From The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction:
--Bloom, "Silver Water," 72
--Cisneros, "Never Marry a Mexican," 109
--Desaulniers, "After Rosa Parks," 129
--Doerr, "The Caretaker," 152
--Yarbrough, "The Rest of her Life," 628
Directions: After reading the lecture, answer one of the questions below. This answer is due no later than Thursday, November 17.
A well thought out answer will probably be two or three substantial paragraphs (250-350 words on average).
Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Saturday, November 19. Remember: in order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond thoughtfully to at least 3 or 4 other people's postings.
This set of discussion questions is worth a possible 20 points. Late answers receive 0 points, so post early :)
Click on the button below to visit the English 208 Message Board:
1. At the end of "Silver Water," Violet's mother says, "Warrior queens. I've raised warrior queens." What does she mean? Explain, using specific examples and direct quotes from the story to support your ideas.
2. In "Never Marry a Mexican," the narrator says she will never marry, that she doesn't want to marry. Is she telling the truth? Explain, using specific examples and direct quotes from the story to support your ideas.
3. In "After Rosa Parks," how is the idea of freedom both exhilarating and terrifying to the characters? Explain, using specific examples and direct quotes from the story to support your ideas.
4. In "The Caretaker," in what ways is Joseph a caretaker? Explain, using specific examples and direct quotes from the story to support your ideas.
5. In "The Rest of Her Life," why does Dee Ann decide to lie to save her father? Explain, using specific examples and direct quotes from the story to support your ideas.
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