Also provide one question of your own. After you've posted your own response and question, please respond to two of your classmates' questions.
This is due by Saturday at midnight.
Good luck.
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About Me
- Todd's 110 Garage
- Born and raised near signs of Lewis and Clark's Missouri River portage, I now live in Auburn, WA and teach at Green River CC and Muckleshoot Tribal College. I have an M.A. in English literature from The University of Montana. I'm married and have no kids.
25 comments:
I think the grandfather had a huge influence on the narrator. The grandfathers words on his death bed seemed to stick to the narrator and drive him further.
What had the grandfather meant about being a spy?
1 Comment - Show Original Post
I think the grandfather had a huge influence on the narrator. The grandfathers words on his death bed seemed to stick to the narrator and drive him further.
What had the grandfather meant about being a
Megan Larsen
I belive that the grandfathers words throughout his life and on his death bed always influenced the narrator. It said that whenever somthing went right he always rememberd his gradfather. The narraror was "considerd an example of desirable conduct- just as my gradfather had been."
?1) what was the point of the battle royal?
Dillan Claire
The grandfather makes the narrator not be ashamed of who he his or his skin color. In his death bed speach i belive that it influenced the Narrator to walk around proudly and when people go against you, you need to contiue to fight like the gradfather said "Live with your head in the lions mouth." That he did by fighting to give his speach at the Battle Royal.
1)? Had the people in the town been having these battle royals for long?
Megan Larsen
I belive that the grandfathers words throughout his life and on his death bed always influenced the narrator. It said that whenever somthing went right he always rememberd his gradfather. The narraror was "considerd an example of desirable conduct- just as my gradfather had been." His dieing words also showed how he influenced the boy to never give up nomatter what. He goes to give his speach and has to fight to do it but he gets through the whole deal and gives his speach just as he planned and nobody could stop him.
?1) what was the point of the battle royal?
i think that the grandfather influenced everything the narrator did, just because he kept bringing him up in the story after he died. I also think that what the grandfather said on his death bed stayed with the narrator because everything he did was based on what his grandfather said. "It had a tremendous effect upon me."
?1) why were they blindfolded during the battle royal?
I believe that the grandfaher had alot of influence on the boy, because even when the boy was getting beat up he was still holding on to what his grandfater had said. No matter what was going on in his life he kept referriging back to what his grandfather had said.
?)Why was the narrarator so stuck on making sure that all the people heard his speech?
In response to others comments:
I think that these battle royals had been going on for a long time because that had it all figured out how they would treat and/or torture these people(example: electric rug and the fight).
I think that the fighters were blind folded just to make it that more intertaining for the people watching and so that the fighters can't see who their fighting and whats going on.
Response
I think they were blind folded so maybe it was a fair fight and not just the strongest would win.
I think the point of the battle royal was maybe just entertainment.
The grandfathers last words haunted the narrator throughout the story and maybe his life, maybe because he didnt know what they meant, maybe because his parents told him just to forget about them. Or it couldve been that he didnt know how to do what his granpa said, he didnt know any other way to live but the way his parents did.
?)WHat did the battle royal symbolize? What about the breif case?
(answer to question-why were they blindfolded): i think the author was trying to show that these people are realy still slaves. The author blindfolded them to emphasize how helpless they were, to show how the upper class turns people who should be working together agianst each other. its a metaphor. (But the rich guys probably blindfolded them for fun, to watch them trip over themselves.)
(answer to the question-what did the grandpa mean about being a spy)
He meant, in calling himself a traitor, that he had betrayed his heritage and his family by living the life the white Americans wanted him to, by adapting to their culture and striving to meet their standards.
The grandfather's last words haunted the narrator. The narrator never really understood what his grandfather had meant. This, i think, troubled the narrator greatly. Because his grandfather had passed he could not get answers to his questions.
1. Do you think that there is a possibility that the narrator had greatly misinterpreted he grandfathers meaning?
2. What was the point of the
narrators dream? How did it conclude the story?
To Jordan:
I think that the narrator was so stuck on giving his speech because he felt it would free him. He thought that if the "important people" could hear his speech they would see him for who he really is and not just as another black. Also, he feels it would have made his grandfather happy.
The grandfather had a very possitive impact on how the narrator acted. Because of the grandfather the narrator seemed to strive to please him. He would refer to his grandfather a lot and because of the speech he gave on his deathbed, it kept the narrator going.
How would the story be different if it was told from a different P.O.V.?
I think that the grandfather influenced him mostly by the way that his grandfather lived his life and not by the words that he said when he was dying. The narrator lived like his grandfather lived and tried to be like the white people and be accepted by them. When his grandfather was dying he was telling them that they shouldnt live the way that he lived and that they need to fight the injustice.
my question: Do you think the narrator knew what his grandfather meant?
My responses:
spencers question- I think it would be different because we wouldnt know the narrators internal feelings about things.
Trishas question #1- Yes I think that the narrator misinterpreted what his grandfather said because he didnt live the way his grandfather thought he should have lived.
I think that the narrator was influenced by his grandfather in a different way than his grandfather had intended when he was dying. The narrator lived by the way his grandfather lived and not by the way his grandfather thought he should live. I dont think that the narrator understood his grandfathers meaning.
question
Do you think the grandfather would have been proud or embarassed of his grandson?
responses
megan larson- I think the point of the battle royal was just the enjoyment of the white people.
jordan- The narrator wanted the people to hear his speech so bad because he wanted the people to accept him and recognize his ability, and not to look at him as just a black person. I think that they still looked at him as another black boy, and did not care about what he had to say.
The Grandfather had a huge impact on the narrator. The narrator listend to his Grandfather alone for words of advice. The grandpa told him on his death bed to fight in life and don't be ashamed. The narrator took this very seriously and made the best of his life. Another word of advice the narrator's Grandfather gave was to fight for life as if it is war. The narrator new then that life is never easy because his grandpa had gone through life before with many troubles. This gave the narrator something to live for and strive to succeed in life.
What was the point of the Battle Royal?
Response to Dillans question-Yes, I do believe the poeple in this town have been having these battle royales for a long time. The people in the town act as if they are normal events that go on quite often. However, the kids that fight in the battles seem as if they have no clue as to what's going on.
Megan Larsen
answere to courtneys question: i belive they were blind folded to see who could stay up the longest to find the final two fighters for the end of the battle royle and that way they had no idea when they would be hit or what to expect.
Dillan Claire
Answere to Jordans question: i think the narrator was so stuck on his speach because he wanted to show the community that he may be black but he is really a bright and intellgent kid who has high hopes of going far in life nomatter what or who he has to fight.
Megan Larsen
answere to Zacks question: i think that the battle royle symbolized how you have to fight through life to get where you are and the brief case represented the goal in life
Dillan Claire
answere to jeremys question: i dont think the narrator knew what his grandfather ment at all.
The grandfather seemed to serve as a sort of road block to the narrator. The grandfather's words on his death bed instilled a sense of guilt upon the narrator in which he carried out throughout the story. He was compared to his grandfather by being called similar and reminiscient so he thinks that maybe he was a traitor or a spy perhaps. The grandfather has a great influence on the narrator throughout the story because the narrator is always thinking about his grandfather's last words.
My question: do you think the narrator felt that the battle royal was worth it in the end?
Response to Megan's question: I think the battle was a form of initiation. I think the men involved in the battle were put through hell in order to proove themselves. It is kind of like hazing in a fraternity or sorority.
Response to Nikkole's question: I think the grandfather would not have been embarresed but ashamed of his grandson. The whole point the grandfather was trying to make was that he was not true to himself and he was living to impress other people. I think the narrator does the same thing in going along with the battle.
I believe that the words from the grandfather were very influential to the narrator. He listened to every word that he said and even when things werent going right, he still held his head high like his grandfather said. The narrator took his grandfathers advice very seriously and was influenced greatly by him.
my question: how could the story be different if it was told from the grandfathers point of view on his death bed? what would be similar and what would be different?
my responses:
Dillan- Yes i think the battles have been going on for a very long time because they seemed to be sort of a tradition.
Megan- It seems like the point of the battles was just entertainment. they wanted to put on a show for themselves, and that must have seemed like a great way to do so.
Mr. Johnson, i apologize that this is in a day late. i couldnt find the web adress. if this sounds like an excuse, im sorry. i truly couldnt find it.
The grandfathers influence on the character seemed to affect him throughout the entire story. even while in the ring all he could think about was his grandfathers words. when the character got his scholarship to the college, his spirits were brought up. later on though... his grandfathers spirit just bounced right back into his head.
Why was the grandfather such a BIG weight on the character?
The grandfather, upon his deathbed said, "our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days". His words greatly influenced every action of the narrator because he did take after his grandfather (he did "overcome them with yeses, undermine them with grins, and agree them to death and destruction"). However, I feel as if the underlying message expressed by the grandfather was to not do those things as he did, but to fight the war (against the oppresive Southern white community) by standing up for your rights and not just taking what you're dealt.
The narrator did take his grandfather's advice and his actions certainly reflected that, but it went against what his heart seemed to be telling him; he carried out this advice "in spite of himself".
What do you think would have happened if he had refused to take part in the battle royal?
As the boy gave his speech, the men continued to ignore and mock the narrator, but in the end they gave him a prize/gift. Why did they give him the scholarship since it seemed to be so contridictory to their beliefs of the black man's place in society?
While the battle royal certainly served its purpose as a form of entertainment for the men gathered, I think it was also to put the younger generation in "their place". It was to show them just how superior the white community was, how they, as blacks, were still expected to do as they were told, and to serve as a warning in case any of them were to act out (a demonstration of the power and control the white people still seemed to have).
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