The Wisdom of Wilhelm Stekel

On page 188 of The Catcher in the Rye, Mr. Antolini shares the following quote with Holden: "'The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.'" Say whether you agree or disagree with this definition of maturity, and give an example from real life that shows why you think this.

Culture Shock

Two of the case studies we have read in class (Walter and James) involved American businessmen grappling with problems resulting from cultural differences while running operations in Brazil. At one time or another, we have all misunderstood situations due to cultural, language, or other differences. Briefly describe this kind of misunderstanding from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or from your own experience. Which motif does this incident relate to, and why? If you need to review the case studies, go to http://www.branfordhigh.org/?PageName=TeacherPage&Page='DocumentsCategory'&CategoryID=3779&iSection=Teachers&CorrespondingID=38073

Star employee or criminal?

Please read the below case study and respond to the three questions at the bottom.

Sara had worked for the Pet Supply Store for nearly three years. She was always on time, worked long hours, and ran numerous errands for her employer. She knew the business inside and out.

Sara took pride in working for the Pet Supply Store and looked forward to work every day. Clients viewed her as a close confidant and a trusted source for information and of course gossip. She felt as if she was an important and irreplaceable resource for the business.

On Tuesday, Sara was called into the office of her employer Jane. Sara was actually looking forward to speaking with her boss – for whom Sara felt she had gone above and beyond her job title by taking work home – to ask for a raise or better benefits. Sara had practiced her proposal the night before and felt confident that the conversation with Jane would go well.

Unfortunately the conversation that Sara had with Jane was very different.

Jane confronted Sara with a number of credit card charges for gasoline that totaled $51.37. Jane wanted to know why Sara had used the company credit card without permission. Caught by surprise, Sara explained to Jane the number of times she had to run errands to the printers, the accountant, and the town hall. She went on to remind Jane that those locations were quite some distance and with her husband being recently laid off from his job times were tough.

Jane was quiet for a few moments and then told Sara that she was fired.

Jane – Trying To Stay Afloat or Penny Pincher?

The Pet Supply Store had seen some better days. The recent downturn in the economy and the inability to keep qualified staff had made life difficult for Jane. Her family had launched the store four years ago with great fanfare and high expectations. The first year they made an amazing amount of money, but with all the costs for starting the store up, they barely had enough left over for themselves. Ever since then, times have been tough and Jane has had to skip paying herself for months just to keep the store open.

Jane finally felt that she had the right team in place for the last two years. Sara was dependable and the customers loved her. Jake was never on time, but he put in long hours and kept the store spotless. Mary was a rock-solid performer that would do anything she was asked of and always over deliver. Jane just knew that 2011 was the year she would make some real money.

On Monday evening Jane reviewed all her banking and credit card statements from the previous month. On the company credit card she noticed some unusual charges for gasoline. She investigated it further and realized that charges were tied to Sara’s credit card.

Jane had been down this road before in her previous career. She knew that small little unapproved charges like this, while innocent at first, typically lead to bigger ones down the road like embezzlement or theft. Jane knew that she had to enforce the rules and fire Sara.

Jane felt sick to her stomach and did not look forward to doing this. She knew that Sara needed the job and was supporting herself and her family. Sara was her best employee and trusted. So trusted that she had Sara babysit her kids, handle some of the finances for the business, and deal with only the top customers.

Jane knew that the conversation on Tuesday would not go well, but that it had to be done. She had to keep discipline in her business. The Pet Supply Store was operating on very thin margins and the little bit of cash could make or break the business.

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1. Take a side -- say who you think is right, and why.
2. Assume for a moment that Sarah is working a scam. Say which of the King and the Duke's scams this most resembles.
3. Choose either Sarah or Jane and link her behavior to a motif from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Be sure to explain your reasoning.

"It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race."

The above quote is the last sentence of chapter 24 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (page 159 in our text). Huck is expressing his disgust with the dishonesty of the King and the Duke, and also with the gullibility of the townspeople who are so easily deceived and victimized by the traveling frauds.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has numerous motifs that we have not discussed in class, and one of them is shame. Write a short example from this novel or from from real life in which shame is a motivator for someone to do something or not to do something. Be sure to include what the character, person, or people are ashamed of doing or not doing. (50 words minimum).

"Options Lead to Insanity"

Name a decision Huck has had to make so far in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Which motif is this choice related to? Describe a time when you have had to make a similar decision. (at least 80 words total)

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The whole time the monster was me...

In 80 words or more, compare the personalities and behaviors of Victor and the monster. How are they alike? How are they different?