Hi Class..
Here are my questions for discussion from "Soldiers of Fortune":
Review the paragraph that begins on the left of p.66 and ends on the right for the first two questions.
1) Miss Langham talked about the approval of Mr. King. She says "her own mind approved, and as as her heart was not apparently ever to be considered, who could say that it did not approve as well?" After reading the rest of the story, why does the author say her heart was not considered? In some cases how can this idea be tied into today's society?
2) Miss Langham describes King as a good man and spoke of his accomplishments, but why does she say he "may never do a great thing"?
3) Do you believe Clays speech to the workers was similar to Theodore Roosevelt's "The Strenuous Life" speech? Why or why not? (pg. 80)
4) Does Clay have a valid argument against the opposition? How can this scenario be tied into other historic events? (pg. 88)
Diego Rivera, Pan-American Unity
Diego Rivera, Pan-American Unity
1) The author says that her heart is not to be considered because it doesn't really matter whether or not she likes Mr.King. In the upper class, arranged marriages are common and people are "matched" based on their status and wealth. Mr King and Miss Langham were of more or less equal status and considered a good fit for each other so if Mr King proposed, Miss Landham would most likely accept, despite the fact that she wasn't in love with him. Such marriages can be seen in today's society, mainly among royalty.
ReplyDelete2) Reginald King answers this question himself. On page 69, he says, "[Engineers] were doing better work than soldiers, because soldiers destroy things, and these chaps were creating, and making the way straight." King will never do a great thing because he's not making a difference like an engineer would. He won't hurt the world, but he won't help it either. He can only stand witness to the great things that unfold before his eyes.
ReplyDelete1) In regards to the time period in which the story is set, I feel that it was a common thing for a marriage to be just about stability. People got together with the right person because them and everyone else felt it was the proper thing to do; stability out weighed love. As for today's society, I assume it's not as common as it was before but there are certain instances such as arranged marriages.
ReplyDeleteMiss Langhams heart was never to be considered because for that time, people didn't necessarily marry for love. The wealthy married people of the same class. Miss Langham did not have the option to find someone she really loved because it was already assumed she would marry Mr. King. At every function, she was sitting next to him and being put around him. It was already arranged for them which was typical for that era.
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