VOLA 5

Jones’stextisanextendedinterviewinthestyleof“A Day in the Life.” Aswiththesoliloquyweexaminedearlier,theformofthiswritinghasaneffectonhowitisreadandunderstood. The questions below will help youassess howJonescharacterizesthe subjectofhisinterview,RogerEbert,andhowEbert’sstatements characterizehimself.

QuestionsaboutLogic(Logos)

  1. Aninterviewisa formofnonfiction—atextthattellsthe“truth.” DoyouthinkJonesisbeingtruthfulinhisobservationsofRoger Ebert?DoyouthinkEbertisbeingtruthfulinhisstatementsabouthimself?Areyoumorelikelytobelievewhatsomeoneelse saysabouta personorwhatthepersonsaysabouthimself or herself?Explainyourreasoning.
  1. Howareemotionalpainandlossdifferentfromphysicalpainand loss?Can thetwobecomparedfairly?

QuestionsabouttheWriter(Ethos)

  1. Unlikesomecancersurvivorstories,ChrisJones’sinterview with Roger Ebertdoesn’tmakeitclearthatEbertissuccessfully winninghisfightagainstcancer.Howdoestheuncertaintyof Ebert’shealthimpactthewaywesee hisattitudetoward the valueoflife?WouldEbert’scredibilitybethesameifhehadlong agodefeatedcancer?
  1. CompareEbert’sattitude aboutdreamstoHamlet’s.Howdo dreamsaffectthesufferingofbothmen?Whatdotheirattitudes toward dreamsrevealabouttheircharacters?
  1. CompareEbert’sattitude aboutdeathtoHamlet’s.Howdoeseach characterize“the undiscoveredcountry”(Hamlet’swords)“ontheothersideofdeath”(Ebert’swords)?Howdotheirattitudes towarddeathandwhatmight happenafterdeathrelatetothe waytheyapproachlife?
  1. WhatdoesEbertmeanwhenhesays,“WhenI amwritingmy problemsbecomeinvisibleandI amthesamepersonI always was.All is well.I amas I shouldbe.”(par.18)?
  1. HowdoesJonescharacterizethepost-cancerEbertas being differentfromthepre-cancerEbert?
  1. Re-readtheparagraph beginning,“But noweverythinghesays mustbewritten…”(par.20). WhydoesJonessayofEbert’s newlife,“somanywords,somuchwriting”?Whatdoesthis statement helpusunderstandaboutwhatEbertvaluesinlife?
  1. Whatevidence,ifany,canyoufindthatsuggestsEbertismoreof anoptimistafterfightingcancerthanbefore?
  1. Whatevidence,ifany,canyoufindthatsuggestsChrisJones admiresandbelievesRogerEbert?