The Bronze Bow - Discussion

Hey Everyone!

I was thinking we should have a discussion on "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare because there has been some interest and just because- because it's a good read! I was thinking we should all read it and have the discussion Saturday, July 24th. I think I'll be around, but I mean, we usually just catch each others comments whenever we get on, so it doesn't really matter. Sound like a plan?? I'll find some discussion questions and post them asap.

~The DC Board.

Romeo and Juliet disucussion

Here's the start of the discussion - this is going to last a few days. That way everyone can get a chance to participate. Here are the questions again:

1. What effect does the accelerated time scheme have on the play’s development? Is it plausible that a love story of this magnitude could take place so quickly? Does the play seem to take place over as little time as it actually occupies?

2. Compare and contrast the characters of Romeo and Juliet. How do they develop throughout the play? What makes them fall in love with one another?

3. Compare and contrast the characters of Tybalt and Mercutio. Why does Mercutio hate Tybalt?

4. Apart from clashing with Tybalt, what role does Mercutio play in the story? Is he merely a colorful supporting character and brilliant source of comic relief, or does he serve a more serious purpose?

5. How does Shakespeare treat death in Romeo and Juliet? Frame your answer in terms of legal, moral, familial, and personal issues. Bearing these issues in mind, compare the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Mercutio, and Mercutio and Tybalt.

Sorry I couldn't get this going until now. I hope it's not too late.

Romeo and Juliet Discussion

Hello everyone,

Because of the marked intrest in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, it has been decided to have an open discussion about it. In order to allow our followers time to read it, our discussion will begin on Saturday, March 6th. The time- TBA. Maybe we won't restrict it to a specific time, because of possible time differences? While you read, here are some questions to think about:

1. What effect does the accelerated time scheme have on the play’s development? Is it plausible that a love story of this magnitude could take place so quickly? Does the play seem to take place over as little time as it actually occupies?

2. Compare and contrast the characters of Romeo and Juliet. How do they develop throughout the play? What makes them fall in love with one another?

3. Compare and contrast the characters of Tybalt and Mercutio. Why does Mercutio hate Tybalt?

4. Apart from clashing with Tybalt, what role does Mercutio play in the story? Is he merely a colorful supporting character and brilliant source of comic relief, or does he serve a more serious purpose?

5. How does Shakespeare treat death in Romeo and Juliet? Frame your answer in terms of legal, moral, familial, and personal issues. Bearing these issues in mind, compare the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Mercutio, and Mercutio and Tybalt.

So, of course these don't have to be answered by each person individually, but it should hopefully give a direction to our discussion. If you'd like, here is a quiz about Romeo and Juliet that I found. It's a good way to see how much you know!

SparkNotes: Romeo and Juliet: Quiz

Anyway, talk to you all on the 6th!

~DC Team

The Man Who Was Thursday - Revistited

Hello everyone,

Welcome to our first long termed discussion. Our book is "The Man Who Was Thursday," by G.K. Chesterton.

Ok, here is a summery of the book:

"In a surreal turn of the century London, Gabriel Syme, a poet, is recruited to a secret anti-anarchist taskforce at Scotland Yard. Lucian Gregory, an anacrchist poet, is the only poet in Saffron Park, until he loses his temper in an argument over the purpose of poetry with Gabriel Syme, who takes the opposite view. After some time, the frustrated Gregory finds Syme and leads him to a local anarchist meeting-place to prove that he is a true anarchist. Instead of the anarchist Gregory getting elected, the officer Syme uses his wits and is elected as the local representative to the worldwide Central Council of Anarchists. The Council consists of seven men, each using the name of a day of the week as a code name; Syme is given the name of Thursday. In his efforts to thwart the council's intentions, however, he discovers that five of the other six members are also undercover detectives; each was just as mysteriously employed and assigned to defeat the Council of Days. They all soon find out that they are fighting each other and not real anarchists; such was the mastermind plan of the genius Sunday. In a dizzying and surreal conclusion, the six champions of order and former anarchist ring-leaders chase down the disturbing and whimsical Sunday, the man who calls himself "The Peace of God"."

Ok, now here are some questions that we are to discuss:

1. Who was your favorite character and why?

2. What is the point of the story?

3. Who and what do the characters represent -if any?

4. What is the purpose of the "secret council" and who is Sunday?"

5. What was interesting or engaging about the book?

5. What was not interesting or boring about the book?

6. What is your general opinion of the story, style of writing, characters, themes... etc.?


I can't wait to hear from you! Thanks for participating!

Thanks a million,

The DC Board

"Don't you see we've checkmated each other? [...] I can't tell the police you are an anarchist. You can't tell the anarchists I'm a policeman." ~Gabriel Syme