In the beginning Gregor is in some ways superior to Grete because he works while she stays home because she is young. Although Gregor sacrifices a lot so that his family can survive he still cares for Grete and wants the best for her. Later on in the story, the roles are reversed. Gregor is no longer the main bread winner, and it is Grete who must feed and look after Gregor. Gregor’s entire family seem to be disgusted by Gregor’s current state, and it is Grete who takes it upon herself to care for Gregor. At first it seems that Grete really does care about Gregor, she feeds him and tries to make him more comfortable. Then it becomes apparent that she resents Gregor for putting such a strain on the faimly, either for being a cockroach, or for being a failure in the business world. Grete continues to make sure Gregor has food, but she is no longer truly concerned about Gregors well being. In the eyes of Gregors family, he is a nuisance that needs to be removed so that the family can be happy again. Gregor’s relationship with Grete makes the themes of the story more prominent. Gregor’s family treats his current situation as though it is not unusual, like it is something that happens in every day life. The author is trying to tell us that life is unusual and crazy. Franz Kafka does a good job in the way that he reveals the character’s shift in attitude. The story has such a broad range that really anything can happen. Kafka shows the attitude changes while still focusing on the main problem, which is Gregor’s transformation. Although Gregor’s body has transformed his mind remains the same, it his his family that can not accept his transformation. By the end of the story Gregor’s sister Grete, his mother, and his father all change the way they see and think about Gregor. Their attitudes toward Gregor are resentment and anger, and they want nothing more than to be rid of Gregor so that they can “transform” and move on with their lives.
The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket [Questions]
1.) Who might the narrator of this story be? What clues are provided in the story?
The narrator may be a man from the neighborhood who has yet to find his true love. The story says that a person is walking through the neighborhood and the story subtly tells us that the person is a man that still has not found his true love, for example, the story says, “Even when you have become a young man, laugh with pleasure at a girl’s delight when, told that it’s a grasshopper, she is given a bell cricket; laugh with affection at a girl’s chagrin when , told that it’s a bell cricket, she is given a grasshopper”. This excerpt leads me to believe that it is a man giving advice to a young boy.
2.) What might the grasshopper and the bell cricket each come to symbolize in the story?
I think that the grasshopper symbolizes a girl that a guy would be willing to settle with, and I think the bell cricket symbolizes a girl in which a boy would fall in love with, like his soul mate.
3.) Might the final three paragraphs of this story come close to stating its theme(s)? How would you state the theme(s)?
Yes, I believe the final three paragraphs state the general idea of this story. I think the theme of this story is that there are millions of people in the world and everyone is waiting for their very own bell cricket (true love) and that sometimes we over look our true love because we are distracted by all of the grasshoppers (people) around us.
Love Medicine [Questions]
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?
Lipsha changes the way he interprets love over the course of the story. I think that by the end he will learn what love is all about. The story shows us how strong true love can be through Lipsha.
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?
To me, the phrase love medicine means that love is a type of medicine that can cure the soul. I think the theme is that sometimes everyone needs a little love.
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 off the subject or nothing” 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?
I think they may be a little off subject, but they still relate to the story. They make the reader want to know more about those unrelated stories. It tells you that Lipsha’s character is curious as to how things work. I don’t think that they are really related to the theme.
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings [Questions]
1.) The subtitle of this story is “A Tale for Children.” Why and how does this seem like an apt description? and inapt or ironic one?
I think that the subtitle is an inapt one because I do not think that children would understand the meaning behind the 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?
In the story the winged man called old, an impostor by the priest, an annoyance, an angel. The people come to see the angel daily, they watch him and observe him and try to interpret what his presence means. I think that most people just look at the obvious to interpret things.
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?
The people stop coming to see the old man because there was a girl that ha been turned into a spider so they focused on her more than the angel. I think she is relieved because she knows that now that he is gone that her son is going to be okay and doesn’t need a guardian angel any more. It reveals that humans do not want their loved ones to need a guardian angel.
The Birth Mark
1.) What difference would it make if the mark on Georgiana’s cheek were shaped like a fish, a hear, 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?
I don’t think it would have made a difference because it would have been a flaw either way in Aylmer’s eyes. When she blushes the mark becomes invisible, and when Aylmer looks at her in a bad way she turns pale white, which gives the impression that the mark is even more red. Aylmer sees the mark as the symbol of “his wife’s liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death.
2.) Aylmer says to his wife, ” Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman assumed life, felt not greater ecstasy than mine will be.” 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?
I think it enhances the meaning because it just further proves the point that things like that do not really happen and that no one is perfect. It is ironic because even though he made her birth-mark go away he lost her forever.
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?
Georgiana’s boudoir was beautiful and elegant, sort of what Aylmer wanted her to look like after the mark was gone.
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?
I think he waits because the two characters are just beginning their romance and the description is romantic and mysterious, kind of like Gurov and Anna’s relationship.
2.) How do the weather and season described in each section relate to the action in that section?
The weather in each section determined what the characters did, if it was cold, they stayed inside, if it was warm they went for a walk.
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?
In the beginning, Gurov is not looking for a relationship or love, he is very experienced in not becoming emotionally attached to the women he has affairs with. When he does fall in love with Anna, he does not really know what to do. Anna’s attitude is very guilty and kind of scared. They are both unprepared and just want to forget about the other, because they both have separate lives and are not prepared to be with each other.
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 is driven to set the barns on fire because he believes he is being treated unfairly. The story implies that he is the way he is because he was in the war. The fact that he tries to make what he does wrong right may be admirable, but then when he doesn’t get his way, the things he does makes me dislike him. The narrative point of view shapes my understanding of Abner by telling me his background, and also by the way he treats his son.
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?
In my opinion Sarty is characterized as the victim because there is nothing he can do to stop his father. Sarty’s thoughts mainly focus on what his father is going to do next, and hoping that maybe he is going to stop. Sarty’s character changes tremendously throughout the story. He changes because he finally stands up for what he knows is right, even if it meant losing someone he loved, when in the beginning, he was always on his father’s side.
3.) What do each of the minor characters contribute to the story, especially Sarty’s mother, sisters, and older brother?
Sarty’s mother also has no power to do anything against Abner, but she desperately wants him to stop. The twins are lazy and probably don’t care either way. To me, the older brother is kind of an enabler because he might could actually stop his dad but he won’t.
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 leading character in a story, and yes there may be more than one because a protagonist is anything or anyone that is being kept from there goal by an antagonist. Main characters are the ones that we see often over a period of time, they can change and grow as the story goes on. Minor characters are characters who fill in the story. Minor characters can sometimes help influence the way readers see a main character.
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?
In my experience the protagonist is usually the good guy, the one trying to solve problems or save the day. Although, protagonists are not always the “good guys”. The protagonist is anyone or anything who is trying to reach a goal but is stopped by the antagonist. The protagonist may have any type of outlook, they may have a moral or immoral outlook. The character is motivated by the goal they are trying to reach in the story.
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?
Textual details that reveal the most about a character are facial expressions, physical appearance, how they speak, and their reaction to a certain situation. The characters reaction to a certain situation could complicate your interpretation of the character because you may think the character is one way because of the way they look and act, but then they may react to something in a way that makes their character seem completely different. We are trying to figure how the character’s mind works, and if there is something that we do not know about the character then we could be viewing them in a completely different way then how we would if we knew all of the information.
4.) What are the roles of other characters? Which, if any, functions as an 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?
Other characters that appear in stories are minor characters and stock characters. Minor characters are not focused on as much as the main characters in a story, but are still just as important. Stock characters are the characters that we see over and over again in literature, they are normally the stereotypes in a story. None of these serves as an antagonist. Minor characters can serve as a foil, they can be compared to the protagonist to help the readers see the unique qualities of both characters. Minor characters help to shape the way the reader interprets the main character, so if they disappeared we would have a more difficult time figuring out how we feel about the protagonist or main character. The author may be using the minor character to bring out the best in the main character, and the author may be using the main character to show how important the minor character really is.
5.) Which of the characters, or which aspects of the characters, does the text encourage us to sypathize with or to admire? to view negatively? Why and how so?
The text encourages us to admire he hero, or protagonist of the story, and to view the “bad guy” negatively. It does this so that the story goes in the direction that the author wants it to go, and it does so by creating a bad image for the antagonist and a good one for the protagonist.
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?
When I am reading, many times my view of a certain character changes near the end of a story when everything finally unfolds. It happens when a minor character or antagonist does something to reveal the true thoughts and actions of the main character.
7.) Does characterization tend to be indirect or direct in the story? What kinds of information do and don’t we get about the character, and how does the story tend to give us that information?
Characterization tends to be indirect. The story doesn’t always tell us what the character represents or what purpose the character serves. It gives us this information by incorporating other characters into the story to compare to the main character and see what they really represent.
Questions about Narration and Point of View
1.) Does the narrator speak in the first, second, or third person?
It depends the narrator’s standpoint in the story, and the grammatical person the voice assumes. The narrator could speak in all kinds of different ways, it just depends on the story.
2.) Is the story narrated in the past or present tense? Does the verb tense affect your reading of it in any way?
Either tense is used. Stories written in the present tense can give the impression of immediacy, or of state that is not effected by the passage of time. So, yes, it does affect my reading of it, because past tense is more focused on memory, when present tense makes you feel more in the now.
3.) Does the narrator use a distinctive vocabulary, style, and tone, or is the language more standard and neutral?
Yes, most narrators use these three things. The style and tone can be anything that the author wants it to be.
4. Is the narrator identified as a character, and if so, how much does he or she participate in the action?
The narrator can be identified as a character. We can normally hear all of their thoughts and we know their every move throughout the story.
5.) Does the narrator ever seem to speak to the reader directly (addressing “you”) or explicitly state opinions or values?
Narrators that speak directly to “you” are known as second-person narrators. This type of narration is rarely used but it can turn the reader into a character in the story.
6.) Do you know what every character is thinking, or only some characters, or none?
If the story is in first person then you will know what one of the characters is thinking, usually the main character. A limited narrator may reveal the thoughts of some characters to add to the story.
7.) Does the narrative voice or focus shift during the story or remain consistent?
No, the voice remains consistent.
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 definitely differences in the levels of understanding. Sometimes the reader never knows what some characters in stories are thinking, or how they feel, which keeps them from fully understanding.
“The Jewelry” Online Discussion Questions
1.) What parts of “The Jewelry” correspond to the five traditional phases of plot?
In the exposition of “The Jewelry” we are introduced to the characters, M. Lantin and the woman he is in love with and will eventually marry. Then we are introduced to the background of the future Madame Lantin. She is a poor girl whose mother is trying to find a suitable husband for her daughter. Luckily, M. Lantin was able to step in and take her hand in marriage. The action begins to rise when Madame Lantin suddenly dies of pneumonia. Then M. Lantin is left with only his grief and his dead wife’s fake jewelry. He slowly begins to run out of money, and then he realizes that it is time to put the horrible jewelry that he never liked to good use. The story takes a shocking turn when he finds out that the jewelry is not fake, and in fact, worth a lot of money. He cannot understand how this could be true, unless, his wife was using other means besides her faithful husband to get her jewelry fix. He was overcome with grief for days because of his revelation that his wife may not have been faithful to him. The falling action begins when M. Lantin finally accepts what his wife has done to him and goes to sell all of the jewelry. He was happy to be rich, and he wanted everyone to know how rich he was. In the end he may have been rich and moved on with his life and even remarried, but without the love of his life, he was quite miserable.
2.) Once the secret of Madame Lantin’s jewelry is revealed, what details from earlier in the story take on a different significance?
Early on in the story the narrator tells us that before she and M. Lantin became married, Madame Lantin’s mother made visits to several families trying to find someone to marry her daughter. The narrator also tells us that every young man was after her, so maybe, since she chose to marry a man that could not afford to keep up with her love for expensive jewels, she found other ways to get it. If there were still men that were interested in her, they very well could have bought her all of these expensive gifts.
3.) How and why might the story’s end – especially its last paragraph – defy expectations? How does it once again change your interpretation of earlier events and of Lantin’s first marriage?
The way the author describes M. Lantin’s love for his first wife, you would not expect him to remarry so quickly. I still believe that M. Lantin really did love his first wife, but when he discovered her secret, I think it changed the way he felt about her. I also think that before he found out he didn’t care for money, he only cared about his wife, but when he discovered her betrayal, he wanted revenge, so he sold all her jewelry, remarried and forgot about her.
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