Paraphrased Classics: Essay Questions

Moby Dick 1. Moby Dick is a sea adventure. Discuss how prophecies, superstition (a belief in the power of magic and luck) and stories told by other whalers add to the mystery and suspense of the plot. 2. Discuss the character of Ahab. He is stubborn, selfish, revengeful and destructive, but there are times when we feel pity for him. Explore both sides of the man, his obsession and his humanity. 3. As well as an amazing story about an amazing adventure, Moby Dick is also a record of life aboard a whaling ship in the mid-19th century. What do we learn about the whaling industry from the novel? 4. Discuss how Ishmael gradually introduces us to the world of Captain Ahab and the great white whale. Think about how other peoples descriptions and stories are used to introduce the characters long before they make a direct appearance. 5. Discuss the figure of the great white whale. What does Moby Dick represent? In what ways does the whale represent different things to different people? Think about the crew of the Pequod, and the captains and crews of other ships they meet on their voyage. White Fang 1. Discuss the various uses by London of anthropomorphism that is, the assigning of human qualities to non-humans. 2. Trace White Fang's development from a puppy to a fully grown animal. Think especially of White Fang's change from a domineering, vicious animal of the wild to that of a totally civilized animal. 3. Compare and/or contrast White Fang's three masters: Gray Beaver, Beauty Smith, and Weedon Scott. 4. Discuss how the idea of the "survival of the fittest" is used throughout this novel. 5. Compare and/or contrast life in the Northland to that of life in the Southland. Romeo & Juliet 1. Love manifests itself in a multitude of ways in the play. Compare and contrast Romeo's love for Rosaline with Romeo's love for Juliet. Consider love as it exists in the Capulet household. How does love operate between Lord and Lady Capulet, Juliet and the Nurse? 2. Compare and contrast Romeo's reaction to the news of his banishment with Juliet's reaction. 3. Juliet is a very young girl; however, she shoulders a great deal of responsibility and manages a series of very difficult situations. Discuss Juliet's maturity level and compare it to Romeo's. Compare Juliet early in the play with Juliet later in the play. How has she changed? When did she change? Why did those changes occur?

Paraphrased Classics: Essay Questions

4. The first Prologue describes Romeo and Juliet as, "A pair of star-cross'd lovers." Examine the way Shakespeare uses cosmic imagery in the play to emphasize the connection between Romeo and Juliet and their tragic deaths. 5. Dreams often play an important part in Shakespearean dramas. At several points in the play, the characters have dreams. Sometimes they interpret them correctly, and other times they don't. Discuss these instances and how the characters' reactions to those dreams affect the action in the play. How do the characters interpret or misinterpret their dreams? 6. The feud between the families seems to be an ever-present concern for the characters. How does the feud drive the action of the play. How do the various characters manifest the feud? Hamlet 1. What kind of a King is Claudius? What evidence shows the kind of monarch he is and the kind of man he is? Is this his appearance, or is it his true character? 2. Name the various foils Shakespeare has created for Hamlet. Why is each important to the play? 3. Identify the three revenge plots in Hamlet, and explain why each is important to the development of the play. The Jungle Book 1. From ancient times, authors have used animals to reflect human traits. Discuss how Kipling uses animals in The Jungle Book to represent particular types of people and their personalities. 2. Discuss the values found in Kipling's animal world. How are these superior to many of the common values of the human world? 3. Compare /contrast two characters from Mowglis Brothers or Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages for Mowgli in the jungle and in the village?

Gullivers Travels 1. Discuss Gullivers progress from chained alien to important ally of the Lilliputians. Define satire and describe how it is used through examples from the text. 2. What is the significance, if any, of the order in which Gullivers journeys take place? How does each adventure build on the previous one? 3. Discuss the total collapse of Gullivers position in Lilliput and its causes. 4. What does the dispute over egg breaking represent with respect to the religious or political differences within one country? Are there any modern examples of this dispute? Explain.

Paraphrased Classics: Essay Questions

The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1. Hugo explored the theme that appearances can be deceiving. What are some examples of this from the novel? 2. Explain how fate plays an important role in the novel, giving at least three specific examples of how fate affects the outcome of the plot. 3. Discuss symbolism and Hugos use of symbols in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. 4. Discuss the irony of Claude Frollos religious position and his wicked behavior. (Compare & Contrast) Oliver Twist 1. Throughout the novel, Dickens gives us characters who display various attitudes toward the poor that were typical of early Victorian England. Identify at least three passages in which Dickens documents characters attitudes toward the poor and their social status. 2. Throughout the novel, Dickens gives us characters who display various attitudes toward the poor that were typical of early Victorian England. Identify at least three passages in which Dickens documents characters attitudes toward the poor and their social status. 3. Fagin or Bill Sikes Which does Dickens want us as readers to find more threatening? Why? (Compare & Contrast) 4. (Choose two characters of four) Compare and contrast what happens to the following characters: Bumble, Fagin, Sikes and Monks. In each case, is justice achieved? The Three Musketeers
1. How does dArtagnans character change from the beginning of the novel to the end?

What episodes reveal these changes?

2. DArtagnan falls in love with Constance Bonacieux, who is the heroine of the novel, but

later he also becomes infatuated with Milady, who is the villain. Contrast the two women and the relationships dArtagnan develops with them. How can he be attracted to both when they differ so completely? 3. Give three examples of friendship in the novel, and explain its value in the story. 4. Discuss the significant occurrences (events, happenings, adventures, coincidences) which allow d'Artagnan, a simple young eighteen-year-old boy, to become a twenty-one-yearold man of position and power. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 1. Analyze the relationship between Tom and Huck Finn, paying close attention to their trip to the graveyard and their hunt for treasure. 2. Analyze Toms relationship to the other boys his age, paying close attention to the whitewashing scene and the scenes at school. 3. Discuss how Twain uses satire in the Sunday school scene. 4. Trace Toms courtship of Becky. In what ways is their romance adult-like? In what ways is it childish? 5. Discuss Twains portrayal of the towns authority figures, especially Judge Thatcher, Mr. Dobbins, and the minister?

Paraphrased Classics: Essay Questions

6. Discuss Twains portrayal of Injun Joe. Does Twain want us to feel sympathy for Injun Joe? How can you tell? 7. Analyze the relationship between the adults and the children of St. Petersburg. Focus especially on the adult reaction to Tom Sawyer.