Young Men & Fire

AP Language
Young Men and Fire
Reading Journal


PART ONE

1. Maclean reveals that all the men died in the fire on page 1. How does this affect the way you will read the story?
2. Who is Icarus? What is an Icarus Complex (p.21)?
3. What is hubris (p.61-62)? Look it up and then look at how it applies to this passage.
4. What is historiography (p. 101)?
5. Maclean makes it clear that this is his story of the fire, not THE story. How does this play out in the book?
6. What is the difference between a storyteller and a historian, according to Maclean?
7. How does religion figure in the story?
8. Look up the Stations of the Cross (or talk to a good Catholic). What significance do they have in this book?
9. At the end of Part One, Maclean calls Gisborne’s death the ideal way for a scientist to die? What do you make of that?
10. Identify the pace of Part One and the function of Part One.

 


PART TWO

1. This section is clearly different. How? What is its purpose? How does it connect to Part 1?
2. How does the pace compare to Part 1?
3. On page 201, Maclean alludes to a poem. Google it and then consider how it fits this part of the book.
4. Clearly, Maclean doesn’t believe that the personal and the scientific can be separated (p. 258). Why is he writing this story?
5. What can you say about tragedy on pages 270-277?

PART THREE

1. How does this section connect to Part Two?
2. Why is it so short in comparison to the other parts?
3. Why doesn’t Maclean want us to be detached observers?

This is a huge assignment—acknowledge that it will take you time and then DO A GOOD JOB! Answer EVERY single question in your RJ before you come to class the day it’s due. You can (and should) add to it during our discussion days, but your responsibility is to critically read ON YOUR OWN and these questions will help you focus on what's important.