Team 3 Jeopardy/Study Guide Questions
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Odysseus was away for how long? -20 years
What does Beowulf claim is better than mourning? –Avenging a death
Plot Pyramid –Exposition  Rising action  Climax  Falling action Denouement
The name of Rachel’s hotel? –Equatorial
Color harbinger from Poisonwood Bible of a main character’s death? –Sky blue
Cyclops in Odyssey? –Polyphemus
Evidence of Beowulf’s ideology? –Two funerals inferring medieval humanist
Criticism focusing on the text itself, avoiding references to history or the means of production of
the text? -New criticism
Odysseus’ scar explains the type of narrative by Homer
Grendel descended from who? Cain
Differences between Homeric and Elohistic texts –One piece of literature but many tales vs
many tales brought into one piece
Proximal cause of Ruth May’s death –Trip to Congo
Odysseus’ dog’s name? –Argo
What action typifies a good king in a Danish or Geatish country –Sharing wealth and protecting
people
Four daughters in order from Poisonwood Bible? –Rachel, Leah, Adah, Ruth May
Greek hospitality? –Possibility of entertaining a god, peace between nations
Good woman in a Danish or Geatish society? –Serving drinks
Main hero in Poisonwood Bible? –anyone you can successfully make a case for.
Beowulf’s two funerals suggest a humanistic cultural melding.
Evidence in Poisonwood Bible of a reliable narrator?
Ruth May-no exaggeration due to young age, less likely to lie
Leah-understands objectively the things going on around her
Adah-Views things differently and in a unique way
Rachel-however not as reliable, her view of things are consistent and non-changing
Orleanna-objective lens, mature view of everything
Definitions of myth.
Survey of Mythology Notes:
Beowulf:
- What is Grendel’s lineage? Who is a descendant of? Cain
- Evidence of Paganism? Evidence of Christianity? Example: The Pagan Burial rites and the
acknowledgement of “God” helping Beowulf’s successes
- What request does Beowulf make to Hrothgar? Beowulf requests that the treasure of the fire
dragon be given to his people and build a monument to show sailors the way home.
-Explore the significance of Grendel’s mother and the dragon, why are they essential to the
story? What purpose do they serve to propel the story? Grendel’s mother is used as a secondary
force meant to thwart Beowulf after he defeats Grendel. If this is so, what purpose does the
mother serve? Is she entirely needed or relevant to the story?
The Odyssey:
-What makes Odysseus’s personality so different from contemporary heroes? Weepy, passionate,
vulnerable, as opposed to brave, stoic, invulnerable
-What is the relationship between the Gods and Humans? Example: Gods are much like humans
except they have supernatural powers; humans are almost like game pieces in a game of chess to
the gods.
-Why is hospitality so important to the Greeks? The possibility of hosting a God; makes journeys
like Odysseus’ much more feasible.
- Compare in requirements of fidelity for women, but the permissible infidelity of the men
The Poisonwood Bible:
-Why is Nathan exempt from telling his side of the story?
-Why are the Africans against baptizing? They are afraid of crocodiles
-What is the name of the daughters in order? Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May
-Whose perspective is most reliable?
-Who is the real hero of the story in the Poisonwood Bible?
In the novel, The Poisonwood Bible, we are given an ensemble of characters that present a
different view of Africa. We see through the childlike eyes of Ruth May, the tantrums and
indignant attitude of Rachel, Leah’s aspirations to emulate her father, the quiet self pity of Adah,
and Orleanna’s frustration as a neglected wife; each having a different perspective of Africa and
its citizens. The main argument Kingsolver is trying to convey is, through the use of these five
diverse characters, that perspective directly correlates and influences our view of societies and
the world.
1. What are the feuding cosmologies in Beowulf?
2. New Critics focus on text only and avoid history and means of production
3. Kingsolver employs “manual” narrators. 5
4. Who does Grendal decend from?
5. What is the root cause of Ruth Mae’s death?
6. Good Danish/Geatish Kings are good if they give rings. Their wives are good if they serve drinks.
7. Make a case and use textual evidence as to who you think is the main hero in PB.
8. Make a case and use textual evidence as to who you think is the most reliable narrator in PB.
9. What is the cultural melding in Beowulf? Why is this significant?
10. What are the sisters birth order in PB?
11. Who is Oddeseus’ wife and son in The Oddesy?
12. What are the tropes we talked about in class? What are the identifiers that signal them, and which
goes with which?
Here is last year’s study guide as well:
English 215 – Fall 2011