Monday, February 13, 2017

Amy Hempel--In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried

AGENDA:


Read and print out a page with answers to the following questions:


http://fictionaut.com/stories/amy-hempel/in-the-cemetery-where-al-jolson-is-buried.pdf

http://medhum.med.nyu.edu/view/11796


1.  Why did it take the narrator two months to visit her best friend in the hospital?
2.  What is referenced by the 2nd “it” (“it scared him to death) in the story told by the mortician?
3.  Where does the narrator’s friend seem to be on psychologist Kubler-Ross’ six stages of grief process?  Explain your answer.
The stages are, in order:
Denial:  “This can’t happen to me.”
Anger:  “It isn’t fair.  What did I do to deserve this?”
Bargaining:   “I’ll do anything if you just make this go away.”
Depression:  “I feel hopeless, nothing matters anymore.”
Acceptance:  “I’ll be okay.”
Hope:  “What can I do to help others?”
4.  What’s the real difference between the Good and Bad Doctor?
5.  Why is the setting of “earthquake weather” appropriate for the story?
6.  Does the narrator stay the night with her friend?   Why or why not?


Continue to work on your short stories.

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