Heroic Deeds And Story Structure

1. Title: "Before Anyone Else Ran" Which idea about heroic deeds does this title MOST suggest?

The main character is lazy.

The main character leaves last.

The main character is the first to act in a dangerous situation.

The main character hates running.

The phrase “before anyone else” hints that this character moves into action when others don’t.

Explanation

The phrase “before anyone else” hints that this character moves into action when others don’t.

2. When the sirens first began wailing, everyone froze. Chairs screeched, books dropped, and for a second, the room held its breath. Only Mai moved, racing to the classroom door to look into the hallway. How does placing Mai’s action at the beginning of the story affect our view of her?

It makes her seem unimportant.

It immediately presents her as passive.

It immediately frames her as someone who acts while others hesitate.

It hides her role.

The structure makes her the first to respond, suggesting initiative and bravery.

Explanation

The structure makes her the first to respond, suggesting initiative and bravery.

3. Authors can highlight heroic deeds by placing them at a key moment, like the turning point of the story.

True

False

A heroic act at a major moment can change the outcome and leave a strong impression.

Explanation

A heroic act at a major moment can change the outcome and leave a strong impression.

4. Everything had gone wrong. The boat’s engine failed, the radio was dead, and the storm was moving in fast. For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Luis quietly said, “Tie yourselves to the rail. I’m going in after the rope,” and stepped into the freezing water. What structural choice emphasizes Luis’s heroic deed?

Putting it in the middle of a calm dialogue

Placing his decision as the last action in the scene

Describing the weather but not his actions

Ending with someone else talking

Ending the scene on his decision draws attention to his courage.

Explanation

Ending the scene on his decision draws attention to his courage.

5. Which narrative structure MOST strongly highlights a heroic deed?

Mentioning it briefly in the backstory

Showing the character’s fear and hesitation, then their choice to act

Skipping the deed and only referring to it later

Hiding it in a summary paragraph

The contrast between fear and action makes the brave choice stand out.

Explanation

The contrast between fear and action makes the brave choice stand out.

6. Title: “The Hero Who Never Got a Medal” What does this suggest about the story?

The hero is famous and rewarded.

The hero’s deeds are unnoticed or unrecognized.

The hero is imaginary only.

There is no heroic deed.

The title implies that the person’s brave actions are not officially rewarded.

Explanation

The title implies that the person’s brave actions are not officially rewarded.

7. Sometimes an author delays revealing a heroic deed until later in the story to create surprise or change the reader’s opinion of a character.

True

False

A later reveal can make us rethink what we thought we knew about the character.

Explanation

A later reveal can make us rethink what we thought we knew about the character.

8. Most students thought Aiden was just quiet and shy. Weeks after the flood, the principal finally told the school how Aiden had carried two younger students on his back through waist-deep water to the rescue boat. The room fell silent. Why might the author choose to reveal Aiden’s heroic deed later, instead of when it happened?

To keep Aiden unimportant

To surprise the reader and show that heroes can be unexpected

To confuse the timeline

To remove tension

The delayed information changes how the school—and the reader—see him.

Explanation

The delayed information changes how the school—and the reader—see him.

9. In terms of structure, placing a heroic deed in a flashback can:

Make it less important

Provide context for a character’s current reputation, guilt, or relationships

Remove all suspense

Stop the story

Flashbacks can explain why a character is admired, haunted, or changed.

Explanation

Flashbacks can explain why a character is admired, haunted, or changed.

10. The way events are ordered in a story can change how powerful a heroic deed feels.

True

False

Timing and placement affect how much attention and emotion a moment receives.

Explanation

Timing and placement affect how much attention and emotion a moment receives.

11. Title: “After the Fire Alarm” First line: “The funny thing is, nobody remembers the moment the alarm went off—only what Elena did afterward.” What can we infer about Elena?

She caused the fire alarm.

She did something important or heroic after the alarm.

She ran away.

She ignored everyone.

The focus on “what Elena did afterward” hints that her actions were memorable and significant.

Explanation

The focus on “what Elena did afterward” hints that her actions were memorable and significant.

12. The article spends three paragraphs describing the tornado’s destruction and then closes with one paragraph about a group of teens who formed a rescue team to check on elderly neighbors. What structural effect does this create?

It minimizes the teens’ actions.

It ends with a hopeful, heroic image after describing disaster.

It makes the tornado seem unimportant.

It focuses only on weather data.

Ending with helping and kindness shifts the mood from destruction to hope.

Explanation

Ending with helping and kindness shifts the mood from destruction to hope.

13. The title of a story can sometimes signal whether a heroic deed will be the main focus or a surprise.

True

False

Some titles point directly to the hero, while others keep the deed hidden until later.

Explanation

Some titles point directly to the hero, while others keep the deed hidden until later.

14. Title: “The Quiet Kid at the End of the Hall” Which is MOST likely true about heroic deeds in this story?

The “quiet kid” will never act.

The story will focus on a loud, popular student.

The quiet kid may secretly perform a heroic deed that changes how others see them.

There are no important events.

The title suggests someone overlooked who may surprise others.

Explanation

The title suggests someone overlooked who may surprise others.

15. Overall, when analyzing heroic deeds and structure together, which statement is strongest?

Heroic deeds only matter if they occur on the first page.

Structure does not affect how we see heroic deeds.

The timing and placement of a heroic act can increase its emotional impact and change how we view a character.

The author should always hide heroic deeds.

Where and how a heroic act appears in the story affects its importance and meaning.

Explanation

Where and how a heroic act appears in the story affects its importance and meaning.

Heroic Deeds and Story Structure