1a. Why does Mama hang the bowl of worms from the ceiling with another bowl below?
2a. What sudden reaction does the narrator have to her mother's worms?
3a. What comment does Mr. Mitchell make about the Franklinia altamaha Mama shows him?
4a. What does the narrator notice about the note Mama leaves the day after Thanksgiving?
1b. What does this tell you about Mama?
2b. Why does she suddenly feel this way?
3b. What does this tell you about Mr. Mitchell?
4b. Why might she notice this?
5a. Compare the narrator's imagining of the guests arriving, Mama greeting them and taking them out to the porch with the scene that actually takes place. What do these scenes have in common? How do they differ?
5b. Do the Mitchells get to know Mama and her daughters on their "own ground"? Explain your answer.
6a. To what degree do the narrator's and Louise's efforts at cleaning the house influence the Mitchells' impression of Mama?
6b. Compare Bailey White's "Mama" to Hal Sirowitz's "Mother." Are they similar in any way? How are they different? How does the approach White takes in portraying her Mama differ from Sirowitz's approach? Are there any similarities in their portrayals? Did you find either author's work to be more effective or more enjoyable than the other's? If so, why? If not, explain.
Image. Carefully consider the author's use of imagery and what she accomplishes through her descriptions. Identify examples of imagery in the selection that do the following: create humor, help define the character of Mama, help define the characters of Louise and the narrator. Identify some of the very specific details White includes in her imagery. Why might she have included these very specific details? How do they add to her essay?
Dialogue. In "Good Housekeeping," the author intersperses chunks of dialogue with bizarre images to create humor. How does the author's use of dialogue work with the imagery to create humor? Pay particular attention to the tag lines following the dialogue. Does dialogue serve any other purpose in the selection?
Irony of Situation. How do the events of the meeting of Mama and the Mitchells demonstrate irony of situation? Can you point to another example of irony of situation in the story? Does the author's use of irony of situation make the story better? If so, how? If not, why?
1. Imagine you are the city worker who admits people and trash trucks to the dump. Write the conversation that takes place between Mama, the city worker, and Mr. Mitchell when they go to the dump.
2. Based on what you know about her from reading the selection, create Mama's to-do list for a typical day.
3. Imagine that you are Mr. Mitchell. Write your thank-you letter to Mama after the day at the dump looking at bones. Be sure to mention in your letter the items you most enjoyed looking at.
Choosing Colorful Words and Phrases. Read the sentences below. Rewrite each sentence, replacing dull words with more specific and descriptive language. Add dynamic adjectives and adverbs. Be as creative as you wish, adding details while sticking to the meaning of the original sentence. Then incorporate a few of your sentences in a paragraph. Further develop the entire paragraph with vivid description and authentic details.
Example
I sat down in the waiting room. Nervously, I perched on the edge of the blue vinyl chair in the cold and ugly waiting room.
1. A man was reading a magazine.
2. My mom told me to stop tapping my foot.
3. A couple people were whispering.
4. The woman at the front desk looked at me.
5. A baby began to cry.
6. We waited a long time.
7. I watched the fish in the tank.
8. The man sitting next to me fell asleep.
9. A nurse came out and called my name.
10. My mom and I followed the nurse into the back.
Paragraph:
