Name and describe the narrator’s city of birth.
1.John lives in Pittsburgh.
2. How old was he when he left the city? John was 18 when he left the city.
3. How (in what way) is the narrator present in the house he is describing? (page 4) John is at the house but apparently he is years late when there is nothing left. Pages 5-8 1 . Why does the narrator feel the need to follow his father?
1. He feels like it’s something he has to do everyone is doing it and he likes his father.
2. What does the father mean when he states, “We are in serious trouble”? In other words, what has happened to make him say this?
The Germans believe they have discovered a method of splitting the uranium atom”. 3. What does the narrator state he wants desperately? Why? He wants to go back in time and have that sunny afternoon in 1939 back. 4. What is the frame of the novel? In other words, approximately what year is it when the narrator is telling this story? Well supposedly it’s 1939 but the narrator says it’s over 50 years later so it must be 1989. 9-16 1. Where is the narrator living as he is telling this story? He is living in Toronto. 2. What doest he narrator mean when he states that he of 1942 Pittsburgh. Mother and Dad. And Aging’ “… Anton pull [himself] out He cannot escape he can’t skip forward and take his Mother, Dad or Aging with him.
3. What has happened to the narrator which allows him to be so reflective now? He was a literature professor at the university until this year when he retired.
4. What historical event does the narrator describe on pages 10 and 11? What has happened? Lust Their own country had Just been bombed.
5. How do the people’s stunned reactions compare or contrast to the reactions of the the dock in Farewell to Manager? Women on The women are Just worried about who they are going to end up with. . What is the narrator’s parents’ worst fear?Parent’s wanted their kids home with their fathers hoping to live.
7. What surprise news does the narrator receive from his friend, Tony? That he is signing up to go to war.
8. According to the narrator, what is the best word to describe the emotion in every home? The best word to describe the emotion in every house according to the narrator is Passed.
9. What had been the boys’ opinion about war and Joining the U. S. Military only weeks before at Dandy’s, the local hangout? Their plan was for them to not get involved instead they could run away somewhere n Pennsylvania and hide there until the war was over.
10.What “reality’ of war could the narrator and his family not find at their dinner table? The kind of war that you could Just sign up for no matter what your age is.
Pages 17-24 1. How does the narrator meet Aging? He met her falling off bus.
2. A) How does the narrator describe the uniting of the American people after a natural disaster? Everyone is out of their house and everyone who had barriers separating them took them away
b) How is this similar to September 11? People are passed off and they are doing whatever they can to fight.
3. ) What does the narrator say about the way Asians were viewed after the Pearl Harbor bombing?
Anyone Asian was regarded with great suspicion and in fact , every stranger, no matter the race was considered possibly threatening.
B) How does this compare or contrast with what Jeanne described in Farewell to Manager? It relates to the same topic
4. Why did Gunny’s family move to Pittsburgh? Because there was so much work there.
5. What two things does Aging do that surprise the narrator? She smiles and offers him his hand.
6. A) When the U. S. Declared war against Japan and Germany, how did it rank in arms of power? Their army was 39 ninth in the world in terms of power A -,ГSST b) What effects did this have on the country’s industry?They were still using horses for their artillery.
7. Why does the narrator feel an urgency to begin a relationship with Because he feels like he is losing everybody and getting lonely so he life as soon as possible. Pages 25-32 1.
1.What gift does the narrator’s father give the narrator when he is in A wooden castle set.
2. What was the narrator unknowingly looking at when reading the w He was looking at his future.
3. To where and why does the narrator’s dad leave? He had been called to work in California at UCLA needed to develop n
4. What does the narrator’s mother do and how does he react to this.She signed on a local factory.
5. What does the narrator understand decades later about his mom’ doing this? In other words, why did the mother do this? Because she never enjoyed really much her life
6. What is the U. S. ‘s morale in the summer of 1942? Being Grim and waiting.
7. A) Why does Diane, the narrator’s sister, feel she needs to give her she dates? Young men Because they got nothing else they are going to have to go to war and see a woman ever again. ) How does this affect her? She became the most important girl in the world and every boy want her.
8. Why does the narrator feel he needs to affirm his “manhood”?
I would he be viewed if he didn’t Join the military? He didn’t want to risk the obligating shame of being labeled a coward pages 33-40 1. Aging does not apologize for her family poor living conditions. Tell you about her? She doesn’t care she is shameless. 2. What does John say which he thinks angers Aging? Asking her if she was going to Join the war which for her means that relationship is not going to last.
3. Aging states, “… He war might give us a house” (39). What does s Meaning if they work hard providing for the war they eventually will a house. Pages 41-52 1. Tony dies.
How does John feel he can “bring him back”? The If he thinks about him hard enough could bring him back.
2. John and his friends state that “Tony had Just been in the wrong wrong time” or had made “a wrong move… ” (43). However, what do with Tony’s death? That if Tony the strongest guy he knew could die, then they might n
3. Why is John terrified by Tony’s death? He is afraid because if Tony couldn’t neither would he. E co
4. Give three reasons why John believes Gunny’s dad is “a good man a. His boys were throwing a ball b. Instead of sleeping on a Sunday he played instead with his chi c.He wanted a house for his family
5. How does John regard Gunny’s dad even though he isn’t a soldier Just because he isn’t a soldier he has done a lot of good
6. What would John rather do than be Judged a coward? He would rather die.
7. What is Aging against? Be careful with your phrasing! Aging is against the war.
8. What does she tell him about dying? That if he dies he will miss everything in life
9. What is the only thing John fears? Not doing anything being called a coward
10. How old is the narrator as he’s remembering the words Aging told him? John is 67.
11. For what, or whom, did John live for.
What did he stop doing?
5. What are the three ways a soldier could get out of the front lie a. Feet and Legs up to their knees b. The chest cavity blown wide open c. If you get wounded
6. Why did the narrator kill? For revenge
7. What did the history books say about why soldiers killed? Ac they right? No because nobody has a right to kill nobody
8. On some days, what was more important to John than staying Find out what is going on
9. What “horrifying specters” does John say he carries with him Odor of death burned flesh and body eliminations blood. 10. What are the people back home (in the U.
S. ) doing? In Europe? Throwing bombs pages
1. Why did the narrator write brief letters home? Less and less cheerful able to reassure them.
2. Why does it become harder for the U. S. Soldiers to “work up the necessary distance for killing”? Other U. S people are involved
3. What ironic (unexpected) feeling does the narrator describe between the German and American soldiers? German soldiers were tired.
4. With which soldiers did they have no interest in exchanging addresses? Why? They had no feelings.
5. How was combat with the Japanese different from that with the Germans? The Japanese was shorter
6. How does the narrator take Germany’s surrender? The atomic bomb Hiroshima
7. Why weren’t Trauma’s boys “not boys anymore”? They were grown up
8. At home in Pittsburgh, who occupies the baby’s empty room? Emily occupies the nursery
9. What happened to Dean’s boyfriend, the father of her baby? He died
10. Why can’t John pick up the life he’d left three years before? He is in war now.
11. In contrast, how do Americans at home view/consider the war? Why? Some think it’s fair and some do not
12. How many Russian civilians died? How many died in Hiroshima?Too many and A lot
13. What did the narrator’s father help create? Agreement,confidence,defense
14. John states, “The enemy is always interchangeable” (90). What will always remain the same? Why? The Soldiers pages 91-97
1. Why does John state that “Pittsburgh had never seemed to me so noisy, so dirty an cheap”? He watches people have fun.
2. What does John want to tell Aging? That he still loves hewer
3. Why can’t John stay in America? There was always some other school
4. Do you think he will ever see Aging again? Why? Yes because that friendship will never end.
