We read An Alcoholic Case from The Oxford Book of American Short Stories today. If you weren't here, please read the story and jot down a response to it in order to receive some credit. Remember we are always looking at stories as writers...
Discussion Questions
1. What is your initial reaction to this story? What are your thoughts about the writing style/approach?
2. What do you think the major themes are in this story?
3. F. Scott Fitzgerald was an alcoholic. Does knowing that information change your perspective on this story at all? How do you think he handles character development here?
4. Why does the nurse decide to come and help him when she feels threatend?
5. How do you think the young man became an alcoholic in the first place?
6. Why didn't the nurse try to stop the alcoholic from committing suicide?
7. Do you think Fitzgerald wrote this to relate to his life?
8. Were there any passages that jumped out for you when reading that seemed significant?
For example: "She began to worry that he would have to go into the bathroom and might cut his feet, and looked up from time to time to see if he would go in. She was very sleepy--the last time she looked up he was crying…”
This passage shows two things. One being that the nurse cares about the well being of the man. The other thing Fitzgerald shows, is the emotion the man has. He begins to cry, which shows he is not happy with the life he is living.
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