SECTION A: TEXT RESPONSE
NINE DAYS |
LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE |
Section A: Text Response Prompts
Nine Days by Toni Jordan
|
Like a House on Fire by Cate Kennedy
1. “Very little eye contact these days, my wife.” Communication problems are the focus of each of the stories. To what extent do you agree? 2. Cate Kennedy’s short stories focus on people who need to be cared for and those who are the carers. Discuss. 3. The stories show that both men and women find it difficult to communicate. To what extent is this true on LAHOF? 4. Whether they are in a relationship or not, many of the characters are simply lonely. Discuss how the short stories explore the theme of loneliness. 5. “A tightly constrained hiss of frustration and fury.” While most of Kennedy’s characters are able to contain their feelings, some are unable to. Discuss. 6. Kennedy’s stories focus on ordinary people whose lives become “like a house on fire” when events outside their control overwhelm them. To what extent do you agree? 7. When verbal communication fails, partners, parents and children watch each other. How does Kennedy use the idea of people watching each other in LAHOF? 8. Not all of the characters in LAHOF are capable of empathy. Do you agree? 9. How do the stories in LAHOF explore the common dilemmas and predicaments of family life? 10. How does Kennedy show the reader that all people are fallible? 11. The stories in LAHOF are as much about bodies as emotions. Do you agree? 12. Kennedy’s writing style invites her readers to inhabit the skins of her characters. Discuss how Kennedy achieves this connection between reader and characters. 13. Kennedy’s focus on the domestic lives of her characters helps us to better understand their problems. Do you agree? 14. Although many of the characters in LAHOF are dealing with physical and emotional pain, it is their resilience that will be remembered by the reader. Do you agree? 15. Although there is much pain in this short story collection, there is also plenty of humour. Is this how you see LAHOF? 16. How does Kennedy explore the chaos that unexpected events can have on people’s lives? |
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