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Who is Arthur, and what is his occupation?
He is the main character, Joanie´s husband and Lee's friend, and he works as a lawyer
Gray haired man, with a fresh cut freshly maintained and a distinguished-looking man
How does Lee act when Arthur calls him?
He acts calm and tries to comfort Arthur, even though he’s hiding something
Why do you think the woman in the room with the lawyer never speaks?
To keep the secret and make the story more mysterious
Do you feel sorry for Arthur, Lee, or the woman? Why?
Arthur, because he is being lied to.
With who does Lee assume Joanie is with?
With the Ellenbogens
What do the green eyes in the title represent?
They represent jealousy, temptation, and maybe the wife’s beauty
What feeling gives the story at the end?
Confusion and curiosity, because nothing is 100% clear.
What does the phone call show us about Arthur’s personality?
He is insecure, worried, and needs reassurance.
Why does the lawyer tell Arthur that his wife loves him?
To calm him down and hide the truth.
Why do you think the story takes place during a phone call instead of face to face?
It creates mystery and shows how people can hide things when they aren’t in person
Does Arthur really know where his wife is?
No, he doesn’t. He is suspicious but wants to believe she’ll come back.
How does Salinger use silence (the woman not speaking) as a literary device?
Her silence makes the tension stronger and shows how secrets are hidden in relationships
Why do you think Salinger never reveals the identity of the girl?
To keep suspense and let the reader figure it out by its own
Why do you think Salinger leaves the ending open and unclear?
So the reader thinks more about the situation and chooses their own answer.
Based on the description of each character at first instance, What can be assumed about each of them?
Lee: Calm, collected & "mature".
Arthur: Needy, anxious, stressed & overthinker.
The wife: Comes across as distant & care free.
What can be assumed by the end of the story about the relationship between the 3 characters?
Own understanding (FREE RESPONSE)
Does Lee still love Joanie?
He says both does and doesn't love her.
Besides is marriage problems, what does Arthur open up about?
He opens up about losing a big court case earlier that day and he's worried he'd lost his job and talks about going back into the army.
How does Arthur's attitude seem in the story?
He seemed kind of paranoid and stressed about his marriage situation
In what ways do childhood or childlike tendencies appear as part of the theme in this story?
Arthur is often referred as acting as a kind, he need attention and reassurance just like a kid would.
Why does Arthur say his wife is already home? Can we assume that he is lying?
He might have said that to clean up his outburst or se if he obtains certain reaction from Arthur. The call seems to be done in a short period of time and elements in the story reveal that his wife might not be where he says she is.
In 3 words describe the subjects of the story and turn them into a statement about the theme
Use your own words, must be on theme to be right!
What does the poem "pretty mouth and green my eyes" have to do with the story?
Arthur says he recalls a poem he sent to Joanie and says he doesn't recognize the woman described in it any more and that it does not longer remind him of Joanie like it used to.
Now that you read the story, go back and read the first sentence, what does it reveal?
Personal understanding (FREE POINTS)