Question

name: ____________________________ date: ________ pd: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ivory girl.” golden venus, for she herself was present at the festival, knew what the prayer
meant, and as a sign of the gods’ fondness for him, the flame flared three times, and shook its
crown in the air. when he returned, he sought out the image of his girl, and leaning over the
couch, kissed her. she felt warm: he pressed his lips to her again. the ivory yielded to his touch,
and lost its hardness, altering under his fingers, as the bees’ wax of hymettus (6) softens in the
sun, and is molded, under the thumb, into many forms, made usable by use. the lover is
stupefied, (7) and joyful, but uncertain, and afraid he is wrong, reaffirms the fulfillment of his
wishes, with his hand, again, and again.

1. the roman name for the goddess of love
2. an eastern mediterranean island
3. a mountain range in greece
4. stupefied (adjective) shocked or astonished

guiding question 2: when pygmalion attends venus’ festival...
a. the goddess grants his wish that he might find a woman to love more than the statue.
b. he prays in vain for the goddess to grant him happiness and love.
c. the goddess grants his wish for his statue to become a real woman.
d. the goddess, angry with him for ignoring real love, melts his statue.
underline in the text where you found the answer to this question.
it was flesh! the pulse throbbed under his thumb. then the hero, of paphos, (8) was indeed
overfull of words with which to thank venus, and still pressed his mouth against a mouth that
was not merely a likeness. the girl felt the kisses he gave, blushed, and, raising her bashful eyes
to the light, saw both her lover and the sky. the goddess attended the marriage that she had
brought about, and when the moon’s horns had nine times met at the full, the woman bore a
son, paphos, from whom the island takes its name.

1. a coastal city in cyprus

guided question 3: how does pygmalion react to his statue’s transformation?
a. he is worried and uncertain if she’ll be what he hoped.
b. he is overjoyed, and they marry and start a family at once.
c. he finds it bittersweet to gain a wife but lose his ideal woman.
d. he is thankful to the goddess, but over time comes to dislike real women.
what is the “lesson” in this story?
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Explanation:

1. For Guiding Question 2:

The text states Pygmalion prayed at the festival, the flame signaled the gods' fondness, and his ivory statue turned into a living woman. Option D is incorrect (Venus was not angry), A is wrong as he loved the statue, B is wrong as his prayer was answered.

1. For Guiding Question 3:

The text says Pygmalion thanked Venus repeatedly, married the woman, and they had a son. He was joyful rather than worried or bitter.

1. The lesson is that sincere devotion and love can bring one's deepest desires to fruition, and that love for an ideal can become reality with divine favor.

Answer:

1. Guiding Question 2: D. The goddess grants his wish for his statue to become a real woman.

Supporting text: "as a sign of the gods' fondness for him, the flame flared three times" and "It was flesh! The pulse throbbed under his thumb."

1. Guiding Question 3: B. He is overjoyed, and they marry and start a family at once.
2. Lesson: Sincere, devoted love can make one's greatest wish come true, turning an idealized vision into tangible, lasting love and life.