"Juliet" by Helen Fogwill Porter

  1. What is revealed about the narrator's character through the details of her environment, both as a child and as an adult?
  2. How does the word "rake" function on several levels in the story?
  3. At times, the narrator makes reference to instances of abuse. Do you feel that these references reinforce or weaken the story's narrative? Support your answer.
  4. How does the narrator manage to maintain a narrative flow, even while moving backward and forward in time? Give specific examples from the text.
  5. The narrator makes it clear that she and her siblings are named after characters in Shakespearean plays. Explore a variety of resources and indicate how Juliet, Duncan, Jessica and Rosalind are characters whose roles in Shakespearean dramas support the theme of this short story.

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