Post your questions under the heading for the each text/movie:
Land of Little Rain
1. Which of the following is a character in Mary Austin’s The Land of Little Rain?
a. The Gravedigger
b. The Pocket Hunter
c. Ole’ Man Charlie
d. The River Man
Answer: B
2. Mary Austin writes a story about the Basket Maker, she is a central character in the novel because she represents Austin’s side. She raised her son alone during a time of war, all while living in a .
Answer:
i. Seyavi
ii. Feministic
iii. Cave
3. One of the most controversial aspects of Austin’s The Land of Little Rain is the narrator and the question of who it is. Although the narration is first person there are varying ideas as to the gender of the narrator, and the voice. Name two of the arguments towards Austin’s narrator.
Answer:
• Mary Austin herself. Many believe that she is the narrator of her own work and is describing what she sees surrounding her. This would also explain the one-on-one nature of her story, because she personally interviewed and spoke to the characters within her novel.
• The second perspective is that the narrator is a male. This male’s identity is irrelevant. The fact is that the terrain is rough; far more suited to a male, and the characters that were written about might have felt more comfortable discussing their lives with a man.
1. Mary Austin's character the Pocket Hunter searches for what?
A. Gold
B. Diamonds
C. Silver
D. Rubies
Answer: A: Gold
2. Mary Austin compares the ridges and troughs of the mountains to _.
Answer: streets
3. Living in this part of the country is very hard. What makes life so harsh out in the Land of Little Rain?
-Explain the lack of water. The landscape is mountainous and arid. The Native Americans were given the worst pieces of land to live on. This is the Wild West, for example Jimville, and it is dangerous.
1. For which of the following audiences was Mary Austin’s writing primarily intended?
A. California and West Coast readers
B. Children
C. Europeans readers interested in the American West
D. The East Coast literati community
(Answer: D)
2. “Burros he kept, one or two according to his pack, for this chief excellence, that they would eat potato parings and firewood. He had owned a horse in the foothill country, but when he came to the desert with no forage but mesquite, he found himself under the necessity of picking the beans from the briers, a labor that drove him to the use of pack animals to whom thorns were a relish.”
This quotation from The Land of Little Rain describes _.
(Answer: The Pocket Hunter)
3. Discuss why one might argue that Mary Austin is a proto-feminist based on her characterization of Seyavi.
• Seyavi had lost her mate and depended on self-reliance for herself and her child.
• “Seyavi made baskets for love and sold them for money.” Economic.
• “Every Indian woman is an artist.” Artistic.
• Ability to survive in this harsh landscape: “…it was a crude time and the land was raw, that the women became in turn the game of the conquerors.”
Love of the Last Tycoon
What is the name of Monroe Stahr’s deceased wife?
A. Kathleen Davis
B. Bev Davis
C. Trixie Stahr
D. Minna Davis
Answer: D. Minna Davis
Fitzgerald never finished this novel because of…
Answer: His death
Explain the love triangle present in the novel. Who was a part of it? Who had feelings for whom? How did it turn out in the end of the unfinished novel? And who was the love of the last tycoon?
Answer:
Cecilia, Monroe, Kathleen
Cecilia Monroe
Monroe Kathleen
Kathleen Monroe
Kathleen marries her American, breaking up with Monroe. Cecilia is invited by Monroe to go to a friend’s ranch (Doug Fairbanks), they end up traveling for two weeks
The love of the last tycoon was either Kathleen or Minna Davis
Correct answers for following 3 questions are in bold
Multiple Choice
What type of fish was “The Negro” gathering when Stahr encountered him?
A. Salmon
B. Trout
C. Grunion
D. Bass
Fill in The Blank:
When Stahr first meets Kathleen Moore, he imagines seeing his first wife _.
Answer: Minna Davis
Short Answer
During his conversation with Mr. Boxley, what does Stahr reveal about the cinema’s growth as an art-form?
Key Points:
1) The verisimilitude of film/film’s movement to reality
2) Films can captivate and provide compelling material, much like the great novels.
3) A good film can tell a story just through its images with very minimal dialogue.
4) The details of a scene carry just as much weight as the overarching themes.
Multiple Choice:
(1) What is the name of the woman Stahr first believed to be the Minna look-alike?
(A) Kathleen
(B) Miss Doolan
(C) Edna
(D) Cecelia
(E) Rosemary
Fill in the Blank:
(1) In The Love of the Last Tycoon, Stahr’s nickname for Cecelia was Little Celia
Short Answer:
Why does Stahr’s relationship with Kathleen eventually fall apart?
Key Points:
• Stahr hesitated to tell Kathleen he wanted to be with her
• Stahr was chained down by the possibility of dying in the near future
• Kathleen had a prior engagement to another man she was indebted to
• Stahr was still haunted by the ghost of his past and the pain of losing Minna
East of Eden
Multiple Choice
What food did Adam plan to ship in ice across the country?
A. Pork
B. Lettuce
C. Oranges
D. Dairy
Answer: B. Lettuce
Fill in the blank
Samuel Hamilton is an immigrant from _
Answer: Ireland
Short Answer
Explain the basic idea of timshel and how it comes into play in the novel’s final scene.
-Timshel means “thou mayest”
-Idea that each character can choose their own path; don’t have to follow those before them
-Adam says it to Cal before his death
-Releases Cal from the burden of Aron’s death
-Shows Cal he doesn’t have to follow his violent/vindictive nature like Cathy and Charles
1. Who does Kate/Cathy NOT kill or injure?
a. Her parents
b. Faye
c. Adam
d. Cal
2. Lee speaks Chinese, English, and _.
3. Is there anyone who is completely good or evil in East of Eden?
Answer Key
1. Cal
2. Hebrew
3. In this essay, I would discuss Kate and how she is evil, and then a character who is presented as good, such as Aron, and what makes them good. I would make sure to specify how Steinbeck seems to define good and evil. Then, I would talk about how Steinbeck at times contradicts his initial judgments on these characters that he presents as good or evil, and how the actions of these characters sometimes contradict our initial opinion of them. Finally, I would talk about a character that is more clearly shown to be both good and bad, such as Cal, and how this character demonstrates Steinbeck’s idea that one is good or evil through the choices one makes.
Multiple choice Question:
Who is NOT a part of the Hamilton family?
A. Sam
B. Olive
C. Will
D. Alice
E. Una
Answer – Alice
Fill in the Blank:
—— amassed a large amount of money through lying to other people and general deceit.
Answer - Cyrus Trask, Cathy, Cal Trask
Essay Question:
What is the role of Lee in the novel? What does Steinbeck voice through his character?
Answer
- he is a representation of the Asian American during the time period so he can show the racial situation of the time
- able to show that things may not be as they appear at first glance in the novel; there is more than meets the eye when encounter the people of the Salinas Valley
- responsible for bringing up the major philosophy of the novel (timshel)
Multiple Choice
What does Cal do with the $15,000 he acquires?
a. He gives it to Aron to pay for college.
b. He gives it to Lee to start a bookstore.
c. He gives it to his father as a gift.
d. He burns it.
Answer: d.
Fill in the Blank
On their father’s birthday, Adam gives Cyrus , while Charles gives him .
Answer: a puppy, a knife.
Short Answer
The names of characters become very important in East of Eden. Choose one character whose name is in some way significant and explain why.
Answer:
• Cathy/Kate- One name characterizes her as a wife, the other as a prostitute.
• Caleb/Cal- He chooses to shorten his name, suggesting that he does not want to be trapped in the storyline that his name subjects him to (i.e. Cain in the story of Cain and Abel).
• Aaron/Aron- Similar to Cal, he shortens his name as a way of choosing his own fate rather than the fate that his position in the Cain and Abel story would subject him to.
1.What gift does young Adam give his father for his birthday?
a.A pocket knife
b.A tie
c.A puppy (correct answer)
d.A gun
2.Cathy shoots Adam in the right before leaving him and the newborn twins.
-Shoulder
3.The struggle between good and evil is a reoccurring conflict in East of Eden, especially with the character of Cathy/Kate. List at least 2 examples of her “evilness” and briefly explain why you would or would not consider her and “evil” character.
a. Examples of “Evilness”
-She kills her parents
-Burns down her house
-Sleeps with Charles.
-Tries to abort her pregnancy
-Shoots Adam
-Abandons her husband and boys
-Kills Faye
-Blackmails the men that come into her brothel
-Really anything that she does in the book
b.Argument for evil: She is evil because she never considers anyone else’s well being or needs over her own. She kills, steals, and lies her way through life, making terrible decisions that hurt those around her that care for her. She is evil compared to the normal societal ideas of what a “good” person is.
c. Argument for not evil: She is not evil because she has no conception of what evil is. To her, there is no choice between good and evil; there are just choices of what she wants and the best way to get that. She does not make her decisions to be cruel to other people, she simply makes them because they are in her best interest, and that is all she cares about.
Multiple Choice:
Which of the following was not committed by the novel’s antagonist Cathy?
A.) She set her house on fire as a child, with her parents trapped inside.
B.) She tried to abort her two unborn children.
C.) She gradually poisons the head of a brothel in order to assume her role.
D.) She kicked a dog.
(Answer: D. She did not kick a dog – that we’re aware of)
Fill in the blank:
[BLANK] is the name of the girl with romantic ties to both Cal and Aron Trask.
(Answer: Abra Bacon)
The Golden Gate
1. The sonnets in the Golden Gate are in the _ form.
a. Shakespearean
b. Petrarchan
c. Onegin
d. Spensorian
Answer: c (Onegin)
2. The names of Jan’s cats are _ and .
Answer: Cuff and Link.
3. What role do pets play in illustrating the nature of each character?
Possible answers: Ed’s iguana is prickly (like him) and his carelessness hurts it as he hurts his friend; Liz is open to love from her cat as she is to love from everyone; John hates Charlemagne because the cat won’t bend to his desire (like Liz won’t cooperate); Phil’s love for all animals mirrors his seeking for love from different people; Jan’s love is focused, first on her cats and then on John’s because she’s loving but feels nervous about pursuing it
1.Give three examples of how The Golden Gate embodies the concept of social change and discuss how these relate to the themes of the novel.
Possible Answers: Offering of a new family unit at conclusion of the story: the different types of relationships and love outside of traditional ideas of love and marriage; Ed and Phil’s relationship: pushes for new ideas of sexuality and love; Phil and Liz’s relation: rejects idea of passionate love and aims for what is socially acceptable and based on friendship
2. What kind of pet does Ed have?
a.) Chicken
b.) Cats
c.) Monkey
d.) Iguana
Answer: d (Iguana)
3.The Golden Gate is frequently called a because of its united, arcing chapter story line told in sonnet form.
Answer:novel in verse
Letter to Harvey Milk
1. In “A Letter to Harvey Milk” what language is Harry Weinstein’s teacher learning and is interspersed throughout the essay?
a. Polish
b. Russian
c. Hebrew
d. Yiddish
Correct Answer: D
2. In “A Letter to Harvey Milk” Harry Weinstein and Harvey Milk met in (San Francisco) though their families had been neighbors in _ (New York or New York City).
3. In “A Letter to Harvey Milk” Harry Weinstein tells the story of a man who had a homosexual experience while in a concentration camp. What caused the man to react in a horrified manner in contemporary America, and to what does this symbol say about “Gay Pride” and homosexual identity? <<<<Or most appropriate similar term
a. Harry Weinstein’s friend sees a man wearing an inverted pink triangle as a symbol of gay pride
b. This reminds his friend of the concentration camps, where his lover had to wear one and was killed for it.
c. This sort of inversion is used by homosexuals to make a badge of shame into a sign of pride
d. Symbol horrifies Harry’s friend and brings back bad memories, leading to the point
e. In inverting the meaning of this symbol, homosexuals are marking themselves visibly apart from other people. This is huge, because obviously homosexuals have no distinguishing natural physical characteristics
f. In their willingness to do this, they have challenged the historic societal realm of homosexuality, the ‘closet.’
g. This symbol says that just as they were set apart as fundamentally different in shame, now they set themselves apart as fundamentally different in pride
And other appropriate responses. Main goal is to remember what man the man react as he did.
1.) Harry’s friend Izzie relates his story of a(n) relationship with a friend of his while at a concentration camp during World War II.
ANSWER: homosexual
2.) What symbol does Izzie see pinned to the shirt of a man in the street?
a. a Star of David
b. a pink triangle
c. a swastika
d. an upside-down cross
ANSWER: b.
3.) Why does Izzie object to the symbol he sees pinned on the man’s shirt?
ANSWER: Izzie views the reproduction of the symbol in modern times as an insult to the homosexuals who suffered during the Nazi regime. While today the symbol is seen as a statement of pride in one’s gender identity, at the time it was used in a similar manner to the Star of David, in order to mark those persons that the Nazis viewed as inferior or worthy of persecution. The sight of the pink triangle recalls the pain and torture of the war in Izzie’s mind.
Tropic of Orange
1. What does Buzzworm collect?
-
Used Watches
B. Palm Trees
C. Old Televisions
D. Used Books
2. Name two of the animals/pests that Rafaela sweeps up every day.
Answers: An iguana, a crab, a mouse, a snake, a scorpion
3. What is the effect of Yamashita’s development of seven characters on seven days? Things to consider: Does the reader get seven different perspectives on one story, does one story break into seven different stories, or something else altogether? How would the novel be different if it only told the story of one character, or only told the story of one day, or told the story of a year, or an hour?
— Yamashita’s use of seven characters and days reflects the seven major freeways of LA.
— The perspectives blend together to show the story of a community much larger than the individual characters’surroundings (incorporation of NAFTA, Arcangel as Global South, Emi in restaurant scene, everyone’s convergence
— Alternately, Yamashita uses common threads to link together seven very distinct characters, but the characters are so distinct that their stories are their own (Buzzworm as community activist, Rafaela and workers’ rights and Sol, Bobby Ngu as self-made man)
— Gabriel acts as the story’s narrator and is the conduit through whom all of the other stories flow (First-person narrative in his bits)
— The time frame of a week not only parallels the number of characters but also gives a sense of a small amount of time for a huge converging of stories
— Time frame suggests the Judeo-Christian creation story, the idea of the work week vs. the weekend, how this affects the reading of the novel
Tropic of Orange
Multiple choice question
What book is Emi reading?
a) Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
b) The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
c) Ubik by Philip K. Dick
d)Killers of the Dream by Lilian Smith
Answer: B, The Big Sleep
Fill in the blank:
Two Japanese American characters in Tropic of Orange are…
Answers: Emi & Manzanar Murikami
Question:
It could be argued that Bobby is both the most hybrid character of the novel yet the most Americanized. Give one argument for each.
Answers:
- from Singapore, pretends to be Vietnamese refuge to go to the US (last name Ngu), lives in Koreatown .
- Nevertheless, he mixes English with Mexican slang words.
-marries a Mexican girl, Rafaela, and helps her become American through their marriage.
-American dream & consumerism, believes that buying Rafaela and Sol nice things, such as a TV, will earn their love and give them status.
-workaholic, working 24/7 because of his strong attachment to the American ideal of independence, especially financially: upset when Rafaela joins union etc.
- buys his cousin Nikes and a Barbie doll to make her pass as American, good understanding of what is needed to look like an American
1. What kind of business does Bobby run?
a. Lawn care
b. Laundry services
c. Cleaning service
d. Waste removal service
2. The two boys who wreck their convertible on the highway, starting a long chain of events, were eating on the road as they drove before the crash.
a. Answer: an orange
3. Arcangel dresses up as the wrestling hero “El Gran Mojado” and fights against his nemesis, “SuperNAFTA.” What ideals does “El Gran Mojado” stand for and how does Arcangel represent these ideals?
a. He stands for a traditional way of life
b. He is positioned against the industrialized, exploitive labor relationships ushered in by NAFTA.
c. Arcangel opposes the anonymous, exploitive work associated with manufacturing and corporate jobs. He is a jack-of-all trades, working independently as a bricklayer and circus performer.
d. He, like the goods of NAFTA, travels across borders
e. He orders traditional Mexican food at the Americanized restaurant
f. He relies on the community for his living… like when he pulls the truck and then gets a lot of food from the crowd
Twilight: Los Angeles
1. What was the name of the truck driver who was nearly beaten to death during the L.A. Riots.
A. Daryl F. Gates
B. Paul Parker
C. Reginald O. Denny
D. Cornel West
2. Twilight Bey was the leader of the .
-Crips
3. What is the significance of the usage of “Twilight” in the play’s title?
-Twilight, as described by Twilight Bey, represents a liminal state in between the darkness of ignorance and the light of understanding. This can be seen as a symbol for the state of L.A during this time.
1. What surgery does Elaine Young mention to have undergone?
A) Lip injections
B) Liposuction
C) Silicon removal
D) Breast implants
E) Laser eye surgery
ANSWER: C) Silicon removal
2. The pregnant woman, Elvira Evers, miraculously survives being shot at during the riots due to the bullet stopping in her child’s _.
ANSWER: elbow
3. Despite the riots occurring in LA during this time, a group of African-American strangers come to Reginald Denny’s rescue after seeing him suffer on TV. Does this act prove that it is possible for different people to live together harmoniously, despite the color of their skin?
ANSWER: There is really no correct answer to this question, because I could understand either argument, but I would hope to see the answer include references to the racial tensions in LA at this time and maybe even references to other events, such as the Latasha Harlins incident, to back up the argument.
1. The cast of Twilight Los Angeles is intended to be people.
A. 3
B. 9
C. 1
D. Undefined
2. The statements made by the various characters in Twilight Los Angeles are in response to the beating and subsequent trial of black motorist: .
Rodney King
3. In Twilight Los Angeles, Anna Smith presents the ideas gathered from real interviews through stage art. This unique performance has been described by some as a new art form, "docudrama." In your opinion, is this play unique enough to deserve this title?
Milk
MULTIPLE CHOICE
What kind of business does Harvey Milk open in the Castro?
A. grocery store
B. camera shop
C. liquor store
D. Men’s clothing
Answer: B. camera shop
1.Once elected to the position of Supervisor, who is Harvey Milk’s main opponent?
a.Anna Kronenberg
b.Anita Bryant
c.Dan White
d.Rick Stokes
Answer: C. Dan White
In which decade did the events of this film take place?
A. 1960s
B. 1970s
C. 1980s
D. 1990s
Answer: B. 1970s
3) Harvey Milk was elected to what position in 1977?
a. California General Assembly, 12th District
b. San Francisco County Board of Supervisors
c. California State Senate, 8th District
d. San Francisco City Council
Answer: b. San Francisco County Board of Supervisors
SHORT ANSWER
1.One of Harvey’s key lines is “My name is Harvey Milk and _.”
Answer: "...I want to recruit you."
2. What was the name of the piece of legislation that Harvey Milk and his supporters fought against?
Answer: Prop-6, which would require the state to fire all teachers who were either homosexual or supportive of homosexuality.
3. The statement “My name is Harvey Milk and I am _” was frequently used by Milk to calm crowds that could potentially riot.
Answer: “here to recruit you.”
4. Where does Harvey Milk put the death threat drawing and why?
Answer: On the refrigerator, because he feels that it becomes much bigger than it is when you hide it away in a drawer and don’t deal with it by seeing it regularly.
ESSAY
1.Discuss the portrayal of Dan White in the film Milk. How does the film’s portrayal of him affect your first impression of him? Your final impression of him? To what extent did the director present a “villain” as opposed to a strictly factual/historical representation?
Answer/Discussion Points: The student should discuss how the film personalizes Harvey Milk and the gay community while vilifying the opposition (e.g. Dan White, Anita Bryant, Proposition 6, etc.) The answer should address the nature of feature film, in that it is a piece of art showing the audience an interpretation of historical events, as opposed to sources like newspapers, which are supposed to be objective. Harvey and Dan’s interaction is portrayed such that Harvey is always seen as an admirable character, while Dan is shown to be angry, jealous, and desperate. The student could also choose to address the difference between film and text and the implications there from for character development and interpretation.
2. Harvey Milk lived his life with the ultimate purpose of instigating political and social change for the homosexual community. What were some of his tactics in accomplishing this goal?
• Encouraged homosexuals to come out of the closet with the idea that it would be harder for people to vote against homosexuality if they knew a homosexual personally.
• Fought against Prop-6
• Rallied support among those living in the Castro
• Encouraged homosexuals to never blend in
• Never hid his own sexuality in the world of politics
• Encouraged organized protests, not violent outbreaks (such as the Pride Parade)
• Passed leadership duties on to Cleve Jones
• Made many public speeches
3) Discuss some of the ways Harvey Milk encouraged social change during his years of political activism in San Francisco.
Answers:
a. Fought against bigotry and anti-gay sentiments not only in California but across the United States (e.g. rallied against Anita Bryant in Florida)
b. Fought against Prop 6
c. Passed gay rights ordinance in San Francisco
d. First openly gay individual to be elected to public office in California
e. Encouraging gays and lesbians to be open about their sexuality
f. Mentor to other gay rights activisits (e.g. Cleve Jones)
g. Turning potential riots by the gay community in San Francisco into peaceful protests and marches, community organization
4. Discuss the different ways that Harvey Milk encourages his followers to promote their gay rights.
Answer:
• Peacefully marching through the streets chanting
• Hit barbershops, street corners, and anywhere else people are in groups in order to spread the message.
• Be endorsed by a major magazine.
• Phone and flier campaigns.
• Get all of the gay people to come out of the closet so that a face can be put to homosexuality as everyone has to realize that they know a gay person.
1) How does Harvey’s lover Jack die?
a) Shoots himself
b) Hangs himself
c) Drive-by shooting
d) Stabbed
Answer: b
2) is the piece of legislation Milk works to defeat which, if passed, would have banned gays and lesbians (and their supporters) from working in public schools.
Answer: Proposition 6
3) What are some of the ways that Milk encourages support for and acceptance of the lesbian and gay community?
- By taking a stand against anti-gay legislation
- Being openly gay when running for office and doing a good job once voted in
- Encouraging every gay/lesbian to come out of the closet to their relatives, friends, and employers
- Organized peaceful protests and marches
- Made many public speeches and was not afraid to debate with his enemies in their territory
- Organized and provided solace for gays/lesbians in the Castro with his camera shop; created more safety by implementing the use of whistles
- Stood for a cause instead of only standing against things politically
- Mentored up and coming gay activists, such as Cleve Jones
Chinatown
Multiple Choice
1) What is Jake Gittes originally hired to do?
a) Find out who killed Hollis Mulwray
b) Find Evelyn Mulwray's daughter
c) Find out if Hollis Mulwray is being unfaithful to his wife
d) Find out if Noah Cross is being unfaithful to his wife
(answer: c)
2. What person does the characters of Noah Cross and Hollis Mulrway?
-
William Muholland
b. J. P. Lippencott
c. Roman Polanski
d. Fred Eaton
3. What physical evidence did Gittes discover that linked Cross to Mulwray’s murder?
a. A glove
b. A watch
c. A handkerchief
d. A pair of bifocals
e. A ring
(Answer: D)
Fill in the Blank
1. Who was the director of the 1974 film Chinatown?
-
Roman Polanski
2) Chinatown was directed by .....
(answer: Roman Polanski)
3). Gittes discovers the water department’s corruption when he finds recent land purchasers in the . (Answer: obituary column)
Short Answer
1. What are three statements that Chinatown makes about power control in California?
-
Importance of water control
b. Drive for power leads to corruption
c. Influence of that corruption extends to families
d. Ultimately, all levels of authority are corrupt
e. Justice does not prevail
2. What does Chinatown represent in the film?
Lawlessness
The changing culture of Los Angeles
Corruption
Moral ambiguity
A loss of control
3. Discuss the effects the lack of water has had on Los Angeles.
- Political power struggles- where to get the water, corruption in officials (ex. Mulwray in Chinatown; Mulholland and Eaton in real life)
- Economic- have to buy water from other places
-Also, money to clean up disasters (ex. St. Francis Dam Disaster)
- Lack of water would inhibit the city’s growth
- Environmental- taking water from Inyo County. Owens Lake dries completely- even after water has been let back in it has not been restored to its original condition.
- Human Wellbeing- humans need fresh water to survive. Also, deaths from dam disaster.
