Ordinary People chap 6-9 DQ

Chapter 6

1. Who is Arnold Bacon? What role did he play in Cal’s life?

- He’s a tax atorny. He motivated Cal into going into law school. He’s also a mentor to Cal and kind of like a father in a way.

2. How did Cal lose Arnold’s favor?

- He married Beth.

3. Why was Calvin out-of-sorts on this particular day?

- It is Jodan’s nineth birthday.

4. What does Cal mean when he says, “I am the kind of man – who hasn’t the least idea what kind of man I am.”?

- He doesn’t know what kind of man he is; he doesn’t know himself anymore.

5. What are some of Calvin’s redeeming qualities?

- He tried too hard to keep everything together, but he cant forgive himself for what happened.

Chapter 7

6. Who is Karen? What’s her history?

- She’s a friend of Conrad while they were in the hospital.

7. Why is Conrad hurt by Karen?

- He thinks that she doesn’t want to see him anymore.

8. What is Karen’s perspective on getting better? What is true about her logic and what is faulty?

- The only way to heal is to understand you first. No one can help you, you can only get help from yourself. Make sure that you hang out with the right people and be very careful.

Chapter 8

9. What does Conrad say about the Christmas trip to London?

- He said he’ll go because he doesn’t want to spoil anything.

10. How does Beth attempt to capitalize on Conrad’s reluctant agreement to take the trip?

She avoided him and acted like she doesn’t care.

11. What Cardinal Sin did Calvin commit at the party that night?

- He told Sara that Conrad is seeing a psychiatrist.

12. What previous “sin” had Calvin committed before?

- He kissed Sara.

13. What is Calvin’s drinking habits like? Why does he say that he drinks?

- He drinks too much at parties. He said that it makes him high and it felt good.

14. Why won’t Calvin sleep tonight?

- He drank too much.

Chapter 9

15. Who is Suzanne Mosely? What happens to her in class?

- She’s a girl who’s really bad at math and since they have math pop quiz, she’s really nervous.

16. How does Conrad respond to Suzanne’s dilemma?

- He offered her help.

17. Describe the conflict in the locker-room.

- Stillman thinks that Conrad had a thing for Mosely. And he asked Conrad to tell them about how easy she is.

18. Describe Conrad’s dream.

- He’s at a beach. He saw a tunnel so he walks through the tunnel. It got narrower and in the end he ended up being trapped in a metal box.

19. What does Dr. Berger initially say about “dreams”? What does he say later?

- He said that he doesn’t believe in dreams, but then he said that he lied, that he does believe in dreams. He also said that Conrad’s dream is an intereting one.

Ordinary People Chap 9 # 20 (200 words response)

20. – (200 Word Response) Describe the progression and what happens in Dr. Berger’s and Conrad’s session. What conclusions does Conrad come to?

Conrad hates to be in a psychiatrist office. He feels that everybody is stupid. He thinks that all psychiatrists are the same. They turn a question into a statement and it tricks you into telling them what they wanted to hear. When he has his first session with Dr. Berger, he wasn’t all that excited about it. One of the reasons is because Dr. Berger is different from other doctors. While other doctors tried to get an answers out of him, Dr. Berger just have a regular talk with him casually and telling him that it’s okay to let your guard down. He also tells Conrad that he doesn’t believe of being in control all the time. It’s not good to be intense. Nobody’s perfect, so it’s okay to make a mistake once in a while.
At first, Conrad thought that it was a joke that he even has to see a doctor at all, because it was no use. But he has to do it because he doesn’t want to disappoint his father. When he first enters Dr. Berger’s office the room was a mess and it was really dark. It was ironic for someone who’s trying to help people to live like this. Conrad soon found out that it wasn’t like this all the time. He doesn’t really care about the sessions at first, but he soon realized that it’s not as bad as he thought it will be and that they actually helped him. It makes him stands up for himself and for once it makes him chose what he wants to do in life and not just what other people think.

Ordinary People chap 4-5 DQ

Ordinary PEOPLE - DQ’s Chapter 4 &5

Chapter 4

1. What is does Cal mean when he says, “he emphatically does not own her” in reference to Beth.

- That she have her own rules and he cant really control. It’s her way or no way.

2. What is the real issue for Calvin when they are talking about Dr. Brandt’s diagnosis of Conrad? (Hint: “blaming” the doctor is not Calvin’s issue).

- He blames himself for what happen, because he thinks that if he could just talk to Conrad then they might not be in this situation.

3. What does Ray say to Calvin about Conrad?

- He said that it might not be a good idea for Con to get back on a regular scheadule.

4. What comparison does Cal make about his family and Ray’s?

- He thinks that Ray’s family should be more crazier than his family because he have two daughters.

5. What does Cal mean when he says, “…no one knows what he believes – until it happens?”

- He believes that nothing can happen to his love ones but then his elder son Jordan died and his belief dissapear.

Chapter 5

6. What is Conrad’s first impression of Dr. Berger’s office?

- Darkness

7. Why is Conrad “…not easily charmed. Or fooled.”? What has experience taught him in regards to psychiatrists?

- He is cautious and he just want it to get through the first meet.

8. What does Conrad say that he wants to work on in therapy?

- To be more in control.

9. What is Dr. Berger’s response?

- He told Conrad that he want to go along with the flow, then he asked Conrad about his parents.

10. What was different in the hospital?

- Everybody’s more open.

Ordinary People chap 1-3 DQ

Chapter 1

1. The novel begins with the line, “To have a reason to get up in the morning, it is necessary to posses a guiding principle.” What kinds of examples does the author give of “guiding principles”?

- A belief of some kind; bumper stickers.

2. What does Conrad’s room look like when he gets back from the hospital?

- All the posters have been removed.

3. What is ironic about the fact that Conrad’s bumper sticker posters are all gone?

- His room now looks like the hospital because of the blue walls.

4. What did Dr. Crawford do to prepare for his return to school and life? What was his advice?

- Dr. Crawford gave him a routine for everything. His advice is tat it’s okay to feel anxious and to have a bad day once in a while.

5. What is Con’s physical appearance like? What does he notice in the mirror?

- Cut hair and pale face. He noticed a weird rash on his face and his eyes looked different.

6. What does Calvin require that Conrad do today? Why?

- To get up from bed and to make sure that he follows his everyday routine.

7. “They are people of good taste. They do not discuss a problem in the presence of the problem. And, besides, there is no problem.” Give the context of this quote and explain what it means.

- It describes his parents. They want to pretend that everything is okay.

8. What is “Target Day”? Explain.

- It was the day that he’s suppose to be home from the hospital.

9. How do the “May flies” related to Conrad?

- Conrad spends his time on how to act and follow his daily routine just like may flies.

10. How did Conrad define “faith” after his experience in the hospital?

- He didn’t really believe in anything anymore. He’s just trying to get through the day.

Chapter 2

1. Describe Beth. What’s she like? What seems to be important to her?

- She has a flat stomach, nice hair, and round face. Image is very important to her.

2. What does Beth think about Conrad’s clothes?

- It’s not decent and she thinks that he should wear nicer clothes.

3. Why is it important to Beth that Conrad stops by the Lazenby’s after school on his first day back to school?

- Because she doesn’t want her friend to ask her why Conrod doesn’t stop by.

4. What is Calvin Jarrett’s background? Why is it challenging for him to “be a father”? What does he think being a good father means?

- He’s in an orphanage since the age of four. He doesn’t know how to be like a father because he never have one. He thinks that being a father means he have to make sure that his son follows his routine everyday.

5. What are the “signs” that good father’s were supposed to look for according to Calvin?

- If Conrod sleeps properly or if he have a good diet or not. He tried not to put too much pressure on the kid.

6. What other ways does Calvin talk about what it means to be a father? What was the vision that he had of his two sons?

- That being a father is more than trust luck. – Kid with loud music besides them or playing basketball and just being a regular kid.

7. How does Calvin’s view of being the “kid from the Evangelical Home” color his view of fatherhood?

- He doesn’t know much about being a father.

8. What does the breakfast scene tell you about the family dynamics? Between Conrad and Beth? Between Conrad and Calvin? Beth and Calvin?

- They like to pretend that everything’s okay. But they are all very intense.

9. What is the image of Conrad’s old self that everyone expects Conrad to be?

- To play sports and making good grades in school.

10. What’s different about Conrad after the hospital? Whose opinions do we hear as the reader?

– He’s more quite. – Conrod’s oponions.

CHAPTER 3

1. Why is Conrad stressed about Lazenby being late to pick him up?

- He’s afraid that his mother’s going to drive him.

2. What is the “gray disease”? Elaborate.

- The worrying about Conrod, because if they act different or start questioning, then he might be his old self again.

3. What did Conrad’s grandmother eagerly remind him of? How did Conrad feel about it?

- How much pressure his father was in these past months. He doesn’t care, because it’s too much for him.

4. What is the significance of “good taste” as it relates to the story, characters, and themes?

- Normal people have good taste, because they know what to say and when to say it.

5. How does Stillman treat Conrad? Give examples. How does Conrad respond?

- A stupid person, because he’s not in the same grade as they are. Stillman asked him about a book that Conrad was reading, and he talks to Conrad like a piece of junk. Conrad just stay quite and act along with him.

6. Describe Lazenby and Stillman. What are they like? Personalities?

- Lazenby is kinder and still treat Conrad like a normal kid. However, Stillman is mean. He’s popular so he gets all the girls even though he doesn’t deserves them.

7. What is Conrad’s opinion of Stillman? Divers?

- That everything comes easy for Stillman. But he thinks that he’s a crappy diver, because divers are crappy.

8. How does Miss Melon treat Conrad?

- She treats him like he’s slow and she gives him extra attention.

9. How does Conrad feel about making mistakes in the past? And now?

- It wasn’t that big of a deal before, but now he feels like he have to be perfect. That there cant be any mistake.

10. Why would Conrad prefer “indifference to concern”?

- He would rather be not get notice at all instead getting special attention.

11. Why does Con like chorus? What about chorus makes him feel secure?

- It’s the time when he can let his guards down. The teacher didn’t really care about anything except to sing, and he likes singing.

12. What happens with Conrad’s swim coach? How does he treat Conrad? What does he ask Con?

- He yawn and the coach catches him. They have a talk after prace and the coach asked him if he’s on medication, and then he asked Conrad to stay afterschool for more practice if he wants to be on the team.

13. What is Con’s interaction with his mother like when he gets home?

- His mother kind of ignore him.

The Black Cat - Discussion Qs

1. Discuss the significance of the following quote: “There is something unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of man.”
2. What is the significance of the cat’s name, Pluto?
3. Why did the narrator initially restrain himself from maltreating the cat while maltreating other animals?
4. Why does he eventually mistreat the cat?
5. Describe the narrator’s feelings after abusing the cat. Why is that significant?
6. How does the narrator define “perverseness”? Do you agree with his definition? Do you agree that it is human nature?
7. Discuss the significance of the following quote: “[I] hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offense; because I knew that in doing so I was committing a sin.”

Everybody is capable of loving one another dearly. For the one that we love, we usually test their love to see if they feel the same way. In The Black Cat, Pluto is a significance name for a cat, because Pluto is a big planet and the cat is a big part of the family. The narrator maltreated other animals except the cat, because he loves the cat and it’s because they are friends. However, he later mistreats the cat, because he hates the cat now. He now hates everything that he used to love. After maltreating the cat, he feels guilty, but at the same time he feels good about it. This is the part when he realizes that human are capable of doing so many things and that we are not who we are appear to be. His pervertness, which is doing something awful and terrible, is sickening. He did something horrible to the cat. He did it because he knows that it’s the wrong thing to do in the first place.

The Black Vocab

1. Solicit – to seek for (something) by entreaty, earnest or respectful request, formal application.
a. Synonyms: Beg
b. Antonyms: disapprove, reject
1. Sentence:- Colleges solicit the smarter students to go to their school.
2. -Henry was accused of soliciting his colleagues to destroy the documents
2. Mad - mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.
a. Synonyms: Angry
b. Antinyms: Happy
1. Sentence:- My driving teacher was mad, because I miss my lesson for the day.
2. -I’m mad, because I lost my homework.
Succinct: (Adj) -expressed in few words; concise; terse
a. Synonyms: to the point
Antonyms: lengthy, long
Sentence: - Please state your case as succinctly as possible.
-Japanese poems are Succinct, but they get right to the point.

Phantasm: (N) -an illusory likeness of something.
a. Synonyms: dream, fantasy
b. Antonyms: reality
1. Sentence:- A little girl’s phantasm was to live in candy land.
2. – Some people tend to live in a phantasm, because it was too hard to accept reality.

Docile: (Adj) -easily managed or handled.
a. Synonyms: easily influenced, easy going
b. Antonyms: headstrong, stubborn
1. Sentence:- A little kid is docile when it come to play time.
2. –kids are more easy to docile than adults, because they didn’t think through clearly.
Disposition: (N) -the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude.
a. Synonyms: control, direction
b. Antonyms: disarrangement, mismanagement
1. Sentence:- It’s hard to be disposition when dealing with kids, because they can be very annoying.
2. –Disposition is a good thing, because you don’t want to keep too many junk in the house.
Sagacious: (Adj) -having or showing keen discernment, and sound judgment.
a. Synonyms: knowledgeable, sharp, rational
b. Antonyms: careless, foolish, ignorant, stupid
1. Sentence:- It’s sagacious to check your answer twice, so that you wont make any mistake.
2. – If you are a sagacious, you will get along with anybody.

Paltry: (Adj) -lacking in importance or worth; trivial.
a. Synonyms: base, common, small, narrow
b. Antonyms: important, worthy, significant
1. Sentence:- A broken stoll is paltry, because it doesn’t have the use of it to anybody.
2. – Always pay attention in class even if it’s a paltry thing, because it might have a meaning in the future.

Gossamer: (N) -something delicate, light, or flimsy.
a. Synonyms: transparent, cobweb
b. Antonyms: thick
1. Sentence:- A glass is gossamer, because it’s transparent.
2. – A gossamer star is very shiny and beautiful at night.

Fidelity: (N) -faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances.
a. Synonyms: attachment, faith
b. Antonyms: disloyalty
1. Sentence:- The fidelity of the servant’s is to the king.
2. – Fidelity is very important if you’re on a mission.

Procure: (V) -to get by special effort; obtain or acquire.
a. Synonyms: annex, bring
b. Antonyms: give away, lose
1. Sentence:- He procured extra cigarettes even though they were rational.
2. – If you’re going to procure a country, make sure that you know what you know what you’re doing.

Allusion: (N) -the act of alluding; indirect reference
a. Synonyms: implication
b. Antonyms: reality
1. Sentence:- If you take drug, then you will have an allusion.
2. – Allusion is not a good thing, because it keeps you away from reality.

Intemperance: (N) -excessive use of alcoholic beverages.
a. Synonyms: alcoholism, drunkness
b. Antonyms: clear mind
1. Sentence:- People tend to be intemperance if they face a problem in life.
2. – If you are an intemperance person, then you should get help.

Maltreat: (V) -to treat in a rough or cruel way
a. Synonyms: abuse
b. Antonyms: treating nicely
1. Sentence:- When parents maltreat children, the kid usually turns into a bad person.
2. – If you maltreat somebody, there’s a good chance that you are evil.

Scruple: (N) -a moral or ethical consideration or standard that acts as a restraining force or inhibits certain actions.

a. Synonyms: anxiety, caution

b. Antonyms: ignorance, unconcern

1. Sentence:- He lied and did not even scruple about it.

2. – The man scrupled to perjure himself.

16. Malevolence: (N) -ill will; malice; hatred.

a. Synonyms: evil, malice

b. Antonyms: goodwill

2. – A malevolent spirit is one that wishes to do harm.

1. Sentence:- She gossips malevolently.

17. Atrocity: (N) -the quality of being extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, or brutal.

a. Synonyms: horror, villianousness

b. Antonyms: good behavior, pleasantry

1. Sentence:- The atrocity of the narrator in The Black Cat was sickening.

2. –Everybody is capable of being atrocity. It depends on whether we chose to or not.

18. Debauch: (N) -a period of wanton self-indulgence, an excessive party which includes consumption of alcohol.

a. Synonyms: abuse, betray, pervert, violated

b. Antonyms: clean, improve, purify, upgrade

1. Sentence:- If you debauch a law by drinking and driving, then you can go to jail for that.

2. – Nobody like to be around a debauch, because they are not define as normal.

19. Sentiment: (N) -a mental feeling; emotion.

a. Synonyms: concern

b. Antonyms: not being able to feel emotion

1. Sentence:- It’s nice to show a good sentiment toward the people around you so that they’ll know you cared.

2. –A sentiment card is appretiated by the reciver.

20. Remorse: (N) -deep and painful regret for wrongdoing.

a. Synonyms: guilty or bad conscience

b. Antonyms: satisfaction, happiness

1. Sentence:- Showing any remorse after doing something bad is the first step of forgiving yourself.

2. –It’s okay to feel remorse once in a while, because we all have a hard time once in our live, besides nobody’s perfect.

The Black Cat

1. Discuss the significance: There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of man.”
-There is love, but it is often tested by conciousness.

2. How does the description of the cat as “sagacious” contribute to the meaning of the story?
-The cat was smart.

3. What is the significance of the cat’s name, Pluto?
-It was a good cat. Pluto is big planet and so is the cat’s friendship.

4. What is the significance of the narrator’s change of disposition from docile and tender to “…more moody, more irritable and regardless of the feelings of others”?
-The narrator hates anything that he used to love.

5. Why did the narrator initially restrain himself from maltreating the cat while maltreating the other animals?
-He loves the cat.

6. Why does he eventually mistreat the cat?
-He did not like the cat. His hatred made him mistreat the cat.

7. Describe the narrator’s feelings after abusing the cat. What is the significance?
-He felt guilty but at the same time he felt good about it.

8. How does the narrator define “perverseness? Do you agree with his definition? Do you agree that it is human nature?
-Perverseness is when he wants to do something so bad which he knows isn’t the right thing to do. I agree with him, because everybody does something bad once in their lifetime. It just depends on how bad it is.

9. Significance: [I] hung it because I knew that it had loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason for offence; because I knew that in doing so I was committing a sin.”
-It says that even thought I love him, I hung him because I know that what I did was wrong.

10. Discuss the significance of the fire. How does the narrator explain the phenomenon he discovers after the fire? What does the phenomenon symbolize?
-Fire represents anger in him of how much he hated everything that he used to love. He saw a portrait of a cat on the wall.

11. What is significant about the new cat and his markings? What does the cat symbolize?
-The new cat looks like pluto, but he have white marking on its chest. The cat symbolized loved to him but then it turned into hatred.

12. Discuss: “And now was I indeed wretched beyond the wretchedness of mere Humanity. And a brute beast to work out for me – whose fellow I had contemptuously destroyed – a brute beast to work out for me – for me a man, fashioned in the image of the High God – so much of insufferable woe!”
-He’s in some kind of pain, because of what he did to Pluto and he now feel resentment toward the new cat.

13. Why is it significant that this cat will not leave the narrator alone?
-The cat love the narrator, because he’s the cat’s friend.

14. How does the fact that the narrator kills his wife instead of the cat add to the meaning of the story?
-He is a twisted man and he would do anything to get to his goal. He also doesn’t have any feelings anymore. He just doesn’t care about anything or anybody.

15. What is significant about the narrator’s method of disposing of the body?
-He is smart and think through clearly, and he is a very proud man of his works.

16. Discuss the significance, “I made no doubt that I could readily displace the bricks at this point, insert the corpse, and wall the whole thing up as before, so that no eye could detect anything suspicious.
-He’s trying to think of a way to buried his wife’s corpe. He doesn’t want anybody to find out about it.

17. Why is the narrator able to sleep well after he conceals the body?
-He is at last peaceful, because there’s no one to bother him, and he feels proud of his works.

18. Significance: “Once again I breathed as a free man.”
-He is relief, because there’s no onw to bother him anymore.

19. Why does the narrator feel triumphant when the police arrive?
-He thinks that no one’s going to know or find the evident.

20. Discuss the syntax and punctuation in the following: “No sooner had the reverberation of my blows sunk into silence, than I was answered by a voice from within the tomb! – by a cry, at first muffled and broken, like the sobbing of a child, and then quickly swelling into a one long, loud, and continuous scream, utterly anomalous and inhuman – a howl a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the dammed in their agony and of the demons that exult in damnation!”
-He hears a crying sound and then it got louder and worsen until it’s too much to bear.

21. How do you explain the ending? Discuss the symbolism.
-The ending was suprising, because he ended up telling the police about what he did. The scary part was the cat in a tomb with the wife’s corpe. I think it symbolized that the cat liked the wife better.