DM Homeland, John Jakes

Sujet du devoir

Ellis Island, 1892
Pauli passed the eye man whitout incident. He advanced between the iron rails to the end of a line of people in single file. Similar lines flanked it. All led to the inspector who conducted the final interviews at a row of trestle tables stretching accross one entire side of the hall. The sight of the tables made Pauli's stomach tighten. As if sensing this anxiety, Valter laid his hand on Pauli's shoulder. Pauli shut his eyes and rehearsed his phrases yet again. Person by person, the line ahead of him melted. And then it was his turn.
The inspector had sleek dark hair, and a veined nose, and the ugliest, most villainous features Pauli had ever seen. The man motioned. "You, lad. Step up." "Manifest eight, line eleven", the translator said. The inspector grunted and ran an inky finger down the page of a thick ledger. "Name?" "Kroner sir, Pauli Kroner." With a scratchy pen the inspector wrote in the ledger. "Age?" The second man translated it into German. Pauli said, "Fourteen years. But I will be fifteen on the fifteenth of this month." The inspector wrote again. "Traveling with anyone?" Pauli shook his head. "Can you read or write any English?" Pauli burst out with his phrases. "Yes, thank you! America wonderful country!" The translator laughed, not unkindly. Then he asked a question: "Where in the old country did you start from?" "Berlin, sir. But my family is Swabian" "I guessed it from the red in your hair. Fine people, Swabians. I'm from the region myself, came over eighteen years ago."
Despite the translator's friendliness, the inspector continued to regard Pauli with a blank expression. "Who paid your passage?" he said. "My aunt back in Germany. But i worked to earn part of it." More english : "I will work hard here - good worker!" Slitting his eyes, the inspector said, "Do you have a job waiting for you?" Valter had coached him on that question. If you answered yes, you would be turned back, because you might be taking work from an american. Pauli said, "No, sir, although I hope to have one someday. My uncle will help me with that, I think."
"Is your uncle here?" "No, he is in Chicago." "But he's your sponsor?" "Yes, sir" "Show me something to prove it." "I had a letter from him, in German, but two bullies on the ship sole it"
The inspector eyed Pauli for a long time. Then, whitout emotion, he said, "lad, there's a problem here." "Sir?" Paulis ears rang again. Pains like knife blades tortured his vitals. "United States immigration law prohibits entry of unaccompanied children under sixteen. Your uncle should have come for you personally. Then we wouldn't have a problem."
"I'm sure he thought - ah -" Pauli turned red, struggling. "Der Brief" "The letter" the translator said. "Yes, thank you, I expect he thought the letter would be enough." "So it would. If you had it." "Sir, he couldn't come here, he is a very busy rich man, my uncle." "I appreciate that, but the law is the law. You will be detained and examined by the Board of Special Inquiry." "What is that?" Pauli's courage was flagging with this bad news and the avalanche of strange words. "Three officials who pass on all cases likes yours. You'll be held here on the island until you have your hearing." "Then they will let me go to Chicago?" The translator looked away. The inspector said, "To be honest, probably not, unless you are a very persuasive speaker. You aren't allowed to have help in making your case. No lawyers, relatives, friends - no one."
Pauli's nerve almost crumbled then. But he held on; dug his nails into his palms. "Sir, I did have proof that my relatives are waiting for me. It was stolen." His mouth twisted. "I should have lied about my age." After a moment his shoulders drooped. "No, i am not a good liar". The ugly inspector pondered. Then he swung around to face his assistant. "Mr. Steiner, I would hate to make a mistake in this case. Don't you think this young man looks sixteen? He looks sixteen to me." "Sir, I feel sorry for him too. But he's already stated." "Sixteen." The inspector scratched out the age previously written down in the ledger; wrote a new one. He took a square of colored pasteboard from a cigar box and handed it to Pauli, who turned it over, unable to decipher the English printing. "Sirs, what's this?" "Your landing card" The translator said, faintly smiling. "Welcome to America" said the ugly inspector. "It's a long way to Chicago. Be careful."

Titles/Autor :
Setting : Place/date :
Main characters : 1/ Name :
Age :
Where does he come from?
Psychological portrait : (choose right answers) honest, courageous, stupid, childish, straightforward, cowardly.
2/ ................... Physical portrait (one word) :
Psychological portrait : (choose right answers) strict, unfair, scornful, narrow-minded, open-minded
3/ Name/job :
Where does he come from?
When did he come to America?
Psychological portrait : (choose right answers) harsh, kind, friendly, narrow-minded, open-minded
Secondary character : Name?
Who is he?
Plot : What does Main character 1 want?
What is his main problem?
What is likely to happen to him beacuse of this problem?
Ending :

Où j'en suis dans mon devoir

Titles/Autor :Ellis Island is an extract from Homeland by John Jakes
Setting : Place/date : ?/1892
Main characters : 1/ Name :Pauli Korner
Age :14 years old, almost 15
Where does he come from? Berlin in germany but he is Swabian
Psychological portrait :honest, courageous ... ?
2/ The translator Mr Steiner ? Physical portrait (one word) : ?
Psychological portrait : ?
3/ Name/job : The inspector
Where does he come from? Swabian
When did he come to America? 18 years ago
Psychological portrait : ?
Secondary character : Name?
Who is he?
Plot : What does Main character 1 want? He wants to have a landing card in order to live and work in America.
What is his main problem? Pauli is 14 and united states immigration law prohibits entry of unaccompanied children under sixteen. Pauli's uncle is his sponsor but he haven't got a proof for prove it because he lost a letter from his uncle.
What is likely to happen to him beacuse of this problem? Because of this problem, the inspector will likely send back him in his country
Ending: the inspector give him a landing card . Pourquoi...?

Merci d'avance pour l'aide aux réponses vides.. :)