The Ogress and the Orphans

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

In this activity, students will embody the values of the Ogress by creating an action plan to be a kinder, more caring neighbor and classmate.

In Chapter 47, Bartleby asks what it means to be “neighborly,” and no one can seem to provide him with an answer. He wants to know because “people will only change their behavior and bad ideas through big changes in their thinking.”

Would you consider yourself to be a good neighbor? Reflect upon the themes in The Ogress and the Orphan, but especially that of Kindness Is a Choice and what it means to be “good” to the people around you. In small groups, work through the following steps: 

• What are the values of the Ogress? In what ways is the Ogress an embodiment of kindness? What can you infer about the Ogress’s values, based on her actions throughout the text? In your notes or reading journal, list the Ogress’s values, traits, and qualities that connect to her overall sense of kindness.
• Look inward. Reflect upon how the orphans eventually define a good neighbor in Chapter 49. Do you embody these traits? What are some ways that you might improve on or demonstrate your own neighborliness? Discuss ideas in your small group. In your notes or reading journal, list possible new ways you might demonstrate kindness.  
• Create an action plan. Reflect independently on the lists you created. Which possible kind actions would the Ogress be most interested in pursuing? What is one action on your list that you can realistically undertake in the next week? In your notes or reading journal, write a paragraph that details what action you will take, how it is beneficial, and how it differs from your usual chores or routines.

After you have completed the 3 steps above, reflect on this exercise. What is the most important value of the Ogress? Does your intended action connect to the Ogress’s values or traits?

Return to your notes or reading journal once you have had a chance to carry out your action. Describe the experience and your thoughts and reactions.

Teaching Suggestion: The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has numerous resources that might be helpful in inspiring students as they go about this assignment. The site suggests ways an individual can become a “RAKtivist.” Their “RAKtivist Toolkit” provides actionable suggestions that can be implemented in everyday life. Their Kindness in the Classroom series is a curriculum specifically for Grades K-5 and Grades 6-8 that might be of use, especially if you’d like to further define core kindness concepts for students. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation sees 6 core concepts embedded in “kindness”: 1. Respect, 2. Caring, 3. Inclusiveness, 4. Integrity, 5. Responsibility, and 6. Courage. It may be helpful to connect these core concepts to the text by asking students how the various characters in the book—especially the Ogress, the orphans, and the crows—embody these 6 concepts.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Barnhill was inspired to write The Ogress and the Orphans by current events, incidents of injustice, and media misinformation.

• What allegorical element in the novel is most effective? (topic sentence)
• Explain in 3 points of discussion how this element sends an effective allegorical message for all or most readers. Support your topic sentence with 2-3 direct quotes and additional details.
• The Ogress and the Orphans is labeled as fiction for young readers. In your conclusion, briefly explain how elements of this novel might benefit a wide audience of readers.

2. Throughout the book, several animal perspectives help to shape the narrative.

• What key element do the animal perspectives add to the story? (topic sentence)
• Analyze and discuss the ways in which animal perspectives are effective in contributing to this key element. How do animal and human perspectives differ? Use details and examples in your discussion.
• In your conclusion, summarize how the use of animals’ perspectives connects to the theme Judgment Does Not Give Us Information.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. In Chapter 14, Myron and Bartleby debate the connection among kindness, action, and motive. Consider the novel’s events and character actions. What overall message does the novel communicate about one’s intentions versus results—which matters more, in terms of kindness? In a 3-paragraph essay, analyze and discuss the novel’s main message on kindness, action, and motive. Use examples of plot events and character actions from the novel to support your ideas.

2. Readers have a chance to reflect on the element of time as a component of storytelling in The Ogress and the Orphans. For example, when and where in the novel does time seem to slow or work differently? What does the exploration of time as a story component suggest about the power of words and books? In a structured essay, explain the message about time and stories that the author communicates. Use details and examples from the novel that point to this message in support of your ideas.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which impression or effect relates most closely to the theme of Judgment Does Not Give Us Information?

A) The Mayor’s influential effect upon the townspeople in Stone-in-the-Glen

B) The Ogress’s first impression of the Orphans

C) The Orphans’ first impression of the Ogress

D) Bartleby’s influential effect upon the townspeople in Stone-in-the-Glen

2. How does the narrator foreshadow that the Mayor caused the Library fire and benefitted from the destruction?

A) By indicating that the Mayor never liked the Library anyway

B) By saying that the Library burning was the best thing that ever happened to the Mayor

C) By noting that the Mayor didn’t help with the efforts to put the fire out

D) By failing to mention where the Mayor was in Stone-in-the-Glen as the fire raged

3. What is the most important information conveyed when the Ogress gives food to a group of crows?

A) That the Ogress has lots of food hoarded in her home

B) That the Ogress is not wicked; she is kind

C) That the Ogress did not burn down the Library

D) That the Ogress is an excellent chef

4. Which of the following is not a cause for miscommunication throughout the novel?

A) People reject the “other” (anyone different from themselves) as a way to dispute facts.

B) People use the phrase “everyone knows,” which presumes that everyone has the same lived experiences and outlook on the world.

C) People believe old stereotypes to make their case against the “facts” that certain people may be good or kind.

D) People use empty words to convey information, which can be misunderstood.

5. Which of the following ideas is the strongest example of theme Kindness Is a Choice?

A) When the crows refuse to believe Harold when Harold says he spoke to a child

B) The Ogress’s actions in the face of overwhelming cruelty

C) The narrator telling the reader that “it is a terrible practice to prejudge anyone” in Chapter 1

D) The character of the Cobbler’s Wife, who provides a voice of reason in the town

6. Which of the following is not an example of the kinds of gifts that the Ogress gives throughout the novel?

A) Books to the townspeople

B) Food to the orphans

C) Handmade cards with pictures the Ogress drew herself

D) Desserts to Myron and the Matron

7. Which character(s) in the novel most closely correlate(s) to the concept of “groupthink”?

A) The orphans

B) The crows

C) The townspeople

D) Myron and the Matron

8. In Chapter 12, Bartleby asks Anthea why she is hammering shingles back onto the roof of Orphan House, to which she replies: “Just making sure nothing breaks off and falls away.” How does this comment have a double meaning?

A) Anthea worries about the orphans “breaking” as the result of the Mayor’s campaign against the Ogress.

B) Anthea is concerned that Bartleby will “fall away” emotionally because of a disagreement with Cass.

C) Anthea fears that all of Stone-in-the-Glen is at risk of “breaking” now that the Mayor seems to be gaining power.

D) Anthea is also at risk of “falling away” because she fears she will be kicked out of Orphan House

9. How does the Dragon’s personality compare with that of his outward persona, the Mayor?

A) The Dragon is crueler than the Mayor.

B) The Mayor is more generous than the Dragon.

C) The Dragon is less cunning than the Mayor.

D) The Dragon and the Mayor are essentially the same.

10. What do the crows and the orphans have in common?

A) They are the first to realize that the Ogress is kindhearted.

B) They are beloved by the townspeople.

C) They have violent tendencies, but only when provoked.

D) They are at first ungrateful for the Ogress’s gifts.

11. Which statement best summarizes the reason for butcher’s actions at the home of the Ogress?

A) People are hardened by the type of labor they do, day in and day out.

B) People can be persuaded by an animal as small as a crow.

C) People are motivated primarily by greed.

D) People can feel strongly about a cause but quickly regret their choices.

12. What is the best paraphrasing of the Ogress and the orphans’ definition of “neighbor” in the books they give to the townspeople?

A) Someone who will give you a cup of sugar when you are in need

B) Someone who will never betray you

C) Someone who thinks, breathes, worries, and loves

D) Someone who will keep their lawn nice and tidy

13. What is the correct order of events?

A) Cass disappears from Orphan House; the Library burns down; a group of townspeople attacks the Ogress’s home

B) The Library burns down; Cass disappears from Orphan House; a group of townspeople attacks the Ogress’s home

C) A group of townspeople attacks the Ogress’s home; Cass disappears from Orphan House; the Library burns down.

D) A group of townspeople attacks the Ogress’s home; the Library burns down; Cass disappears from Orphan House

14. When the Ogress leaves books on the townspeople’s doorsteps, how do they respond?

A) They learn a valuable lesson about what it means to be a good neighbor.

B) They tear the books up, still hateful toward the Ogress.

C) They tremble with fear, knowing that this means the Ogress is nearby.

D) They laugh at the notion of the Ogress as an author.

15. When the cobbler’s wife becomes the new mayor, which of the following statements best paraphrases the sign she installs on the town hall?

A) Sometimes you must be cruel to be kind.

B) Kindness is a gift that can be given without losing a thing.

C) Everyone benefits when individuals are kind to one another.

D) Kindness, like hope, is a thing with feathers.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. How do the crows represent the message that seeking one’s own answers provides a clearer picture of the truth, rather than relying on the judgments of others?

2. What definition for “loveliness” is suggested by the way the term is used in The Ogress and the Orphans, particularly in Chapter 6? According to this definition, was Stone-in-the-Glen lovely before the Library burned? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the text.