Up@dawn 2.0

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Section 8-A Man Without A Country reading and quiz questions










A Man Without A Country Quiz Questions

1. What two people did the author give as examples as being guessers?
2. What was likely to happen to the Russians who didn’t think much of the guesses of Ivan the          Terrible?
3. What has been at the core of leadership for so long?
4. What kind of people will not be welcomed in Washington D.C.?
5. How does the author say we now present ourselves to the rest of the world?
6. What did the New York Times guarantee was in Iraq before we attacked?
7. When and where was Ignaz Semmelweis born?
8. What thanks did Semmelweis get from leaders of his profession in Viennese society?

                                                           Discussion Questions

On pages 81-89, Vonnegut writes about the “proudest, most ignorant guessing in the world” happening in Washington, DC. Would you describe what is happening in Washington now in a similar way? Do you think Washington pushes out truly educated people? Why do you think they do this? (Vonnegut refers to the establishment as “the haters of information.”)
            
When you read through pages 86-89, did it sound pretty familiar? What are the similarities between when Vonnegut was writing this (2004/05) and today’s circumstances in America?
           
  On page 88, Vonnegut claims he has given up on people. He doesn’t show much optimism here. Based on what you’ve read, why do you think that is? Did Vonnegut really have any reason to be optimistic about the human race? Are you optimistic about the human race, or do you feel you’ve given up as Vonnegut had?


           
 Pages 90-93 detail the career of Ignaz Semmelweis. Think about how his career ended. Do you think this contributed to destroying Vonnegut’s optimistic outlook? 

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