A. Singer: "Henne Fire" 658-665];

1. Gen. Look for examples of Judaism's role in story.

2. Gen. ...examples of folk lit elements (fairy tale, etc.)

3. Gen. ...examples of goodness toward Henne.

4. 662] Why a new house? Is this a good plan?

5. Gen. Are there any possible parallels to Kleist stories?

B. Borowski’s "This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen" 110-121] ;

1. Gen.--This is a disgusting and depressing topic. Look for things to praise about the narrative of this topic.

2. Gen.--This is a story with a collective ‘hero’ & collective villain. Explain how this is true.

3. Gen.--Find examples of relief from the horror.

C. Borchert’s "Do Stay, Giraffe," 98-99]

1. 98]f What has the war done to morals?...to the value of cigarettes?

2. Gen. Expressionism in art or lit. with strong, loud colors and lyrical drama. Find examples.

3. Gen. Compare atmosphere and style to WB hand-outs. What’s typical of him?

[ D. HAND-OUTS OF BORCHERT’S SHORT STORIES (3-4)];

[THE BREAD] 1. Interpret as a love story. 2. Find lyric poetry.

[THE CITY] 1. Find evidence of a] war; b] hope; c] despair

E. Böll’s "Action Will Be Taken," 94-97]

1. Gen.--What’s the effect of a 1st person narrative re perspective? ...objectivity....?

2. 94-95] Exposition--How does he introduce himself?

3. 96] Describe the factory. Have you seen one like it?

4. Why didn’t he eat breakfast?

5. 95] What does ‘pregnant with action’ mean?

6. 95-96] What’s the purpose of the questionnaire?

7. Gen.] Do you know the biblical quote on which ‘in the beginning was the deed’ is based?

8. 95] Interpret: "Your resume is more important than your life."

9.gen.--Does anyone know W. Clement Stone, founder of the CNA Insurance company?

10.End-- Interpret the ending. 11. Gen. What was the "economic miracle" in Germany?

F. Aichinger’s "The Bound Man," 9-17];

1. 9] Look for evidence this is post-war lit. (Indirect)

2. 10-12] Compare the role of animals with Borchert.

3. 12-13] Why doesn’t he want to be unbound?

4. 13-14] What’s the danger?

5. 14] How is the bound man like all other circus attactions?

6. gen.-- What is the relationship between the Prop’s wife and the bound man?

7. 14-15]& gen. What purpose is served by the references to seasons?

8. 15-17] How does the wolf change his life?
 
 

---Begin stories set in NORTH AFRICA--

G. Boulaich’s "Cowardice"

153] Connect this myth to our oral lit (< beginning) and to Bowles.

H. Bowles’ "A Distant Episode," 124-132]

1. 124-126] Give several examples of the professor feeling/being out of his element.

2. 124-127] Describe the setting in regard to beauty and security.

3. 128] List the stages of his journey so far. Where is he?

4. 129] & before--Find the reference to his profession. Why is it relevant?

5. 130-131] How is the prof. like the "bound man" of Aichinger? ...how unlike?

6. 130-131] What are the stages of his "awakening"?

7. 129] & gen.--Sounds: which ones recur? ..their effect?

8. Gen.--What is the origin of words like "lingual" and "linguist"?

I. Mahfouz’s "The Conjurer Made Off with the Dish," 532-538]

532] & gen.--What do we learn about childhood and adolescence here? ...about culture?

J. Mrabet’s "Dr. Safi" 624-633].

1. Gen.--This is folk lit. We have modern Western medicine and don’t live in remote villages. What can we learn from this tale?

2. Gen.--Note who translated this.

K. Camus’ "The Adulterous Woman," 173-183]

1. 173-175] Describe the atmosphere: how does the weather fit the mood?

2. 173-179] Find examples of J’s thoughts. Do you know the term, "stream of consciousness"?

3. 173-179]What seems to be the couple’s attitude toward the natives? What are the natives like?

4. Gen--What indicates that Janine and her husband might be from two different ?cultures??

5. 179-181] The term "the Other" is used to refer to a we/they alienation from a group, a notion that must be overcome, if the earth’s peoples are to live harmoniously together. Are J.&M.racist?

7. 180-181] &earlier--find a motif on these 2 pages:_____________________

8. 182] on-->Relate events on these pages to the title.

9. Gen.: Describe Janine’s view of her marriage:_________________________

10. Gen.: What seems to be the role of the desert in this story?

[*--> then BACK to the French Stories for Camus’ "The Guest" 270-304] *

1. 273] What indicates a colonialist relationship (France ruling over Algeria) here?

2. 273-275] How does the lay of the land affect the drama?

3. 281] & before--What do we know about the world of the novella?

4. 277] on--How does this story relate to the title of the collection, Exile and the Kingdom?

5. 279-283] What is Daru’s situation? Why the tension?

6. 279-285] What is Balducci’s situation? How do you view the Arab’s crime?

7. 287] How might geology relate to the atmosphere of this story (& "Adulterous...")?

8. 291] How much does the prisoner know about his situation?

9. 293] Find an example of good writing here. What makes it good?

10. 297] What steps might he be hearing (or imagining)?

11. Gen. Look for parallels with other stories.

12. 297] Who are "his own people"?

13. 299] Interpret this important page.

14. Gen. How is this like "Adulterous Woman"?

15 Gen---French title is "Guest" but the word can also mean "Host." Interpret the title.

--> Back to Art of the Tale: -- Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa:

L. Achebe’s "The Sacrificial Egg," 1-5];

1-3] Frame story--what’s the story, and what’s in the frame?

2. 3-end--An epidemic is claiming many lives. What means are used to create a naive villager’s point of view?

M. Gordimer’s "The Life of the Imagination," 429-441];

1. 429-431] This is the White society of apartheid South Africa. What is significant about her life? What’s her socioeconomic status?

2. Gen.--How are the 2 professions of architect and physician reflected in the story? Find examples.

3. Gen.--Who’s in love? Why do you say that?

4. End--Why did the author end with this imagined violence?

5. End--Why is love so often connected with death in literature?

[--->switch to new book, Calvino’s Cloven Viscount]

*Study Questions yet to come*

--->Back to Art of the Tale, to stories set in ITALY--

N. Landolfi’s "Gogol’s Wife," 487-497] (10);

1. 377]f What are Gogol's wife's most unusual features?

2. 379]& later--How has Gogol’s marriage developed?

3. 382] How does she die?

4. 384] Did he mistreat his wife?

5. Gen. What are the stages in Gogol's mental state?

O. Ginzburg’s "The Mother" 323-330]

1. Gen.--From whose persepctive is the story told?

2. Gen.--Describe "mother."

3. 326] How is "motherly" defined here?

4. Gen. --Is every woman a natural mother? ...is every mother?

5. 327]f How do the boys react to Max?

6. Gen.--What does the atuhor seem to think of "mother"?

P.Buzzati’s "Seven Floors," 152-162]

1. 152-3] What seems to be wrong with him?

2. Gen.--What’s the pattern in his moves?

3. 156] How good is the treatment?

4. 157] The bright side?

5. 159] Is this pattern of medical treatment true in our society too?

6. 162] Is the ending artistically consistent?

Q.from QUEBEC--Mavis Gallant’s "The Chosen Husband" 305-317].

1. 305] Traditionally Quebec was very Catholic, more so than France. Find evidences of this.

2. 306] The setting is 1949, but this is a current topic. Which one?

3. 305-307] What seem to be the roles and wishes of women in this story?

4. 308-311] Are they excited about the visit?

5. 313] & before--Look for (mild) humor in the sister’s view of things.

6. 314] Why the rush to get married?

7. 317] & before--How are Berthe and Marie different?

R.from MEXICO: Fuentes’ "The Doll Queen" 379-393];

1. 379], 381], 382] & later--F’s characters tend to read a lot of books. How does the narrator’s book-reading enter into, enrich the main story?

2. 380-382] What’s unusual about Amilamia?

3. 384] & before--How is the reader prepared for the present-time story, the visit to A’s house?

4. 389], then 384-388]--Re-interpret the woman’s behavior after you read p. 389].

5. 389-392] The roles are reversed now. What is the result?

6. 392-393] Are we prepared for this ending?

[switch to new book TEACH US TO OUTGROW OUR MADNESS]

-->back to Art of the Tale --stories from ASIA

S. Mishima’s "Patriotism," 459-475]

1. Gen.-- Japan has been called a "masculinist society." How does that apply to this story?

2. Gen.-- What are the values of the officer?

3. Gen. -- List the cultural aspects of Reika’s role.

4. Gen. -- Can you say something good about this world?

5. 466-468] & earlier: Compare this marriage to Janine’s in "The Adulterous Woman."

6. 470] What is the effect of this traditional ritual which is described in such detail?

7. 474-475] Interpret Reiko’s actions before the end.

T. Narayan’s "Naga," 502-508] (=LAST of Art of Tale stories)

1. Gen--Describe the father-son relationship.

2. Gen--What is the special role of animals? Are there //’s to Fairy Tales?

3. 505] Why does the father leave?

4. 508] Why doesn’t the boy leave the snake behind?

[switch to new book NORTH CHINA LOVER]

*Study Questions to come*
 
 

Return to FL 209 syllabus
Last updated 6 February 2001