Reference no: EM133631820
Question 1. What does Didion mean by "protective detachment" in referring to Californians' attitude toward earthquakes (par. 1)?
Question 2. How, according to Didion, do Californians maintain the illusion of personal control during earthquakes?
Question 3. Why was the earthquake Didion writes about a cause for special concern, even though it was not a major disturbance?
Question 4. What is the ultimate threat of "the Big One"? Why does its possibility give Didion "the jitters" (par. 9)? HENRY DAVID THOREAU "What I Lived For"
Question 5. Notice the first sentence of this excerpt from Walden: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately," Thoreau writes. What does he mean by "live deliberately"? What does this statement reveal about his purpose for writing?
Question 6. Why did Thoreau choose to live in isolation? What, to his mind, were the major problems with society at the time? Do his criticisms still apply?
Question 7. How does Thoreau explain the relationship between perception and reality? Does he think it's possible to know truth?
Question 8. How does Thoreau use examples to define news (par. 4)? How does the news compare to gossip, as far as he's concerned?
Question 9. What role does narration play in Thoreau's argument? What do the anecdotes in paragraph 5 and 6 contribute to his point? To what other works of literature does Thoreau allude? Must readers be familiar with these stories to appreciate his meaning?