Discussion Leader

STORY: Flowers for Algernon

NAME: Jihwan Park DATE: 2024.3.11

The Discussion Leader’s job is to …

CHAPTERS: report 14

“
• read the story twice, and prepare at least five general questions about it.
• ask one or two questions to start the Reading Circle discussion.

• make sure that everyone has a chance to speak and joins in the discussion.

• call on each member to present their prepared role information.

• guide the discussion and keep it going.

Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and questions as
you read. (What surprised you, made you smile, made you feel sad?) Write down your questions
as soon as you have finished reading. It is best to use your own questions, but you can also use
some of the ideas at the bottom of this page.

Prepare three Discussion Leader questions

Q1. What did Charlie think when he saw that his father didn't recognize him?
Ans1: Charlie seems to have desperately wanted his father to recognize him. He remembers that
even when he was a child, it was his father, not his mother, who made an effort to understand and
care for him. He must have hoped that even after all these years, his father would treat him as a
human being.

Q2. When Charlie makes love to Fay and Alice, why does he only feel fear from Alice?
Ans2: The reason why he is afraid of Alice seems to be that he has formed the same attachment
relationship as his parents. Fay has only met him relatively recently, and her personality is very
free. But Alice had seen him since before he was smart, and by spending so much time with him,
Charlie seems to have made up for his parents' lack in her. Therefore, it seems that the trauma felt
from her mother is transmitted through her.

Q3. When Charlie visited Warren State Home after he became smart, how did he feel when he saw
the people there?
Ans3: He felt that the people there did not talk about hope. He felt that the people there were living
corpses, and he felt resigned to everything. On the one hand, as if he knew about his future, he
thought he would come back here.

Other general ideas:

• Questions about the characters (like / not like them, true to life / not true to life ...?)
• Questions about the theme (friendship, romance, parents/children, ghosts ...?)

• Questions about the ending (surprising, expected, liked it / did not like it ...?)
• Questions about what will happen next. (These can also be used for a longer story.)
Connector
STORY: CHAPTERS:
NAME: _______________ DATE: ________________

The Connector’s job is to …

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• read the story twice, and look for connections between the story and the world outside.
• make notes about at least two possible connections to your own experiences, or to the
experiences of friends and family, or to real-life events.
• tell the group about the connections and ask for their comments or questions.
• ask the group if they can think of any connections themselves.

These questions will help you think about connections while you are reading.
Events: Has anything similar ever happened to you, or to someone you know? Does anything in
the story remind you of events in the real world? For example, events you have read about in
newspapers, or heard about on television news programmes.
Characters: Do any of them remind you of people you know? How? Why? Have you ever had the
same thoughts or feelings as these characters have? Do you know anybody who thinks, feels,
behaves like that?

Prepare three Connector questions

Q1. Have you ever felt resigned to your future like Charlie?
Ans1: As I’m not graduating from college, I often feel resigned about the future. I haven’t solved
the military issue yet. But I don’t want to go to the military, so I’m choosing graduate school as a
bit of an escape. I wondered if this was the right choice, but I was resigned to the reality of having
to go to the military.

Q2. For Charlie, Fay would have been a new type of person. What do you think when you see
people with different tendencies than you?
Ans2: At first, it may seem strange to see the lifestyle or behavior of someone with a different
personality than mine. But I think I will gradually understand that person. These days, I sometimes
think that people who have different tendencies from me are interesting and attractive.

Q3. Charlie keeps thinking that his time is running out. What would you do if you had little time
left before you died?
Ans3: If I only have a little time left before I die, I will make a bucket list. Think about what I
have always wanted to do and do it until I die. For example, I want to go skiing and sledding in the
snowy mountains of Switzerland. And I want to spend time with my precious people.
Word Master
STORY: CHAPTERS:
NAME: _______________ DATE: ________________
W
The Word Master’s job is to …

• read the story, and look for words or short phrases that are new or difficult to understand,
or that are important in the story.
• choose five words (only five) that you think are important for this story.
• explain the meanings of these five words in simple English to the group.

• tell the group why these words are important for understanding this story.

Your five words do not have to be new or unknown words. Look for words in the story that really
stand out in some way. These may be words that are:
• repeated often • used in an unusual way • important to the meaning of the story

1. MY WORDS: brusque
Passage where the word occurs in the book: As I see him now, he is not really afraid, just withdrawing, as a bird or squirrel
backs off from the brusque movements of the feeder-involuntary, instinctive.
Meaning of the word: There is a hint of bluntness in his blurt or manner.
Reason for choosing the word: I didn't know the meaning of the word.
Make your own sentence with the word: The professor’s brusque response caught the students off guard during the class.

2. MY WORDS: luminous
Passage where the word occurs in the book: The light through that door ajar comes to me again in luminous vision.
Meaning of the word: It means to shine in the dark.
Reason for choosing the word: I didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Make your own sentence with the word: His smille was luminous, brightening up the room instantly.

3. MY WORDS: armful
Passage where the word occurs in the book: When I came back with an armful of groceries, I discovered I had locked myself
out, and I remembered that the front fire escape connected my living room window and the apartment directly across the hall.
Meaning of the word: It means it’s full of arms.
Reason for choosing the word: The meaning of the word was confused.
Make your own sentence with the word: They enter the birthday party room carrying armfuls of ballons.

4. MY WORDS: alimony
Passage where the word occurs in the book: That's when my alimony check comes.
Meaning of the word: It means the money to be paid.
Reason for choosing the word: I didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Make your own sentence with the word: After the divorce, she had to pay alimony to her ex-husband.

5. MY WORDS: dignified
Passage where the word occurs in the book: Rose screaming that a salesman was at least a dignified occupation, but she
would never have a barber for a husband.
Meaning of the word: It means a decent and solemn attitude.
Reason for choosing the word: I didn't know the meaning of the word.
Make your own sentence with the word: The elderly man walked with a dignified grace.
Culture Collector
STORY: CHAPTERS:
NAME: _______________ DATE: ________________

The Culture Collector’s job is to …

• read the story, and look for both differences and similarities between your own culture and the culture
found in the story.
• make notes about two or three passages that show these cultural points.
• read each passage to the group, or ask another group member to read it.

• ask the group some questions about these, and any other cultural points in the story.

Here are some questions to help you think about cultural differences.
Theme: What is the theme of this story (for example, getting married, meeting a ghost, murder, unhappy
children)? Is this an important theme in your own culture? Do people think about this theme in the same
way, or differently?
People: Do characters in this story say or do things that people never say or do in your culture?
Do they say or do some things that everybody in the world says or does?

MY CULTURAL COLLECTION (differences and similarities):

1. page 111 second paragraph
Differences : How to lock the door of people’s residence
Charlie forgot to leave the key in the room and went out, so he couldn't open the door. After seeing this scene,
I thought that the way doors are locked in the US and Europe is mainly with keys. In fact, if you travel to the
United States or Europe, you will notice that like in Korea, keys are mainly used instead of digital door locks. I
think it's probably because people in the U.S. and Europe have been accustomed to using keys and locking
with keys for a long time. And compared to digital door locks, there seems to be a perception that keys are
relatively safe because they cannot be hacked. However, as a result of using the key, not only are inconvenient
situations like the one Charlie experienced, but if you lose the key, you have to make a new key.
2. page 113
"I don't have any beer, but I can make you a cup of coffee." But she was looking past me, her eyes wide in
disbelief.
Similarities : a culture of serving drinks when a person visits a house
When Fay goes to Charlie's house, Charlie offers her something to drink. Offering something to drink or eat to
guests who come to your home is a culture that also exists in Korea. I think it is to be considerate of customers
and show basic courtesy.
MY CULTURAL QUESTIONS:
1. Why do you think people still user keys in the US and Europe?
2. What are the differences between our country and Europe and the United States when it comes to the
culture of using the key?
3. What do Korean people think about offering drinks or simple food to guests?