Thursday, May 21, 2020

Week Five Questions

Chapter 25: The First Wedding 

It is Meg’s wedding day! Flowers are blooming and Meg looks beautiful in the dress she made. The remaining March sisters are wearing their best gray dresses with roses in their hair. The wedding is small and simple. Mr. March officiates, and Meg dedicates her first kiss after marriage to Marmee. Meg does not serve the alcohol that was gifted to them and explains she put the alcohol aside for medicinal use. She asks Laurie to abstain from drinking, and he promises to do so. After the celebration, Meg leaves for Dovecote.  

Chapter 26: Artistic Attempts 

Amy enjoys spending her time working on her art. She attends expensive classes that Aunt March has paid for. One day, Amy asks Marmee if she can invite her friends from class over for lunch and an afternoon of drawing. She promises to pay for the event herself. Amy spends more time and money than expected on the lunch that only one person shows up to attend. Amy feels embarrassed and disappointed by the turn of events. After dinner with her family, Amy is left satisfied and feeling that she has learned from the experience.  

Chapter 27: Literary Lessons 

Jo decides to attend a lecture on pyramids with her neighbor Mrs. Crocker. While waiting on the lecture, she sees a newspaper containing a sensationalist story. Jo learned the woman who wrote the story makes a living from her writings and the newspaper is offering $100 dollars for the best sensationalist story. Jo decides to write a sensationalist story and submits it to the newspaper. She wins the prize! Jo uses her earnings to send Marmee and Beth to the seashore in hopes of improving Beth’s health. Jo continues to write and even finishes her novel. She uses her earnings to support herself and her family.  

 
Chapter 28: Domestic Experiences 

Meg goes through the trials of learning to be a housewife. During this time, she has her ups and downs with cooking. Meg attempts to make jam on the same day John brings home a friend. She fails at the jam and has her first argument with John. Meg remembers advice Marmee gave her and soon makes up with her husband. Her next trial appears when she is out shopping with her friend, Sallie Gardiner. Meg frivolously spends money on a silk dress and tells John that she is tired of being poor. She realizes she has hurt him and should love him more because of his poverty and good character. Meg sells her dress and purchases a new coat for her husband. The following summer, Meg gives birth to twins whom she calls Demi and Daisy.  

Chapter 29: Calls 

Amy takes charge and brings Jo on a series of house calls. She tries to instruct Jo on how to be “ladylike” and Jo responds by channeling her acting experience. On the first call Jo is icily quiet while on the second visit she shares an embarrassing story about Amy. By the third visit, Amy has given up on Jo and lets her do as she pleases only to find her surrounded by young boys telling stories outside. The girls’ last stop is Aunt March’s house where Aunt Carrol is visiting. They discuss an upcoming fair and Amy volunteers to help as a favor. Jo, on the other hand, declares favors are oppressive. Aunt Carrol and Aunt March exchange glances about Jo’s statement of independence. The chapter concludes with the aunts discussing an unknown event, which Alcott indicates is for Amy due to her good behavior.  

Chapter 30: Consequences 

Amy is volunteering at the art table for the Chester family’s upcoming fair. May Chester is envious of Amy and causes Mrs. Chester to switch Amy from the art table to the flower table. Amy is angry but resolves to be kind even if the Chesters are mean to her. Amy offers the art she prepared to May and spends her day at the flower table. To her surprise, Laurie and his college friends arrive that evening and buy all her flowers. Amy chooses to act kindly towards May and sends the boys over to buy the vases May created. She returns home to vases of flowers and a reward for her behavior. Aunt Carrol has invited Amy to join her on a trip to Europe. Jo is disappointed and learns that her behavior cost her the trip. Amy plans to study art while in Rome and Laurie agrees to come comfort her if anything bad were to happen.

11 comments:

  1. Question One: When Aunt March objected to Mr. Brooke because he was not a rich man, Meg passionately defended him in a speech on love and marriage. How has Alcott used Meg’s relationship with Mr. Brooke to highlight Meg’s victory over her bosom enemy, materialism?

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  2. Question Two: A dovecote is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Why do you think Alcott named Meg and John’s house “Dovecote” in Chapter 24?

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    1. I like the idea of the house being likened to a small birdhouse. It isn't grand, it's been fashioned by their own hands, but it'll keep the rain out and give them rest.

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  3. Question Three: How does Alcott highlight the theme of familial love as opposed to romantic love in Chapter 25?

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  4. Question Four: How has Amy’s time with Aunt March impacted her character?

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  5. Question Five: Do you have any funny cooking stories that were awful experiences at first but you laugh at now?

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    1. When I was first learning how to cook, my grandmother invited me to her house for lessons. We made a mess of things. The kitchen was covered in flour but we thought the cake we had made looked nice. When we tried to turn the cake out of the pan, it did not budge. We tried to loosen it with a butter knife around the edges, but it still would not leave the pan. Finally, my grandma gave the pan a good shake and out went the cake.... right onto the floor! We were so upset in the moment, but now we look back and laugh at the memory we made together.

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  6. Question Six: How does Jo learn to be true to herself and her writing in chapter 27?

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  7. Question Seven: Amy and Jo have different opinions on how a lady, especially one who is not wealthy, should act towards others. Who do you agree with and why?

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    1. I think Amy is wrong to think that people deserve extra attention and honor because they are rich. Jo seems to argue that she treats people according to their character, but I feel like her method is missing something, too. She does not seem to want to sacrifice pride or comfort for the sake of peace, and Amy seems to sacrifice almost anything for the good opinion of those who can financially help her...

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    2. I agree that Amy and Jo's methods are both missing something. A person should not be treated a certain way according to their wealth or social status. Jo appears to understand this better than Amy does, but Jo's actions reflect poorly on herself as well. Amy appears a better character because her willingness to sacrifice, but she does not stand up for her values like Jo.

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