Grade 10 IBP English

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: Discussion Questions for “The Cold Equations”

Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Make
sure your point is clear and your reasons are thorough. Be specific when connecting to the story.
Quote analysis is one way to develop several of these questions.

1. What is the primary conflict of the story? Specify if it is internal or external. Explain the
conflict.
The primary conflict in the story is a conflict between a person, and themselves; or an internal
conflict. This conflict persists in the thoughts and actions of multiple characters throughout
the story. The girl bears an internal conflict expressed by her actions, on whether to, or to not
enter the EDS to see her brother. Her despair in seeing her brother is voiced, as she loses a
sense of the severity of what she had done, as she said, “I’m guilty, so what happens to me
now? Do I pay a fine, or what?”. The same internal conflict is observed in Barton’s decision
on whether to, or to not, let the girl die.
2. A dynamic character is someone who undergoes personality and thought changes throughout
the story. Who is a dynamic character and use at least 2 references to the story to support your
claim.
Barton’s change attitude towards the girl proves him to be a dynamic character. Upon
knowing of another’s presence on the EDS, he was not empathetic. On page 2 of The Cold
Equation, it states “Come out!” His command was harsh and abrupt above the murmur of the
drive”. This attitude suddenly changes with discovering that the person was a teenage girl. On
page 3, Barton says, “I knew I would be breaking some kind of a regulation. In a way, she
could not be blamed for her ignorance of the law; she was of Earth and had not realized that
the laws of the space frontier must, of necessity, be as hard and relentless as the environment
that gave them birth”.
3. What is the source of the story's suspense--that is, what questions kept you turning the pages?
Did you have questions that the story did not answer? Explain.
The source of the story’s suspense is the possibility of death. The question of, who is going to
die, prompted me to remain reading. I did not have any questions that the story did not
answer.
4. This story contrast life on earth with life on the space frontier. In what important ways are
those settings different? Do you find Godwin's space frontier believable? Why or why not.
The different moods existent in these two settings greatly distinguish them from one another.
Godwin’s space frontier is very believable, as the eerie and isolated mood persists, and the
fragility of a person’s life is amplified.
5. Do you think Barton did the right thing? Explain why or why not.
Barton did the right thing, as he would have saved more lives with the expelling of the girl
from the EDS. Different groups consisting of multiple people requested serums. The
dismissing of their delivery would have been fatal for these groups. The failure to deliver the
serums could happen if the girl stayed on the EDS, as there was not enough fuel.
6. Why do you suppose Godwin chose the third-person-limited point of view instead of making
Barton the first-person narrator? How does the third-person-limited point of view affect the
story's tone, plot, and believability?
Godwin would choose for the reader to view the story from a third-person-limited point of
view as to not directly express the feelings and attitudes of each character. This is done in an
effort to comply with the story’s title of “The Cold Equations”, which implies the story’s
inclination towards rationalism, as opposed to emotions. The third-person-limited point of
view affects the story by contributing to a serious tone, since no clear emotions of the
characters are expressed. The plot is affected as well, since the story does not focus on one
character. The story is rendered more believable, as the emotions of the characters at certain
times do not overshadow the narrative.
7. How believable are Marilyn's choices to stow away and her later responses to her fate? If you
were in her situation, what do you think you would do?
Her choice to stow away is believable, as she does not have any other choice. If I was in her
situation, I would do the same.
8. Early in the story, we learn that Barton would have immediately carried out the regulation to
eject the stowaway if it had been a man. What do you think of this attitude? Do you think
gender should have mattered? Why did it for Barton?
I think that this attitude would be justified, since a man would have different intentions, which
are likely malevolent. Gender shouldn’t matter, since a woman would have same intentions as
a man. Gender did not matter for Barton, age did.
9. Why is the story titled "The Cold Equations"?
The story is titled “The Cold Equations” to imply that the story emphasizes rationalism. The
word “cold” tells that the rationalism would work against the interests of the humans.
10. "The Cold Equations" was published in 1954, at a time when technology was far less
advanced than it is now. Today, we are living what, to Godwin, was the future (though not as
far in the future as the story is set). Do you think the technological "future" is turning out to
be as cold and harsh as Godwin predicted? Explain your answer with specific examples from
your own experience.
I believe that the technological future is not as cold and harsh as portrayed in “The Cold
Equations”. Isolation and disconnection were common motifs in the story, where the girl was
separated from her brother. Technology in the present would have allowed them to interact on
devices and increase social interaction in general. Personally, I interact with my family
members on different devices.