Questions for Discussion:
1) What transformation occurs in Antoine, after he is selected as the monk in charge of the Buddhists' visit? What are some incidents in the story that show us this change? How does this transformation affect his attitude toward the Catholic monks?
2) When the Buddhist monks arrive, they behave in unexpected ways. What are some of the things that they do that surprise Antoine, and why do you think Antoine finds them surprising? What did his readings lead him to expect?
3) As the story progresses, what do we begin to realize about Antoine? What kind of person is he? Find evidence in the text to support your answer.
4) Until the very end of the story, Antoine fails to understand the Buddhists' views. Cello says, "Only when a person is fully convinced of the immensity of suffering can enlightenment follow." What does she mean? What kind of suffering have these Buddhist monks endured? Is Antoine right when he says that all boys are the same?
5) What is ironic about the revelation that Cello is a woman? How does it highlight some of the differences between the Buddhist and the Catholic monks?
Article: "The Crescent and the Tricolor," by Christopher Caldwell, p. 20
Questions for Discussion:
1) What is the comparison the author makes between France now and America in the 1960s? Do you agree with him? What are some of the similarities and some of the differences?
2) What is the conflict between Islam and the French separation of church and state? How does the law of 1905 discriminate against French Muslims?
3) Discuss the term "cultural imperialism." What does it mean? Why is it ironic that both Thomas Lagane and Jack Lang are afraid of the effects of it? What do you make of Lagane's distinction between "globalization" and "globalism"?
4) The author makes the point that the French are afraid that Muslim immigrants will want to assimilate by wearing baseball caps instead of berets. In what way is this a metaphor for the culture clash in France? Do you think that Muslims like Nassera Benmarnia and Nouredine Hagoug would agree?
Assignments for Writing:
1) This article suggests that there is a thin line between nationalism and racism. In an essay, explain why this might be so, using examples from the article and from American life.
2) Write a personal narrative essay about your own family's assimilation into American culture. What are some cultural traditions your family has kept, and in what ways has your family assimilated? Have there been conflicts between the two cultures, or has the assimilation been smooth?
Article: "What Global Language?" by Barbara Wallraff, p. 52
Questions for Discussion:
1) Wallraff takes it as a given that many readers will assume that English is becoming a global language. What is her demographic proof that English is not, in fact, rising in popularity? What are some of the statistics she cites to make her point? Do you think she is using those statistics fairly?
2) There are about three times as many Chinese speakers than English speakers in the world; the birth rate of native English speakers is low; most new English speakers learn English as a second language. How are these facts connected? Why are they important to Wallraff's argument?
3) What role has technology traditionally been believed to play in spreading English worldwide? What counterarguments does Wallraff make? Do they seem logical to you? Why or why not?
4) Can you poke any holes in Wallraff's overall argument? For instance, the statistics she uses mainly tell us how many people do or will speak English. But what about the kinds of people speaking English? Think about this question in terms of the wealth and power and influence of non-English speakers vs. English speakers.
For extra credit:
What parallels do you see between this story and the Caldwell article? What assumptions does each writer make about the influence of American culture on the rest of the world? What are the contrasts between their conclusions?
Article: "Our Lady of Sorrows," by Francis Davis, p. 104
Questions for Discussion:
1) Davis implies that although Billie Holiday called herself a "race woman" and claimed to be less successful than her white peers, this was really not true. What evidence does he give? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
2) Throughout the essay, Davis gives many examples of the contrast between the way Holiday presented herself and the way she really was. What are a few examples of this? Why do you think Davis sees this as important?
3) Davis is clearly an admirer of Billie Holiday and her recordings. What do you think his purpose is in writing this article? How do you think he wants the reader to see her? Why is he interested in such a reassessment?
4) In what way is the anecdote about the friend who saw "an entirely different woman" in each photograph of Holiday symbolic of Davis' main point?
Poem: "Rainbow," by John Updike, p. 91
Question for Discussion:
In this poem, John Updike gives us a vivid description of a rainbow. But it's not just any rainbow; it is very much "rooted" in a particular place. Where is it located? What imagery does Updike use so that we know this? What are some of the words he uses that tie the rainbow to the water? Are some of the comparisons surprising?
Assignment for Writing:
Write about some natural phenomenon (such as lightning, snow, thunder, etc.) but write about it in relation to a particular place. You can do this in a poem or an essay.
Poem: "There was Earth Inside Them," by Paul Celan, p. 96
1) Who do you think is doing all the digging in this poem? (Notice the pronoun shift in the fourth stanza.) What are they digging for? What do you think the digging represents?
2) There are several words and images in this poem that hint at the beginning of civilization, an almost biblical time. What are some of them? Why do you think Celan uses them?
3) The final line of the poem is unlike the rest of it, and comes as a surprise to the reader. What do you think it means? How does it shape the meaning of the poem? (For one thing, it makes you go back and re-read the poem and see it differently.) What are some ways that this poem can be interpreted? (I think this poem is very much open to different interpretations.)
Poem: "After Rain," by David Baker, p. 79
Questions for Discussion:
1) Discuss what is going on, literally, in this poem. What kind of animals are these? What is the "you" doing to them?
2) Now look at the poem on a metaphorical level. Who might the horses symbolize? Discuss the poem in terms of this metaphorical meaning. What new significance do lines like "it's better for them than shoes," and "the old ones stand patient, while the young may/ stomp the hard barn floor to tell you to quit" take on?
3) Discuss what is happening in all three stanzas, both literally and metaphorically. What kind of person is the "you"? What are some adjectives you might use to describe him? If this is a poem about a parent caring for his children, how are the different stages in a child's life referred to in different lines?
Copyright © 1999 by The Atlantic Monthly Company. All rights reserved.
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