Today we're going to try something different and let YOU run the discussion.
Along with your group members, I want you to compose one discussion question EACH for the three stories we read for today. Your discussion question should address a central ambiguity or unanswered question that the story poses implicitly. A good short story should leave the reader thinking, and your question should get to the root of what the author wants the reader to be thinking about when s/he finishes the story. Your question should also be framed in terms of some specific formal feature of the text; in other words, how does the AUTHOR (rather than one of the characters) shape the question and/or point the reader in a specific direction.
Post your questions as a comment on this post; please note your group number somewhere in the comment. You will have 15 minutes to complete this exercise.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. Based on the way the author characterizes the characters in The River, how do you think they would react to Bevel's death?
ReplyDelete2. The narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart is telling this story from retrospect, and asking many rhetorical questions. Where do you think he's writing from? Who is his intended audience?
3. How does the authors choice for the narrator of Haircut to directly address the reader affect the tone of the story? What does it say about the narrator and his filter?
^^^ Group 7
Delete1. Bevel's parents would be sad that he had died but they would still continue on with their lives. Mrs. Connin would be sad but would blame it on their parents and rationalize that Bevel had moved on to heaven. The Preacher would feel bad about the kid's death but he would not think that he had any role in the death.
Delete2. The narrator of the Tell-Tale Heart is writing from an insane asylum and the entire time he is writing he is trying to convince the audience that he had rational thought behind the murder and he is not insane. He was most likely writing to himself because he is trying to rationalize to himself his crimes and explain to himself why he committed the murder and tell himself he is not crazy.
3. The narrator of the Haircut makes the tone of the story less serious than the subject matter really is. The narrator has a limited filter that shows that the narrator is not that smart and has a more positive outlook on the people in his community.
Group 8 -
ReplyDeleteQuestion for The River:
What is the significance of the narrator interchanging between the two names of the boy (Bevel and Harry)?
Question for The Tell-Tale Heart:
What was the relationship between the narrator and the old man? What would change if the old man was his father?
Question for Haircut:
Why did the author choose to write from only the perspective of the barber? How could the story have been different from another character’s perspective, or written as a dialogue, rather than a monologue?
Question for The River:
DeleteWhat is the significance of the narrator interchanging between the two names of the boy (Bevel and Harry)?
Bevel/Harry does not want to be associated with his family because he is ashamed of what his parents represent, or maybe he is trying to figure out his identity. He is confused by his parents and the religious overtones his babysitter presented and is trying to figure out who he is. The narrator describes his transition into the religious life and signifies the importance of religion. He wants the opportunity to choose a different path and become who he wants to be rather than follow in his parent’s footsteps.
Question for The Tell-Tale Heart:
What was the relationship between the narrator and the old man? What would change if the old man was his father?
The narrator and the old man live in the same house, so they probably already have a family connection. Maybe he never got along with his father, so that’s why he killed him, or he doesn’t have a stable mental state. If the old man was his father, more questions would rise about their relationship and his mental state in general.
Question for Haircut:
Why did the author choose to write from only the perspective of the barber? How could the story have been different from another character’s perspective, or written as a dialogue, rather than a monologue?
It would be an interesting way to see the person who is getting their hair cut’s perspective. We would have more ideas of what is going through their mind as you hear all the gossip from the barbers. It would also be more humorous to see both sides of the conversation. We would be better able to understand what the person thinks about the small talk that occurs between him and the barber and how that contributes to their responses, and irony would become more apparent. It would also be interesting to see what the rest of the town thought about Jim
^^^Group 3
DeleteGroup 3:
ReplyDeleteTHE RIVER: How does the author develop the idea of parenting and religion being interconnected and how it leads to the search for something else?
Can religion replace family?
THE TELL-TALE HEART: Poe claims that every element of a good story contributes to a single effect. In this story, the effect is psychological. How does he show this through his writing and how is it relevant?
HAIRCUT: Barbers and hairstylists generally talk and elaborate on the concept of small talk - descriptive but pointless stories. This is done to maintain some sort of “relationship” between the client and the barber to prevent the entire haircut process from being awkward. How does the author relate the speaker’s personality to that of a classic barber? How does this affect his perception of Jim?
GROUP 7 RESPONSES
DeleteThe River: The author definitely shows that there is a correlation between parenting and religion; Harry/Bevel's parents lack parenting skills and neglect him and they also lack a religious aspect of their lives. Mrs. Connin, however, seems to be very religious and acts as more of a parent to Harry/Bevel by nurturing him.
In our opinion, religion cannot replace family. This is perhaps best shown by Harry/Bevel's attempt to replace his family by going in the river to find the "Kingdom of Christ" and ends up dying as a result.
The Tell-Tale Heart: The psychological effect that Poe achieves through his writing is that the narrator is insane. This is shown by implicit details such as the narrator's nervous ticks, rhetorical questions, the description in how he amputates the old man's body, and the evidence that his senses are hyperaware (best shown through how he can hear the heart beating after the old man is dead). These details that Poe includes through his writing illustrates that, yes, the narrator is crazy and obviously insane, but he is rational in his own way. This odd psychological state is perplexing and leaves a lasting effect on the reader.
Haircut: The speaker has a very casual and informal tone and speaks colloquially. He addresses his audience directly and tries to include them in his story, much like a barber would to a client. He also skips around between describing the setting, the characters, and the plot of his story, which is reminiscent of the way many people recount stories especially while they are preoccupied doing something else (in this case, cutting a client's hair). The speaker's perception of Jim is affected in this way because it is revealed through the story that he typically only sees Jim while he is in the barber shop; it is easy to be cordial and amiable in such a short time frame in a public place. Combined with the fact that Jim seems to be charismatic and probably reciprocated the same friendliness that the speaker gave him while cutting his hair, the speaker arrives at the conclusion that Jim is a good guy at heart, relying only on his experience in the barber shop instead of Jim's actions outside of the shop that obviously reveal him to be far from a good guy.
1.) Does the narrator believe in the authenticity of Bevel the preacher?
ReplyDelete2.) Is the man the narrator killed his father and does it matter either way?
3.) Did the doctor play a role in Jim's death?
GROUP 1
1) To some extent, we feel that the narrator is split on her opinion of the preacher and religion as a whole. She reveals that goodness of religion through her characterization of Mrs. Connin. She takes the preacher very seriously and seems to gleam revelation from him. At the same time, the preacher's service has lacks a serious and genuine feeling. Everything feels silly and almost fake in its ceremony.
Delete2) We do not believe that the man that the narrator kills is his father. If the man was then it would add a whole different dimension to the story. It would lead the reader to long for more context. Why did he target his father? We believe that it wouldn't change the plot line, but it would change the reader's perceptive of the story.
3) The doctor did have a role in Jim's death because he talked to Paul about all the things Jim had done to people and had Paul kill Jim on the boat.
^^ Group 5
DeleteGroup 5:
ReplyDelete"The River":
What is the author's motive for giving the little boy two names? What point is the author trying to make by juxtaposing these two names?
"The Tell Tale Heart":
Why does the narrator cut the old man's body instead of just bury or hide it? What does Poe reveal about the narrator through this detail?
"The haircut":
Often times people hide behind comedy to mask a deep insecurity. How does the author portray Jim and his prankster tendencies? Does he use these tactics to mask an deep inner hurt?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteGroup 8 Response:
DeleteAnswer to "The River":
The two names represented the boy trying to break out of his old mold. He called himself Bevel, but his parents always called him Harry. Other than the fact that the boy is given two different names (one of the preacher and one from his parents), Juxtaposition is not apparent because the names themselves do not represent contrasting ideas.
Answer to "The Tell Tale Heart":
“If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.”
He cuts up the body as a precautionary step for concealing the body.
Although crazy, the narrator is meticulous and precautionary.
Answer to "The Haircut":
The narrator portrays Jim and his prankster tendencies as just another good joke, and that Jim is actually a good person at heart. He does not use these tactics to mask a inner hurt; it is just that his perspective is veiled, and that veil remains permanent after Jim’s death.
Group 6
ReplyDeleteThe River: Why does Mr. Paradise take interest in going after Bevel? He seemed apathetic the whole time towards the older Mr. Bevel, so how come he shows interest in the end?
The Tell-Tale Heart: Do you think that the police officers knew about his mental state, and were waiting for him to wind out of control by staying in his home to chat with him? How does the narrator's view of the situation change the way that we perceive the story?
Haircut: What is Doc Stair's role in the story, and what is his purpose as a recurring character? What do you think his ultimate role in Jim's death is, if any?
Group 6 Questions answered by group 2
DeleteThe River: Why does Mr. Paradise take interest in going after Bevel? He seemed apathetic the whole time towards the older Mr. Bevel, so how come he shows interest in the end?
Mr. Paradise has an ear that is damaged that can not be cured through the style of healing that the preacher uses. Therefore, Mr. Paradise holds a grudge toward Mr. Bevel because he believes that Mr. Bevel only wishes to use his perceived power over the people to make money. On the contrary, little Harry (Bevel) is duped by Mr. Bevel’s methods and this coupled with Harry being a child causes Mr. Paradise to pity Harry. Not to mention Mr. Paradise would find it irregular for a child to be wandering down a country road alone when he is known to be from the inner-city (220).
The Tell-Tale Heart: Do you think that the police officers knew about his mental state, and were waiting for him to wind out of control by staying in his home to chat with him? How does the narrator's view of the situation change the way that we perceive the story?
There is not enough evidence in the text to suggest that the police officers were doing anything but a normal investigation. However, the narrator’s description of his acting skills may have been as believable as he suggests. The narrator’s constant reemphasizing of his ability to remain calm is underscored by the manic manner in which he talks about it. This suggests that narrator’s paranoia is what caused his mind to go out of control and finally confess his actions. His loss of control reveals that his facade was not nearly as obscuring as the narrator says.
Haircut: What is Doc Stair's role in the story, and what is his purpose as a recurring character? What do you think his ultimate role in Jim's death is, if any?
Doc Stair’s role in the story is the new doctor in town, and he keeps reappearing throughout the story because he played a role in the death of Jim. Doc Stair and Paul probably planned the death of Jim out and made it seem accidental. Doc Stair is a foil character for Jim, who ultimately leads to his demise. I think that the Doc set up the shooting out on the river. It seems he had some involvement. He told Paul that Jim was a bad person and maybe did not tell him explicitly to shoot jim, but maybe set up the situation so it was a possibility Paul would shoot Jim.
Group 2
ReplyDeleteThe River: Why does the narrator follow Harry’s lead of calling him Bevel? Does anything suggest that Bevel is behaving in a different way than Harry would?
The Tell-Tale Heart: Identify why the narrator seems so detached from the story, despite the way that the story is told in the first person. It may also help to discuss the narrator’s separation of the identity of the old man from the curse that is the eye.
Haircut: Examine the methods that the narrator uses to describe Paul. Identify passages that suggest that the shooting of Jim was an accident, and identify sentences to the contrary that suggest that Paul infact shot Jim on purpose. After analyzing this data, decide if Doc Stair arrange the murder of Jim, if Paul arranged the murder, or if it was an accidental shooting.
The River: Bevel seems to be an alter ego of Harry. Harry is very obedient and quiet, while Bevel steals things and is kind of goofy throughout the story. Maybe the narrator is using Bevel instead of Harry to help the reader understand the difference between the two personalities. Harry wouldn't act the way that Bevel did. He lets the pig out of the pen even though he wasn't supposed to and he takes the handkerchief and the bible. Also, he could have heard the way Mrs. Connin was bragging about the older Bevel. Maybe he thought he could be great too if his name was also Bevel.
DeleteThe Tell-Tale Heart: He doesn't seem attached to the old man, but instead the story of how he killed the old man. He seems sociopathic in a way since he doesn't express feelings about the situation at all; this could cause some detachment.
Haircut: Paul is described as a half-wit. Easy to manipulate and influence. The paragraph where the shooting is describes sounds like an accident because Paul had never used a gun before, and Jim gave the gun to someone who probably shouldn't have been holding one, from our prior info about Paul. However, the behavior of Doc and how he seemed nervous and asked for paul on the last page, and when he declared it an accident instantly upon seeing Jim, implies that he put Paul up to the shooting since he is easy to manipulate.
^^ answered by group 6
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete