Essential question
How does Mansfield use Rosemary’s generosity to expose the self-image behind it?
Marked passage
- Start anchor
- I picked her up in Curzon Street. Really. She's a real pick-up.
- End anchor
- She's absolutely lovely.
Short story - Rosemary brings Miss Smith home, then reverses course
Ways to teach it
Listening
Listen; same evidence task.
Solo
Read independently.
Supported
Narration + highlighting.
Teacher guide
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and say why.
Evidence
Use one detail from Rosemary’s initial generosity and one from the reversal.
Mark
Underline Rosemary’s language about helping. Circle details showing performance, imagination, or self-regard. Box the moment jealousy changes her behavior.
Instructional move
Analyze how a character’s charitable act becomes a test of motive when circumstances change.
Notice
• What attracts Rosemary to the situation besides compassion? • How does Philip’s reaction change the test? • Which action most clearly separates motive from appearance?
Strong answer
Mansfield makes charity a character test. Rosemary can imagine herself as generous while the gesture flatters her identity; jealousy reveals that the self-image is less stable than the principle she performs.
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Mansfield use Rosemary’s generosity to expose the self-image behind it? Choose the strongest interpretation you can defend from this passage alone.
Watch for
Do not label Rosemary “fake” and stop. Explain how the story tests motive.
Why this passage
Rosemary initially treats helping Miss Smith almost as an exciting story about herself. When jealousy enters, generosity collapses, revealing how much the act depended on self-conception.
Write
Write a short evidence-based response. Use at least two details from the assigned passage and explain how they support your interpretation.
Student tasks
Close
Name the single detail that most changed or sharpened your interpretation, and say why.
Mark
Underline Rosemary’s language about helping. Circle details showing performance, imagination, or self-regard. Box the moment jealousy changes her behavior.
Notice
What attracts Rosemary to the situation besides compassion? How does Philip’s reaction change the test? Which action most clearly separates motive from appearance?
Think
Answer provisionally: How does Mansfield use Rosemary’s generosity to expose the self-image behind it?
Write
Write a short response using at least two pieces of evidence from this passage.