Name:
Date:
Period:
Stanley Elkin’s “A Poetics for Bullies”
1.
Why does Push refer to himself in the 3rd person?
2.
On page 175—second paragraph—what is the significance that Push is a part of a crowd and helps pass hot dogs
down the row and give them time. What is significant about the fact that he states “no one knows me”?
3.
Why is it that Push can only imitate defects and flaws, and not healthy things/people?
4.
Why does Push become obsessed with John Williams?
5.
What is John’s motivation in being so nice, kind, and helpful?
6.
When John comes to Push’s house, re-read the lines “A week ago…Each time I will see him I will have to fight him”
(186). Explain the significance of this passage. What he is talking about when he says “I could keep always the
lamb from my door”?
7.
Look at the lines that the various boys are saying to Push on page 188. Think of what they are saying and who they
are—what’s the connection?
8.
Explain the ending—what is happening? Is it literal or metaphorical?
9.
What is the significance of the last line of the story?
Katherine Anne Porter’s “He”
1.
Describe the economic situation of the Whipples. In what way does their economic situation influence the way
they treat Him?
2.
Why isn’t the boy in the story given name? What do the constant references to him as He or Him (instead of a
name) imply?
3.
What are the physical ways in which He is different from the other Whipple children? Explain how he is treated
compared to other children. How do you account for the differences?
4.
At the end of the story, why is the neighbor “driving very fast, not daring to look behind him”?
5.
How would you describe the family conflict in the story? What character traits in both of the parents have bearing
on the conflict? How is the conflict resolved?
6.
The reader learns that “Mrs. Whipple loved her second son, the simple minded one better than she loved the other
two children put together. She was forever saying so…” Do you believe this statement is true? What is the first
thing Mrs. Whipple thinks about in most situations?
7.
Although He never speaks and the reader never sees inside his mind, he still emerges as a definite character. What
traits do his actions reveal? What details suggest that he understands more than people give him credit for
understanding? What detail s suggest that he feels things more than others often realize?
8.
Take out your Critical Perspectives Lenses. Using A or C (you will be assigned a lens), reread the story and see
what you notice. How does that change the meaning of the story? What further insights do you have about the
story because of the lens?