Silence by Larry Watson LC WTUC Dec 2006

Larry Watson

http://www.thackermountain.com/new/pictures/show.php?id=163

Biography http://www.larry-watson.com/index.htm

Watson taught writing and literature at the University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point for twenty-five years. He is presently a Visiting Professor of English at Marquette University. He and his wife Susan live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Watson taught writing and literature at the University of Wisconsin/Stevens Point for twenty-five years. He is presently a Visiting Professor of English at Marquette University. He and his wife Susan live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

"Controversy requires that students question what they read, learn to challenge writers whose opinions they disagree with, explore their own thoughts and develop their own positions on important issues."

"Controversy requires that students question what they read, learn to challenge writers whose opinions they disagree with, explore their own thoughts and develop their own positions on important issues."

"The fiction pieces provide additional insight or perspectives that are often profound and highly moving,"

"The fiction pieces provide additional insight or perspectives that are often profound and highly moving,"

In ‘Silence’ what particular insight/perspective did you learn?

In ‘Silence’ what particular insight/perspective did you learn?

Paragraph 1, p. 105 ‘I was eight years old when my father stole me, and on that day, I stopped speaking. I chose not to speak, yet once I made that decision, it gained its own power and was not easily unmade.’ What was affected by this ‘power’? Why was it not easily unmade?

‘I was eight years old when my father stole me, and on that day, I stopped speaking. I chose not to speak, yet once I made that decision, it gained its own power and was not easily unmade.’

What was affected by this ‘power’?

Why was it not easily unmade?

Paragraph 4-5, p. 105-106 Compare and contrast the typical gender role of women in those times and the narrator’s mother.

Compare and contrast the typical gender role of women in those times and the narrator’s mother.

Paragraph 7, p. 106 Describe the child custody arrangement that the narrator discussed in paragraph 7. What do you think of this arrangement? Do you think the mother played a role in aggravating the situation?

Describe the child custody arrangement that the narrator discussed in paragraph 7.

What do you think of this arrangement? Do you think the mother played a role in aggravating the situation?

Do you think the father tried hard enough to connect with his son?

Do you think the father tried hard enough to connect with his son?

For an 8-year old boy in those times, expressing feelings of sentiments could be difficult. Would you have handled the situation similarly/differently? In what ways?

For an 8-year old boy in those times, expressing feelings of sentiments could be difficult.

Would you have handled the situation similarly/differently? In what ways?

Line 48-52, p. 111 In the last part of this article, the narrator is seen as having regrets for how things occurred in his childhood. What did the narrator do to keep an update of his father’s life? What would have you done differently?

In the last part of this article, the narrator is seen as having regrets for how things occurred in his childhood.

What did the narrator do to keep an update of his father’s life?

What would have you done differently?

Describe the treatment of the father-son relationship in ‘Silence’

Describe the treatment of the father-son relationship in ‘Silence’

Compare and Contrast the treatment of the father-son relationship in ‘Silence’ and the typical Taiwanese father-son relationship.

Compare and Contrast the treatment of the father-son relationship in ‘Silence’ and the typical Taiwanese father-son relationship.

Describe a memory from your childhood that a particular smell, taste, or other stimulus always triggers.

Describe a memory from your childhood that a particular smell, taste, or other stimulus always triggers.

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