1. In the Candide, or Optimism, what means last sentence ” we must cultivate our garden?
2. In the story of stone, what a specific line or phrase shows Bayou’s view of feminism
Midterm Questions
1.In The Story of The Stone, what are the Baoyu’s enlightenments and how the context shows it?
2. Bartleby only said ” I prefer not to”, why he always said it and is really means “I prefer not to ? How to relate our lives?
Mid-term Questions
Question 1. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass describes the life of the American slaves. The author writes the article in order to fighting for abolitionist movement and freedom of black people. Bartleby, the Scrivener is a story about the people who enjoy freedom in the U.S. Compare and contrast the freedom of Frederick Douglass and Bartleby, define your own freedom.
Question 2.The Declaration of Sentiments is based on the American Declaration of Independence, the Sentiments demanded equality with men before the law, in education, employment, and the right to vote. The black people demanded equality with other people in the U.S. Both of the authors wrote their works for equal rights and have great influence on the equal rights movement. Which work can cause more influence? How?
Questions
1. what does Frederick Douglass effect people in now? And how?
2. Is “I perfer not to do” readly work in today’s life? Why Barleby always said it to other people? Is this a real meaning that he want to show out?
Midterm Questions
- If you were Baoyu, you would marry Baochai who you did not love. Would you accept it or not? What would you do?
- Why does Voltaire mention “Eldorado” in the story? What does this place stand for? Will this place exist in a real world?
Questions for the Midterm
- “Truth becomes fiction when the fiction’s true; Real becomes not-real where the unreal’s real.” What does it mean in “The Story of the Stone” and what problems does it reveal for the story and for the society in that period?
- In the story “Bartleby, the Scrivener”, Bartleby always said “I prefer not to”. Does the meaning of “prefer not to” real mean what the story show us or it have a deeper meaningful mean and what does it reveal to us?
Questions for the Midterm
1. When in the text do you realize that Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”is a satire? Is there a specific line or phrase?
2. In Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener, why was Bartleby never reprimanded for his actions? What is it about his catch-phrase (“I would prefer not to”) that keeps him safe from punishment?
Midterm Questions
1. Compare and contrast the texts, “Bartleby, the Scrivener” and “Narrative of the Life”. How do they relate to Enlightenment?
2. Analyze “I prefer not to.” Why does Bartleby always “prefers not to?”
Midterm Questions
1.When did it become noticeable that Swift’s proposal couldn’t be a serious one?
2. Explain why Herman Melville ends the story Bartleby, the Scrivener with “Ah, humanity!”
3. What do you think is the purpose of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass?
“Bartleby the scrivener” by Herman Melvin
“Bartleby the scrivener” be Herman Melvin was an amazing story. It all happened in a law firm constructed by a lawyer, the boss, Turkey the scrivener who works hard in the morning time, Nippers the young ambitious scrivener who had stomach trouble during the morning, but was more productive after lunch time, and the errand-boy whose nickname was Ginger Nut. The boss managed with them in a daily basis, but later need more help, he then hired Bartleby. At the beginning Bartleby was a very hard working person and productive so the boss became pleased with him over the other employees. But later on, Bartleby had a very strange attitude towards the boss. He refused to do even the routine tasks in the office, he to do the job assigned to him politely by saying “I prefer not to.” The boss was amazed by his reaction, but did not sanction him from work. The other employees were very upset about that attitude of Bartleby and began hating him because the boss still favors him over them after all this.
I think that Bartleby had some personal issues going on in his life and could not handle it in his own, which is why he was reacting like that at work. He did not want a social life, he refuses to eat, from here we can say that he did not feel good about himself; he was missing something in his life. He felt that he needed more freedom, but he chose a very wrong way of claiming it. He died in a very pitiful way, sad, depressed, and lonely in a dark life.
I can say that there is no Bartley in today’s society at the work places. Even we do not want do a job we are assigned to, we will end up doing it because we are lack of choice and power. If one resigns for a position, there will be tones of individuals available for that position. Be smart, be mature and be careful before you make any decision!!!