowing down for one of the tunnels—when I saw him—standing under an arc light by the side of the road. I could see him quite distinctly. The bag, the cap, even the spots of fresh rain spattered over his shoulders. He hailed me this time . . .

Voice (very spooky and faint). Hall-ooo . . . (echo as through tunnel ) Hall-ooo . . . !

Adams. I stepped on the gas like a shot. That’s lonely country through the Alleghenies,2 and I had no intention of stopping. Besides, the coincidence, or whatever it was, gave me the willies.3 I stopped at the next gas station.

(sound: auto tires screeching to stop . . . horn honk)

Mechanic. Yes, sir.

Adams. Fill her up.

Mechanic. Certainly, sir. Check your oil, sir?

Adams. No, thanks.

(sound: gas being put into car . . . bell tinkle, et cetera)

Mechanic. Nice night, isn’t it?

Adams. Yes. It—hasn’t been raining here recently, has it?

Mechanic. Not a drop of rain all week.

Adams. Hm. I suppose that hasn’t done your business any harm.

Mechanic. Oh—people drive through here all kinds of weather. Mostly business, you know. There aren’t many pleasure cars out on the turnpike this season of the year.

Adams. I suppose not. (casually) What about hitchhikers?

Mechanic (half laughing). Hitchhikers here?Adams. What’s the matter? Don’t you ever see any?

Mechanic. Not much. If we did, it’d be a sight for sore eyes.

Adams. Why?

Mechanic. A guy’d be a fool who started out to hitch rides on this road. Look at it. It’s 265 miles long, there’s practically no speed limit, and it’s a straightaway. Now what car is going to stop to pick up a guy under those conditions? Would you stop?

Adams. No. (slowly, with puzzled emphasis) Then you’ve never seen anybody?

Mechanic. Nope. Mebbe they get the lift before the turnpike starts—I mean, you know—just before the toll house—but then it’d be a mighty long ride. Most cars wouldn’t want to pick up a guy for that long a ride. And you know—this is pretty lonesome country here—mountains, and woods . . . You ain’t seen anybody like that, have you?

Adams. No. (quickly) Oh no, not at all. It was—just a—technical question.

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2. Alleghenies (BlQG-gAPnCz): The Allegheny Mountains, a range extending from northern Pennsylvania to western Virginia.

3. gave me the willies: made me nervous.

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for struggling readers 2 Targeted Passage [Lines 84–119]

This passage presents the major conflict: Adams is becoming unnerved by the reappear-ance of the same hitchhiker. • What happens the first time Adams sees the

hitchhiker? (lines 84–91) • What is Adams’s theory about how the hitch-

hiker beat him to the Skyway? (lines 99–102)• Why does Adams start to get nervous when

he sees the hitchhiker a third time? (lines 115–119)

Concept Support [paired option] Display a chart similar to the one on page 91. Discuss the examples of foreshadowing that students have identified already. Then have them reread lines 127–160, Adams’s conversation with the mechanic. Point out the kinds of questions that Adams asks, and talk about his reasons for wanting to know this information. Have students work in pairs to add to their charts examples of foreshadowing from this passage.

foreshadowingWhat happens on the Brooklyn Bridge? (Have students record this event in their charts.) Possible answer: A hitchhiker steps off the path, and Adams has to swerve to avoid him. His car skids as a result.

Extend the Discussion What might this event foreshadow?

foreshadowingIn what ways is Adams’s encounter with the hitchhiker both similar to and different from his previous ones? What does seeing him a third time mean? Possible answer: The hitchhiker looks exactly the same. On the turnpike, however, he hails Adams. This behavior is different from what he has done before. Seeing him a third time suggests that the hitchhiker will reappear frequently throughout Adams’s journey.



reading a radio playWhy does Adams ask his question casu-ally? Possible answer: He doesn’t want the mechanic to guess that anything might be wrong.

R E A D I N G S K I L L

Lines 84–92

Lines 137–142

Lines 105–114

Targeted Passage2


The mechanic says that they have not had “a drop of rain all week” (line 130).

The mechanic says that a hitchhiker would be a “sight for sore eyes” (lines 141–142).

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Mechanic. I see. Well—that’ll be just a dollar forty-nine—with the tax . . . (fade)(sound: auto hum up)

(music changing)

Adams. The thing gradually passed from my mind, as sheer coincidence. I had a good night’s sleep in Pittsburgh. I did not think about the man all next day—until just outside of Zanesville, Ohio, I saw him again.

(music: dark, ominous note)Adams. It was a bright sunshiny afternoon. The peaceful Ohio fields, brown with the autumn stubble, lay dreaming in the golden light. I was driving slowly, drinking it in, when the road suddenly ended in a detour. In front of the barrier, he was standing.

(music in)

Adams. Let me explain about his appearance before I go on. I repeat. There was nothing sinister about him. He was as drab as a mud fence. Nor was his attitude menacing. He merely stood there, waiting, almost drooping a little, the cheap overnight bag in his hand. He looked as though he had been waiting there for hours. Then he looked up. He hailed me. He started to walk forward.

Voice (far off ). Hall-ooo . . . Hall-ooo . . .

Adams. I had stopped the car, of course, for the detour. And for a few moments, I couldn’t seem to find the new road. I knew he must be thinking that I had stopped for him.

Voice (closer). Hall-ooo . . . Hallll . . . ooo . . .

(sound: gears jamming . . . sound of motor turning over hard . . . nervous accelerator)Voice (closer). Halll . . . oooo . . .

Adams (panicky). No. Not just now. Sorry . . .

Voice (closer). Going to California?

(sound: starter starting . . . gears jamming)

Adams (as though sweating blood ). No. Not today. The other way. Going to New York. Sorry . . . sorry . . .

(sound: car starts with squeal of wheels on dirt . . . into auto hum)

(music in)

Adams. After I got the car back onto the road again, I felt like a fool. Yet the thought of picking him up, of having him sit beside me was somehow unbearable. Yet, at the same time, I felt, more than ever, unspeakably alone.

(sound: auto hum up)

Adams. Hour after hour went by. The fields, the towns ticked off, one by one. The lights changed. I knew now that I was going to see him again. And though I dreaded the sight, I caught myself searching the side of the road, waiting for him to appear.

(sound: auto hum up . . . car screeches to a halt . . . impatient honk two or three times . . . door being unbolted )

Sleepy Man’s Voice. Yep? What is it? What do you want?

Adams (breathless). You sell sandwiches and pop here, don’t you?

Voice (cranky). Yep. We do. In the daytime. But we’re closed up now for the night.

Adams. I know. But—I was wondering if you could possibly let me have a cup of coffee—black coffee.

Voice. Not at this time of night, mister. My wife’s the cook and she’s in bed. Mebbe further down the road—at the Honeysuckle Rest . . .

(sound: door squeaking on hinges as though being closed )

Adams. No—no. Don’t shut the door. (shakily) Listen—just a minute ago, there was a man standing here—right beside this stand—a suspicious looking man . . .

Woman’s Voice (from distance). Hen-ry? Who is it, Hen-ry?

Henry. It’s nobuddy, mother. Just a feller thinks he wants a cup of coffee. Go back into bed.

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V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word sinister: Have students raise their hands

if they would like to be described as sinis-ter.. Possible answer: Most students will not raise their hands because they do not want to be described as sinister.

foreshadowingWhat might the presence of the hitchhiker at a detour indicate for Ronald Adams? Possible answer: The hitchhiker might be indicating that Adams’s life is about to take an unexpected direction.

reading a radio playWhat do the stage directions in this part of the play help readers visualize? Possible answer: The stage directions give readers a mental image of Adams’s panicky move-ments as he starts the car and jams the gears, finally speeding off with a spinning of his wheels.


for struggling readers Develop Reading Fluency With the assis-tance of a fluent reader, model reading the dialogue in lines 178–208. Have the rest of the class follow along as you read. Point out the ellipses and explain that a reader should take a slight pause when he or she comes to them.Paired Activity Have students work in mixed-ability groups to continue reading the dialogue on pp. 96–97.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Fluency p.113

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 216–261, use these prompts to explore Adams’s emotions as his journey progresses:

Connect How would you be feeling after seeing the hitchhiker five times? Students may say that they would start to feel con-fused or nervous.Analyze Adams says he stops to get a cup of coffee. What is the real reason that he stops at the roadside stand? Possible answer: He thinks he sees the hitchhiker there. He is desperate to talk to someone and get reassur-ance that he is not just seeing things.Evaluate How has Adams changed since leaving Brooklyn? Possible answer: He is now nervous and uncertain. Traveling this long distance alone no longer seems like the fun adventure he expected it to be.

Lines 191–202

Lines 171–176T E X T A N A L Y S I S


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Adams. I don’t mean to disturb you. But you see, I was driving along—when I just happened to look—and there he was . . .

Henry. What was he doing?

Adams. Nothing. He ran off—when I stopped the car.

Henry. Then what of it? That’s nothing to wake a man in the middle of his sleep about. (sternly) Young man, I’ve got a good mind to turn you over to the sheriff.

Adams. But—I—

Henry. You’ve been taking a nip, that’s what you’ve been doing. And you haven’t got anything better to do than to wake decent folk out of their hard-earned sleep. Get going. Go on.

Adams. But—he looked as though he were going to rob you.

Henry. I ain’t got nothin’ in this stand to lose. Now—on your way before I call out Sheriff Oakes. (fades)(sound: auto hum up)

Adams. I got into the car again and drove on slowly. I was beginning to hate the car. If I could have found a place to stop . . . to rest a little. But I was in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri now. The few resort places there were closed. Only an

occasional log cabin, seemingly deserted, broke the monotony of the wild wooded landscape. I had seen him at that roadside stand; I knew I would see him again—perhaps at the next turn of the road. I knew that when I saw him next, I would run him down . . .

(sound: auto hum up)

Adams. But I did not see him again until late next afternoon . . .

(sound: of railroad warning signal at crossroads)Adams. I had stopped the car at a sleepy little junction just across the border into Oklahoma—to let a train pass by—when he appeared, across the tracks, leaning against a telephone pole.

(sound: distant sound of train chugging . . . bell ringing steadily)Adams (very tense). It was a perfectly airless, dry day. The red clay of Oklahoma was baking under the south-western sun. Yet there were spots of fresh rain on his shoulders. I couldn’t stand that. Without thinking, blindly, I started the car across the tracks.

(sound: train chugging closer)Adams. He didn’t even look up at me. He was staring at the ground. I stepped on the gas hard, veering the wheel sharply toward him. I could

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V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word• monotony: Explain that the word mo-

notony has a negative connotation. The word uniformity has nearly the same literal meaning, but its connotations are neutral.

• junction: Have a student draw an ex-ample of a junction of two roads on the board.

Analyze Visuals

Activity What is disturbing or unusual about this image? Possible answer: There are cars visible in the rear-view mirror, but only a sleepy little town appears ahead. The perspective of the photograph is unclear. About the Art French photographer Raymond Depardon (born 1942) has traveled around the world as a photojournalist, often encounter-ing danger while recording events in troubled spots such as Vietnam. He also makes docu-mentary films.

for english language learnersLanguage: Conversational English Patterns[mixed-readiness pairs] Direct students’ atten-tion to lines 219–260. Explain that the different speech patterns reflect Adams’s location in an-other part of the country. Have students work in pairs to restate these words and phrases in standard English: Yep (line 223), mebbe (line 229), nobuddy (line 239), feller (line 239), ain’t got nothin’ (line 258).

for struggling readersComprehension Support [small-group option]

1. Help students track the passage of time by having them complete a Sequence Chain for the first three days of Adams’s trip.

2. Fill in the first box together. (Day 1: leaves New York, sees the hitchhiker three times, stops in Pittsburgh for the night)

3. Then have groups organize the events of Day 2 and the start of Day 3 through line 280.

4. Discuss their charts and have them add details to Day 3 as they read further.

5. Tell students that after this point, Adams’s days and nights merge as he becomes in-creasingly disoriented.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencySequence Chain pp. B21, B45

revisit the big questionIs seeing BELIEVING? Discuss In lines 283–288, the hitchhiker has spots of rain on his shoulders even though it is a baking hot day in Oklahoma. What might this be proof of? Possible answers: • The hitchhiker is not real; he is a supernatural

creature. • The hitchhiker is a figment of Adams’s imagi-

nation and stays as Adams first saw him.

the hitchhiker 97

L 4


hear the train in the distance now, but I didn’t care. Then something went wrong with the car. It stalled right on the tracks.

(sound: Train chugging closer. Above this sound of car stalling.)Adams. The train was coming closer. I could hear its bell ringing, and the cry of its whistle. Still he stood there. And now—I knew that he was beckoning—beckoning me to my death.

(sound: Train chugging close. Whistle blows wildly. Then train rushes up and by with pistons going, et cetera.)Adams. Well—I frustrated him that time. The starter had worked at last. I managed to back up. But when the train passed, he was gone. I was all alone in the hot dry afternoon.

(sound: Train retreating. Crickets begin to sing.)(music in)

Adams. After that, I knew I had to do something. I didn’t know who this man was or what he wanted of me. I only knew that from now on, I must not let myself be alone on the road for one moment.

(sound: Auto hum up. Slow down. Stop. Door opening.)Adams. Hello, there. Like a ride?

Girl. What do you think? How far you going?

Adams. Amarillo . . . I’ll take you to Amarillo.

Girl. Amarillo, Texas.

Adams. I’ll drive you there.

Girl. Gee!

(sound: Door closes—car starts.)(music in)

Girl. Mind if I take off my shoes? My dogs4 are killing me.

Adams. Go right ahead.

Girl. Gee, what a break this is. A swell car, a decent guy, and driving all the way to Amarillo. All I been getting so far is trucks.

Adams. Hitchhike much?

Girl. Sure. Only it’s tough sometimes, in these great open spaces, to get the breaks.

Adams. I should think it would be. Though I’ll bet if you get a good pick-up in a fast car, you can get to places faster than—say, another person, in another car?

Girl. I don’t get you.

Adams. Well, take me, for instance. Suppose I’m driving across the country, say, at a nice steady clip of about 45 miles an hour. Couldn’t a girl like you, just standing beside the road, waiting for lifts, beat me to town after town—provided she got picked up every time in a car doing from 65 to 70 miles an hour?

Girl. I dunno. Maybe she could and maybe she couldn’t. What difference does it make?

Adams. Oh—no difference. It’s just a—crazy idea I had sitting here in the car.

Girl (laughing). Imagine spending your time in a swell car thinking of things like that!

Adams. What would you do instead?

Girl (admiringly). What would I do? If I was a good-looking fellow like yourself? Why—I’d just enjoy myself—every minute of the time. I’d sit back, and relax, and if I saw a good-looking girl along the side of the road . . . (sharply) Hey! Look out!

Adams (breathlessly). Did you see him too?

Girl. See who?

Adams. That man. Standing beside the barbed wire fence.

Girl. I didn’t see—anybody. There wasn’t nothing, but a bunch of steers—and the barbed wire fence. What did you think you was doing? Trying to run into the barbed wire fence?

Adams. There was a man there, I tell you . . . a thin gray man, with an overnight bag in his hand. And I was trying to—run him down.

Girl. Run him down? You mean—kill him?

300

310

320

330

340

350

360

370

4. dogs: a slang term for feet.



for english language learnersVocabulary: Idioms and Sayings [mixed-readiness pairs] Have students work in pairs to define these phrases from the play:• what a break this is (line 329), “this is a sud-

den piece of luck”• get you (line 339), “understand you”• keep your eyes peeled (line 378), “stay alert

and watch for something”• seeing pink elephants (line 397), “imagining

things that don’t really exist”

Strategy Support: Reading a Radio Play Explain to students that it is important to read fluently—that is, accurately and at an appropriate rate. Fluency improves with practice. One way to be a more fluent reader is to re-read something several times. Have students practice reading and re-reading one of the longer parts.

foreshadowingWhat does this scene suggest about the chances of Adams’s arriving in California? Possible answer: He will most likely die before reaching California. The hitchhiker seems to be trying to kill him, and Adams is becoming tired and desperate.


tiered discussion promptsIn lines 340–386, use these prompts to help students understand the changes in Adams:

Connect Would you want to be a passenger in Adams’s car? Why or why not? Students might say that they would be nervous, espe-cially after he swerves off the road.Compare What is the girl’s first impression of Adams? How does it change? Possible answer: At first, she thinks she is quite lucky to have been picked up by a good-looking guy who has a nice car. Then he sees a “phantom” and tries to “run him down” (lines 359–374). She no longer feels safe with him.Evaluate Is Adams’s reason for wanting to run over the hitchhiker rational? Explain. Possible answers: • No. He wants to run him over to prove he

exists. However, if the hitchhiker is real, Adams could kill him.

• Yes. If the car goes right through the hitchhiker, then he is a phantom. If the hitchhiker is run down and injured, then he is a real person. It is a desperate test, but it would give Adams the information he wants.

Lines 287–308


RL 3


Adams. He’s a sort of—phantom. I’m trying to get rid of him—or else prove that he’s real. But (desperately) you say you didn’t see him back there? You’re sure?

Girl. I didn’t see a soul. And as far as that’s concerned, mister . . .

Adams. Watch for him the next time, then. Keep watching. Keep your eyes peeled on the road. He’ll turn up again—maybe any minute now. (excitedly) There. Look there—

(sound: Auto sharply veering and skidding. Girl screams.)(sound: Crash of car going into barbed wire fence. Frightened lowing5 of steer.)Girl. How does this door work? I—I’m gettin’ outta here.

Adams. Did you see him that time?

Girl (sharply). No. I didn’t see him that time. And personally, mister, I don’t expect never to see him. All I want to do is to go on living—and I don’t see how I will very long driving with you—

Adams. I’m sorry. I—I don’t know what came over me. (frightened) Please—don’t go . . .

Girl. So if you’ll excuse me, mister—

Adams. You can’t go. Listen, how would you like to go to California? I’ll drive you to California.

Girl. Seeing pink elephants all the way? No thanks.

Adams (desperately). I could get you a job there. You wouldn’t have to be a waitress. I have friends there—my name is Ronald Adams—You can check up.

(sound: door opening)

Girl. Uhn-hunh. Thanks just the same.

Adams. Listen. Please. For just one minute. Maybe you think I am half cracked. But this man. You see, I’ve been seeing this man all the way across the country. He’s been following me. And if you could only help me—stay with me—until I reach the coast—

Girl. You know what I think you need, big boy? Not a girl friend. Just a good dose of sleep. . . . There, I got it now.

(sound: door opens . . . slams)Adams. No. You can’t go.

Girl (screams). Leave your hands offa me, do you hear! Leave your—

Adams. Come back here, please, come back.

(sound: struggle . . . slap . . . footsteps running away on gravel . . . lowing of steer)Adams. She ran from me, as though I were a monster. A few minutes later, I saw a passing truck pick her up. I knew then that I was utterly alone.

(sound: lowing of steer up)

Adams. I was in the heart of the great Texas prairies. There wasn’t a car on the road after the truck went by. I tried to figure out what to do, how to get hold of myself. If I could find a place to rest. Or even, if I could sleep right here in the car for a few hours, along the side of the road . . . I was getting my winter overcoat out of the back seat to use as a blanket, (Hall-ooo) when I saw him coming toward me, (Hall-ooo), emerging from the herd of moving steer . . .

Voice. Hall-ooo . . . Hall-oooo . . .

(sound: auto starting violently . . . up to steady hum)

(music in)

Adams. I didn’t wait for him to come any closer. Perhaps I should have spoken to him then, fought it out then and there. For now he began to be everywhere. Whenever I stopped, even for a moment—for gas, for oil, for a drink of pop, a cup of coffee, a sandwich—he was there.

(music faster)Adams. I saw him standing outside the auto camp in Amarillo that night, when I dared to slow down. He was sitting near the drinking fountain in a little camping spot just inside the border of New Mexico.

380

390

400

410

420

430

440

5. lowing: mooing.

the hitchhiker 99

for struggling readers3 Targeted Passage [Lines 371–422]

This passage presents the rising action: Ad-ams’s behavior becomes increasingly odd.• Why does Adams crash the car into the

fence? (lines 371–372)• What is the girl’s reaction? (lines 388–391)• Where does Adams offer to drive her? Why?

(lines 395–409)• What does he do when she gets out of

the car? (lines 414–419)

for advanced learners/pre–apAnalyze Have students track Adams’s change in attitude and increasing panic using a Cause-and-Effect Diagram. Fill in the first box together. (Cause: Adams leaves for his trip to California. Effect: He is in “excellent spirits” [line 80].) Have students complete the dia-gram in groups. Ask students: How might Ad-ams’s behavior continue to change once the man begins “to be everywhere” (line 440)?

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyCause-and-Effect Diagram pp. B16, B38

reading a radio playHow does Adams react when he sees the hitchhiker emerging from the herd of steer? Answer: He speeds off.


Lines 435–437

revisit the big questionIs seeing BELIEVING?Discuss In lines 383–391, why is Adams so anxious for the girl to see the hitchhiker? What kind of proof would that offer him? Pos-sible answer: If she can see the hitchhiker, then he will know that he is not crazy. Because she can’t, he is frightened that he is losing his mind.

tiered discussion promptsIn lines 410–433, use these prompts to help students understand the literal and metaphor-ical significance of the sleep references:

Recall When is the last time that Adams had a good night’s sleep? Answer: In lines 166–167, he mentions having had a good night’s sleep in Pittsburgh, but he does not appear to have slept since then.Analyze What might sleep symbolize? What does this mean for Adams? Possible answer: Sleep can refer to death. Adams’s death might be foreshadowed by the men-tion of sleep in this passage and throughout the play.Evaluate Do you agree with the girl’s part-ing advice to Adams (lines 410–411)? Why or why not? Possible answers: • Yes. Sleep deprivation can produce very

strange symptoms. • No. He wasn’t sleep deprived when he

first started seeing the hitchhiker.Targeted Passage3

the hitchhiker 99

RL 3


(music faster)Adams. He was waiting for me outside the Navajo Reservation, where I stopped to check my tires. I saw him in Albuquerque6 where I bought 12 gallons of gas . . . I was afraid now, afraid to stop. I began to drive faster and faster. I was in lunar landscape now—the great arid mesa country of New Mexico. I drove through it with the indifference of a fly crawling over the face of the moon.

(music faster)Adams. But now he didn’t even wait for me to stop. Unless I drove at 85 miles an hour over those endless roads—he waited for me at every other mile. I would see his figure, shadowless, flitting before me, still in its same attitude, over the cold and lifeless ground, flitting over dried-up rivers, over broken stones cast up by old glacial upheavals, flitting in the pure and cloudless air . . .

(music strikes sinister note of finality.)Adams. I was beside myself when I finally reached Gallup, New Mexico, this morning. There is an auto camp here—cold, almost deserted at this time of year. I went inside, and asked if there was a telephone. I had the feeling that if only I could speak to someone familiar, someone that I loved, I could pull myself together.

(sound: nickel put in slot)Operator. Number, please?

Adams. Long distance.

Operator. Thank you.

(sound: return of nickel; buzz)

Long-Distance Opr. This is long distance.

Adams. I’d like to put in a call to my home in Brooklyn, New York. I’m Ronald Adams. The number is Beechwood 2-0828.

Long-Distance Opr. Thank you. What is your number?

450

460

470

480

6. Albuquerque (BlPbE-kûrQkC): a city in central New Mexico.



for english language learnersVocabulary: Suffixes [mixed-readiness pairs] Explain that the suffix -less means “without” or “lacking.” When added to the end of a word, it can change the meaning entirely. Point out the words endless, shadowless, lifeless, and cloudless in lines 460–468. Have pairs define each word based on their knowl-edge of the suffix. Compare definitions.

Culture: Clarify Point out how complicated making a long distance phone call was at the time this play is set. As students can see in lines 482 and 486, a long distance opera-tor was involved. Then a connection had to be made to the Albuquerque exchange (line 489) and then to the New York switchboard (line 491) before he finally reached his home number. That is why it was easier to send a telegram. Remind students that in line 71 Adams’s mother asks him to send a wire, or telegram, when he arrives in Hollywood.

Analyze Visuals

Activity What elements of this photograph convey desolation or loneliness? Possible answer: The thick clouds, flat landscape, and functional buildings create a desolate air.About the Art American photographer Andreas Feininger (1906–1999) began his career as an architect before devoting himself entirely to photography. He was a staff pho-tographer for the magazine Life and preferred taking pictures of scenes, such as the one here, rather than people.

Lines 460–468

Line 469

foreshadowingWhat do the images in this passage sug-gest about Adams’s future? (Remind students to record their ideas in the chart from page 91.) Possible answer: All of the images in this passage are cold, empty, and lifeless, suggesting a future without hope or even life.


reading a radio playWhat idea does the music communicate? Possible answer: The music seems to indi-cate that Adams has reached the end of his journey.



RL 3

RL 3


Adams. 312.

Albuquerque Opr. Albuquerque.

Long-Distance Opr. New York for Gallup. (pause)New York Opr. New York.

Long-Distance Opr. Gallup, New Mexico calling Beechwood 2-0828. (fade)Adams. I had read somewhere that love could banish demons. It was the middle of the morning. I knew Mother would be home. I pictured her, tall, white-haired, in her crisp house-dress, going about her tasks. It would be enough, I thought, merely to hear the even calmness of her voice . . .

Long-Distance Opr. Will you please deposit three dollars and 85 cents for the first three minutes? When you have deposited a dollar and a half, will you wait until I have collected the money?

(sound: clunk of six coins)Long-Distance Opr. All right, deposit another dollar and a half.

(sound: clunk of six coins)Long-Distance Opr. Will you please deposit the remaining 85 cents.

(sound: clunk of four coins)Long-Distance Opr. Ready with Brooklyn—go ahead please.

Adams. Hello.

Mrs. Whitney. Mrs. Adams’ residence.

Adams. Hello. Hello—Mother?

Mrs. Whitney (very flat and rather proper . . . dumb, too, in a frizzy sort of way). This is Mrs. Adams’ residence. Who is it you wished to speak to, please?

Adams. Why—who’s this?

Mrs. Whitney. This is Mrs. Whitney.

Adams. Mrs. Whitney? I don’t know any Mrs. Whitney. Is this Beechwood 2-0828?

490

500

510

520

530

540

550

Mrs. Whitney. Yes.

Adams. Where’s my mother? Where’s Mrs. Adams?

Mrs. Whitney. Mrs. Adams is not at home. She is still in the hospital.

Adams. The hospital!

Mrs. Whitney. Yes. Who is this calling, please? Is it a member of the family?

Adams. What’s she in the hospital for?

Mrs. Whitney. She’s been prostrated7 for five days. Nervous breakdown. But who is this calling?

Adams. Nervous breakdown? But—my mother was never nervous . . .

Mrs. Whitney. It’s all taken place since the death of her oldest son, Ronald.

Adams. Death of her oldest son, Ronald . . . ? Hey—what is this? What number is this?

Mrs. Whitney. This is Beechwood 2-0828. It’s all been very sudden. He was killed just six days ago in an automobile accident on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Long-Distance Opr. (breaking in). Your three minutes are up, sir. (silence) Your three minutes are up, sir. (pause) Your three minutes are up, sir. (fade) Sir, your three minutes are up. Your three minutes are up, sir.

Adams (in a strange voice). And so, I am sitting here in this deserted auto camp in Gallup, New Mexico. I am trying to think. I am trying to get hold of myself. Otherwise, I shall go mad . . . Outside it is night—the vast, soulless night of New Mexico. A million stars are in the sky. Ahead of me stretch a thousand miles of empty mesa, mountains, prairies—desert. Somewhere among them, he is waiting for me. Somewhere I shall know who he is, and who . . . I . . . am . . .

(music up)

7. prostrated: in a state of mental collapse.

the hitchhiker 101

for struggling readers 4 Targeted Passage [Lines 520–557]

This passage presents the play’s climax: Adams finds out he died six days ago.• Why does Mrs. Whitney answer the phone

instead of Adams’s mother? (lines 521–527)• How does Adams react to the news that he

has died? (lines 548–557)• What do you think will happen now?

for advanced learners/pre–apAnalyze What might Adams’s journey repre-sent? Ask students to consider what happens to Adams along the way and the possible sig-nificance of the hitchhiker and the conclusion of the play. Have students create a diagram that explores the metaphorical or symbolic significance of his travels and the events that occur. Ask students to share their insights.

revisit the big questionIs seeing BELIEVING?Discuss In lines 548–557, what proof does Adams’s phone call to his home give him? Possible answer: His call home proves that he is no longer living a normal life. He seems to be suspended in a state between life and death.

Lines 532–542

Targeted Passage4

foreshadowingWhat does Adams learn when he calls home? Was this outcome foreshadowed? (Remind students to record this latest event in the second column of their charts.) Possible answer:


Adams swerves to avoid a hitchhiker on the Brooklyn Bridge, and there is a terrible sound of skidding (lines

90 – 92).

Adams learns that he died in a car accident on the Brooklyn Bridge

(lines 540 – 542).


selection wrap–upREAD WITH A PURPOSE Now that students have read the selection, ask them to explain how and why the hitchhiker so upset Ad-ams. Possible answer: The hitchhiker upset Adams by appearing over and over, making Adams question his own sanity.

CRITIQUE Are you satisfied with the end-ing of this play, or should the conflict have been resolved? Explain.

INDEPENDENT READING Students may also enjoy reading In the

Middle of the Night by Robert Cormier, a novel of suspense about a father’s past and a son’s present.

the hitchhiker 101

RL 3


Practice and Apply After Reading

The Hitchhiker“The Tell-Tale Heart”


Comprehension 1. Recall What is Ronald Adams’s original destination?

2. Clarify Why does the repeated sight of the hitchhiker give Adams “the willies”?

3. Clarify What does Adams learn about his mother at the end of the play?

Text Analysis 4. Make Inferences What kind of relationship did Ronald Adams have with

his mother? Cite evidence to support your answer.

5. Examine Foreshadowing Now that you’ve read the play, is there anything you’d like to change or add to the first column of your foreshadowing chart? Make the adjustments and complete the second column. Which use of foreshadowing most increased your sense of suspense?

6. Analyze the Radio Play Reread lines 171–208. What do the stage directions and dialogue tell you about the hitchhiker’s appearance and actions? What do these elements tell you about Adams’ feelings and actions? Cite specific details in your answer.

7. Draw Conclusions Who do you think the hitchhiker is? Give proof from the play to support your conclusion.

8. Compare Across Texts What are some similarities and differences between the characters, settings, and structures of “The Tell-Tale Heart” and The Hitchhiker? Present your answers in a Venn diagram.

Extension and Challenge 9. Creative Project: Drama With a small group, choose a scene

from The Hitchhiker that you think is especially suspenseful. Practice performing the scene, remembering to include sound effects and to follow stage directions. Then perform for the class. Afterward, explain why your group chose the scene you did.

Is seeing BELIEVING?If you were Adam, would you have believed your eyes, or trusted that the hitchhiker you kept seeing was real? Explain.

RL 3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. RL 5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts.

For preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Check p. 110 Reading a Radio Play p. 107Question Support p. 111For additional questions, see page 99.

answersComprehension 1. His destination is California. 2. He cannot understand how the man is able

to travel faster than he is. 3. She has been hospitalized with a nervous

breakdown after the death of her son in a car accident on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Text Analysis Possible answers:4. Make Inferences Adams and his mother

seem close. His mother worries about his driving to California and is crying as he says goodbye. He responds kindly to her concern and wants to hear her voice when he is in New Mexico.

5. common core focus Examine Fore-shadowing The comment that Adams’s mother made about not picking up hitch-hikers should be in the first column. The event that is foreshadowed is the presence of the hitchhiker, possibly Death, through-out Adams’s journey. Students might add the terrible skidding noise in line 92 to the first column of their chart, which foreshad-owed the car accident that supposedly killed Adams. Students might say the inability of the mechanic and girl to see the hitchhiker as well as the fresh rain splattered on the hitchhiker foreshadow the idea that he is Death or a figment of Adams’s imagination.

6. common core focus Analyze the Radio Play The stage directions and dialogue describe the hitchhiker as “drab as a mud fence,” (line 180) and “drooping a little” (line 182). He hails Adams for a ride. Adams gets “panicky” (line 195) and starts to sweat.

7. No one else can see him, and Adams’s first sighting of him is where he supposedly met his death on the bridge. Therefore, the hitchhiker may be Death.

8. Similarities: The main characters believe they are sane, but their actions appear in-sane to others. Both stories have suspense-ful plots. Differences: The Hitchhiker is set in several locations in the 1940s. Adams is a victim, and it is not certain what his fate will be. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is set in the narrator’s home. The narrator commits a horrible crime, and his fate is clear.

Extension and Challenge 9. Performances should follow the text.

Is seeing BELIEVING? Answers will vary, but opinions should be supported with reasons.


RL 3, RL 5

102-103_NA_L08TE-u01s5-arhitc.indd 102 1/31/11 7:23:20 AM

the hitchhiker 103

Language grammar in context: Maintain Pronoun Antecedent AgreementAn antecedent is the noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers. For example, in the following sentence, the pronoun their refers to the antecedent they: They took their seats at the café. Be sure to use singular pronouns with singular antecedents and plural pronouns with plural antecedents. Pair antecedents ending in one, thing, or body with singular pronouns, such as he, her, she, or his. In the revised sentence, notice how the pronouns (in yellow) and the antecedent (in green) agree in number.

Original: Adams would ask just about anyone whether they had seen the hitchhiker.

Revised: Adams would ask just about anyone whether he or she had seen the hitchhiker.

PRACTICE Correct the pronoun antecedent error in each sentence.

1. Adams first saw someone holding their bag on the bridge. 2. Everyone thought Adams was crazy because they could never see the

hitchhiker. 3. Adams’s scary story would make anybody fear for their life. 4. Nobody could have suspected that they got a ride from a dead man!

For more help with pronoun-antecedent agreement, see page R52 in the Grammar Handbook.

reading-writing connectionShow your understanding of The Hitchhiker by responding to this prompt. Then use the revising tip to improve your writing.

writing prompt revising tip

Short Constructed Response: EvaluationThe play opens with Adams telling the listeners, “I am not mad.” On the basis of what you learn in the rest of the play, do you agree with his assessment? Write a one-paragraph evaluation of Adams’s sanity.

Review your paragraph. Does each pronoun agree with its antecedent? If not, revise your writing.

YOUR

TURN

L 1 Demonstrate command of standard English grammar when writing. W 1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML8-103

InteractiveRevision


for struggling writers1. As a class, fill in the pros and cons list.

Discuss whether the evidence points to Adams’s sanity or insanity.

2. Help students form a topic sentence. For example: Although Adams claims that he is sane, his reactions to events prove otherwise.

3. Have students finish their paragraphs independently, using details from the relevant list.

Language grammar in context

Before students begin the exercise, have them pick out the antecedent with which each pronoun must agree.Possible answers: 1. Adams first saw someone holding his bag

on the bridge. 2. Everyone thought Adams was crazy because

he or she could never see the hitchhiker. 3. Adams’s scary story would make anybody

fear for his or her life. 4. Nobody could have suspected that he or she

got a ride from a dead man!

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterMaintain Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement p. 112

reading-writing connectionHave students create a pros and cons list and skim the story to find details that illustrate Adams’s sanity and others that seem to prove he is insane.

Assess and ReteachAssessDIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Tests A, B/C pp. 39–40, 41–42Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.com

ReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.comReteaching Worksheets on thinkcentral.com

Literature Lessons 8, 25, Grammar Lesson 10

Keywords direct students to a WordSharp tutorial on thinkcentral.com or to other types of vocabulary practice and review.

Interactive Vocabulary

the hitchhiker 103

L 1, W 1

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