Socratic Seminar: 11/5/12
“Paul’s Case”- Israel, Daniel, O, Yizbet, Karen, Lizbeth, Morgan, Yetunde
What’s the summary? Paul steals money from his dad, goes to NYC and spends it all. He’s a terrible kid,
doesn’t care what other people think about him, he works at a theater and makes up stories about the
people. He kills himself at the end.
He’s suicidal- he’s depressed. He knew that he was going to get caught so he killed himself
He was at a point in his life that he didn’t care anymore… he wants to enjoy himself when he goes to
NYC- his suicide is his goodbye- he wants to be at ease…
He wasn’t really suicidal- when he was confronted his teachers, he was still smiling… but that’s him
faking it… but he likes the orchestra… regardless of whether he was depressed, you can still have
moments to be happy. It’s an overall feeling.
Why was he depressed? His mistakes, his relationship with his dad, he’s misunderstood, he is gay, he
hangs out with a guy in NY- he can’t really hold a relationship with a guy- he worked in the theater- so
that makes sense- there are clues- his being gay added on to his depression- he didn’t care anymore.
Do you think his dad is what caused him to commit suicide? He jumped in front of the train at the last
minute…but is that the only time he thought of being dead? No-= he had the thoughts before.
How do you think he was with his father? They didn’t get along- his dad didn’t neglect him- his dad
makes him work so he has a job and responsibility, they weren’t that poor. His dad has high
expectations for him. He feels like he is letting his father down- not happy with him- dad wants him to
grow up and move on. Father paid back the money and went to look for him- went to NY- if he could
have just left him alone there.
Do you think his missing mom had something to do with his problems? Yes, that would add to his
depression.
Red carnation? Why are his teachers getting so mad for him wearing it? Usually they stand for love,
caring- but he is being contradictory… he’s just disturbed- the art teacher was trying to help him
Theme? Money fills the emptiness inside. Denial doesn’t lead to anything good. He isn’t better than the
other people around him- the only people he thinks are better than everyone else, are artists and
musiciansPoint of View? Objective? Third person limited? The author interprets what Paul is doing and saying, but
you know how the teachers and father feel, too- so that’s omniscient.
“The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”: Daniel, Israel, Kendrick, Bunmi, Nancy, LaQuasia, O
Summary- an old woman denies that she is sick- she is bed-ridden- she is really old.
Why do you think the story was written in Granny’s consciousness- she’s trying to deny that she is sickher memory keeps bringing her back… is it the pain? Emotions? That keep bringing her back? Both
times, it’s sadness that brings her back. Every time she thought of a memory- it said how she forgot- her
memory is failing her.
Was she raped when she was younger? She forgot about him- was she jilted or raped?
She’s dying… in denial… aggravated when the doctor and daughter try to help her- she is mean to thembecause she doesn’t think she is sick. She doesn’t want to let go, accept that she is sick. She seems okay
that she is going to die, sometimes… she doesn’t really accept it- she is still trying to hold on… never
accepts it. At one point she is in the room with the daughter and doctor and minister, and then she’d be
back with the others? IS it the memories that are keeping her alive? She keeps getting pulled into
another memory.
Is this what we think of as seeing your whole life before you die? In this story, she is reliving the past,
but in bits.
Is there a similarity between the two stories? (Paul’s Case and Granny Weatherall)
What does it mean “living for 40 years with kerosene lanterns makes one appreciate electricity”? It’s life
support that is keeping her alive? You never really appreciate what you have until it’s gone.
The title- she talks about the guy that jilts her? At the end, is she jilted again? Does God abandon her?
She was waiting for a sign for death, but it never came… the jilting was coming slowly from Cornelia- but
her daughter never abandoned her? Was she going to? Where was everyone else … her other children?
How about how the doctor and Cornelia treat her? The doctor was a bit strict with her- but she wasn’t
being nice to him. Her daughter just humors her. This is something that comes with age- they become
more stubborn- don’t want to hear about the reality of things- they become defensive.
They are abandoning her? Was she the cause of her issues? Did she push people away, which is why she
was jilted? She pushed people away, even when she was dying.
How do you think she feels about her daughter constantly whispering?
Point of View? Answer on page 240- third person limited- “stream of consciousness”
How old do you think Dr Harry is? He is younger than her…