Discussion Forum #3: Literary Realism, Feminism, Race, and surprise plot twist endings

This Discussion Forum #3 is the first one related to the “short stories unit” of the class.  And as you can see in reading through the stories in Module #3, there are a lot of topics and themes covered within Week 2’s Literary Realism unit.  So, below there are a few short answer questions (a one sentence answer is fine) for you to respond to, and then there are a few longer ‘thematic’ questions here (a full paragraph answer is best).

Short answers:

1.) Attention to setting: In “The Necklace,” after Mr. and Madam Loisel enjoy the “intoxicating” ball, they go outside to “call a cab.”  Given the time period, what kind of “cab” is this?

2.)  Comprehension/Plot:  Staying with “The Necklace,” why are the Loisels forced to “[dismiss] their maid; [change] their address; [rent] an attic flat” (12)?

3.)  Symbols/ Music:  Often in stories, things that occur in the environment that affect characters’ senses can directly reflect the mood of the events, or scene, the character is involved in. So, if there is a storm outside, there is usually tension and conflict occurring in the plot, or in the character’s mind. Or, for example, if a couple is enchanted by bright colors and excitement of a carnival, then they, too, are experiencing uninhibited joy.

So.. what are the two great differences in music being played in Tolstoy’s “After The Dance” which reflect the stark contrast in mood between the two main scenes of Ivan Vasilievich’s framed narrative.  The two main environments are: a) the luxurious, elegant, charming ball inside and, b) the harsh, winter, dirty scene outside at dawn?

4.)  Early in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” what do you think the writer means by “She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance”?  (Do the following sentences explain this line further?)

5.)  Plot structure and narrative arc:  If we look at stories in terms of a plot diagram, what happens in the “resolution” phase of Chopin’s “Désirée’s Baby”?

 

Larger themes:

6.)  Some literature is read from what is called a “feminist critical approach.”  As explained in pgs. 1575-1577 (and p. 1658) of your Literature text, this ‘approach’ is a way of reading a text “designed to raise consciousness about the importance and unique nature of women in literature” along with their roles in society (1658).   Though quite different in their styles, how can both Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” be read from a ‘feminist’ perspective? That is, what could each author be saying (though quite differently) about real issues involving female oppression/discrimination in their societies through these stories?

7.)  Remember that “Desiree’s Baby” takes place in pre-Civil War Louisiana (though written during post-Civil War Aouth). Given the historical context of Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby,” and the “new racism” of the American South as supported by court decisions such as Plessy v. Ferguson during her time, do you think Chopin is upholding racist ideas with this story, or could she be criticizing the ‘Realism’ of her day? Or, is she just telling a tragic story? What do you think? Why?

8.) What ‘truths’ behind the ‘civilized’ surface are revealed to Ivan and, additionally, to the readers in the light of dawn in Tolstoy’s “After the Dance”?

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