Krantz
English 2710
Reading guide and Movie guide Questions

COMING, APHRODITE

1. Characterize Hedger. Does he resemble any of the protagonists we've discussed so far? Why doesn't the story take us back into his life at the end?
2. How would you characterize Edna Bower (Eden)? Try not to stereotype since we learn enough about her to recognize her as a complex individual in her own right. What are the changes we see in her at the end?
3. What are Eden Bower's and Don Hedger's definitions of success? Are they mutually exclusive? Which do you think is better?
4. What is added to the story by using Washington Square as a setting? What might the roof represent in terms of the story?
5. If Cather was mannish, the artist is often thought of in the feminine. Is there anything feminine about Hedger, especially in relation to his art?

THE ASSOCIATE

1. What are the specific "walls" that Whoopi Goldberg's character encounters at the beginning of the movie?
2. How does Whoopi's character develop (or does she) throughout the story?
3. What is the most important moment in the movie and why?
4. What are the implications of Whoopi's cross-gender playing, that is, what is the movie saying about gender (the social and cultural constructions that are associated with physical sexuality)?