At the beginning of the story, Alonso Quixano is a a. king b. knight c. nobleman
The book is a parody of a. ancient epics b. medieval legends c. tragic plays
In the book, the author claims that a. the story is true b. the story came to him in a dream c. the story is based on his own life
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think fiction and non-fiction are always two different categories? Is it possible for a book to be both? Why or why not?
Transcript
Don Quixote is a novel written by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. It is considered one of the most important books written in Spanish. The story follows a nobleman named Alonso Quixano, who spends his time reading medieval stories about knights and princesses. Quixano wants to have his own adventures and fight evil in the world. He decides to become a knight, takes the name “Don Quixote,” and begins a series of quests. The narrative is a parody of the legends that were popular at the time. It was originally published in two books, in 1605 and 1615. Within them, Cervantes plays with the ideas of fiction and history. He claims that the story is true, and that he is only the translator. Some of the characters in the second book have even read the first book. Don Quixote is one of the earliest novels written in Europe. The first English novels came several years later.
Chaplin moved to the US to star in a. vaudeville shows b. silent films c. radio shows
Chaplin’s first sound film was a. The Kid b. The Immigrant c. The Great Dictator
The US government accused Chaplin of being a. a fascist b. an anarchist c. a communist
Discussion/essay questions
Do you think comedy is an important tool for social change? Why or why not?
Transcript
Charlie Chaplin was an English comedian and actor. He was born in 1889 in London. Both of his parents were music hall performers, and he began acting on the stage when he was very young. He later moved to the United States to star in vaudeville shows. In 1914, he began acting for a silent-film company, where he invented his alter ego, “The Tramp.” His persona quickly became world famous. He began writing and directing his own silent films, playing The Tramp in many of them. Chaplin’s first sound film, The Great Dictator, parodied Hitler in the early days of World War II. In the 1940s and 1950s, Chaplin began to talk more about his political opinions. The US government feared he was a communist and banned him from the country. He was only invited back to accept an Academy Award in 1972, five years before his death.
The book Gulliver’s Travels would be best described as a. a memoir b. a satirical novel c. a travelogue
The character Lemuel Gulliver is a. a politician b. a news reporter c. a surgeon
In the last section of the book, Gulliver meets a civilization of a. giants b. flying scientists c. intelligent horses
Discussion/essay questions
What is the purpose of satire? Can you think of a good modern work of satire?
What do you think makes a story appealing to all ages?
Transcript
Gulliver’s Travels is a 1726 satirical novel by Irish author Jonathan Swift. The book is a parody of the travel narrative, which was a very popular genre at the time. The protagonist, Lemuel Gulliver, is a surgeon on a ship. He travels to fictional countries and encounters strange civilizations, including the six-inch-tall Lilliputians and the research-obsessed Laputans. Each culture is a comedic representation of a human trait. In the last section of the book, Gulliver meets a group of intelligent horses who contrast with the absurd and foolish humans. Although Gulliver’s Travels is often read as a children’s book, it was written for adults. The fantasy civilizations represent social and political structures in Britain during Swift’s life. Gulliver’s Travels is one of the earliest examples of the English novel.
