Describe the relationship between Obinze and Cleotilde. What do we learn about each of them from their relation to each other?
Read one of the following short stories then respond to prompt below: Ishiguro, “A Village after Dark” Smith, “The Waiter’s Wife” Adichie, “Checking Out” On this forum, you will take a deep dive into a single story of your choice. You may combine questions related to a particular story but limit your discussion to that single story.
1. “The Waiter’s Wife:” Toward the end of the story Alsana claims that the children she and Clara will be giving birth to will have “[o]ne leg in the present, one in the past” and cautions that “[t]heir roots will always be tangled.” What does she mean by this? Why does she think that having “tangled” roots is a burden rather than a blessing? What does this have to do with Alsana’s own cultural identity?
2. “The Waiter’s Wife:” Option 2: Why does Samad wish that he could wear a sign around his neck that reads: “I AM NOT A WAITER. THAT IS, I AM A WAITER, BUT NOT JUST A WAITER”? What does this tell us about Samad, his past, and his adjustment to life in London?
3. “A Village after Dark:” Explore the themes of guilt and absolution or self- justification. In what ways does the story suggest that the narrator feels guilt or that he seeks to be exonerated from some unidentified past wrongdoing? Ultimately, do you think the narrator feels released from any guilt he may feel, or is he still working through those emotions?
4. “A Village after Dark:” Describe the fantastic, absurd, or dreamlike qualities of “A Village after Dark.” How do these qualities affect the way we understand the narrator and his experiences?
5. “Checking Out:” Describe Obinze’s character and background. How does he compare or contrast to other characters such as Roy and Nigel, his British workmates, or any of the three Africans (the two unnamed Angolans or Vincent, the Nigerian)? How do these differences affect the story’s meaning? What is the significance of Obinze’s “posh” accent as compared to Nigel’s?
6. “Checking Out:” Describe the relationship between Obinze and Cleotilde. What do we learn about each of them from their relation to each other? How does their relationship affect your understanding of the story?
Answer preview for Describe the relationship between Obinze and Cleotilde. What do we learn about each of them from their relation to each other?
APA
309 Words