I am woman....hear me roar.....
9 years ago
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
What did you know before?
A classic is something everyone thinks they should read, but no one has. Mark Twain. What, if anything, did you know about John Bunyan’s classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress before reading it?
Off the path
Christian and Hopeful accidentally leave the narrow path and enter By-path Meadow. They hardly knew they had done it until they find themselves in danger. Have you ever been surprised to find yourself walking a different path than the one God put you on?
Ignorance
Why do you think Bunyan chose to end the first part of his book with the damnation of Ignorance, a relatively minor character, rather than the arrival of Christian in the Celestial City?
Caricatures
Bunyan's characters are universal. They are types or caricatures which can be found in all times and places. Can you think of people you know who could step into the shoes of characters like Talkative and Ignorance? Did other characters remind you of people in your real life?
An encouragement to believers?
The Pilgrim’s Progress is not intended as a gospel tract. Most of the story is about Christian’s journey. Bunyan intended for the story of Christian and Christiana’s journey to be an encouragement to believers and to stir the apathetic to take action and to grow in their Christian journey. Do you think he succeeded?
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thoughts
What are your thoughts on this book? Was there anything you wanted to talk about that wasn't mentioned in the other questions?
Hilly
What do you think motivated Hilly? On one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can't control her. Yet she's a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother and, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?
Skeeters mom
Skeeter's mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter- and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives Constantine is untenable, and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter's mother is a sympathetic or an unsympathetic character? Why?
the times
How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which he or she lives?
Stuart
Did it bother you that Skeeter was willing to overlook so many of Stuart's faults so that she could get married, and that it wasn't until he literally got up and walked away that the engagement fell apart?
Mae
Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent or taught?
Aibileen
The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?
Minny's pie
What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?
Friday, September 9, 2011
September 2011: What are you reading?
If you have chosen to skip Water for Elephants this month what are you reading instead? Tell us what you have read this month and what you thought of it!
September 2011: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
As you all know from the email I sent around I will not have discussion questions up for this book. If you have read it or read part of it feel free to discuss in the comments.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Conflicts
What are the conflicts in A Wrinkle in Time? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional)?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
No name
Du Maurier admitted that her heroine has no name because she could never think of an appropriate one—which in itself is a telling comment. What effect does it have on the novel that the new Mrs. de Winters has no first name?
The heroine
What kind of character is our heroine—as she presents herself at the beginning of her flashback? Describe her and her companion, Mrs. Hopper.
Maxim de Winter
What kind of character is Maxim de Winter, and why does a man of his stature fall in love with the young heroine? What draws him to her?
Max description
The heroine describes Maxim thus: "His face...was arresting, sensitive, medieval in some strange inexplicable way...rob him of his English tweeds, and put him in black, with lace at his throat and wrists, he would stare down at us in our new world from a long distant past—a past where men walked cloaked at night, and stood in the shadow of old doorways, a past of narrow stairways and dim dungeons, a past of whispers in the dark, of shimmering rapier blades, of silent, exquisite courtesy." Why is this an apt description? In other words, how does it set the tone and foretell the events of the novel?
relationship changes
In what way does the relationship between the young heroine and Maxim change during the months after their arrival to Manderley?
Mrs. Danvers
What role does Mrs. Danvers play in this story—in her relationships to the characters (dead and alive) and also in relation to the suspense within the novel?
Rebecca
What is the heroine led to believe about Rebecca? In what way does the dead woman exert power over Manderley? At this point, what are your feelings about the new Ms. de Winter? Are you sympathetic toward her plight...or impatient with her lack of assertion? Or are you confused and frightened along with her?
Beatrice and Giles
What is the heroine's relationship with Maxim's sister Beatrice and her husband Giles? What about the advice Beatrice offers the heroine?
very different from Rebecca
Both Beatrice and Frank Crawley talk to the heroine about Rebecca. Beatrice tells the heroine, "you are so very different from Rebecca." Frank Crawley says that "kindliness, and sincerity, and...modesty...are worth far more to a man, to a husband, than all the wit and beatufy in the world." What are both characters trying to convey to the heroine...and how does she interpret their words?
True nature
What are some of the other clues about Rebecca's true nature that the author carefully plants along the way?
Costume ball
How might the costume ball—and the heroine's appearance in Rebecca's gown—stand as a symbol for young Mrs. de Winter's situation at Manderley?
Surprise
Were you surprised by the twist the plot takes when Rebecca's body is found...and when Maxim finally tells the truth about his and Rebecca's marriage? Did the strange details of plot fall into place for you?
Maxim's revelations
How, if at all, do Maxim's revelations change your attitude toward him? Did you feel relief upon first reading his confessions? Can you sympathsize with his predicament, or do you censure his actions? What do you think of the heroine's reaction? In her place, how might you have reacted?How does this new knowledge alter the heroine's behavior and her sense of herself?
Blackmail
After Favell threatens to blackmail him, Maxim calls on Colonel Julyan. Why? Why does Maxim act in a way that seems opposed to his own best interests?
Rebecca's death
In the end, what really happened to Rebecca? What is the full story of her death? Is it right that Maxim is absolved of any crime? Was he caught in an untenable position? Was Rebecca simply too evil—did she end up getting what she deserved?
The destruction of Manderley
How do you view the destruction of Manderley? Is it horrific...or freeing...or justified vengeance on Rebecca's part? Would the de Winters have had a fulfilling life at Manderley had it not burned?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
thoughts
Do you have any thoughts about this book not covered in the following questions? Discuss them here.
Books and accordians
When Liesel reads aloud to the others in the bomb shelter for the first time, a voice inside her says, "This is your accordion." What does she mean?
Liesel and Max
Do Max and Liesel end up married? I thought maybe they did because in it said, "In her final visions, she saw her three children, her grandchildren, her husband, and the long list of lives that merged with hers. Among them lit like lanterns, were Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her brother, and the boy whose hair remained the color of lemons forever." If Max hadn't been mentioned already as her husband, wouldn't she have mentioned him with the others?
Death
Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death's feelings for each victim? Describe Death's attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, "I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both". What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa, and Hans Hubermann, Max, Rudy, and Mres. Hermann? Why is death haunted by humans?
The Book Thief
The Grave Digger's Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is significant about the titles of the books she steals? Discuss why she hides The Grave Digger's Handbook under her mattress. Describe Hans Hubermann's reaction when he discovers the book. What does the act of book thievery teach Liesel about life and death? Explain Rudy's reaction when he discovers that Liesel is a book thief. How does stealing books from the mayor's house lead to a friendship with the mayor's wife? Explain how Liesel's own attempt to write a book saves her life.
Rosa
Liesel believes that Hans Hubermann's eyes show kindness, and from the beginning she feels closer to him than to Rosa Hubermann. How does Hans gain Liesel's love and trust? Why is it so difficult for Rosa to demonstrate the same warmth toward Liesel? Discuss how Liesel's relationship with Rosa changes by the end of the novel.
Abandonment
Abandonment is a central theme in the novel. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother? Who else abandons Liesel in the novel? Was she abandoned by circumstance or by the heart?
Guilt
Guilt is another recurring theme in the novel. Hans Hubermann's life was spared in France during World War 1 and Erik Vanderburg's life was taken. Explain why Hans feels guilty about Erik's death. Guilt is a powerful emotion that may cause a person to become unhappy and despondent. Discuss how Hans channels his guilt into helping others. Explain Max Vandenburg's thougt, "Living was living. The price was guilt and shame." . Why does he feel guilt and shame?
Liesel and Max
Compare and contrast the lives of Liesel and Max Vandenburg. How does Max's life give Liesel purpose? At what point do Liesel and Max become friends? Max gives Liesel a story called "The Standover Man" for her birthday. What is the significance of this story?
A Mountain to climb
Death says that Liesel was a girl "with a mountain to climb". What is her mountain? Who are her climbing partners? What is her greatest obstacle? At what point does she reach the summit of her mountain? Describe her descent. What does she discover at the foot of her mountain?
Cowards
Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn't belong to the Nazi party. He feels that you are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? There isn't one coward in the Hubermann household. Discuss how they demonstrate courage throughout the novel.
Liesel and Rudy
Describe Liesel's friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn't offer his friendship " for free" (page 51). What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death's statement, "The only thing worse than a boy who hates you is a boy who loves you" Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy? Discuss why Liesel tells Mr. Steiner that she kissed Rudy's dead body.
Foreshadowing
How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story?
Beauty and Brutality
Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality? Discuss how Zusak's poetic writing style enhances the beauty of Liesel's story.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Public
By the way, I have decided to change this blog to public so that if any of you want to recommend it to others and bring in new members it is easy to do so.
The Grandmother
The Grandmother is permanently blind, yet Heidi manages to bring her light. Explain the various ways in which she does this. Why do you think Heidi and Grandmother enjoy each other's company so much?
Dete
Do you think it was right of Dete to leave Heidi with Grandfather? Did she have any other choice? what would you have done in her position?
School
Grandfather wishes to keep Heidi at home rather than send her to school because at home "she is safe and will learn nothing evil." What does he wish to protect her from? Is his caution justified?
Fraulein
Fraulein Rottenmeier tells Heidi that she is an ungrateful child because she wants to return to the mountain. Do you agree?
Homesick
Why do you suppose Heidi is so eager to leave Klara and go home? Why does Klara want her to stay?
The household
Fraulein Rottenmeier and Grandmamma have very different methods of running the household. Who do you think is more effective?
Tutoring
How do the tutor's methods of teaching Heidi to read differ from Grandmamma's methods? Why do you think Grandmamma was so successful?
The ghosts
Were you surprised to find out the true identity of the Ghost? Who did you think it would be? Do you believe in ghosts?
Trip to Frankfurt
In a certain way, Heidi's trip to Frankfurt causes many things to change for the better. What were some of the things that changed? What do you think would have happened if Heidi had not gone away?
Peter
Why doesn't Peter get in trouble for destroying Klara's chair? Do you think he deserved to be rewarded?
Heidi's request
When Grandmamma asks Heidi what she would like, Heidi answers that she wants her bed from Frankfurt sent for Grandmother. What did you expect her to ask for? What would you have requested in her place?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Last Lecture
Did you see Randy Pausch's YouTube video of the Last Lecture? Why do you think his lecture, and the book that followed, struck a chord with so many people?
Self Expression
In the book's introduction, Randy talks about the lecture as a means of expression, and a way to reach his kids: "If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured." There are so many ways to communicate. What are your own avenues for self-expression?
Childhood dreams
What are some of your own childhood dreams? Have you achieved any of them? Are there some you'd revisit now that you're an adult?
Your mentors
Randy names several people in his life who deeply influenced and shaped him. Who are the mentors you turn to in your own life? What have you learned from them?
The Parent Lottery
What details from Randy's childhood do you think led to the successes he had later in life? Are there lessons in Randy's story for people who've had less fulfilling childhoods, or absentee parents? What advice might you give to those who didn't win the "parent lottery"?
Illnesses
Have there been people in your own life who've faced the challenge of serious illness? What did you learn from them? How has Randy's journey made you consider how you'll approach your own mortality?
Parents
Randy says parents don't realize the power of their words: "Depending on a child's age and sense of self, an offhand comment from Mom or Dad can feel like a shove from a bulldozer." Did you ever feel that way as a child? If you're a parent, do you recognize the strength and impact that your words have?
Love
It is clear in the book that Randy and Jai have a deep love for one another. And yet, like other married couples, they've had to work hard on their relationship. Randy's illness also created additional challenges. In reading about how they've faced the issues between them, what did you learn about getting along with others, about mutual respect, and about the power of love?
Tough Love
Randy credits his professor Andy Van Dam, in chapter 14, with telling him the tough-love things he needed to hear. What was it about Dr. Van Dam's delivery and message that resonated with Randy? Who in your own life has told you things about yourself that made you reconsider your actions or behavior?
Wisdom
What wisdom would you choose to impart to the world if it was your last chance? What are the lessons of your own life that you feel would benefit others?
Friday, March 18, 2011
Migrant workers
Why does George say the migrant workers who travel from farm to farm are the loneliest people in the world?
Themes
Many critics consider this one of the greatest short works of fiction of all time. Why do you think they say this? Discuss the themes in this short book: the importance of relationships, responsibility to others, the difference between right and wrong, the evil of opression and abuse. What can we learn from Steinbeck's book?
Visions
When we see Lennie at the pool why does Steinbeck have him imagine Aunt Clara and the rabbit? What does this tell you about Lennie? Is George right when he says, "He never done this to be mean?" Why does Lennie do it?
The pup
What happens when Lennie is alone in the barn in chapter five? How did he kill the pup? What does this tell you about how Lennie responds to what is right and wrong?
Mice
What does the mouse in the first chapter tell you about Lennie? What does it tell you about the relationship of George and Lennie? How does George try to keep Lennie from getting in trouble?
George and Lennie
React to the relationship between George and Lennie. Do you know people that have that kind of relationship?
Sunday, February 27, 2011
None will leave unchanged
There is a promise at the front of the book that none that enter Fablehaven will leave unchanged. How did their experiences at Fablehaven change Seth and Kendra? What do you take from the book?
Conservation
Fablehaven existed to help protect and conserve vanishing magical species. Why would that be worthwhile? Why do you suppose Grandpa Sorenson even wanted to protect the dangerous creatures?
Attributes
Several of the creatures of Fablehaven personified specific attributes. What did the fairies seem to personify? The satyrs? The cliff troll? What are the strengths and weaknesses of those characteristics?
Lena
Lena spent part of her life as a naiad, in an unchanging state. What aspects of mortality did she like? What did she dislike? How do you think she felt about being returned to the water? Was it fair for the fairies to do that?
Risks
Circumstances arose where many of the characters in Fablehaven had to risk their lives. Do you think you would risk your life for anything? If so, what?
Courage
It can be a challenge to find the courage to do what we fear the most. What enabled Kendra to do something that terrified her? What circumstances do you find most intimidating? How do you find the strength to make it through difficult situations?
Decisions
Many of the problems in Fablehaven arose as a result of decisions the characters made, often without bad intentions. Sometimes, what we don't know can hurt us. How was that true for Kendra and Seth? Are there similar examples in the world around you?
Consequences
Consequences serve an essential role for maintaining order and justice and harmony. How do laws help to keep order in Fablehaven? How were Kendra and Seth affected by the consequences of their decisions? How have the consequences of past decisions helped or hindered you?
Rules
Kendra was generally a rule keeper, Seth a rule breaker. How did their attitudes evolve over the course of the book? What are the advantages to both attitudes? Disadvantages?
Obedience
There can be great protection from exact obedience. How was this principle reinforced for Seth? For Kendra? How does this principle of obedience function in your life?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Edgar
Think about Edgar Linton. Is he a sympathetic figure? How does he compare to Heathcliff? Is Catherine really in love with him?
The narrators
How do Mr. Lockwood and Nelly Dean influence the story as narrators? Do you think that they are completely reliable observers? What does Bronte want us to believe?
Heathcliff and Cathy
Do you think that Bronte succeeds in creating three dimensional figures in Heathcliff and Cathy, particularly given their larger-than-life metaphysical passion? Why or why not?
unpleasant
George Barnett Smith describes Wuthering Heights as "perhaps one of the most unpleasant books ever written." What do you think may have troubled Smith, as well as other nineteenth centruy readers of the novel? How might the novel have offended contemporary custodians of morality? In what ways is it subversive? In what ways does it remain unsettling today?
Malevolant Force
William Dean Howells wrote that "a weird malevolance broods over the gloomy drama, and through all plays a force truly demoniacal." Numerous experienced readers have testified to a similar apprehension. How does Emily Bronte create this sense or feeling of a malevolent force?
Location
Virginia Woolf doubted that the setting in Wuthering Heights determined the action. What do you think? Do you agree with her? What do you see the relationship between Wuthering Heights the place and Wuthering Heights the book?
Heathcliff
Can a coherent psychological portrait be drawn of Heathcliff that would account for his character, his motives, his actions? Can you define or describe the complexities of Heathcliff's character?
gift to Baby Jesus
What do the Herdmans give to the Baby Jesus on the night of the pageant? Why does this mean so much? Do you think it shows that they have changed?
Bullies
Have you ever encountered a bully? If so, what did you do? Do you think the Herdmans were handled well?
Prejudices
In the Chamber of Secrets, we discover that Slytherin had wanted Hogwarts to be a school only for full bloods, with no 'mudbloods' admitted. His prejudice against anyone different from himself creates all sorts of problems. How does this attitude compare with real prejudices people have had throughout history, for example against people of 'mixed blood' regarded as inferior?
Foreshadowing
How does the author use foreshadowing to comment on and prepare the reader for the story's defining conflicts? consider the early introduction of Fawkes, the Dursley's hatred of all things magic, and Ginny's dismay when the cat was petrified.
Loyalty
Loyalty is a key attribute of many characters. Who is the most loyal character in your opinion and why?
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