In 4-5 sentences, answer the following questions.
1. Write down two quoted passages from “The Curse of Caste” that relate to historical/political/social events during the era in which the book was published (Civil War era). How are these passages significant?
2. Explain the main argument of the scholarly article (Gabrielle Foreman). How does the article contribute to our understanding of the literary texts?
3. What are your thoughts on the short Christian Recorder writings? (“A Girl’s Thoughts at Twenty” and “The Pleasures of Home”).
In 3-4 sentences, answer these questions.
1. What makes Claire appeal so strongly to the Tracy family after she has begun to work for them as a governess? Why do even the slaves care so much about her welfare?
2. Why is Isabelle Tracy so resentful of Claire? In light of all Isabelle’s advantages, why should she become so malicious toward the governess?
3. Does “The Curse of Caste” idealize interracial love, or does the novel portray it realistically? What effect, if any, does Collins’s situation in 1865 have on your judgment of the novel?
4. Why does Lina Tracy not survive in the novel, while Juno Hays does?