Bradfield, "The Darling," 69
Mona Simpson, "Lawns," 445
Directions: After reading the lecture, answer one of the main questions, which will appear in bold. This question is due no later than Thursday, Feb. 9. Following that will be other questions which you should read and think about--they may help you answer the main question. However, you are not required to answer these questions in writing.
Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Sunday, Feb. 12. In order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond to at least 2 other people's postings.
This set of discussion questions is worth a possible 20 points. Remember: late answers receive 0 points, so post early :)
We will be using the Canvas Discussion Board for this class. Click on the link below to get to the Canvas portal, sign in, and then click on the tab for this class. You will find the "Discussions" link on the left side of the screen:
Bradfield, "The Darling," 69
Mona Simpson, "Lawns," 445
1. Both of these stories might be called "love stories"--in both of them, people fall in love, and then out of love. But how are these stories different from traditional love stories?
2. On page 460, the narrator of "Lawns" talks about how powerless she felt when her father had sex with her. How does she try to get a feeling of power back? In "The Darling," how does Dolores get a feeling of power?
3. By the end of the story, how has Dolores changed? Is she "cured"?
4. Do you see any of the ideas discussed in the lecture in "Lawns"? In "The Darling"?
5. If you have read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or "A Clockwork Orange," do you see any simiarities between the endings of those novels and the ending of "The Darling"?
1. Why does the narrator in "Lawns" lie and steal?
2. Why does she blame herself for the incest?
3. Why is she so attracted to Glenn?
4. In "The Darling," Dolores is very specific about the details of her life. For example, her father's blood ruins the tablecloth she bought at K-Mart; she gets a "Versateller cash card," smokes Virginia Slims, and goes out with Daniel who drives a '67 Karmann Ghia convertible. What do such details contribute to the story?
5. Why does Dolores love books? Specifically, why does she like The Picture of Dorian Gray?
6. Why does Dolores murder Dr. Deakin?
7. What are Dolores' feelings about women? How are they related to her need to murder men?
8. After her arrest, why does Dolores claim responsibility for all the bodies in the garden?
9. Why does Dr. Weinstein fall in love with Dolores?