Choose one of the three readings from this week (“The Dead,” “The Garden Party” or “The Love Songs of J. Alfred Prufrock”) and identify the themes or elements that make it a Modernist text.
2. In “The Dead,” what does Joyce suggest is the role of art in individuals’ lives? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
3. What is the significance of the image of snow at the end of “The Dead,” and what effect does it have on the story? (Hint: Think about possible reasons why Joyce doesn’t take the story further. How does the snow provide a fitting ending?)
4. A major theme in “The Garden Party” is the relationship between classes. What do you think the author was trying to communicate to the reader about class distinctions?
5. In your opinion, who is the “you” to whom Prufrock is speaking in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock?”
Critics usually offer three possibilities for the speaker and/or listener: a) the Ego (the timid, repressed self) speaking to the ID (the amorous, desirous self); b) a man speaking to a woman; c) a man talking to a friend.
Why do you think it is a, b, or c? Provide evidence from the poem to support your response.
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