Short Story Guided Reading Questions: English 421
“The Bicycle” pg 32
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Describe the setting of this short story and provide a quote as proof.
What sacrifices does Hannah make early in the story in order to
become a concert pianist like Tante Rose?
Why does Tante Rose forbid Hannah from riding a bicycle?
Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist?
Foreshadowing means hinting at some future event. Name two ways
in which foreshadowing is used in this story.
Where does the climax of this short story take place? Support your
answer with a quote.
Why do you believe Hannah made the choice that she did at the end
of the story.
What is the main theme of this short story?
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“Lather and Nothing Else” pg 342
1.
What does Captain Torres say he wants from the narrator when he
enters the shop?
2. What information does the narrator provide about Captain Torres’s face?
3. What task does the narrator perform as a secret revolutionary?
4. On what does a good barber stake his reputation?
5. What response on the part of the narrator shows that he recognizes
Captain Torres?
6. What details emphasize the brutal capabilities of Captain Torres?
7. What actions on the part of the narrator show that he is a
conscientious barber?
8. What is the reason that the narrator’s “fate hangs on the edge of
this razor blade”?
9. What is Captain Torres’s real purpose in coming to the narrator for
a shave? What does this purpose reveal about Captain Torres’s
suspicions about the narrator?
10. What sort of relationship exists between the narrator and Captain
Torres? In what ways are their occupations compared and contrasted
in the selection?
“Lysandra’s Poem” pg 125
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Where does the setting of this story take place?
Identify the point of view and provide a quote to prove it.
What adjectives would you use to describe the narrator Elaine?
The character Lysandra? Provide 2 traits for each with evidence from the
text to support your character (direct or indirect)
What is the complicating incident in this story? Explain.
How is the ending of the story ironic?
Does Elaine get what she deserved or is she a victim of her friend?
What is the main theme of this short story?