I. READING - COMPREHENDING THE TEXT
1. The text is a letter from the father to the child, yet the title is 'My Mother.' Why is that?
Hint: Investigate whether the content of the letter refers to incidents between the father and the child or between the mother and the child. Is the purpose of the letter to talk about oneself (the father) or about Enrico's mother? Does the letter emphasize and elevate the role of whom in the family? From this, it can be observed that the father writes the letter to educate the child to have a respectful attitude and a loving, grateful sentiment towards the mother.
2. This question is not challenging at all; you can answer it yourselves. It reflects the father's attitude of anger, determination, and severity. Look for details in the letter to prove and discuss why he has such an attitude (because Enrico was disrespectful to his mother in front of the teacher, causing immense pain to the father: 'your insolence is like a knife stabbing into my heart!', etc.)
3. Enrico's mother is a devoted, loving mother: staying up all night to care for the child's illness in fear of losing him; willing to beg for food to support the child, even sacrificing her life to save him! Any child who offends such a mother commits an unforgivable mistake ('if my child disrespects his mother? (...) The gentle and kind image of Enrico's mother will torment his soul' - Those sentences emphasize and elevate the image of Enrico's mother).
4. What made Enrico 'extremely moved' when reading the letter from his father? The question provides five possible answers. You can discuss and choose. Here are three suggestions:
a) Because the father recalls memories between the mother and Enrico.
c) Because of the father's firm and stern attitude.
d) Because of the father's sincere and profound words.
5*. Why didn't the father speak directly to Enrico but chose to write a letter? This question is challenging; you should discuss to find a reasonable answer (there can be various answers). It may start with the following suggestion: when do people speak directly to each other, and when do they have to write letters to communicate? From this, it can be seen that deep emotions are often subtle and discreet, sometimes not expressible directly; writing a letter means addressing the error only to the one at fault, maintaining discretion and subtlety while preserving the dignity of the one at fault. This is a lesson in behavior in family life as well as in school and society. Consider this, in this case (when the father is very angry and hurt), if the father directly speaks to the erring child (or scolds him right in front of the mother he offended), what would happen, and what would be the educational effect? Therefore, here, writing a letter is the optimal way to converse and educate the child.
6. Memorize: Learn by heart the words of Amixi in the Memorization section of the textbook.
II. PRACTICE
1. It is the passage: 'Child, remember that love and respect for parents are more sacred than anything. It is truly shameful and disgraceful for those who trample upon it.'
2. Complete this exercise in two parts: recall an instance of disrespect towards your mother, then explicitly state what thoughts this essay provoked when reflecting on that action.
