Today’s Assignment
Read “A Wagner Matinee” by Willa Cather and complete the attached discussion questions (Some brief notes are included to support you, but there are also many online study guides.) If you struggle with independent reading, I have included a good “read-along” on YouTube. The reading takes about 20 minutes, and the questions shouldn’t take you any longer, especially if you read the questions first so you know what to focus on. I have also included a link to a YouTube Playlist of the MUSIC that Clark and his aunt hear at the concert (the titular “Wagner Matinee.”) It’s well worth a listen just to give you a sense of how BIG the music is, both as music and as a “character” in the story. You need not make this a “task,” but you may enjoy it, especially since Wagner wrote excellent video game music. “Ride of the Valkyries” in particular has often been sampled for the soundtrack of first-person battlefield shooters.
Website Links (if any) you may need:
cather.unl.edu/writings/shortfiction/ss011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPlSeiEn6EI, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAAFF36CB598875F3
Files (if any) that you may need to download:
drive.google.com/open?id=1aSmlNbpJUzxq9vyvWIxaeUO_myX_t70e
Need Help?
If you need to reach a teacher for help about this assignment please email: christina.bentley@knox.kyschools.us