Comp II Final Exam

What does the Misfit mean when he says, "'She would have been a good woman...if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life"?

From what I can see, the Misfit is saying that if the grandmother had had more meanness inflicted upon her, more of a constant threat to her life, she would have been as bare and kind as she had been in her final moments under similar circumstances.

Who jilts Granny first?

George

Do you think Mme Loisel recognized good quality jewelry?

I do not think Mme Loisel could recognize good quality jewelry because she did not realize the necklace she chose was imitation. Also, the author indicates that she had not been born into wealth and never possessed any of the finer things like quality jewels. He writes that "her tastes were simple because she had never been able to afford any other..." I think that she assumed all of Mme Forestier's jewelry was real because of Mme Forestier's wealth.

Who wrote "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"?

Katherine Porter

Why do you think Maggie relinquishes the quilts to her sister?

Maggie relinquishes the quilts to her sister because in her mind "'no' is a word the world never learned to say" to Dee. She believes this is was her "portion". That "this is the way God worked".

Who is the narrator in "Everyday Use"?

Mama

Whom does Mathilde borrow jewelry from?

Mme. Forestier

Who actually says "a good man is hard to find"?

Red Sammy is the person who said "A good man is hard to find".

What is Mathilde's reaction to the invitation her husband brings home?

She is angry.

What is the name of the restaurant where the family stops for barbecue?

The Tower

When the family leaves for vacation, who is dressed like a lady?

The grandmother

What is the "rest cure"?

The rest cure is a treatment that was commonly prescribed for some mental illnesses. The treatment consists of isolation with very limited stimulation or activity.

What is your impression of June Star and John Wesley?

The children, June Star and John Wesley were brats. Their disrespectful outbursts led me to believe that Bailey and the mother had limited parenting skills. I did find it interesting that the young boy was named after the "founder" of the Methodist denomination.

How does the contrast between the two sisters' appearances, personalities, lifestyles, and feelings about the quilts help to convey the story's theme?

The contrast between the two sisters shows how each sister feels about their heritage. Dee completes her education, changes her fashion style, and even her name because she "can't bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me." Maggie on the other hand is less educated in the world, but holds tight to traditions passed on from previous generations.

How does the first paragraph set the scene for the rest of the story? (HINT: How does it foreshadow the events that will take place later on?) Explain your answer.

The first paragraph in "A Worn Path" hints that the protagonist, Phoenix Jackson, has a long journey in front of her. Eudora Welty writes that Phoenix started her journey in "early morning". This first paragraph also hints that Phoenix does not see well. She uses a "small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her". Welty uses foreshadowing at the end of the first paragraph when she writes that the noise of the cane "seemed meditative like the chirping of a solitary little bird". Near the end of the story, Phoenix describes her grandson as "peep[ing] out holding his mouth open like a little bird".

Why do you think Bailey's wife is simply referred to as "the children's mother"?

The grandmother didn't think much of her daughter-in-law so her name is not even mentioned. She is only referred to as "the children's mother". I also noticed that none of the adult women in this story are mentioned by a name. There is "the grandmother", "the children's mother" and "Red Sammy's wife".

What is your impression of the grandmother?

The grandmother in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" is a selfish, deceitful and manipulative person. She is not a very likeable protagonist, but then again, I found that none of the characters were very likeable.

Continuation of #7, how is it his/her fault?

The grandmother manipulated Bailey into turning down the dirt road where they had their accident and she was the one who brought the cat along that that startled Bailey and made him veer of the road.Also, a good answer : -It is her fault that they turned around to begin with. Had she not incited the children to cause a fuss, Baily would not have turned the car around like she wanted him to. She also brought her cat along despite knowing that Baily was not one to arrive at a motel with a cat in tow. If the cat had not jumped to Bailey's shoulder there is a high chance that the car would not have flipped.

What claim about the Misfit does the grandmother make at the beginning of the story? I am looking for a specific quote which must be included in your answer.

The grandmother says, "I wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn't answer to my conscience if I did".

Describe the grandmother's actions at the end of the story? I am specifically looking for how she acts when her family is being shot/who is she looking out for?

The grandmother tries to talk the Misfit out of shooting her, but does nothing to try and dissuade him from harming the rest of the family. She asks, "You wouldn't shoot a lady, would you?" She also tries to appeal to him by calling him a "good man"

What is the grandmother's definition of a "lady"? (Hint: how will anyone know she is a lady?)

The grandmother's definition of a lady is a woman who dressed a certain way, who had a certain outward appearance. She thought that people would view her as a lady because she wore "white cotton gloves"and was dressed up to embark on their trip. It was all about an outward appearance to others.

How do the various people Phoenix encounters react to her? Do they treat her with respect or with disdain? Why do you think they react the way they do? BE SPECIFIC.

The hunter she encounters thinks she is too old to travel so far. He tells her, "'Why that's too far! That's as far as I walk when I come out myself'". Also, he treats her with disdain. He mistakes her meaning when she says, "'The time has come around'". He thinks she wants to go to town to see Santa Claus because it is around Christmas. He shows his prejudice by saying, "'I know you old colored people! Wouldn't miss going to town to see Santa Claus!". The lady she encounters in the street treats her with respect by putting down her packages and tying Phonenix's shoes. She doesn't make a snide remark but simply complies with Phoenix's request. The attendant at the doctor's office immediately assumes Phoenix is indigent. The first thing the attendant says is, "'A charity case, I suppose'". The nurse treats her with respect by asking her to sit after her long trip and inquiring about the health of her grandson.

How does the narrator's mood change as the story progresses? Describe her at the beginning of the story, middle, and end.

The narrator seems more aware of her condition at the beginning of the story. When writing about the rest cure that has been prescribed, she states, "Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good". In the middle of the story, she writes of being alone and crying most of the time. At the end of the story, her thinking is completely focused on the wallpaper and the woman she sees trapped in it.

What is it about the house, the grounds, and her room that upsets the narrator?

The narrator states "there is something strange about the house—I can feel it". She does not like her room. She writes, "I don't like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs...but John would not hear of it". Also, she doesn't like the wallpaper in her room. She writes, "I never saw a worse paper in my life".

What images and figures does the narrator use to describe the wallpaper? Find at least three different things.

The narrator writes that "the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes". Another time she writes that "the sprawling outlines run off in great slanting waves of optic horror, like a lot of wallowing seaweeds in full chase". She also writes that the "pattern...remind[s] one of a fungus". The narrator also sees the shape of a woman in the paper. She writes, "it is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern".

Explain the myth behind the phoenix. Feel free to look this up online.

The phoenix is a very colorful bird which lives a long life. When it is time for the phoenix to die, it does so on a nest that ignites in flames and then a new phoenix rises out of the ashes.

What does the hunter drop?

a nickel

With whom does the old woman dance with in the cornfield?

a scarecrow

They think Mathilde probably lost the necklace in the ________.

carriage

After _______ years the loans are finally repaid.

ten

How much money does Phoenix have at the end of the story?

ten cents

Who points a gun at Phoenix?

the hunter

Where is Phoenix Jackson going?

to Natchez

Why does Phoenix make this regular trip?

to get medicine for her grandson

At the party Mathilde has a ________ time.

wonderful

Who is Dee?

- Wangero - Maggie's sister - Mama's daughter

How does her language change?

As the story progresses, the narrator's language shows hints of paranoia. At one point, she writes, "I am getting a little afraid of John. He seems very queer sometimes, and even Jennie has an inexplicable look". Another time she writes, "...no person touches this paper but me,--not alive!". Her language becomes more animated.

Because Phoenix is old, she has trouble seeing. What things does she have difficulty seeing? List at least two specific things.

At one point, Phoenix has to cross a creek by walking across a log. She closes her eyes to walk across it instead of trusting her eyesight. When Phoenix reached the corn field, she came across a scarecrow that she first thought was a person until she touched it.

How would you describe the narrator's tone—depressed, delusional, hysterical? Explain your answer.

At the beginning of the story, the narrator's tone is somewhat depressed and resigned. She repeats the phrase, "...what can one do?" or "...what is one to do?" three times showing that she doesn't have any say in her own recovery process. About one-third of the way into the story, the narrator becomes delusional. She thinks that she sees "a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure" behind the design in the wallpaper. At the end, she becomes hysterical, biting off a piece of the bed and "creep[ing] smoothly on the floor".

What is Dee's opinion of her mother and sister? Do you agree with her assessment?

Dee believes that her mother and sister are uneducated people who still "choose" to live they way they do. I believe Maggie and her mother may be uneducated in scholarly ways, but they have the knowledge of survival, humility, traditions, and family.

Why were the Loisels allowed to buy the new necklace for less than the asking price?

During the time period that this story takes place, haggling over the price of goods was commonplace. Also, we are told that the shopkeeper was informed of the lost necklace and that he would buy back the new necklace at a reduced price if the original one was found.

Who wrote "A Good Man is Hard to Find"?

Flannery O'Connor

When Mathilde says she needs to "have a jewel or gem" to wear to the reception or she will "look like a pauper." Her husband suggests wearing ________.

Flowers

How does the family meet the Misfit?

He pulls over to help after their car accident

To what extent do you think her descriptions are accurate? Why?

Her descriptions of the things she sees are most likely accurate. She has lots of time to study the wallpaper pattern and her descriptions are very detailed.

How was Maggie scarred?

House fire

Eudora Welty was amazed at the amount of questions she received about Phoenix's grandson. Was he alive or long dead? She claims it is not relevant to the story. When you read the story, did you think he was alive or dead? What evidence in the story gave you this impression? Do you think knowing this about the grandson is relevant?

I don't think knowing if the grandson is alive or dead is relevant to the story but I do think he is alive. After Phoenix remembers why she made the trip, she explains to the nurse and attendant that he is still alive and that she is going to purchase a gift for him.

Discuss whether the Loisels chose the right course of action when they found the necklace was missing? What other choices were open to them and why were these not chosen?

I don't think they chose the right course of action. They should have gone immediately to Mme Foresiter, explained that the necklace was lost, apologized and assured her they would have it replaced. I think the Loisels were trying to buy some time thinking that it would turn up. When they did not find it after the first day, M. Loisel told his wife to write a note to Mme Forestier in which they would fabricate a story about the clasp being broken. He said, "'That will give us time to look about us.'". Also, I am sure they felt some embarrassment at being so careless.

Do you think there is a moral to this story? If so, what might it be?

I think there are several morals to this story. Prides comes before a fall. Mme Loisel wanted to be the center of attention so she felt that she had to borrow a beautiful necklace to project the image she wanted. Also, Mme Loisel was not thankful for the good life that she had. Her jealousy of others who were better off was her undoing. Another one that comes to mind is honesty is the best policy. If the Loisels had been honest with Mme Forestier when they first discovered the necklace had been lost, they would not have replaced it with such an expensive one.

Whose fault is it that they run into the Misfit?

It is the grandmother's fault that they run into the Misfit

Do you think M. Loisel was content with his life before the ball took place?

M. Loisel was content with his life prior to the ball. When they sat down to dinner, he "exclaimed delightedly: 'Aha! Scotch broth! What could be better'"

What is the literal meaning of the two quilts to Maggie and her mother? To Dee? Beyond this literal meaning, what symbolic meaning, if any, do they have to Maggie and her mother? Do the quilts have any symbolic meaning to Dee?

Maggie and her mother intend to use the quilts as, well, quilts. Dee called her sister "backward enough" to use them as an everyday item. Her mother told her, "I hope she will!" To Dee the quilts were just decorative items. All she wanted to do was "hang them". To Maggie and her mother the quilts were memories of the grandmother. Dee told her mother, "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts." To recognized them as part of her "heritage" but looked only at the price of quilts and not the history itself.

Do you think M. Loisel enjoyed the ball?

Mme Loisel enjoyed the ball immensely as she was the center of attention. We are told, "Mme Loisel was a success" and that "she was quite above herself with happiness"

What is the major theme of the story?

One's life is a journey that has purpose and meaning. Phoenix soldiered on through a very long journey because it was for a purpose beyond herself.

Why do you think Mme Forestier never contacted Mme Loiser after the 'return' of her necklace?

Perhaps Mme Forestier did not wear the necklace very much and did not have occasion to look at it. When Mme Loisel picked the necklace out at the beginning, it was apparently not near the top of the big box of jewelry. She actually asked "Haven't you anything else?" after picking up several other pieces first. Usually the jewelry that is worn most often is the most easily accessible.

Who first says "a good man is hard to find"?

Red Sammy

How do her mistakes shed light on her character? (what else might she not see or how does it help us see her approach/attitude about life?)

Right before Phoenix closes her eyes to cross the creek, she says, "'Now comes the trial'". This is an indication that she moves forward in life, stepping out in faith rather than relying on what she can see.

What do you think she actually sees, and what do you think she imagines?

She can probably see all of the images and figures in the wallpaper that she describes. The woman she sees in the wallpaper is herself. It is both real and imagined. She is seeing a real shadow of herself on the wall, but in her mind the woman is "in" the wallpaper. When she is staring at the paper during the day, the woman appears motionless, like herself. She writes, "By daylight she is subdued, quiet. I fancy it is the pattern that keeps her so still. It is so puzzling, It keeps me quiet by the hour". At night, the moon casts shadows on the wall that make the woman look like she is behind bars. The narrator writes, "at night...worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be".

Why was Mathilde unhappy with her life at the opening of the story?

She felt that she deserved better than what she had. She was especially unhappy with her husband as she felt she should have married into a higher social class. The author states that "she had let herself be married off to a little clerk..."

What does the Misfit "borrow" from Bailey?

Shirt

Briefly recount the important events that occur at The Tower. When I refer to important events, I am looking for events or details that give insight into the characters or reveal a deeper meaning/understanding of the plot.

The Tower was located just outside of a town called Timothy. Timothy is a book in the Bible. Right after they first got there, the children's mother played "The Tennessee Waltz" on the jukebox. That makes me think she was antagonizing the grandmother because it was the grandmother who wanted to go to Tennessee instead of Florida. After the little girl, June Star, insulted Red Sam's wife by saying "I wouldn't live in a broken-down place like this for a million bucks!", the only person who reprimanded her was the grandmother. The parents did not seem to notice or care. The grandmother declared that Red Sammy was "a good man", but she really did not know anything about his character. Apparently, Red Sammy's wife did not share that opinion of him because she was looking right at him as she said, "It isn't a soul in this green world of God's that you can trust...And I don't count nobody out of that, not nobody".

What is the significance of the old house burning down?

The burning of the home and the way Dee reacted while it burned showed how she hated the house and what it told of her family's past. "... standing under the sweet gum tree she used to dig gum out of; a look of concentration on her face as she watched the last dingy gray board of the house fall in toward the red-hot brick chimney. Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She hated that house that much." The burning house also tells us how Maggie's life was scarred, physically and mentally by the pain and the terror of the fire. "Sometimes I can still hear the flames and feel Maggie's arms sticking to me, her hair smoking and her dress falling off her in little black papery flakes. Her eyes seemed stretched open, blazed open by the flames reflected in them."

The replacement necklace costs ___ francs.

36,000

Study the story's punctuation—in particular, its use of dashes, question marks, and exclamation points. What does this use of punctuation contribute to the story?

As the story progresses, the choppy sentences and use of dashes, question marks and exclamation points help convey the effect of disjointed thought.

How is the name of this creature (the phoenix) appropriate for the main character of this story? BE SPECIFIC.

Both the bird and Phoenix Jackson are very old. The mythical bird had gold and scarlet feathers. Phoenix wore a colorful red rag on her head. Her forehead had "a golden color [that] ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under the dark".

What does the old woman carry?

a cane made from an umbrella

What does the narrator believe she sees in the paper?

a creeping woman

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," what is the narrator's husband's occupation?

doctor

From midnight to 4 am her husband ________.

dozes

Her husband offers her 400 francs, the amount of money he has saved to buy a new ________.

hunting rifle

How old is Granny?

nearly eighty

What has the narrator's room been used for in the past?

nursery

What is the narrator suffering from?

postpartum depression

When did Granny make her farewell visits to her children?

when she was sixty

Which of the following activities is mentioned by the narrator as something she is supposed to avoid?

writing