SAMPLE+SAY+SHOW+MEAN

Sample Say Show Mean Mr. Mullen’s Favorite Sophomore English Class Pages 196-7 SAY: In the beginning of the paragraph on page 196, Hazel is described as having “a spirit of happy mischief”(196). He feels self-confident and eager for adventure. He wants to prove to the other rabbits that he is a worthy leader. However, he starts to consider the various issues and questions of the “raid.” Hazel, for example, believes the elil will be avoidable. He also considers the potential reactions of the caged does to wild rabbits. Finally, he wonders about the proximity of the farm. In the end he believes that he can successfully and safely execute any plan. SHOW: Hazel’s over-confident belief in the success of his plan is shown throughout this paragraph. As Hazel considers the dangers of the elil at Nuthanger Farm, Adams utilizes an uncertain tone. He writes at the end of the paragraph that “Any dogs would probably be chained,” and while “the cats [on the farm] would be loose,” Hazel convinces himself that “A rabbit could outrun a cat as long as he kept in the open and saw it coming first”(198). Adams use of the words “probably” “could” and the phrase “as long as” subtly shows the reader that Hazel’s careful analysis of his plan is filled with uncertainty and doubt. One could easily, for example, counter his conclusions about the cat with a suggestion that a feline’s greatest gift is its cunning and devious demeanor. *Note that we’d want to add at least one more claim sandwich to this section. MEAN: Adams presents his readers with one of the perils to becoming a leader—buying into one’s own hype. While Hazel has been an effective team player throughout the novel, he now accepts the fact that is in indeed chief. The group looks to him to safely get them away from any dangerous situation and help them thrive. Hazel is certainly up to the task; however, leaders can sometimes believe that this newfound power given to them by the group allows for a heightened sense of confidence. They are, after all, the chosen ones. As a result, our selected leaders can often cross the boundaries of acceptable behavior, misunderstanding their own needs for the greater need of the group. And when this occurs, the leaders lose a sense of what their limits really are and their followers become—as we see throughout the remainder of Book II—quite susceptible to the inevitable dangers of world.