Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F.Scott Fitzgerald - Discussion

Read the biographical information about this author, and take notes on (or highlight) pertinent information from the text. This information provides useful information about the time period and setting/context of his/her writings. This information will be useful when it comes time for your final exam. 

Read "Babylon Revisited," and complete the following discussion questions:

1. Why does the main character, Charlie, lose custody of his daughter?

2. As Charlie rides through Paris on his way to see his daughter, he thinks, “I spoiled this city for myself.” What reason might Fitzgerald have for treating this subject so mildly and in such vague terms here?

3. What, in your opinion, does the title of the short story mean? Hint: find information on the city of Babylon as it appears in Christian lore.

4. Why does Fitzgerald introduce the arrival of Duncan and Lorraine precisely where he does, and in the way he does?

5. What is the effect of Charlie’s repeatedly taking “only one drink every afternoon?” Does the reader expect him to regress into alcohol abuse?

6. What, in your opinion, does the future hold for Charlie?

Read "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." Complete the following:

5 pts. each:

What is the literary function of the birds landing on the ground in the beginning and their role throughout the story?
How does the gangrene on Harry’s leg symbolize that he is giving up and being a coward?
Discuss what the paragraph on p.41 beginning “Now he would never write…” says about Harry’s personality and life?
Describe Harry and Helen’s relationship. How do they treat each other?
Why does Harry need to lie to women? Why is he so good at it?
What is (was) his code? Why has he stopped living it?
Although Harry does not blame his wife for destroying his talent, how is she associated with its destruction.
What did Harry mean when he said he gives Helen more for her money now than when he loved her
What does Kilimanjaro represent (see the epigraph at the beginning of the story)? Has Harry earned the right too go there?  Explain.
Explain the plane scene. What could it mean?
What does the leopard frozen on the mountain represent (see the epigraph)? What is its importance with regard to Harry?
What are the italicized passages? What could be the significance of their increasing as the story progresses (they do fade near and at the end)?

Read "Barn Burning" and complete the following:

1.) What are the sources of tension / conflict in this story?

2.) How would you account for the actions of the father -- having burned the first barn, the rug incident, and going to burn the second barn? What is motivating the father to do these things?

3.) How would you account for the actions of the boy, especially as he seems ready to tell the truth about his father?

4.) Examine the boy’s “interior monologues,” the italicized parts of the story. What do these tell us about the boy, about others, about Faulkner’s style(s) of narration?

5.) Examine the references to the boy's sisters in the story. How and why does Faulkner describe the sisters the way he does?

6.) Examine the places in the story where the boy's mother and aunt appear. How and why does Faulkner describe these women the way he does?

7.) What are we “to take” from this story? What is the central theme or message? Are there other themes or messages as well?

8.) How would you describe Faulkner’s “style”? How does his compare to the writing styles of other authors?