Short Story Collection Discussion Questions

Select a story to view the corresponding discussion questions

A Fable

A Ghost

Gabriel-Ernest

Kitty's Class Day

Misery

The Album

The Lifted Bandage

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

Wee Willie Winkie

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A Fable

1. What is the significance of Twain choosing a cat as the animal who can see the art and the ass as the character who doubts it exists?
2. Twain was writing this fable while he was also writing his autobiography. He said that the autobiography was a mirror of himself, and he was looking at it all the time. Do you think he had a hard time seeing his “art” because he didn’t know where to look or because he was so accustomed to the image in the mirror? Do you have a hard time seeing your “art”?
3. Did you recognize animals from Kipling's Jungle Book? Have you read that story or seen the movie?

A Ghost

1. Have you ever sensed a presence near you without seeing it, like the Marquis did, with the ghostly woman standing behind him? Do you believe in ghosts?
2. Why do you think the ghostly woman wanted her long hair brushed?
3. The 82-year-old Marquis feels that he is finally of an age where he can share his story with others. Have you reached an age when you feel that you can share things freely?

Gabriel-Ernest

1. Normally, we think of children as being innocent. How does this story flip that thinking on its head?
2. Much of this story takes place in the woods, which often represent danger or evil lurking. Can you think of other stories or movies that are set in the woods?
3. Do you think the boy really ate the young children?

Kitty's Class Day

1. What do you think the moral of this story is?
2. How important is it to you to dress well? Do you dress to impress others or dress to make yourself happy?
3. Can you think of a time when you had high expectations for an event, like Kitty with Class Day, only to have something happen and ruin the experience?

Misery

1. The Russian title of this story is “Toska,” which means sadness or melancholy. Can you come up with some other titles for this story?
2. Does this story communicate a positive or negative message about how people interact with each other in times of need? In your experience, is this assessment accurate?
3. Have you ever had a house pet that you talked to or shared your secrets with, like the sledge driver does with his mare at the end of the story?

The Album

1. Why do you think Zhmyhov wasn't upset at what his children did to his album and the pictures in the album? Would you have been upset?
2. Zhmyhov states: “The public does not exist for us, but we for the public.” Do you think civil servants today follow the same principle?
3. What do you make of the relationship between Zhmyhov and his subordinates? Consider the language they use when they are honoring him.

The Lifted Bandage

1. Do you think the Judge had “gone mad” at the end of the story? Did he truly experience a revelation or was he finding a way to cope with his tragic losses?
2. What role does faith play in your life? Has it helped you to cope when life is challenging?
3. What do you think happened between Ben and Jack that caused Ben to be shot and Jack to fall down an elevator shaft?

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

1. A myth is a story that explains the origins of something or a feature of the nature world. How is this sweet story mythical?
2. Beatrix Potter also wrote “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” Did you enjoy reading Beatrix Potter stories to your children or grandchildren?
3. Beatrix Potter was also a noted naturalist, producing hundreds of detailed botanical drawings, as well as researching and writing scientific papers about the reproduction of fungi spores. How might her interest and study of nature have influenced her stories?

Wee Willie Winkie

1. Winkie decides at the end of the story that he wants to be called by his given name. What does this signify?
2. Do you think he will stop giving out nicknames to the soldiers now?
3. What are some of the rites of passage for boys to become men? Are they different now than they were 50 years ago?