This module is for Grades: 9-10 Welcome

In this module you will read a story called “The New Dress” by Virginia Woolf, with the purpose of determining themes and how they develop over the course of the text.  The story is an interesting one. It reveals the thoughts and actions of a woman named Mabel who feels very self-conscious and uncomfortable as she attends a party.  Completing the activities in this module will help you to see how to examine the details revealed in a story in order to infer, connect and understand its themes.

As you complete the activities in this module, answer questions on your own paper before revealing answers.

Module Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • Summarize a text by including the appropriate details.
  • Analyze ideas, literary techniques and specific details in a text to help arrive at a theme.
photograph of Virginia Woolf

"The New Dress" by author Virginia Woolf, reveals Mabel's anxiety about her new yellow dress.

Image Credit: George Charles Beresford [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Opens a new window

Skill(s)

  • Summarize text by citing details.
  • Analyze specific details in literary text to ascertain theme.