1. The book is
narrated in the second person, addressing the main character, Jacob, as
“you.” Who is speaking? Why do you think the author chose this mode to
tell the story?
2. When Jacob is called to take care of Clytie, he
has a very hard time pulling the trigger. Look at the passage (p. 49) in
which he has to convince himself to kill her. Why does he agonize when
he knows it’s the right thing? What does it mean that he’s “still
clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness”? Does he continue to
cling to that dream later in the story?
3. Why does Jacob elect to
bleed and treat the bodies of some victims, even after Doc has told him
not to, and even though he knows he’s putting himself in danger? Why is
precision and diligence so important to him even when everyone around
him is worried only about survival?
4. What role does religious faith
play in the story? How does it influence Jacob, Chase, and other
citizens of Friendship? Is their faith rewarded?
5. Jacob is a
veteran of the Civil War. How does his experience there affect the way
he behaves in the crisis in Friendship? How did the war change him?
Gena Nate and Ethan
ReplyDelete1. Jacob's mind is the speaker speaking to Jacob from within. The author chose to write the story this way because it provides a new perspective and connects the audience with the protagonist.
2. Jacob agonizes because he wants to be a good man, and killing is bad, even if it is just a cow. He doesn't want it on his conscience even though he knows it is the right thing to do. "You turn back to this world. You do what's right" (O'Nan 49). This illustrates him abandoning his naive notions of innocence and accepting responsibility.
3. Jacob bleeds the victims because he thinks it is more humane and it is the right thing to do, and also because he has a reverence for the dead. His diligence is important because he wants to maintain some normalcy in this time of panic and keep a cool head.
4. Religious faith makes Jacob feel responsibility to the town due to his occupations. It influences the citizens of Friendship because it is something they can rely on with all the death and hardship around them. Jacob's internal struggle with religion is contrasted with the undoubting faith of the people of the colony. Their faith isn't rewarded. "It's when you're happiest, sure or your own strength, that you need to bow down and talk with God" (17).
5. Jacob's experience in the civil war helps him stay cool with the tough situations, because he has already seen bloodshed and death in the war. The war made a man out of Jacob.
Shayozinique, Imani G., Imani M, and Jahni Rattray
ReplyDelete1. The person who is speaking is the narrator, but he is speaking as if it were your own thoughts.
2. He agonizes because, he still has the guilty conscience about killing Clytie. Its means he blames himself for killing Clytie, when it was and innocent act. No he does not cling on to that felling throughout the story. Towards the end of the chapter he say, "You shrug the thought off..."
3. Jacob elects to bleed and treat the bodies of some victims, although he puts himself in danger, because he wants to get the bodies out. Also, so that the disease will not spread any further. Precision and diligence are important because one wrong move can spread the disease further more.
4.
1) Jacob's inner voice is speaking. I think the author chose to have his inner thoughts be the narrator because it reflects an inner struggle of sorts between his thoughts and his actions.
ReplyDelete2) Jacob agonizes over killing Clytie because Clytie is just a horse and is nearly wild with the disease, and as a horse she reminds him of the horses that he killed and ate during the war. He wants to do right by this horse, so he shoots her to put it out of her misery, but he doesn't want to see another dead horse.
3) Jacob elects to bleed and treat the bodies of the victims because he wants to respect them, and he feels that it's part of his duty to take care of people, living or dead. This precision and diligence is so important to him because it gives him purpose and structure, which he needs because the war left him a little damaged. He's survived before, now what he wants to be good and do right by other people. It's his obligation as the preacher and sheriff.
4) Religious faith is important to Jacob, Chase, and the other people of Friendship because it compels them to act and it keeps them living and hoping. That aspect of the book hasn't been fully explained yet though, except that some of the people in Friendship (such as Jacob) believe that this world is only a prelude for the next, and that thought keeps him hanging on. Their faith doesn't seem to be rewarded though, because what's essentially a plague is heading their way.
5) Unfinished
1) The story is being told through the thoughts of Jacob in the 2nd person point of view. The author probably chose this method to tell the story in order to depict the struggle between Jacob's feelings and his actions. In many scenarios such as the one in which his wife and daughter become sick, Jacob has the idea that he should shut his family up inside his house but decides not to due to his obligations to the town.
ReplyDelete2) Killing Clytie is such an agonizing decision for Jacob because it goes against the laws of his religion. Also, he is reminiscent of the animals (horses) he ate during the war. After this event he is reluctant to cause any harm to animals including the dogs that get sick after. Because Jacob feels that killing is wrong, he is "clinging to innocence" by not having killed anyone or thing. He refers back to this idea of innocence and blamelessness by fabricating the story of his wife and daughter. He begins to pretend they are still alive and he was not the cause of their deaths.
3) In the army Jacob learned that all of those who die deserve to be respected and this is a foundation he sticks to even after the civil war is over. Jacob retains the idea of reverence for the dead and practices it by bleeding those who die, and covering up the wound with wax in order to conceal the wound. Precision and diligence remains important to him even as the bodies begin to pile up he needs to retain the structure and keep going with his job as preacher and constable of the town of Friendship.
4) Religion plays a major role in the psychology of Jacob. It is one of the founding factors of his character because of his stern interpretation of the bible and his faithfulness to God. Religion is often many people's reason to keep going. Like other people, Jacob uses religion as an example to strive to. He often relies on God to keep him going and help others after he can no longer help his own family.
5) Jacob has many gruesome memories from the war such as eating horses raw and the loss of his fellow soldiers. This affects him as he is somewhat comfortable with death. Although it bothers him deeply, death does not affect him in the way it might affect others. Seeing that his daughter has passed away in his wife's arms, he does no crying and hardly grieves simply making sure his wife is not majorly effected by her death.
1. I believe Jacobs thoughts is speaking. I think the author chose that mode to tell the story so the reader can understand Jacob's feelings. the author wants the audience to connect (in a second narrative) with Jacob's feelings, throughout this novel.
ReplyDelete2. He agonizes because, he still has the guilty conscience about killing Clytie. Its means he blames himself for killing Clytie, when it was and innocent act. No he does not cling on to that felling throughout the story. Towards the end of the chapter he say, "You shrug the thought off..."
3. He believe it was more right to bleed and treat the bodies. Jacob is the type of man who cares for the dead. While Jacob was a soldier he was taught to care for dead people and treat them with respect and that's where precision and diligence plays a role.
4. God's intervention in Friendship plays a huge role in the story. His religion effects his thoughts and feelings for the people of Friendship. His interpretation of the bible and his relationship with God makes him a stern man, who's on a mission to save Friendship.
5. Since Jacob is a veteran he thinks like one. Since the town is in war with this epidemic he treats the dead as if the were dead soldiers. He shows little grief when he lost his daughter, just like he was in the war.
Carly and Kayli
ReplyDelete1. The mind of the protagonist is speaking.The author chose to use this mode because it makes it seem a bit more personal. This version of storytelling includes the reader more than first and third person because it almost "puts" you into the story. In first and third person you're just a listener but in second person, you can live it.
2. Jacob struggles with this action of killing Clytie because it goes against his morals. Clytie is a horse, not a person. There is so much innocence within animals that it makes it hard to do something so ungodly. It also reminds him of the animals he killed and ate during the war. It must bring back unpleasant memories of the things he did in war. He feels that killing is wrong, especially when it's a helpless thing. He wants to believe that there can be innocence left in the world because of what he saw in the world along with the gruesome nature of infectious people. He does continue to try and believe that things are still innocent in the middle of the story.
3. Jacob helped with the bodies because he was taught in the army that dead people still deserve respect. They were once living and he knows that if you deserve respect while alive, you should continue that even when they have moved on. Precision and diligence is still important to him because it is his job. He plays an important calming figure in the own and he can't not be.
4. It plays a major role in the story. A lot of the actions and morals of the characters reflect a religious boundary. They are very conscious of sticking to their religion and being with god. They are rewarded in the end by being content with the fact that they had not sinned.
5. It affects him by keeping him sane. He already had gone through something like this. However he still feels different about death and everything with that. He can handle it though.
Diamond Proctor
ReplyDeleteA Prayer for the dying discussion questions
1. Jacob is speaking; he’s referring to you as himself. The author chose to write it this way to help the readers understand him from a different perspective.
2. Jacob agonizes because he feels guilty for killing her since it not what he wants to do but it’s what’s right. He’s “still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness,” because he knows’s he’ll feel “merciful,” about it in the long run.
3. Jacob bleeds the bodies because even though he was told not to, he’s still human. Precision and diligence are important to him because it helps him maintain while everyone is worrying about the war.
4. Religious and faith play a major role in the story because it gives them hope in a time of the plague where a lot of people were dying. They felt faith was keeping them alive. He also refers to religious terms a lot in the story like the feeling of mercy, which relates to God.
5. Jacob’s civil war experience affected him by keeping him sane since he’s already experienced a time of vast amount of casualties before.
1. The book is written in second person and the voice speaking to Jacobs mind and conscience throughout the novel. The author chose this mode to tell the story to enagage the reader to read further because the mode made the reader feel as if there the character. With the repitition of "you" your mind gets comfortable with the idea that you are in the story.
ReplyDelete2. When Jacob is called to care of Clytie he agonizing when he knows it the right thing due to the fact that he is going to take the life of a living animal.The killing of Clytie although she was a cow, it reminds him of the horror from when he was in the war surving off of horse flesh. He is "still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness" due the fact that he did it because it was the only best choice. Clytie was a wild untamed cow suffering from the disease of dipheria like the rest of the town and it was only right to put her to rest. Throughout the stort he continues to cling to this dream until further deep into the story.
3. Jacob elects to bleed and treat the bodies of some victims, even after Doc has told him not to because back when he was in the war. He was taught that the dead shall be prepared and laid to rest respectfully and in a correct matter. Precision and diligence is so important to him even when everyone around him is worried only about survival. Due to that fact that he remains living up to his words and commitment to his town of Friendship.
4. The role that religous faith plays in the story is the faith that Jacob keeps within him throughout these tough times. He felt that keeping his faith with God was keeping him sane and alive to see another day. It influences Jacob, Chase and other citizens of Friendship by having them sometimes question the power of God and the faith. It caused alot of confusion but yet closure to the characters throughout the story.
5. Jacob being a veteran of the civil war has affected the way he behaves throughout the crisis in Friendship by keeping him sane and stable. The war has taught him to attain an understanding of death and the acceptance of it. The war changed him because he feels obligated to maintain and keep up with his duties in the town. He sort of put his town duties before the spending time with his family.
1. The narrator of Prayer for the Dying is Jacob's conscience, O'Brien chose the second person point of of view as a tool to tell the story in a way the reader feel as he/she is Jacob.
ReplyDelete2.When Jacob was called to take care of Clytie (the horse), it was excruciating to him because he felt guilty and it goes against his morals. He doesn't want to kill her because to him animals are so innocent but he knows its the right thing to do. "still clinging to some dream of innocence, blamelessness" refers to the horrid images from the civil war he is reminded of when he tries to end Clytie.
3. Jacob bleeds and treats the bodies of some victims even after Doc tells him not to and believes it's dangerous to him because he was taught in the civil war that all dead should be respected and this basically clicks in to why he wants to bleed and treat the bodies.Precision and diligence is essential to him because he is a man of his words and he is committed to his morals and his town.
4. Religious faith is an important role in this book because it keeps Jacob sane and it gives him, Chase, and other citizens hope. They are rewarded for the simple fact that they are not sinned in there time of plague.
5. Jacob being a veteran of the Civil War and his experiences from it affects the way he behaves because it makes him comfortable with death, he's seen it all. (He's saw a horse being eat raw.)