The Bone-Setter's Son | Grade 11 Classical Literature Packet | Cornerstone Academics

The Bone-Setter's Son — Wei's family has been setting bones in China for four generations, and the knowledge has never been written down — it lives in hands and in watching, passed from father to son. The fixed line, Wei tells his own son, is between what you actually know and what you claim to know. The story is about what happens when those two things come apart in a way that cannot be quietly corrected, and what a man does when he has to choose between the family reputation and the fixed line.

Each packet includes:

• Original classical short story (complete text)
• Notes on historical setting and literary tradition
• Narration prompts (oral and written)
• Comprehension questions — literal and inferential
• Vocabulary exercises
• Character Constellation graphic organizer (including Character Change Axis)
• Story Arc study (five movements, with attention to subtler turning points)
• Theme & Meaning questions
• Socratic discussion questions
• Literary Analysis (tone, diction, imagery, symbolism, contrast, motif, irony, structure, turning points, foreshadowing, allusion, narrative lens, narrative distance, narrative restraint)
• Copywork and memory work
• Optional writing prompts (reflective, explanatory, creative, analytical)
• Complete parent answer key
• Standards alignment

Written for Grade 11. Suitable for Grades 10–12 with guidance. This packet is available as a digital download only.