1. In what ways is growing up challenging for Milkman?
2. Macon, Milkman's father, says terrible things about his sister and about his wife. Can we believe him?
3. Could it be said that, among other agendas, the author has a feminist agenda? That is, is she interested in the justice or injustice of the way women are treated by men?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A Room With A View 16-17
1. It could be said that E.M. Forster is, at least in this novel, preachy--that he spends time telling the reader the right way to behave in life. Assuming that it is true that he is preachy, can you explain how being preachy does not ruin this novel?
2. Why do you suppose Lucy tells Cecil that she is not in love with anyone else (418), if she is really in love with George Emerson?
3. The narrator says that Lucy joins the ranks of people who like Charlotte Bartlett into the army of those who have sinned against the gods of love (Eros) and wisdom (Athene) and that they will be avenged. Explain.
4. A the end of chapter 16, the narrator announces that Lucy broke off her engagement with Cecil, and then in chapter 17 presents the scene in which she does. A more conventional approach would have been to right to the break-up scene, without mentioning the end of the scene first. Why this order?
5. In what sense is Geerge Emerson responsible for Lucy's breaking up with Cecil?
2. Why do you suppose Lucy tells Cecil that she is not in love with anyone else (418), if she is really in love with George Emerson?
3. The narrator says that Lucy joins the ranks of people who like Charlotte Bartlett into the army of those who have sinned against the gods of love (Eros) and wisdom (Athene) and that they will be avenged. Explain.
4. A the end of chapter 16, the narrator announces that Lucy broke off her engagement with Cecil, and then in chapter 17 presents the scene in which she does. A more conventional approach would have been to right to the break-up scene, without mentioning the end of the scene first. Why this order?
5. In what sense is Geerge Emerson responsible for Lucy's breaking up with Cecil?
Monday, October 31, 2011
A Room With A View ch.. 14-15
1. Miss Lavish has written a novel set in Florence, and the scene Cecil reads aloud is a description of the scene in which George kissed Lucy (407-408). How do you suppose did Miss Lavish know about this?
2. Earlier, it brought Lucy inward joy to know that George did not tell her father what happened on that hillside near Florence. (She can tell because of the way Mr. Emerson senior treats Charlotte Lucas after her col hello, I think--I'm not sure.) Why is the ability not to tell a secret such a good quality? (402)
3. George thinks a person should "Choose a place where you won't do harm--yes choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine." (401) Comment.
4. Probably Forster is making fun of Miss Lavish's prose style: is there anything Cecil reads from her novel that strikes you as laughable, as writing? (408)
5. George kisses Lucy again (408). Is this wrong of him? Right of him?
2. Earlier, it brought Lucy inward joy to know that George did not tell her father what happened on that hillside near Florence. (She can tell because of the way Mr. Emerson senior treats Charlotte Lucas after her col hello, I think--I'm not sure.) Why is the ability not to tell a secret such a good quality? (402)
3. George thinks a person should "Choose a place where you won't do harm--yes choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine." (401) Comment.
4. Probably Forster is making fun of Miss Lavish's prose style: is there anything Cecil reads from her novel that strikes you as laughable, as writing? (408)
5. George kisses Lucy again (408). Is this wrong of him? Right of him?
Friday, October 28, 2011
A Room With A View chapters 12-13
1. What might account for Freddy’s inviting
George to go bathing after just meeting him? (380)
2. George votes for fate, Mr. Beebe for our
having choices (i.e. having free will).
Where do you think the book, as a whole, comes out as to which rules, fate
or our making choices? (381-382)
3. Any thoughts as to why the twelfth chapter is
called “Twelfth Chapter,” when most of the other titles have more elaborate
titles?
4. Why might Lucy have brought up Charlotte’s
letter to her mother (387)? True, she’s changing the subject, but she could
have changed it some other way.
5. Can you see a connection
between Mrs. Honeychurch’s speech, “You are young, dears , and . . . young
people will never guess what it feels likes to grow old” (391) and the speech
earlier passage about “the thousand little civilities that create a tenderness
in time” (368)?
6. What’s wrong with
talking about eggs, boilers, hydrangeas, and maids? Why doesn’t Cecil like it?
(392)
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Room With A View chapters 10 and 11
1. Attempt to describe/summarize what is happening with the rental of Cissie Villa, and how it ends up that the Emersons are now renting it. Note Cecil's role. If a previous classmate has written something you consider an error, respectfully suggest a correction.
2. What was Cecil's motivation in suggesting the Emersons as tenants to Sir Harry Otway?
3. "He did not realize that Lucy had consecrated her environment by the thousand little civilities that create a tenderness in time . . ." (368): paraphrase, i.e., put this into your own words. If someone else takes this question and you don't disagree but still want to paraphrase it in your own way, please do.
4. Try to explain how Lucy's naming the Emerson's the Harris's continues to matter, if only in s small way.
5. Cecil says, "Anything is fair that punishes a snob" (373) Yet there is evidence to suggest that Cecil himself is a snob. Comment.
6. What what Lucy have been dreaming about on p. 378, and what makes you say so?
7. If none of the above works for you, comment however you like, or ask a question!
2. What was Cecil's motivation in suggesting the Emersons as tenants to Sir Harry Otway?
3. "He did not realize that Lucy had consecrated her environment by the thousand little civilities that create a tenderness in time . . ." (368): paraphrase, i.e., put this into your own words. If someone else takes this question and you don't disagree but still want to paraphrase it in your own way, please do.
4. Try to explain how Lucy's naming the Emerson's the Harris's continues to matter, if only in s small way.
5. Cecil says, "Anything is fair that punishes a snob" (373) Yet there is evidence to suggest that Cecil himself is a snob. Comment.
6. What what Lucy have been dreaming about on p. 378, and what makes you say so?
7. If none of the above works for you, comment however you like, or ask a question!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A Room With A View Chapter 8
1. Would you say that the Honeychurch family is a happy one, given what we learn in this chapter?
2. Lucy agrees to marry Cecil Vyse. What do you think of him?
3. In working out the meanings of this particular text--this novel--why might it be imporetant to decide how we like a given character, such as Cecil Vyse?
4. Has Lucy's kite string broken (cf. Mr. Beebe's description of Lucy as the kite, Charlotte Barlett as the person holding the kite). Mr. Beebe says that the string had not broken while Lucy was in Florence. Has it now?
5. Knowing Lucy as we do, why would she accept Cecil as a suitor?
2. Lucy agrees to marry Cecil Vyse. What do you think of him?
3. In working out the meanings of this particular text--this novel--why might it be imporetant to decide how we like a given character, such as Cecil Vyse?
4. Has Lucy's kite string broken (cf. Mr. Beebe's description of Lucy as the kite, Charlotte Barlett as the person holding the kite). Mr. Beebe says that the string had not broken while Lucy was in Florence. Has it now?
5. Knowing Lucy as we do, why would she accept Cecil as a suitor?
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