Lines reveal background on and aspects of the story s characters, setting, and conflict. Early in a story, the author also introduces a conflict, or problem that has to be solved. Most stories begin by introducing characters, the people involved in the story, and the setting, the time and place of the story. What does this action reveal about her? Analyze Stories: Plot (Lines 15-56) Beginning on line 15, the narrator is describing events from the past that brought her family to America. The narrator decides to take the permission slip even though she is sure she will not be allowed to attend the dance. The use of the word nyetand the reference to life in American suggest that she narrator may be an immigrant to the United States. What can you infer about the narrator? The narrator is a student who wants to be able to go to a school dance but thinks it is unlikely she can get permission. Reread lines Analyze what this first paragraph reveals about the narrator. Analysis: Character (Lines 1-14) The narrator is a character in the story, and she begins the story by presenting her thoughts and actions in a particular situation. Setting a Purpose Read Use the question to focus your reading. When Kazakhstan became an independent country in 1991, the government s policies began to favor native Kazakhs, leading many non-natives to immigrate to other countries.

These non-native people eventually outnumbered the natives. Maya gets to go to the dance, her brother Nurzhan as her chaperone and she has the best time of her life, all thanks to her favorite chaperone.1 Background Info My Favorite Chaperone Short Story by Jean Davies Okimoto Read Background Additional Info: When Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union, people from outside the region were encouraged to go there to farm. Maya's little brother get's their parents to sign the permission slip for the Spring Fling dance, only if Nurzhan is Maya's chaperone. Maya's mom gets injured at work, so Maya decides to do all her jobs for her because she feel's bad. A couple days later Maya is found by her dad in the arms of an 'American boy' and she gets in trouble. After the meeting, Maya's father is very mad. Maya is mad at her brother, because now she has to miss gymnastics practice because she has to go and attend a meeting to translate for her father. Though she finds out that her little brother Nurzhan got into a fight at school with his bully (Ossie Nishizono) because of the way he pronounces things. Maya gets called down to the office for something, and she doesn't know what for. So 'normal' things in America like going to a school dance, are things they wouldn't normally do in Kazakhstan. Her parents are really strict, and they don't know the customs of the American way of living. She doesn't think her parents are going to allow her to go. Maya has gymnastics that she loves to do, one of her American friends also does gymnastics with her.

They had sponsored them to come to America.

Her aunt moved to America before them, with a man she found through a magazine. Maya is an 8th grade girl from Kazakhstan who moved to America because things were getting rough.

Summary of my favorite chaperone