Hamlet
What is the name of the castle where Hamlet lives?
Elsinore
The location city is never named in the play, but is based on this city, where the author was born and raised.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mary Anne Bell was whose girlfriend?
Mark Fossie
Who is the author of Sing, Unburied, Sing?
Jesmyn Ward
In what fictional town in New York State does Billy live?
Ilium, NY
In the Poo-tee-weet©️ system, what does the first letter P stand for?
PTOTW
PICK the right question, and the best two works.
What town is the setting for The Visit?
Güllen (presumably in Switzerland)
Who wrote Woman at Point Zero?
Nawal el Saadawi
What is the subtitle of the book Persepolis?
The Story of a Childhood
"There is a willow grows aslant the brook..." begins a speech describing what?
the death of Ophelia
What's the name of Troy's best friend from work?
Bono
Where did Jimmy Cross imagine camping trips with Martha?
The White Mountains of New Hampshire
Where do Pop, Mam, Jojo, and Kayla live?
Bois Sauvage, Mississippi
Give one thing Billy's last name could be a metaphor for or symbol of.
PILGRIM: a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons; to travel or wander like a pilgrim.
Billy's journey through life; Billy's pilgrimage to find peace in life; Billy is a religious figure who brings "good news" to the masses about not fearing death.
In the Poo-tee-weet©️ system, what does the first T stand for?
PTOTW
THROW down all your ideas, maybe in a T-chart, as many relevant things from each book as you can think of to mention in your essay.
The first artificial body part of Claire's revealed to the town is an artificial....what?
artificial leg
Who is the main character of Woman at Point Zero?
Firdaus
In what city does almost all of Persepolis take place?
Tehran, Iran
!!DAILY DOUBLE!!
In 30 seconds (from the time I say "go"), name 10 characters in the play Hamlet.
Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Dead King Hamlet, Laertes, Polonius, Ophelia, Horatio, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, (Young) Fortinbras, Marcellus, Bernardo, Francisco, Cornelius, Voltemand, Reynaldo, Osric, Gravedigger, an actor/player
What is the name of Raynell's birth mother?
Alberta
!!DAILY DOUBLE!!
In 30 seconds (from the time I say "go"), name 10 characters from The Things They Carried.
Tim O’Brien, Kiowa, Lt. Jimmy Cross, Ted Lavender, Mitchell Sanders, “Rat” Kiley, Henry Dobbins, Lee Strunk/Dave Jensen, Norman Bowker, Azar, Mark Fossie & Mary Anne Bell, Elroy Berdhal (Tip Top Lodge), Linda
What is the prison called where Michael, Richie, and Pop were all held at one time or another?
Parchman
Who is brought up to Tralfamadore to mate with Billy?
Montana Wildhack
In the Poo-tee-weet©️ system, what does the letter O stand for?
PTOTW
ORGANIZE
After you've thrown down all of your ideas, then try to "clump" them together into related ideas for paragraphs in the body of your essay. Or at least know which ideas you'll discuss first, next, later, last.
Spell the author's last name.
Dürrenmatt
Who is the repulsive, open-sored man whom the main character marries in an arranged marriage?
Sheikh Mahmoud
Who is the author of Persepolis?
Marjane Satrapi
"O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt..."
"O, what a rogue a peasant slave am I...!"
"How all occasions do inform against me..."
etc.
What did Old Blue, the dog, hunt in the song?
possums
What was Tim O'Brien's real hometown?
Worthington, Minnesota
Who was the customer for the meth they picked up?
Al, the lawyer
What does Billy suddenly realize would be a perfect thing to carve on his gravestone one day?
"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt."
In the Poo-tee-weet©️ system, what does the second letter T stand for?
PTOTW
THESIS
Can you think of a THESIS that compares/contrasts the two works you've chosen in relation to the question? A good thesis will help you organize and write the body of your essay.
What is the Greek literary term for this RECOGNITION in a tragic drama on the part of the tragic hero who caused his own downfall? "It's all my own doing, the eunuchs, the butler, the coffin, and the billion."
anagnorisis = the RECOGNITION of the tragic hero that his own actions or flaws have brought about the tragedy
Who is the high-class madame who runs the high-class house of prostitution where the main character ends up working for a while? She says that all men are the same, and women have to be harder than life, to live.
Sharifa
(Sharifa Salah el Dine)
What was the earliest dream Marjane had of what she wanted to be when she grew up?
a prophet
What is a piece of advice Polonius gives to his son Laertes before Laertes goes back to France?
To thine own self be true...
Neither a borrower nor a lender be...
Beware of entrance into a quarrel...
Be familiar, but by no means vulgar...
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice...
Within two dollars, what is the amount of money in Troy's weekly paycheck that he hands over to Rose every Friday?
"There it is. Seventy-six dollars and forty-two cents."
What kind of burger did Norman Bowker order at the A & W?
a Mama Burger
What is the last word of Sing, Unburied, Sing?
"Home."
What is "metafiction"?
Metafiction is a form of fiction that refers to itself; for example, the author of the work appears in the work describing how the work was written.
In the Poo-tee-weet©️ system, what does the final letter W stand for?
PTOTW
WRITE!
Only after you've picked the right question, picked the right works, thrown down all your ideas, and come up with a thesis, should you WRITE. Don't think you need a fancy introduction! Time is limited. But make it clear you UNDERSTAND the question; maybe use phrasing from the question in your intro.
What is the number of the last of Claire's husbands to appear in the play?
IX
9
In what year was Woman at Point Zero originally written (also the year it takes place)?
1975
What kinds of jets did the Iranian air force use? (Hint: It was a chapter title in the book.)
F-14 fighter jets