Could you suggest some intermediate and advanced questions for "The Chaser" by John Collier?
I am not sure what your particular teacher defines as "level 2 and 3" questions, but I am going to assume that the questions have to be on a deeper level than a question that asks for simple, concrete plot details. Generally, a level 2 question will deal with factual information, but the answer can have more than one defensible answer. Several answers can be "good" answers, but all of the answers should be defended with evidence from the story.
A possible level two question for "The Chaser" could be something like this: "Why do you think Alan is in love with Diana?" A related question would be as follows: "How do you think Alan thinks about love?"
A level 3 question is a question that might deal with ideas beyond the text. The story serves as a springboard for the question that is probing something else. Many...
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teachers refer to these questions as "big picture" questions. Alternatively, a teacher might ask how the story relates to some cultural belief, value, or current event.
Regarding this story, it has to be said that Alan is completely okay with drugging a woman in order to change her emotional state and opinion of him. There is lots you could do with this. These questions might spark very heated discussions, so perhaps stick with a tamer level 3 question that is focused more on love. You could ask something like the following: "How does this story's portrayal of love compare or contrast to other depictions of love?"
When you ask for level two and three, I think you are asking for questions that are beyond recall or simple comprehension.
Here are some questions I would ask:
- How does the reader know that Alan is afraid of the Old Man?
- If Alan could be stereotyped as a teenager, what type of guy might he be?
- What seems to be Alan's struggle with Diana before the story?
- What is this story saying about love?
- If Alan goes back to the Old Man, what do you think Alan would do with the spot-remover?
- What does this story suggest about our society in terms of money or instant gratification?
- If Alan went there for the love potion, why does the Old Man spend so much time explaining the spot-remover?
These questions all require inference and/or judgement.
Can you provide sample exam questions for "The Chaser" by John Collier?
The meaning of the title "The Chaser" is very simple, although the term "chaser" may not be as commonly used as it was when John Collier wrote his story. A chaser is a drink that is taken to follow the first alcoholic drink. The chaser may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. For example, a person might drink a straight shot of whiskey and follow it immediately with a small glass of water to dilute the whiskey already in his stomach. One common combination at bars is a shot of straight whiskey followed by a small glass of beer. The chaser in Collier's story is a poisoned drink intended to kill the woman who is suffocating the hero with too much love and possessiveness. The original drink was the love potion he bought to make her fall in love with him. The word "chaser" in this story has nothing to do with chasing anybody or being chased; it is another euphemism for the deadly poison the hero will probably be using to kill his wife.
One of the questions sure to be asked is: "What is Collier's attitude towards love and marriage?" (He is very cynical, perhaps because of his own personal experience. He wrote several other stories about men killing their wives.)
Also: "Why is the chaser so much more expensive than the original love potion?"
Why is the love potion so cheap? (Because the old man knows the buyer will want the chaser eventually, and he can make his profit at that time.)
What is a chaser? (I have explained this above.)