tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114029387198642467.post9106822710418006223..comments2024-01-22T22:05:31.065-08:00Comments on Musing for Amusement: Racial IdentityJamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09437524476855271612noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9114029387198642467.post-85652054231366683532008-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:002008-02-10T13:27:00.000-08:00When I hear of a fellow English Geek in need of he...When I hear of a fellow English Geek in need of help, I'm prepared to rise to the challenge...<BR/><BR/>So... I present to you "The Story of a Dead Man" by James Alan McPherson. I read this in the short story class that I took while in community college. It's basically the story of two black cousins, one an alcoholic and the other, a determined and self-directed man set on ridding himself of classic southern black characteristics. He marries a classy and upstanding woman in Chicago, but is quickly reminded of his southern roots when his alcoholic cousin arrives for a visit with the man's wife and her family. It's kind of an interesting story.<BR/><BR/>Here are the guided reading questions from the textbook... I dont know if the full text is available anywhere online, so you might have to do some digging.<BR/><BR/>1. Like the Raymond family, we can learn much about Billy Renfro by listening to the way he talks. THe same is true for the narrator, William. What does their language reveal about these men?<BR/><BR/>2. The narrator's attitude towards his cousin is a complex one, composed of many contradictory feelings. Describe that attitude. Do you share William's assessmen of Billy in all it's particulars? Explain.<BR/><BR/>3. How does each of the five or six anecdotes the tells us about Billy Renfro contribute to our understanding of him?<BR/><BR/>4. Why does Billy Renfro have the power to horrify Mrs. Raymond and her daughter Chelseia? Why does Mr. Raymond respond so warmly to him? Why does he react as he does when Billy removes his glasses, revealing that he has lost an eye?<BR/><BR/>5. From the time he was an adolescent, William has been pursuing one dream, one goal, with single-minded energy: middle-class respectability and conventionality, which have until recently been defined in America by whites. Describe his progress toward that goal. What has it cost him?<BR/><BR/>Well... I hope that this helps... There are a few other stories that came to mind as I read your post... I'll let you know once I have a chance to read them and refresh my memory :o)Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04246110332811243777noreply@blogger.com