"God is not a Fish Inspector," by W.D. Valgardson

Biography of the Author:


        W.D. Valgardson, or William Dempsey Valgardson, was born in Winnipeg in 1939, and lives to this day. His education was a transpire of three different institutions, the United College, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Iowa. He worked at the University of Victoria for much of his life.
        His writing features much irony, satire, and symbolism, all of which are found in "God is not a Fish Inspector." Evidence of this is even found in the title.
        For such a distinguished author, little is known about his life. What is known is from public records.


This symbol reflects how disappointed and stretched Fusi's emotions are, as in this picture the man displays notable regret in not being able to partake in his old pastime (note the rod is not set up). This man feels as if he has suddenly been robbed of all the privileges of being an adult and is now treated as an irresponsible child.


Response:


1: Why do you think the author wrote the text?
A: I believe the author wrote the text to prove that older people that are trying to "stay young" aren't delusional or crazy, they're just trying to not think about dying all the time.

2: What does the author want you to think?
A: I believe the author wrote the text to prove that older people that are trying to "stay young" aren't delusional or crazy, they're just trying to not think about dying all the time. ( I know, I copy and pasted my answer, but the questions ask the same thing.)

3: Do you belong to any of the groups in the text?
A: Well, no. The only "group," per say, in the text is the elderly people in the old age home.

4: Does the story remind you of a real-life event?
A: I'm pretty sure that at least 80% of ageing people go through this phase of resisting the societal system that requires them to think about death all the time.

5: Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic?
A: I can't think of one at the moment, but there are definitely some out there.

6: How does the story help you think of social issues and social justice?
A: The story helps me to think of the way elderly people are expected to, pretty much, curl up and die once they pass sixty-five or seventy. I'm thinking that's a pretty bad social stigma.

7: What action might you take from what you have learned?
A: I will treat elderly people with more respect, especially when they resist the cooping up of an elder's home or other restrictions.

8: What big question has this text left you with?
A: this text has not left me with any questions.

"The Possibility of Evil," by Shirley Jackson

Biography of the Author:

          Shirley Jackson was born and lived in 1916, and lived to 1965. She lived to only 48 due to complications from obesity and heavy smoking. During her relatively short lifetime she wrote many novels and short stories, most either classified in the mystery or horror genre.
          She graduated from Syracuse University in 1940 with a BA in English, and there she met her future husband Stanley Hyman, who would become a well-respected literary critic, and often edited Jackson's work for her. Possibly her most famous novel was "The Haunting of Hill House," which inspired many of today's most prominent novelists, including Stephen King.

Response:

i) Why do you think the author wrote the text?

A: I believe the author wrote the text to show that revealing stones better left unturned often has disastrous consequences for those 'turning the stones.' AKA, placing themselves in other people's lives and destroying them. 

ii) What does the author want you to think?
A: The author wants the reader to be almost disgusted with Miss Strangeworth and her apparent lack of morality, and how her two motives in life seem to be either benign or malicious. 

iii) Do you belong to any of the groups in the text?
A: No, although I would be among the average citizens who may receive Miss Strangeworth's letters periodically if I lived in that town. 

iv) Does the story remind you of a real-life event (your own or others)?
A: No, I have no real-life events I know about that compare. 

v) Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic?
A: I have not read a book nor seen a movie which describes similar conditions.

vi) How does the story help you think about social issues and social justice?
A: The story is obviously centred around these issues, and one of the social issues in the story is the way Miss Strangeworth harasses her neighbours with what is basically repeated gossip portrayed as the truth. The social justice in the story is the culmination of events that end with the destruction of Miss Strangeworth's roses in retaliation to her wanton destruction of so many families and friendships. 

vii) What action might you take from what you have learned?
A: Although there is no reason to take any action now as I have no knowledge of any similar situations currently, if I did know someone who was defacing people's reputations for personal enjoyment I would move to convince them to stop this horrendous act.

viii) What big question has this text left you with?
A: This text has not left any questions with me. 

        Questions from text here

"Harrison Bergeron," by Kurt Vonnegut.

Biography of the Author:


      Kurt Vonnegut was a modern humanist and science-fiction author. His writing career was characterized by many novels and short stories focused on governmental tyranny and his experiences as an infantry soldier in World War II.
      Kurt Vonnegut was born in Indiana in 1922. He was a student at Cornell university, and it was there that he enlisted in the US army previous to the start of the war. Vonnegut was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. During his period of imprisonment he witnessed the firebombing of Dresden in 1945. His experiences while imprisoned inspired at least six of his works.
     When Vonnegut returned from Europe he attended the University of Chicago and earned a degree in anthropology. Although his original thesis was rejected, he later submitted his first novel, "Cat's Cradle," which earned him the degree. He later was offered a job at the University of Iowa's writer's workshop, where he wrote "Slaughterhouse Five." He continued to write almost until the date of his death in 2007.

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Response:


Q: What parts of the story are the most exaggerated? What do you think was the author's purpose in using exaggeration so extensively?
A: The most exaggerated parts of the stories are the literal disadvantagement the citizens of the country invented in the novel, via the use of weights and sound disorientation. This is a metaphor for social disadvantagment that would be enforced by this kind of regime. 


Q: What do George and Hazel's reactions at the end of the story reveal about the quality of life in their society?
A: Their reactions reveal that their society is numbed of these incidences by their 'handicaps,' and also by  the acceptance of what in today's governments would be considered  dictatorship. 


Q: What is the situational irony in this story? What would you expect a society to be like in which everyone is equal?
A: The irony is that, rather then equalizing everyone to have the same opportunities, as the handicapps were most likely intended, they rather set the society back and ended up in the handicapping of everyone. In a society where everyone is equal nothing would be accomplished as there is no competition and no way for one, better idea to break through the squalid markets at the bottom of the commercial food chain. 


Q: What point do you think the author is making through the irony? 
A: The point the author is making is that in a society where everyone is made to be equal is a worse society then one where some people are born with advantages others may no have. 


I: Why do you think the author wrote the text? 
A: To show that a society with no competition allowed is only setting itself backwards. 


II: What does the author want you to think? 
A: The author wishes the reader to dislike immensely the forced limitations and the dictatorship of the government in the story. He wants the reader to, in essence, hate the people who set the limits on the average citizens. 


III: Do you belong to any of the groups in the text? 
A: As the story is set in an alternate reality, it is difficult to imagine yourself as one in the groups. However, in such a situation I would undoubtably be among those rebelling against the government. 


IV: Does the story remind you of a real-life event (your own or others)? 
A: Although this does not directly relate to an event, it is possible to compare it to some dictatorships present in small areas of the Middle East and South America. In some areas this kind of "handicapping" has been attempted, although it never ends the way it was portrayed to the international community. Socialism, also called Communism, sometimes implies this tactic of suppressing their political opponents, etc. 


V: Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic? 
A: This story reminds me of the novel series "The Hunger Games," where citizens are ruled over by a irrepressible dictatorship, the ruler of which forces them to send children into what effectively is a large Roman Coliseum to fight to the death over a period of several days. The story reminded me of these novels because the ordinary citizens do not have access to a vast amount of modern technology that the Capitol (the ruling centre) has available to them.  


VI: How does the story help you think of social issues and social justice? 
A: As the story is a very "what if..." scenario, direct comparison is difficult, however the situation is not unlike those present in dictatorships around the world. 


VII: What action(s) might you take from what you have learned? 
A: As the situation described in the story does not exist, there need no actions to be taken, however if faced with this situation I would undoubtedly stand up to this government. 


VIII: What big question has this text left you with? 
A: This story is complete in itself and does not leave me with any questions. 

"The Metaphor," by Budge Wilson

Biography of The Author:  


Budge Wilson was born in Nova Scotia. She attended Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto,
then went on to write thirty-three books. She has received twenty-three Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" selection awards, as well as writing the centennial prequel to "Anne of Green Gables,""Before Green Gables." In 2004, she received the Order of Canada reward, a reward given to those Canadians who   have, in the words of the Government website, "Enriched the lives of others and made a difference in this country."


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Response: 


Q: Why did Miss Hancock get along well in Junior High, but have so much difficulty in Senior High?
A: Because Ms. Hancock relied on her students eagerness to learn and varying degrees of maturity and immaturity to keep order in her classroom. Her demeanour required enthusiasm to flourish, and in high school there is a lack of this attitude among many students. Also, the lack of the student's respect was a problem to Miss Hancock, due to her 'differences' from more orthodox teachers.

Q: Is Charlotte right in blaming herself for Miss Hancock's death? Would being more friendly to Miss Hancock at senior high have made any difference?
A: Although Charlotte is not responsible for Miss Hancock's death, she defiantly could've been friendlier towards her old teacher. Her attitude was one of sacrificing an old friendship for a small slice of notoriety.

Q: How were the metaphorical descriptions similar to the actual characters of a), Charlotte's mother, and b) Miss Hancock?
A: In the metaphorical descriptions of Charlotte's mother, she is described as being very orthodox and
strict. As the story describes her, these character features are very evident. Miss Hancock's metaphorical description as a eloquent cake also fits her description.

Q: What do you think was the author's main purpose for writing this story? Discuss.
A: To point out the changing demeanor of students as they age, and try to fit in. Also, to extrapolate the teacher's attitude and style and how this effects the student's reactions and their learning environment.

Critical Thinking Questions: 


I: Why do you think the author wrote the text?
A: To show how student's demeanour towards teachers changes as they age, and how the teacher's style affects the learning environment of the classroom.

II: What does the author want you to think?
A: The author wishes the reader to see the relationship between teachers and students as constructive but have the possibility to implode due to the student's desire to "fit in."

III: Do you belong to any of the groups in the text?
A: First of all, I do not like to classify people in 'groups,' and therefore I would not instinctively place myself in one, however i would say I would be more likely to have a friendship with teachers rather than my fellow students.

IV: Does the story remind you of a real-life event (your own or others)?
A: None that I know or know of, however I do see how this could be applicable to a large percentage of the population.

V: Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic?
A: Nothing comes to mind.

VI: How does the story help you think about social issues and social justice?
A: The story is incitive of the problematic communication situation between many students and their teachers. About social justice, well, that doesn't seem to apply to  this story.

VII: What action(s) might you take from what you have learned?
A: I already have a good relationship with many of my teachers, however if I did not I would make an effort to be more friendly towards them.

VIII: What big question has this text left you with?
A: This text has not left me with any questions.

"All the Troubles of the World," by Isaac Asimov

Biography of the Author:


Isaac Asimov was born in Petrovichi, which was at that time a part of the Soviet Union,  in 1919. Although  he was born in the Soviet empire, he never learned Russian and instead spoke English and Yiddish. His parents moved to the United States when he was only three years old, and he was educated in the American school system.
Asimov attended Columbia University for the second half of his Biology master's degree. He then worked various jobs, some being associated with the Second World War.
In 1958 he accepted a posting to Boston university, and there he started writing. He quit this job quickly as his writing income already far exceeded his Professor's salary. He then went on to write over 300 books of various genres, although his most successful work was in Science Fiction writing.

Response:


1. Why do you think the author wrote the text?
A: I believe the author wrote the text to show how important computers, especially governmental supercomputers, are to modern society.

2: What does the author want you to think?
A: The author wants the reader to realize how central a role these government databanks play into our lives. Although this situation is much more evident in the USA, the point can still be made and seen.

3: Do you belong to any of the groups in the text?
A: There are not really any distinct groups in the story to compare to.

4: Does the story remind you of a real-life event?
A: No, it does not.

5: Does the story remind you of another book or movie on a similar topic?
A: It reminds me of Dan Brown's book "Digital Fortress," which deals with a similarly all-knowing government supercomputer.

6: How does the story help you think of social issues and social justice?
A: The story brings to mind the situation with government intelligence south of the border, where there is a massive and continuous legal war between the government agencies who need people's information to do their work and the average citizen who wants to keep this private.

7: What action might you take from what you have learned?
A: I would not take action from this story as the exact situation is not comparable.

8: What big question has this question left you with?
A: This isn't really from the story, but if the US government knows so much about their citizens how much does Canada's know about theirs? How much privacy do we really have in comparison to the average US citizen?

Response 2: 


1: Why do Ali Othman and Rafe Leemy wait before they tell Bernard Gulliman the whole truth? Are their actions believable considering the seriousness of the crime? Explain.
A: Yes, as they would know that Gulliman, who is an elected official, would do whatever was necessary to keep his position and therefore would not act with direct responsibility towards Multivac.

2: What evidence from the story tells you that Ben and the other characters see Mulitvac as a kind of god? What effect does their view have on the story's ending?
A: The reverence the characters hold for Multivac assures both its protection and destruction, as those determined to protect it must protect it from itself as its godlike status allows it to commandeer people to engineer its own destruction.

3: What does the ending suggest about the ability of technology to bring around a perfect world? Do you agree? Explain your answer.
A: The ending of the story suggests that a world ruled by technology is often unforgiving and does not account for true human emotions, thus resulting in a world where expression is not valued.