25 Jan For this discussion, please read “Volar,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, “A Rose for Emily,” and “Girl.” Please respond to “one” of the following questions
1. What images stand out to you as symbolic in any of the stories from this week? Consider images that are associated with mythology, religious, literature or popular culture and explain what details in specific passages suggest this significance.
2. What meanings might the rose in “A Rose for Emily” evoke? Remember to cite particular passages to support your reading.
3. What is the significance of the bazaar for the narrator of “Araby” at the beginning of the story? What is its significance at the end of the story? What details help you to answer these questions?
4. What is Sammy’s tone at the end of the story? How does that tone contribute to your reading of the story?
5. What words in “Girl” suggest the tone of the speaker? How would you describe the relationship between the two speakers’ tones?
6. How would you describe the tone or style of “Volar”? Can you identify one or two specific passages that help create this tone or style? How does this tone or style interact with other aspects of the story like point of view?
7. Critic Walter Wells argues that John Updike’s “A&P” is a retelling of James Joyce’s “Araby,” as they are both stories of young male characters whose infatuation leads to an emotional fall and realization. What similarities or differences do you notice in their use of tone and symbol, and what is the significance of them?
