The voice is very ethnic (Jewish NYC.” Can you identify how different it sounds?
What do you think of how the school is running the Christmas play? How is that reflected in the city around them?
What is the point Shirley’s mother is trying to make?
What point is the father trying to make/
Humor is an important part of this story. Where is the humor and what kind is it?
Friday, February 5, 2010
“I know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
How does this story compare to the one we read last fall?
Describe the narrator?
How is the tone different?
This story is very ironic. What is the central irony?
Does the narrator strike you as being detached? Why or why not?
What is the significance of the people on the bridge hearing the noise coming from the roadhouse? (Note here: “A good time woman” is a madam; this place is part saloon, part whorehouse; blacks would not have been allowed near the bars in town so this was their place.)
Describe the narrator?
How is the tone different?
This story is very ironic. What is the central irony?
Does the narrator strike you as being detached? Why or why not?
What is the significance of the people on the bridge hearing the noise coming from the roadhouse? (Note here: “A good time woman” is a madam; this place is part saloon, part whorehouse; blacks would not have been allowed near the bars in town so this was their place.)
“Sonny’s Blues”
What are your initial reactions to the story
Why the first paragraph of the story?
What do you think of Sonny? What does the narrator think of Sonny?
What is Sonny’s view on heroin?
What role does jazz play? How is it portrayed? (Be specific here).
How does your overall view differ from that of the narrator’s? Why does it differ?
What is the significance of the last sentence?
What is the vision of the story?
Why the first paragraph of the story?
What do you think of Sonny? What does the narrator think of Sonny?
What is Sonny’s view on heroin?
What role does jazz play? How is it portrayed? (Be specific here).
How does your overall view differ from that of the narrator’s? Why does it differ?
What is the significance of the last sentence?
What is the vision of the story?
“High Horse’s Courting”
Now it is time for something completely different...ready? This time I don’t want analysis. I want instead for you to retell the story. Take the main characters, give them new names and set them in the world today. Then take a small portion of the story and retell it as if it happened today. Remember to retain the spirit and idea of the tale, just with modern details. Have some fun with this.
“The Yellow Wallpaper”
What is the narrator’s situation?
What do you think of John?
What do you think of their marriage?
What is the purpose of the room she is in?
How does her description of the wallpaper change?
Why does it change?
What happens in the end of the story?
What do you think of John?
What do you think of their marriage?
What is the purpose of the room she is in?
How does her description of the wallpaper change?
Why does it change?
What happens in the end of the story?
“The Rocking Horse Winner”
What do you think of the mother? Why does she need money so badly?
Is she a bad mother?
What feelings does she have for Paul?
What happens to Paul in the end?
What do you feel is the narrator’s feelings about the mother? Explain.
What do you suppose the theme of this story is?
Is she a bad mother?
What feelings does she have for Paul?
What happens to Paul in the end?
What do you feel is the narrator’s feelings about the mother? Explain.
What do you suppose the theme of this story is?
“Harrison Bergeron”
If you read this in English 10, do you remember it? Any insights about reading it now?
What techniques do you see?
What is Vonnegut’s purpose in making the handicaps the way they are?
What parallels does the story have to today? What are the similarities and differences tour society?
Is Harrison’s rebellion a victory?
What do you think the point is?
What techniques do you see?
What is Vonnegut’s purpose in making the handicaps the way they are?
What parallels does the story have to today? What are the similarities and differences tour society?
Is Harrison’s rebellion a victory?
What do you think the point is?
“The Rocking Horse Winner”
What do you think of the mother? Why does she need money so badly?
Is she a bad mother?
What feelings does she have for Paul?
What happens to Paul in the end?
What do you feel is the narrator’s feelings about the mother? Explain.
What do you suppose the theme of this story is?
Is she a bad mother?
What feelings does she have for Paul?
What happens to Paul in the end?
What do you feel is the narrator’s feelings about the mother? Explain.
What do you suppose the theme of this story is?
“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children”
An angel drops into a village. What would you expect to happen? What does happen?
In fact, how does this story not meet your expectations?
How is detail handled in the story? How is it used to build something?
How much time passes in the story? How does the narrator handle the passage of time?
How do the people react to this supernatural event?
“...magical realism, is an artistic genre in which magical elements or illogical scenarios appear in an otherwise realistic or even "normal" setting. (Wikipedia) How is the story “magical realism?”
Why did Marquez call this “...A Tale for Children”?
In fact, how does this story not meet your expectations?
How is detail handled in the story? How is it used to build something?
How much time passes in the story? How does the narrator handle the passage of time?
How do the people react to this supernatural event?
“...magical realism, is an artistic genre in which magical elements or illogical scenarios appear in an otherwise realistic or even "normal" setting. (Wikipedia) How is the story “magical realism?”
Why did Marquez call this “...A Tale for Children”?
A Good Man is Hard to Find
What qualities of the grandmother do you like? What qualities do you dislike? How did you feel when The Misfit killed her? Why?
How would you characterize the other members of the family? What is the function of images like the following: the mother's "face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like a rabbit's ears" and the grandmother's "big black valise looked like the head of a hippopotamus"?
How does O'Connor foreshadow the encounter with The Misfit?
What does the grandmother mean by a "good man"? Whom does she consider good people? What are other possible meanings of "good"? Why does she tell The Misfit that he's a good man? Is there any sense in which he is?
Discuss the significance of the Misfit’s statement in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” that the grandmother “would of been a good woman . . . if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.” In particular, how does this relate to the theme of morality in the story?
Is this a morality tale? What is good and evil in the story?
How would you characterize the other members of the family? What is the function of images like the following: the mother's "face was as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief that had two points on the top like a rabbit's ears" and the grandmother's "big black valise looked like the head of a hippopotamus"?
How does O'Connor foreshadow the encounter with The Misfit?
What does the grandmother mean by a "good man"? Whom does she consider good people? What are other possible meanings of "good"? Why does she tell The Misfit that he's a good man? Is there any sense in which he is?
Discuss the significance of the Misfit’s statement in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” that the grandmother “would of been a good woman . . . if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.” In particular, how does this relate to the theme of morality in the story?
Is this a morality tale? What is good and evil in the story?
Where are you going? Where have you been?
The highly realistic nature of the story is built on mundane detail. List some that describe Connie. What sense of her do they give you? List details of her surroundings. What sense do they give you of the world she lives in? List some details about Arnold Friend. How does he fit, or not fit, into her society?
Describe the narrator. What is the voice like? Where do you detect the narrator is sympathetic to Connie? Where do you detect he judges her?
What do you think of Connie? Did you feelings about her change in any way during the course of the story?
What was your initial reaction to the ending?
Why do you think Oates ended the story where she did?
This story has been described as “an inverted fairytale.” Explain how that could be true.
Describe the narrator. What is the voice like? Where do you detect the narrator is sympathetic to Connie? Where do you detect he judges her?
What do you think of Connie? Did you feelings about her change in any way during the course of the story?
What was your initial reaction to the ending?
Why do you think Oates ended the story where she did?
This story has been described as “an inverted fairytale.” Explain how that could be true.
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