qCreating Questions for a Harkness Discussion (Literature Based)

Ask three questions about the text (three per level). These need to be questions that you want to discuss or hear your classmates
discuss. Do not ask questions that you know the answer to just to have something down on paper to turn in.

Level One Question: What evidence is shown that she is struggling in America

What does the author compare America to ?

For the seminar student, these are not mere recall questions;
rather, they establish evidence of basic facts presented in the What does the author compare her finished work to ?
author’s proof paragraph.

Examples:
● What evidence does the author use to support his
argument that it is man’s responsibility to care for the
land?
● To what does the author compare his boyhood
experience on the family farm in order to further his
argument that man is forever attached to the land?

Level Two Question:
These questions are textually implicit, requiring analysis and
interpretation of specific parts of the text, pointing out what a
specific part of the text actually means, or what language was
used to create the meaning. It’s not about what happened on
page 47 of the novel; it’s more like, “How does the author’s
description of the dying horse on page 47 of the novel create a
tone?”
What does it mean when the author writes “wings for my stifled
spirit”?
Why do you think “they were ashamed to remember their
mother’s tongue?”
Why do you think the author used short language when
describing her fails?

Examples:
● Why do you think the author relies heavily upon visual
imagery in this passage to convey his love of the land?
● How does the heavy use of repetition contribute to the
effectiveness of the author’s argument that
___________?
● What do you think the author means when he says:
_____?

Level Three Question: How has the acceptance of immigrants into America changed
the last few decades ?
These questions are more open-ended and go beyond the text.
They are intended to provoke a discussion of an abstract idea or How has society’s changing perception of immigration affect
issue, to connect events/themes in the anchor text to other immigrants ?
texts, other arguments, or to universal issues of
life/society/mankind itself. Has society’s changing perception of immigration been
advantageous?
Examples:
● How has man’s attitude toward nature changed over the
last 100 years?
● How has society’s changing perception toward nature
been advantageous? Detrimental?

In one complete sentence, write what the text is about (a

summary of the purpose, message, plot, theme, etc.).
Create a textual analysis. This analysis should take into account
your previous questions and explore possible answers of your
level two and three questions. (500 words or more)
Remember: This assignment is due at the beginning of the period in which we will discuss a text —not mid-way through. These
responses will serve as the basis for our class discussion.
America and I opened up with Anzia Talking about
immigration through her eyes as an immigrant. He talks
about how on a date to bring them to “deserted streets” and
“sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells”. This is obviously
sarcasm because around this time, during 1927 it was
happening everywhere. There was damage everywhere in
the streets. The “sawdust restaurants” was referring to the
damaged restaurant. Debris was everywhere and was really
dirty. The “deserted streets” references to how empty the
town was during this time. The people living in the towns
left as soon as they could to avoid being killed in the war.
The author then writes “In the room the women come and
go Talking of Michelangelo”. What is the significance of Eliot
giving a reference to the girls talking about Michelangelo ?
The next stanza talks about “yellow fog that rubs its back
upon the window-panes”. In my opinion, this is talking about
the “mustard gas” they would throw during war to kill the
enemy faster. Or it can also mean how the air is polluted
because of the war. The author also portrays the fog as a
cat-like figure “Licked its tongue into the corners of the
evening” In lines 23-25, he talks about time again. Prufrock
thinks there will always be time for something even if he
does not do it now. Here, he is saying that there is a time for
everything, for every season in life. The next stanzas give the
readers a glimpse of his physical appearance. We envision
him as a middle aged man, plain looking with a bald spot in
the middle of his hair. Apparently, the only nice thing about
him are his clothes. In lines 45-48, he states, “Do I dare
disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions
and revisions which a minute will reverse.” This shows
Prufrock being indecisive and unable to make decisions
again, that he can change something instantly, if only he can
make that one decision. He then moves on telling the
readers that he is a very knowledgeable man with many
experiences. Eliot read so many books so he has many
references- for example, the phrase “dying fall” is a
reference to Shakespeare’s famous play Twelfth Night. in my
opinion, this is talking about the “mustard gas” they would
throw during war to kill the enemy faster. Or it can also
mean how the air is polluted because of the war. The author
also portrays the fog as a cat-like figure “Licked its tongue
into the corners of the evening” In lines 23-25, he talks about
time again. America and I. The use of irony is huge here.