Literature

Posted: December 11th, 2013

Week 10 –  All stories attached

Here is week 10. It must be completed before the next class week. You are allowed to use your book.
1.) In the story Crippled, on page 2 the narrator in describing his scam of faking being crippled say, “The American Dream of leisure, it gets boring fast.” What does he mean by this? What problems are created for the narrator in trying to solve this boredom?

2.) In the story The Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family, on page 4 in discussing the object that drove Arthur Jermyn mad; we learn that, “Members of the Royal Anthropological Institute burned the thing and threw the locket into a well, and some of them do not admit that Arthur Jermyn ever existed.” Why would they do this? What was is it that was so horrible they had to cover it up in this way? Beyond that, what might the reasons for this cover up suggest about the author’s view of the world?

3.) In the story Nawabdin Electrician, on page 598 in discussing Nawab it says, “He thought of the motorcycle saved and the glory in saving it. He was growing. Six shots, six coins thrown down, six chance, and not one of them killed him, not Nawabdin Electrician.” What does Nawab think of himself at this moment? Is this vision of himself in keeping with how the author portrays Nawab? What might be the author’s motive in his portrayal of Nawab?

4.) In the story Everyday use, on page 855, when Dee / Wangero is taking photos of her mom and sister it says “She never takes a shot without making sure the house is included.” What might be Dee’s reasoning for doing this? What is the author trying to about Dee in relation to her mother and sister? To her past and her family’s past?

5.) In the story The Rocking Horse Winner, on page 532 Paul says, “I started it for Mother. She said she had no luck, because Father is unlucky, so I thought if I was lucky it might stop whispering.” What sort of luck is he talking about? What sort of whispering is he talking about? And why is Paul so focused on stopping the whispering?

6.) In the story Harrison Bergeron, on page 849 Harrison shouts, “I am the Emperor! Everyone must do as I say at once…I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become!” The author italicizes the word “can”. Why might he do this? What is the author trying to get at in discussing Harrison’s potential in the world he lives in, his ability to be what he “can become”?

7.) In both the stories Who’s Irish? and Everything that Rises Must Converge there is the theme of how the older generation of a family relates to the younger generation. Both are overly concerned with notions of traditions and whether on not they should be carried on. But are both stories in agreement here? Or are they contrasting in opinion? Explain fully how they either compare or contrast in their viewpoint on the matter.