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Questions and Answers
What is the primary point of view in 'Miss Brill'?
What is the primary point of view in 'Miss Brill'?
What symbolizes rejection and loneliness in 'Miss Brill'?
What symbolizes rejection and loneliness in 'Miss Brill'?
What major theme is presented in both 'Miss Brill' and 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
What major theme is presented in both 'Miss Brill' and 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
What is the significance of the couple that Miss Brill observes?
What is the significance of the couple that Miss Brill observes?
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How does the setting in 'Hills Like White Elephants' contribute to the story?
How does the setting in 'Hills Like White Elephants' contribute to the story?
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What does the term 'white elephant' symbolize in 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
What does the term 'white elephant' symbolize in 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
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Which character from 'Hills Like White Elephants' is pregnant?
Which character from 'Hills Like White Elephants' is pregnant?
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What literary technique is associated with Hemingway's writing style in 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
What literary technique is associated with Hemingway's writing style in 'Hills Like White Elephants'?
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What does the absence of names in the story suggest?
What does the absence of names in the story suggest?
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What is implied by the color brown in the story?
What is implied by the color brown in the story?
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How does the mother describe her experience with Emily?
How does the mother describe her experience with Emily?
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What does the last line of the story signify about Emily?
What does the last line of the story signify about Emily?
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What is a contributing factor to the mother’s feelings of helplessness?
What is a contributing factor to the mother’s feelings of helplessness?
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What does the iron symbolize in the story?
What does the iron symbolize in the story?
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What is the tone of the story 'I Stand Here Ironing'?
What is the tone of the story 'I Stand Here Ironing'?
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What realization does the mother come to about her life with Emily?
What realization does the mother come to about her life with Emily?
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What is a possible symbol of 'the barren land' in the content?
What is a possible symbol of 'the barren land' in the content?
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What can the reader infer about Dee's character traits based on the content?
What can the reader infer about Dee's character traits based on the content?
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What theme is NOT present in 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker?
What theme is NOT present in 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker?
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Which statement regarding the story 'Araby' is TRUE about the boy's character?
Which statement regarding the story 'Araby' is TRUE about the boy's character?
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What does the Catholic church symbolize in 'Araby' based on the character's observations?
What does the Catholic church symbolize in 'Araby' based on the character's observations?
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What is a major stylistic choice by the author in 'Araby'?
What is a major stylistic choice by the author in 'Araby'?
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What is NOT a common characteristic of the setting in both 'Everyday Use' and 'Araby'?
What is NOT a common characteristic of the setting in both 'Everyday Use' and 'Araby'?
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Choose the option that best reflects the tone of the story 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker:
Choose the option that best reflects the tone of the story 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker:
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Study Notes
"Miss Brill"
- Point of View (POV): Limited omniscient, shifting to objective later in story
- Setting: France, a public garden, Sunday, after World War I (1922)
- Occupation: Teacher
- Character Perception: Miss Brill imagines others as theatrical, almost observing them from a distance. She views herself as an actress
- Dramatic Irony: Miss Brill's fantasy self-image contrasts sharply with her reality (the silent, old people in the park). The passage on the cupboard is referenced for a key theme in the exam.
- Internal Conflict: She feels a sense of isolation, loneliness and alienation, contrasted by her attempts at creating her own fantastical life in anticipation of social interactions
- Themes: Loneliness, alienation, the difference between perception and reality, and an aging protagonist struggling with loneliness, imagination, and isolation. The desire to escape reality.
- Symbolism: The image of the almonds in cake signifies a small moment of joy that highlights a life of routine and boredom. The fur and cupboards represent a desire to escape reality
- Plot: Miss Brill spends time in a public garden, observing others, and imagining their lives. She feels a sense of connection to them, despite their anonymity, even to the point of romanticizing them. Her fantasy self-image is contrasted with the reality of the people in the park.
"Hills Like White Elephants"
- Author: Ernest Hemingway
- Setting: Spain
- Characters: A man and a woman (Jig), who is pregnant
- Point of View (POV): Objective- The reader only knows the surface level actions, words, and thoughts of the characters, not their thoughts or inner motivations.
- Conflict: The woman is facing a difficult choice regarding an abortion.
- Theme: The struggle for communication and decision-making during a crisis.
- Symbols: The white elephants represent the difficult or unwanted choice faced by the main character. The barren/fertile landscape represents the woman's choice between one path or another.
- Plot: Conversation in train about an abortion, exploring the choice to keep or terminate her pregnancy. The characters' words and lack of communication become a central facet, indicating a deep disconnect. The conflict is revealed through subtle physical and internal imagery.
"Everyday Use"
- Author: Alice Walker
- Setting: Southern United States, 1970s
- Characters: Mama, Dee (Wangero), Maggie, John Thomas
- POV: First-person narrative, told through Mama's perspective. Focuses on the characters' thoughts and expressions.
- Tone: Mama is not overtly angry with Dee, but she is frustrated by her perspective and actions.
- Themes: Family, heritage, tradition, materialism, and identity
- Conflict: Tension between the mother and daughter regarding Dee's desire to distance herself from her heritage while Mama and Maggie value and hold on to it.
- Symbols: The quilt represents heritage, tradition, and family ties. The settings and actions of the characters and their beliefs reflect the main concepts through plot and narrative.
"Araby"
- Author: James Joyce
- Setting: Ireland, a poor neighborhood (in which the narrator lives), early 20th Century
- Characters: Young narrator, Mangan's sister
- POV: First person account of the narrator
- Theme: Disillusionment, coming-of-age, and the disappointment of dreams
- Plot: Narrator's desires for Mangan's sister and his anticipation of a visit to Araby. The bazaar and his expectations prove to be a disappointment. His disappointment reflects the broader theme of a coming of age. His hopes, along with his perceptions of the girl, the atmosphere, and the holiday, influence the way he experiences the story.
- Symbols: Araby represents the narrator's romantic idealism. The bazaar's emptiness and the overall events of the story represent a clash of idealism and reality, illustrating this theme.
"I Stand Here Ironing"
- Author: Tillie Olsen
- Setting: American home during the Great Depression era, with a time period shifting after World War II.
- Characters: Emily, the narrator's daughter.
- POV: First-person account. Reveals a sense of regret reflecting from a mother.
- Tone: Regretful and poignant, reflecting the mother's struggles and sacrifices for her child.
- Themes: Mother-daughter relationships, responsibility, sacrifices of mothers, and poverty. Family struggles against poverty and financial hardships, along with the economic struggles that shaped the emotional state of the narrator.
- Plot: A mother's reflection on her daughter's life and her experiences, conveying a sense of loss, regret, and the weight of responsibility in raising a child.
"Susan"
- Characters: Susan, Emily (Emily and Susan are contrasted by their personality, behavior, and overall outlook on life).
- Themes: Mother-daughter relationships, responsibility, family struggles
- Plot: Counselor's insights reveal Susan and Emily's contrasting personalities, highlighting cultural or societal expectations in this specific family. Cultural and societal expectations are explored in this short analysis.
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Description
Dive into the rich themes and character analysis of Katherine Mansfield's short story 'Miss Brill'. Explore the limited omniscient point of view, the setting in post-World War I France, and the internal conflicts of the protagonist. This quiz examines the contrast between Miss Brill's fantasy and her lonely reality, along with key symbols and dramatic irony in the narrative.