In a review of Spoon River Anthology, Carl Sandburg wrote, "The people whose faces look out from the pages of the book are people of life itself, each trait of them as plain or as mysterious as in the old home valley where the writer came from." Do you think his remark accurately describes Lucinda Matlock, as she is characterized in the poem? Explain.

How does the narrator's account of the Pilgrims (page 872) compare with William Bradford's account of the Pilgrims' arrival in America (page 82)? Do you think the narrator's analogy between her experience and that of the Pilgrims is a valid one? Cite evidence to support your answer.

Write the word described by the clue below. Choose from the following words: anonymity, articulate, coherent, compound, denunciation, dredge, laceration, preening, prestige, ravaged. A secret agent wants and needs this quality; a person seeking fame does not.

What do you think might have happened in "In the American Society" if Mr. Chang had returned to Mrs. Lardner's party to retrieve his keys?

If Miniver Cheevy had lived during medieval times, do you think he would have found happiness? Why or why not?

How did the historical information presented in the Build Background section on page 835 influence your interpretation of both "We Wear the Mask" and "Sympathy"? In what ways do these poems reflect turn-of-the-century race relations in the United States?

Read Dickinson's quotation on the definition of poetry (page 746). In your opinion, do the poems in this Author Study meet the standards expressed by this definition? Explain.

Can Mrs. Hayashi in "Seventeen Syllables" do anything to resolve the conflict between her husband's needs and her own desires? Explain your answer.

Review the chart you READING ANALOGIES made in your READER'S NOTEBOOK. What similarities does the narrator see between herself and the Pilgrims? What conclusion does she reach on the basis of her analogy?

In your view, is Mr. Chang in "In the American Society" more effective in his own society or in the American society? Think about · the way he treats his employees · his efforts to help Booker and Cedric · his encounter with Jeremy Brothers

One critic has pointed out that Olsen writes about people who are victims of harsh social, economic, familial, and political conditions. How well does, "I Stand Here Ironing" fit this description? Who are the victims in the story? What conditions have oppressed them?

What might the future have been like for the Mallards in "The Story of an Hour" if Mrs. Mallard had lived?

Why is it important that children appreciate their ethnic heritage?

In the essay, "Scott Fitzgerald: The Apprentice Fiction," literary critic Marius Bewley notes, "Fitzgerald's ultimate subject is the character of the American Dream in which, in their respective ways, his principal heroes are all trapped." How well do you think this statement applies to "Winter Dreams"? Use examples from the story to support your opinion.