The Metamorphosis

In the beginning of the novella, when Gregor is first a cockroach, Grete is one of the first people to know of his transformation. As a human, Gregor’s favorite thing to eat was different breads and milk. Grete takes him some bread and milk after his transformation takes place. This is a sign of compassion that Grete shows to Gregor. She would not have done things to help him if she did not care. No one told her to do it, she did it because she wanted to.

Throughout the story, we learn that Gregor provides for his family with his job before he turns into a cockroach. One can assume if Gregor did not love his family, he probably would not be trying his best for his family. This is one way we know he cares. Yes, Gregor and Grete did not show they cared for each other throughout the entire story but we can learn from different times that they do indeed care for each other.

Over the course of the story, there are changes in the siblings attitudes toward the other. While Gregor continues to stay a cockroach, Grete seems to lose hope, and Gregor is frustrated because he is unable to eat the things he once could. These different attitude changes are what can help us determine the overall theme or themes of The Metamorphosis. At the ending of the story, Gregor sadly passes away from starvation.

 

Questions: The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket

1.) Who might the narrator of this story be? What clues are provided in the story?

A- A passerby. The way the story is written, it seems as though the narrator is watching what is happening, rather than being included in everything.

2.) What might the grasshopper and the bell cricket each come to symbolize in the story?

A- The grasshopper represents any ordinary person that anyone could come across and be with, not being a true person’s love. On the contrary, the bell cricket symbolizes that one special person that comes into our lives.

3.) Might the final three paragraphs of this story come close to stating its theme(s)? How would you state the theme(s)?

A- Yes, the final three paragraphs pretty much summarizes what the theme(s) are. I personally believe the theme is that everyone has a special person out there. Whether we already have them, or they are still out there waiting for us to find them, or they are searching for us.

Questions: Love Medicine

1.) How, if at all, do you think Lipsha changes over the course of the story? What might he learn by the end? What might the story show us through him?

A- Lipsha does change a little throughout the story. He understands that he doesn’t need his grandma’s love medicine, for he is loved for who he truly is. Through him, we can learn and understand to love others for themselves, not for someone or something they are not.

2.) What different meanings does the phrase love medicine take on over the course of the story? How might you use the phrase to state the story’s theme?

A- In the story, love medicine keeps its same meaning. It is simply a medicine that truly doesn’t bring out love. In the story it is said to, but really, we know that isn’t what it can do. It is somewhat like buying someones love. To some people, that is possible because they want worldly things more than anything else.

3.) Lipsha tells the stories of Lulu’s “tweety bird” that disappeared up her dress and of Wristwatch, whose broken watch started keeping time after its owner dropped dead. He then says, “Not to get of the subject or nothing” (par. 65). Are these stories off the subject? How do they arouse expectations? How do they function in the plot? What do they tell you of Lipsha’s character? of the nature of the people on the reservation? Are they related to the theme? If so, how?

A- Yes, these stories are off subject. Sure, they inform us of other things that happened, but, we don’t necessarily need to know this. They don’t really seem to function well in the plot, but, I can see why it was placed in the story. This allows us to grasp a better understanding on Lipsha and what type of person he is, and some of the thoughts he is having. I think they are related to the theme because the different stories can relate to the actual story taking place.

Questions: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

1.) The subtitle of this story is “A Tale for Children.” Why and how does this seem like an apt description? an inapt or ironic one?

A- The story is of an angel protecting a child. This gives the story the “for children” effect. I believe it is ironic because it is “A Tale for Children” but, not necessarily a child’s story.

2.) How do the various characters interpret the winged man? How do they arrive at their interpretations? What might their interpretations reveal about them? about people and/or the process of interpretation in general?

A- Some find him as an annoyance, some find him to be a spectacle, some believe he is an angel, while others do not believe he is. When the boy is sick, the angel goes through the same things, this annoys the boy’s parents. Others find the angel to be of good. This allows us to see what type of person they are and how their personality is, as well as others in general.

3.) Why do so many people at first come to see the winged man and later stop doing so? Why is Elisenda so relieved when he finally flies away? What insights into human behavior might be revealed here?

A- They have never seen anything like this and want to see if he truly is an angel, or something different. Elisenda is relieved because she found the angel to be an annoyance in her life. This is how some people act in the world today, and can be easily annoyed by others.

The Birth-Mark Questions

1. What difference would it make if the mark on Georgiana’s cheek were shaped like a fish, a heart, or an irregular oval? Why (and when) does the mark appear redder, or more visible or fainter? If the birthmark is explicitly a “symbol of imperfection” (par. 9), what kinds of imperfection does it represent?

A- If Georgian’s mark had been another shape, it would stand out even more and be more obvious than it already was. When Georgiana moves, gets angry, or embarrassed, that is when her mark becomes more visible. While she is calm, her mark is not too noticeable.

2. Aylmer says to his wife, “Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman assumed life, felt not greater ecstasy than mine will be” (par. 19). How does this literary allusion to the myth of Pygmalion enhance the meaning of “The Birth-Mark”? Is this allusion ironic, given what happens to Aylmer’s project to make his wife perfect?

A- Hawthorne uses this allusion by making a comparison between his project with his wife to how Pygmalion sculpts his woman. I believe the allusion is ironic when compared to Aylmer’s project with Georgiana.

3. Look closely at the setting of the story, from the laboratory to the boudoir. Note the similes, metaphors, and other figures of speech that help characterize these places. How do these different patterns of imagery contribute to the symbolism of the story? to an allegorical reading of the story?

A- The figures of speech in the story help to characterize each individual setting throughout the story. The imagery works with the symbolism, tying the two together as an allegorical read in the story.

Questions: The Lady with the Dog

1) When Gurov and Anna take their first walk together, they discuss “the strange light of the sea: the water was of a soft warm lilac hue, and there was a golden streak from the moon upon it.”  Why do you think Chekhov waits until this moment to provide descriptive details of the story’s setting in Yalta?

a.  I believe the reason behind Chekhov’s waiting is because when Anna and Gurov went walking, this is the moment their relationship began to blossom.  It was like taking a step further into their new relationship.

2)How do the weather and season described in each section relate to the action in that section?

a.  The weather describes how the characters feel and their actions relate to the weather.

3)What is Gurov’s attitude toward his affair with Anna at the outset?  What is Anna’s attitude?  What are some indications that both Gurov and Anna are unprepared for the relationship that develops between them?

a. Gurov seems to be anxious about their relationship.  Anna acts worried.  Their attitudes and words express they are not prepared.

Barn Burning Questions

1.) At one point in “Barn Burning,” Sarty thinks that “maybe” his father “couldn’t help but be” what he is (par. 40). What is Abner Snopes? What desires, motives, values, and views-especially of justice-seem to drive and explain him? What does the story imply about how and why he has become the man he is? What might be admirable, as well as abhorrent, about him? How does the narrative point of view shape your understanding of, and attitude toward, Abner? Abner Snopes is an arsonist. He typically burns down others barns when they do something to him he does not like. This is his form of justice in the story. If someone does something to him, he automatically assumes he has to do something back. In this case, it’s burning down barns. He acts this way to gain payback or revenge, or, to get even with someone else. Not too much is admirable about one who is obsessed with fire. The narrative point of view helps me to understand as to why Abner is this way. I am not too fond of Abner but, I don’t necessarily hate him.

2.) How is Sarty characterized? How is this characterization affected by the multiple flashforwards in the story and by the way Sarty’s thoughts are presented? Does Sarty change over the course of the story? How and why does he change or not change? Sarty is the main character of the story. He is becoming of age, and is pretty much forced to deal with the right or wrong choices. This characterization may help us to understand as to why Sarty is making some of the choices he is choosing. At the end, Sarty does change. He betrays his family’s honor and must begin doing things for himself.

3.) What do each of the minor characters contribute to the story, especially Sarty’s mother, sisters, and older brother? Sarty’s mother is trying to teach her children to do what is right and why they should do the right thing. Sarty’s sisters never listen to anything they are told and only do what they are supposed to do when being forced to do something. On the other hand, Sarty’s older brother is living a good life and striving to do his best for his family.

Questions about Character

1.) Who is the protagonist, or might there be more than one? Why and how so? Which other characters, if any, are main or major characters? Which are minor characters? The protagonist is the main character in a literary work and is known as “the good guy”. There can be more than one protagonist because if more than one character is supporting the same things, and are “good”, then I believe there can be more than one. The main character is the one who does the most action and talking in the story. Minor characters are the ones who fill out the story.

2.) What are the protagonist’s most distinctive traits, and what is most distinctive about his or her outlook and values? What motivates the character? What is it about the character that creates internal and/or external conflict? Protagonists to me are leaders. They have a positive outlook on most things. This makes them the “good guy”. Whatever the conflict is, that is what motivates the character. The protagonist wants to resolve the conflict, so that is their motivation. Often, characters may become frustrated with themselves which can lead to internal conflict. On the other hand, dealing with the antagonist may lead to external conflict.

3.) Which textual details and moments reveal most about this character? Which are most surprising or might complicate your interpretation of this character? How is your view of the character affected by what you don’t know about him or her? When this character speaks, or does a certain action, this reveals quite a lot. When reading, there are certain times when a character does or says something we may or may not understand. This may surprise or complicate what we think of them. When one does not know something about a character, this may help us determine whether we think this character is good or bad.

4.) What are the roles of characters? Which, if any, functions as antagonist? Which, if any, serves as a foil? Why and how so? How would the story as a whole (not just its action or plot) be different if any of these characters disappeared? What points might the author be raising or illustrating through each character? Characters make up the action and the dialogue of a story. The antagonist works against the protagonist. In a foil, this is when a character helps by way of contrast to reveal the unique qualities of another (especially main) character. The story would differ in the sense where there is not a “bad guy”. The author might be using the characters to speak to the audience, or just use them as entertainment. Every character has a unique personality.

5.) Which of the characters, or which aspects of the characters, does the text encourage us to sympathize with or to admire? to view negatively? Why and how so? The hero or heroine. We usually admire and sympathize with the protagonist(s).

6.) Does your view of any character change over the course of the story, or do any of the characters themselves change because of the events in the story? If so, when, how, and why? One may believe this can work both ways. There are events that occur in the story that may make the character become different, or this may cause the reader to see them differently.

7.) Does characterization tend to be indirect or direct in the story? What kinds of information do and don’t we get about the characters, and how does the story tend to give us that information? Both. We usually receive information like what the characters look like, what they like and dislike, how they act, where they are from, etc. This information can be found in the introduction of a story, or sometimes later in the story.

Questions about Narration and Point of View

1. Does the narrator speak in the first, second, or third person?         The point of view varies according to the position the narrator is in. A third-person narrator tells the reader or listener what happened referring to the characters as he, she, or they. When speaking in first-person, the narrator uses the pronoun I. Second-person narrators use you.

2. Is the story narrated in the past or present tense? Does the verb tense affect your reading of it in any way?     In literature, stories can be in the past, present, or future tense. The verb tense does affect how I read because I imagine the story as I read. If I am in the present, I can see how things are. The same goes for the past and future tenses as well.

3. Does the narrator use a distinctive vocabulary, style, and tone, or is the language more standard and neutral? The narrator typically tends to use distinction in vocabulary, style, and the tone. Narrators tells the story in a manner which the characters would. This helps express emotion, thoughts, and feelings through literature.

4. Is the narrator identified as a character, and if so, how much does he or she participate in the action?      In some stories, the narrator is a character, other times the character is not a narrator. When the narrator is said to be a character, they usually play a major role in the story.

 

5. Does the narrator ever seem to speak to the reader directly (addressing “you”) or explicitly state opinions or values?     Yes, I believe sometimes the narrator speaks to me directly. Sometimes the narrator just states opinions and values but I think the narrator can speak to me.

6. Do you know what every character is thinking, or only some characters, or none?     At times one may know what every character is thinking, while others we do not have a clue what is on their mind.

7. Does the narrative voice focus or shift during the story or remain consistent?     I believe the voice shifts during the story. Once the narrative voice has been shifted, this helps the reader or listener focus on the character(s).

8. Do the narrator, the characters, and the reader all perceive matters in the same way, or are there differences in levels of understanding?     There are differences in levels of understanding. No one thinks the same or has the exact opinion because everyone is different.

The Jewelry Discussion

1.) The exposition is at the very beginning when soon to be Madame Lantin is first introduced, and how her mother is trying to get her married off to a rich man. The rising action  is when located when we discover her strange addiction for fake jewelry. The climax is when Mrs. Lantin dies quickly of pneumonia. The falling action takes places when M. Lantin is so happy about finding the value of the jewels and telling everyone how rich he is.  The conclusion is at the ending when M. Lantin remarries and is miserable due to his new wife having a temper. 2.) Why she has so many fake types of jewelry and how she received them. Her husband never asked why she had so many different kinds of fake jewelry and how she kept receiving them. 3.) It never explained why Madame Lantin had called the jewels fake or how she truly received them. Although I’m pretty sure most of us believe she was receiving the jewels from different men when she would go to the theater. It draws us to the conclusion that the entire time M. Lantin was trusting his wife to go to the theater alone, she was seeing other men.