Summarize:
Kenzie Hoefs
In the first two chapters we are just beginning to meet the characters that will play important roles throughout the book. The two people we become to know the most are the main character, Michael Perry, and Beagle. These people come from the tiny town of New Auburn, hence the name Population 485. Perry’s life seems to revolve around the Volunteer Fire Department and the bonds he has made with the people in it. So far Perry has not let us into his life too much, he has only mentioned bits and pieces about moving back to the small town and his family. The book jumps around from story to story and never really finishes a complete thought. We learn about a terrible accident that has happened in the town because of a curvy road which makes the reader ask, “What is the significance of this road?” Perry seems to admire the men in the fire department and looks up to them. SO far we have been given a lot of small facts that do not come together yet but will possibly come together throughout the story.
Comment on tone:
The book thus far has been a little bit confusing. We don’t know where any of the stories are leading and if they will ever come together into a greater picture. The author presents himself somewhat mysteriously, not letting the reader into his life too much or presenting any significant details. It’s hard to tell where the stories are going or why only parts of stories are told. The stories however have great imagery, helping the reader to picture the town. You can tell Perry is leading up to something but it is hard to tell what.
The book thus far has been a little bit confusing. We don’t know where any of the stories are leading and if they will ever come together into a greater picture. The author presents himself somewhat mysteriously, not letting the reader into his life too much or presenting any significant details. It’s hard to tell where the stories are going or why only parts of stories are told. The stories however have great imagery, helping the reader to picture the town. You can tell Perry is leading up to something but it is hard to tell what.
Discussion Leader
Moria Caulfield
1. Question: Beagle is a prominent character in the first two chapters. In your opinion, why was so much attention given to Beagle?
Answer: Beagle is an intriguing character that is easily relatable to the reader because he is so likeable. He is eccentric and clearly allows the reader to ponder about the kooky individuals that are in their lives. In the second chapter, Perry illustrates the little lessons that Beagle teaches him. Due to these small lessons the readers should expect a plethora of knowledge to come from Beagle throughout the book.
2. Question: What would be the largest challenge of living in a city with a population of 485 people?
Answer: Feeling as though you have zero privacy could be a daily struggle for some. Yes, one could be alone in their own house however most likely everyone would know your deep secrets throughout the town. Privacy would also be difficult to come by when someone goes to the grocery store, for example, and every individual knows that individual personally.
3. Question: $440 is the average yearly pay for a volunteer firefighter, would you volunteer? Why or why not?
Answer: The hours are extremely long and strenuous considering that you are on call 24/7. It would take a dedicated individual that has all of the criteria required to be a first responder. The individual would need to have a lot of heart and be able to cope with death and be light on their feet. Some people might have to experience a typical day
4. Question: Perry speaks about a woman named Tracy and how powerful her story is. Why is she so significant and why is she not identified by name until close to the end of chapter one?
Answer: Tracy is not addressed by name at first because the woman could be anyone at that point. This is a technique used to draw the reader in and intrigue them. Tracy also holds such significance in Perry’s life due to the fact that he death was so traumatic and Perry slightly blames himself for her death even though it was no fault of his own. Perry has seen multiple horrific deaths through his days as a first responder however Tracy always stays with him. Most individuals have circumstances that they are involved in that will stay with them forever for whatever reason.
Graphic Organizer
Mitchell Cooley
In the book Population: 485 not only do the volunteer firefighters have to be trained to fight fires but also be able to perform necessary medical assistants to patience. In the town of New Auburn when an accident happens the nearest hospitals are miles away. The difference between life and death can just be a matter of seconds, so the first responders have to make every one count when they reach the scene but also comforting. So when fighting a fire they have to be tough and strong, but dealing with a car crash victim, a more delicate touch is needed
Vocabulary Builder
Stephen Fong
1. Zaftig (page 1 paragraph 1 line 1)
“Summer here comes on like a zaftig hippie chick, jazzed on chlorophyll…”
Zaftig- (Slang) adj. (of a woman) having a pleasantly plump figure
full-bodied; well-proportioned.
2. Fecund (page 1 paragraph 2 line 6)
“… Spreading organically in fecund hundred-acre stain.”
Fecund- adj. producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation,
etc., in abundance; prolific; fruitful: fecund parents; fecund farmland. Very productive or creative intellectually: the fecund years of the Italian renaissance.
3. Fu Manchu (Page 18 paragraph 1 line 5)
“ A Fu Manchu mustache brackets his mouth…”
Fu Manchu- noun. a mustache whose ends droop to the chin.
4. Sedately (Page 9 paragraph 3 line 3)
“ I had to downshift and motor sedately through the turn lane…”
Sedately-adj. calm, quiet, or composed; undisturbed by passion or
excitement: a sedate party; a sedate horse.
5. Paradigms (Page 11 paragraph 3 line 5)
“ …steeped in holism and paradigms and able, if need be, to characterize you twice…”
Paradigms-noun. A set of forms all of which contain a particular element,
especially the set of all inflected forms based on a single stem or theme
A display in fixed arrangement
6. Pinochle (page 25 paragraph 3 line 7)
“A lot of the guys on our department play pinochle.”
Pinochle-noun. a popular card game played by two, three, or four persons, with a 48-card deck.
7. Methamphetamine (page 2 paragraph2 line 17)
” if you know who to ask, you can still get yourself some moonshine, although methamphetamine has become the favored.”
Methamphetamine- noun Pharmacology,a central nervous system stimulant, C 1
0 H 1 5 N, used clinically in the treatment of narcolepsy, hyperkinesia,
and for blood pressure maintenance in hypotensive states: also widely
used as an illicit drug.
8. Munitions (page 5 paragraph 2 line 4)
“… Worked the night and swing shifts at the munitions plant in Eau Claire…”
Munitions- –noun Usually, munitions. materials used in war, especially weapons
and ammunition. material or equipment for carrying on any undertaking
9. Self-aggrandizement (page 31 paragraph 3 line 10)
“He cites motives including looting, self-aggrandizement, and pyromania.”
Self-aggrandizement-noun increase of one's own power, wealth, etc., usually
aggressively
10. Pyromania (page 31 paragraph 3 line 10)
“He cites motives including looting, self-aggrandizement, and pyromania.”
Pyromania –noun a compulsion to set things on fire.
