Journal 18

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?

The story actually takes place in another country. The story is set in Milan, Italy.

The group of men were all injured and this created a bond between the few men, and made them different from everyone else.

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”? Why?

Signore Maggiore is the best representation of the “Hemingway hero”. He suffers with grace and dignity, and works at it every day. He also suffers on an emotional level too. Losing one’s spouse must be the hardest thing for one to go to. However, he also lost his ability to fence completely because of his hand being messed up. He fights and works at what he has to do throughout everything.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up? What is the significance of the major’s reaction?

I would think that most of the photographs are just up for advertisement and fake. However, there must have been at least a few that benefited from the physical therapy, so those who had a great outcome have their final products up on the wall as well.

Journal 17

1. What is the significance of the poem’s epigraph? How does it relate to Prufrock?

Because he is filled with anxiety, and is self conscious, he thinks that no one will ever hear his story and so he is comfortable with it. The epigraph is about a person who is saying that he is a background person who is too self conscious to talk about themselves, but will agree to saying it because he doesn’t think that anyone will ever read/hear of it.

2. Make a list of questions that Prufrock asks. Do you see a pattern/theme to these questions or are they random?

Do I dare?
Shall I?

How should I presume?

How should I begin?

All of his questions are about what he should do or his life. He is uncertain about everything he is. The little mundane things about life and himself he questions. There is no decisiveness in even the smallest of things.

3. What do you think is Prufrock’s main flaw/problem?

Prufrock’s main problem was being too self conscious, too filled with anxiety, undecisive, and he’s afraid to take action.

4. Why do you think this is called a love song? In what way is it a love song?

Because it is ironic. It is not a love song, it was more about pity for not having a loving life. It is ironic because it is all about him being alone with no one to love. Instead of it being about love and happiness, it is about his quiet desperation and loveless life.

Journal 15

1. Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

The message is that trying to live in an optimal world instead of reality is a really bad thing, especially for Editha.

“It isn’t this war alone; though this seems peculiarly wanton and needless; but it’s every war –so stupid; it makes me sick. Why shouldn’t this thing have been settled reasonably?”

“He told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You didn’t expect that, I suppose, when you sent him.”

2. What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

Editha tries to reason with George by telling him he has to, just like every other man out there. She says that it needs to happen because that's what life is about, fighting in a war and coming home with a victory. She also threatened that if he didn't go, she wouldn't get married to him. That was the reason he actually went.

3. Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done? Does she ever experience an epiphany?

Editha has a slight understanding of what she was done after she finds out that George has died. She mourns his loss and visits George’s mother like he asked. George's mom yells at Editha and blames her for his death, which she has the right to do. Editha doesn’t truly understand her actions though. She has an epiphany at the end that brings her back into her ideal world when the lady Editha was telling her story to, agreed that Mrs. Gearson was vulgar for saying those things. Editha rose out of self-pity and began to live in the ideal again.