Discussion Question: Matthew Parasch

In "a Wagner Matinee" Clark's aunt begins to break down during the performance.  Give an explanation for this.  Do you think it was because she forgot how much she loved music or does she feel like she threw music out of her life for thirty years and is now regretting it.

Discussion question: Matthew Parasch

In "A Pair of Silk Stockings", Mrs. Sommers decides to spend the money for herself and not for her children as she initially intended.  Will this affect her decisions in the future for shopping? Will she feel guilt for what she did?

Joseph Rogers

When Mrs Sommer found 15 dollars she sent it for stuff she wanted. Do you think you would do the same thing?  What would you spend it on? Explain Why?

Libby P.

Do you think Granny still loved George, or do you think she really had forgotten about him?  Explain.

Gina Pedrotty's Disscussion Question

In the story, A Pair of Silk Stockings, why do you think Mrs. Sommers bought everything for herself after she made plans to treat her family with new items? Do you think this is selfish or is it justified? What would you do if you came into some money?

Emiy Rosenstein Question

In the story of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall", Do you think Granny Weatherall would have been a nicer person to her family and the ones around her if she wasn't left at the alter? Why or why not?

Tyler Price's Discussion Question

I the story, "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," what is the significance of the light Granny blows out at the end of the story?

Annie Reuther's Disscussion Question

In the story "The Jiliting of Granny Weatherall" why do you think that Granny is still talking about George on her death bed? Do you think that shows you how much she really cared for and how much he broke her heart? Do you think Granny still cared for him before she died?
Explain your answer.

Kara N's Discussion Question

What details about Mrs. Sommers's earlier life might help explain the motivation for her shopping spree?

Megan Robison's Discussion Question

Compare Aunt Georgiana from "A Wagner Matinee" to Grandfather from "The Leader of the People." In what ways have their backgrounds affected them? Are they appreciated by their families? How is Clark's relationship with Aunt Georgiana similar or different to Jody's relationship with his grandfather?

Kelly O'Brien's Discussion Question

After reading "A Wagner Matinee," do you think Aunt Georgiana regrets leaving Boston for Nebraska. Why or why not?

Abby Primo's discussion question

After reading "A Wagner Matinee", discuss the influence of music in your life.  Does music bring tears to your eyes or is it just a joy to listen to?  Explain.  Does it take you away from the real world for a while like it did for Georgiana?  Why?

Chris Primo's Discussion Question

After reading Soldier's Home, discuss how warfare changes soldiers mentally.  Use examples from the story to back up your answer.  If you disagree with how warfare changes soldiers mentally, then explain why you think this is so.

Kohlberg's Question

In "Winter Dreams," Judy is clearly the love of Dexter's life whom he is never able to let go of. Would you consider Dexter's feelings for Judy as adorable and chivalrous or pathetic and creepy?

Joe Siegel (in response to Sam Koltun's discussion Question. Huzzah)

I think Krebs' father probably didn't let him take the car out because either the car was very expensive, he didn't feel Krebs had earned it, or both. After Krebs had come back from the war, Krebs' father might have thought that his son had been through enough to earn driving his car around.

Sam Koltun- Discussion Question 1/24

Why do you think that Krebs' father never let him take the car out before? Why do you think that he wanted Krebs to take the car out when he got back?

Emily Melz's Discussion Question

In "Winter Dreams", Dexter dreamed of a life with Judy, but his dream didn't come true. In "Leader of the People", Jody dreamed of leading people somewhere himself, just like his grandfather led people westward, but his grandfather told him there is nowhere to lead people to. Both Dexter and Jody had their dreams taken away. What do you think these authors are trying to say about dreams? That they are unrealistic? Are they worth pursuing even if you might fail in the end? Explain.

Joe Lawrence's Discussion Question: Leader of the People

Today in our society, Do you think that people appreciate the history and story telling of their elders as Jody does or do you think that people react as Carl does? Explain

Katy Mosley Discussion Question

In the short story Winter Dreams, compare and contrast how Dexter feels towards Judy versus Irene. Who would he rather be with? Why?

Zack Mushinski's Discussion Question

In Winter Dreams Dexter wants to marry Judy throughout the entire story.  Do you think he would have been happier at the end if he had married her? Why or why not?

Andrew Manott's Discussion Question

After reading "Winter Dreams", do you think that Dexter was a fool for trying to go for Judy? After everything that she had put him through, why do you think Dexter continued to pursue Judy?

Jennifer Kraemer' Discussion Question

In the story “Leader of The People” how do you think you would react if you were in Jody’s place? Having a Grandfather that continually tells the same stories of his past, do you think you would react with patience, interest, annoyance? How would you deal with the situation? Would you be more like Jody, Carl, Mrs. Tiflin or Billy?

Max Nutter's Discussion Question: To Build A Fire

Based upon your reading of To Build A Fire, how do you think you would have reacted if you were placed into the traveler's shoes, moving across the Yukon in such extreme weather and attempting to build a fire to save your life after having fallen into freezing water? Do you think you could have mirrored the traveler's calm reaction to the situation? Why or why not? 

Drew McAllister's Discussion Question

In the story To Build a Fire, author Jack London uses Charles Darwin's servival of the fittest theory as one of the driving themes. The example being the man not being able to survive in the cold of the winter forest while the dog could because it had adapted and the man did not. How have you seen this theme in practice eather in nature or in your every day life?

Megan Robison

Response to Katrina

I don't think Salinger and I would get along. We are both very strong-willed and stubborn, and when you put two people like that together, they usually just end up arguing. Salinger was very deep and thoughtful; he hated phoniness, and he looked for a reason in doing everything. If he felt that something wasn't worth doing, he didn't do it. Like school, for example. Salinger didn't see the point of school, so he just didn't try and ended up flunking out. I, on the other hand, will do things just because. I don't need a rhyme or reason to. I do things just because they're fun, or because I'm bored. Sure, I can think deeply and profoundly when I feel like doing so, but not all the time. Sometimes its good to just switch that part of my brain off and relax. And I actually try very hard to maintain good grades in school, because I don't see the point of slacking off. My family is paying good money for me to get an education; I might as well get my money's worth.
Salinger and I also have very different ideas on society and conformity. Salinger seemed to view both as pure evil, but I really don't. Sure, there are things I really dislike about society, but it's not ALL bad. And conformity is necessary sometimes too. I mean, it's good to stand out and be your own individual and everything, but there are times when it is necessary to follow the crowd.
If I did get the chance to have a conversation with Salinger, I think I'd ask him about the war. It seems to have been a traumatic experience for him, so he'd probably have some interesting stories to tell.

Megan Robison

Response to Carlye:

I think that Mr. Hooper had some self-confidence issues. He had something (or maybe a few things) in his past that he was ashamed of, and wanted a way of reassuring himself that people could still like him despite the mistake(s) he'd made. He wanted to see if people would still care about him if they knew his shame. I think he chose the wrong way of going about this, though. It brought him a lot of attention, but it was the wrong kind of attention. No one really understood what he was doing, so they were afraid of him. I don't think Mr. Hooper realized that no one knew what he was doing, and I think he just thought they were ashamed of him.  His fiance, Elizabeth, begged him to remove the veil, and he wouldn't. Even though it cost him his marriage, he didn't remove the veil because he couldn't be in a marriage with someone who he believed wouldn't accept his shortcomings. When he was on his deathbed, he finally explained this to the people who were present. He explained that everyone has secrets and scandals in their past, and the reason he wore the veil was to symbolize this.

Gina's Response to Carlye

I first thought that in the story, The Minister’s Black Veil, Mr. Hooper wore the veil to hide some sort of deformity that he had because he was embarrassed. However, as the story progressed I began to think that it was because he was not embarrassed, but ashamed. I think that it was supposed to symbolize the fact that he was not perfect even though he was a Reverend. It was a point that everyone sins, including himself and it is better to show those sins rather than trying your hardest to hide them. I also believe that Mr. Hooper was kind of insane so that also had something to do with the fact that he wore a veil covering his face.

Gina Pedrotty's Response to Cody

I believe that in the short story, The Fall of the House of Usher, the main character, Usher died not from his sister killing him, but rather as he predicted earlier from fear. He buried his twin sister, Madeline, alive which was insanely hard on Usher and caused him much guilt. I think that when realizing what he had done he became overwhelmed with the guilt and fear that someone would find out or rather his sister would come back for him, which she did. She did this, I believe, with determination. I think she wanted to show that she was alive so bad that she forced her way out of the coffin and into the room where Usher was.  However, I do not think that Madeline came back to harm her brother. I mean she would probably be very upset, but I don’t think she tried to kill him.

Kohlberg's response to Chaney

Several explanations for the minister's new look. The first is righteous madness. The minister couldn't mentally cope with the natural immortality of people. The veil was meant to tell people how even a clergyman was a sinner and that all people ought to hide their sinful selves. I believe, however, the answer lies with guilt. Cooper, being a religious man with an active conscience, felt shame for a sin he had committed much the same as Dimmesdale, a former Hawthorne character.

Abby Primo response to Grojean

I like the amount of description of Poe's short stories.  It makes the dramatic buildup so much better because you know exactly whast is going on because of the detailed description.  As for the setting, I love how descriptive he is.  First of all, it shows off what a writing talent he has.  Second of all, it helps me picture what the place looks like.  It is honestly less work for me to imagine something on my own since Poe has already described it for me.

Abby Primo's response to Dacus

I think that Usher knew that his sister was alive.  I think he knew because he did not bury her in the ground.  I know he did not want her body to get stolen, but I also think he did not want to bury his sister alive--out of sympathy or insanity I am not sure.  Another reason I think he buried his sister alive was out of insanity.  He gave me the vibe that he was insane throughout this story.  I just think he was not in his right mind and decided she was dead and put her in a coffin.

Discussion Question: Kate Antor

Between "Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Minister's Black Veil", which short story do you favor and why?

Katy Mosley

Resonse to Chaney:
I believe the minister wore his black veil because of a self-committed sin that is darker than anyone can imagine. I believe this not only because they alluded to it in the story by having multiple theories from the townspeople saying that they thought he wore it to hide his hidden sin just like the rest of them. The minister said that the rest of the town, like him, had sins hidden behind a veil that they weren't admitting. The other evidence I have is that Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer of the Scarlet Letter also had the theme of "hidden sin" when the minister in the story had a secret affair with a woman and she wore the sin in the form of a scarlet A, this could also be a theme of a hidden sin in the form of a black veil.

Max Nutter

Answer to Lauren Corley:
I think that Usher felt relieved when he was burying Madeline alive because he did not want to see her suffer and die from her sickness. While Usher did feel guilty for doing so, he probably saw burying her alive as the only solution to the emotional pain he endured as he watched her slowly die. He knew that Madeline was going to die eventually and he did not want to have to watch that process or look upon her corpse. The text states how Usher's depression was only worsened because of the bond he shared with Madeline, his twin sister, and the sorrow he felt for her sickness. Later, Usher did go into hysterics and apologized for knowingly burying her alive, making it clear that, while he was hoping to be relieved of his suffering by burying Madeline before her death, he could not escape his guilt for doing so.  

Max Nutter

Answer to Cody Gardner's Question:
In The Fall Of The House Of Usher, I think that Usher was scared to death by the appearance of Madeline. Usher stated that he had knowingly buried Madeline alive and the guilt of doing so sent him into hysterics. Unsure of whether or not she would live or die, when Usher did see Madeline freed from her coffin and in her bloody state, his terror and guilt killed him. Madeline's reappearance made Usher's fears come to life so, in a way, she was the cause of his death. I think that Madeline fought her way out of the grave. When she reappeared, she was described as appearing bloody and I think that came from Madeline's forcing her way out of her coffin and through the house to the room where Usher was hiding.

Discussion question Gaal

Why did the minister wear a veil? Was there any good outcome from this?

Discussion Question Grojean

Do you like the amount of description Poe puts into his story?  What does it do for the setting of the short  story?

Will Dacus Discussion Question

Do you think that it is possible that with Ushers disease and having sensitive senses that he could have known that he was burying his sister alive. If he could have why do you think that he might have.

Discussion Question- Lauren Corley

How did Usheer feel about burying Madeline alive knowing she wasn't really dead? Use examples from the story to justify your answer.

Discussion Question : Cody Gardner

How do you think that Usher died in the Fall of the House of Usher. Do you think that his sister Madeline killed him? How do you think that Madeline came back from the grave?

Carlye Chaney's Discussion Question

In the story The Minister's Black Veil, why do you think that Mr. Hooper wears the black veil? How did you come to your conclusion? And is there any evidence in the text to support your reasoning?

Discussion Question: Week of 1/17- Katrina Hauser

Using your accumulated knowledge from research on your American author, decide whether or not you would befriend your author. What characteristics do they possess (as evidence from either biographical information or references from their works) that you would enjoy or dislike? Would they be someone you would get along with, someone you would find rather confusing, etc? If you were to sit down and have dinner with them (assuming they were still alive), what would you talk to them about/ask them?

Discussion Question- Michael Klein

Explain how Edgar Allan Poe uses the literary element of setting to create an atmosphere of terror and dread in The Fall of the House of Usher. Use examples from the text.

Discussion Question 1/17--Anne Donahue

Question: Is Usher's sister real or a ghost? How would she be considered a ghost? Explain your answer using examples from the short story. No answer is wrong.

(In our class, Nick was certain the sister was a ghost. I want to know if anybody else saw this as Nick did.)

Edgar Allen Poe's Writing Style by Frankie Frisch

First analyze Edgar Allen Poe's writing style using The Fall of the House of Usher as a way to prove your analysis. Then make an argument about how the story fits into Poe's normal writing style.

American Values in Rip Van Winkle - Megan Robison

The two American Values that I noticed in the story of Rip Van Winkle were pleasure and freedom. Rip is a lot like today's Americans in regards to pleasure. He had an "aversion to all kinds of profitable labor," and although he was a hard worker, the only time he got things done was when he was supposed to be doing something else. This reminds me a lot of the modern habit of "productive procrastinating."For example, I have a tendency of reorganizing my closet whenever I have a big school project to do. Americans also get a lot of pleasure out of sleeping (particularly sleeping IN), and can probably relate to Rip's confusion after sleeping for far too long (I'm sure everyone has, at some point in his or her life, woken up at 4pm and wondered where the heck the day went).
The American value of freedom is covered in two ways in Rip Van Winkle. First, Rip is the victim of a wife who is bordering on verbally abusive. After waking up and realizing he can actually do what he wants without being criticized, he almost doesn't know what to do with himself. His freedom from the scrutiny of his wife parallels with the Americans' release from the British government, both of which happen while Rip is fast asleep.

Theme of Rip Van Winkle and Relativity in today's world -- Anne Donahue

What is the theme in Rip Van Winkle? Is the theme still valid in today's world?
After reading this selection, I have come to the conclusion that the recurring theme of Rip Van Winkle is to not only not let life pass you by, but also to care about people while they are with you. Don't let life pass you by means don't just sit around and let life happen without you. Although it is impossible for a man to sleep for 20 years without being in a coma, I believe the story is exaggerating Rip's past. I could see Rip being a man who helped others, and nothing else...eventually letting life pass by and one day "waking up" and noticing all the changes. The other theme fo caring for the people who love in the present, not the future, just means not taking people for granted. Although he had a family, he didn't pay them much attention. He didn't like his wife, and never spent time with his own children. Instead, he always was willing to help the neighbors when they asked and he loved playing with the neighborhood children. Again, this could be an exxageration of Rip's past, and instead it could just be that Rip didn't love his family as much and he didn't spend much time with them. Both of these themes are still valid in this world today. Although I think not many people let life pass them by anymore, I do know that the loving your family theme is more viable in today's world. Not many teenagers these days take the time to spend time with their families. When they go off into the world, they don't have that same connectiona and love for one another, and sometimes it makes situations hard.

Emily T. - Answer to #1

#1: Is Rip Van Winkle a satire? What evidence of satire do you find in the story? What is the object under attack?
I believe that the story of Rip van Winkle is a satire. The author is taking the laziness of Rip van Winkle, exagerating it, and, in a way, making fun of it. It would be impossible for someone to actually sleep 20 years without any sort of nurishment like Rip van Winkle did. The author seems to be taking a shot at those who refuse to do anything productive and who possibly let those who depend on them suffer because of it. The author seems ot trying to communicate that you should go out and be productive; otherwise, you'll end wasting your life as it passes you by.

What is the theme of Rip Van Winkle? Is it still relevant today?

I believe that the theme of the story Rip Van Winkle is that you should not let life pass you by or don’t take what you have for granted. In this story Rip Van Winkle misses a lot in his life, and even though he wasn’t ecstatically happy in his life I think Rip was still upset that his life passed him by. When Rip woke up from his 20 year nap his first thought was what was his wife thinking about him not coming home all night. Little did he know she was gone, and it had really been 20 years. I believe that this theme is still relevant today. Many people may not sleep their life away, but they sure do waste moments that could be so special to them. Living life is a part of life and if you are not living then why are you here at all?

- Gina Pedrotty

Joe S.

Rip Van Winkle doesn't reflect the values of Romantic literature, it reflects the values of Ironic literature. Rip Van Winkle isn't a hero, just a character whose family doesn't even like him. He doesn't really accomplish anything, or reach any goal. In fact, no goal is really even presented throughout the story. It's not romantic, it's ironic.

Discussion question #5 1/9

Does a hierarchy of thinking like Bloom's taxonomy make sense to you? What are some circumstances in which it might be interesting or useful to consider whether a person is using lower or higher levels of thought?

Discussion question #4 1/9

What American values are evident in the myth of Rip van Winkle?

Discussion question #3 1/9

What is the theme of Rip van Winkle? Is this theme still relevant today?

Discussion Question #2 1/9

In what ways does Rip van Winkle reflect the characteristics of romantic literature?

Discussion Question #1 1/9

Is Rip Van Winkle a satire? What evidence of satire do you find in the story? What is the object under attack?

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