OK - Guys. Answer one of the pre-reading questions (which are really great, by the way). Then go ahead and do your first reading. This is for the next class.
Prereading Questions
1. Is it better to confront unpleasant circumstances squarely, or to minimize problems by putting on a happy face?
2. In what ways might children be wiser than their parents?
3. Have you ever wanted to teach another persona a good "lesson" about himself or herself?
4. What is self-deception?
5. Why do people sometimes find it easier to live in the past than in the present?
6. Should we accept those we love as they are, or should we try to change their faults?
Interpretive Note Source (Second Reading)
Mark places where Julian is being himself and places where he is being dominated by his mother.
Interpretive Questions for Discussion
1. Why does Julian's mother become so upset that she suffers a stroke?
2. Why is the black woman enraged at her son's behavior with Julian's mother?
3. Why does O'Connor have Julian's mother and the black woman wear the same hats?
4. Why do both Julian and his mother revert to childhood at the end of the story?
5. Why does Julian have fantasies about black people?
6. why is the black child attracted to Julian's mother?
7. Why does Julian's mother play with the black child and try to give him a coin?
8. Why does Julian speak of his grandfather's mansion with contempt but think of it with longing?
9. Why is Julian annoyed by the fact that his mother can put a bright face on her suffering?
10. Why are Julian's efforts to communicate with black people unsuccessful?
11. Why does Julian insist that he sees his mother with "absolute clarity"? (155)
12. Who deals better with change, Julian or his mother?
13. Why does Julian feel free only when he withdraws?
14. Why can't Julian break away from his mother? Why can he oppose her, but not break with her?
15. Why is Julian depressed by everything that gives his mother pleasure?
16. Why does Julian want to break his mother's spirit? (153)
17. Why is Julian unwilling to let his mother live in the "fantasy world" of the past? (155)
18. Why does Julian never do any of the things he dreams about? Why is he unable to put his noble ideas into action?
Passages for Textual Analysis
Page 152: beginning, "Well let's talk about something pleasant," and ending, "She called her insensitivity 'being adjustable."
Pages 155 - 156 beginning, "Behind the newspaper Julian was withdrawing into the inner compartment," and ending, "He was not dominated by his mother."
Pages 164-167: beginning, "He picked up her pocketbook," to the end of the story.
Post-Discussion Writing
1. If you were writing an advice column, what would you say to Julian and his mother to help them get along better?
2. How much respect should children show their parents when they think their parents are wrong?
3. When is a person really "grown up"?
4. Have you ever had Julian's experience of thinking you could see clearly, when in fact you were blind?
5. Is Julian or his mother more responsible for their unhappy relationship?
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
here is my question and answer to our discussion questions.
Can nature ever answer questions that are not asked?
Usually when someone asks a question there is some reason behind it. For example, when the Greeks asked how far the sun was from Earth, they had a reason to find an answer to their question. This is also the case whenever a scientist come up with a hypothesis and needs to prove it. They go to great lengths conducting numerous experiments to prove this theory. Sometimes they are successful, a lot of times they aren’t.
But what is the case when a question is never asked? Can it still be answered? I think that in some instances this could be true, but it would probably be very hard to find such an example. Even the context surrounding this question that I’m trying to answer had to be asked by somebody, and I’m the one that is trying to answer it.
This reminds me of the brain teaser question that asks if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? The same basic concept applies here; how is it that we would be able to know if nature has answered a question that hasn’t been asked? Even though we’re not there to hear the question doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been asked or answered.
I’m not saying that it’s impossible for nature to answer a question that hasn’t been asked, simply that we may not be aware of it happening around us.
Can nature ever answer questions that are not asked?
Usually when someone asks a question there is some reason behind it. For example, when the Greeks asked how far the sun was from Earth, they had a reason to find an answer to their question. This is also the case whenever a scientist come up with a hypothesis and needs to prove it. They go to great lengths conducting numerous experiments to prove this theory. Sometimes they are successful, a lot of times they aren’t.
But what is the case when a question is never asked? Can it still be answered? I think that in some instances this could be true, but it would probably be very hard to find such an example. Even the context surrounding this question that I’m trying to answer had to be asked by somebody, and I’m the one that is trying to answer it.
This reminds me of the brain teaser question that asks if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? The same basic concept applies here; how is it that we would be able to know if nature has answered a question that hasn’t been asked? Even though we’re not there to hear the question doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been asked or answered.
I’m not saying that it’s impossible for nature to answer a question that hasn’t been asked, simply that we may not be aware of it happening around us.
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