"Thinking as a Hobby"
first
published in 1961
by William Golding, British, 1911-1993
| Understanding these terms in the context of the article is important to understanding the author's major ideas. Look them up in a dictionary if necessary. One or more of these terms might appear in a quiz on the essay. Though all the words below contribute to the meaning/understanding of the essay, the words in red are most crucial to the overall meaning of the essay. ¶3: Venus of Milo; Rodin's Thinker ¶4: penal; writhe ¶5: opaquely ¶18: depravity ¶21: oratory ¶22: draughts ¶23: impediments ¶24: nape ¶27: clairvoyance ¶29: gregarious ¶31: sects; skittles; flagged ¶33: libertine ¶35: Pontius Pilate ¶38: inscrutable; aspirant ¶40: veriest ¶43: irreverent; "sign, seal and charter" ¶44: sordidness |
The following four questions are intended to stimulate you
to think deeply about the meanings in the text. They are not asking you for your
opinion on the subject so much as attempting to get at what Golding probably
meant but didn't say (interpretive level reading). You should read all of
the questions before reading the text, then attempt to answer all of them
after reading and rereading.
For homework,
answer one of the study guide questions #1, 2, or 4 (double-spaced typed, size 12 font, one page,
250-300 words, 10 points).
In class, we will do S.G. question #3, but you should take notes
for it while reading.
Note:
All homework must be word-processed and checked for spelling and typographical
errors. See the example here
.
Study Guide Questions 1. Although Golding is serious on the whole about the subject of thinking, there is a constant undertone of subtle humor and irony in the text. Cite and explain two or three examples where Golding is either exaggerating or not quite literally serious. What are the points he is making by his non-literal (interpretive) level exaggerations or ironies? 2. What is Golding's attitude, as the adult writer, toward his younger self in the essay? That is, at the interpretive level of reading between the lines, what are we reaLLY to think of the young Golding's personality and character? (Go deeper than the literal level statements that he was confused about thinking, or that he was to be pitied.) Refer to or quote specific portions of the text to support your answer. Then answer, with an explanation, the critical level question, "Do you like the young Golding as he describes himself, and the adult Golding who is writing? 3. Golding is not real clear about what characterizes grade-one thinking. First, describe what he means by grade-three and grade-two thinking (Butler's literal level). Refer to or quote specific portions of the text to support your answer. Then, based on what he said about the limitations of grade-three and grade-two thinking, and what little he said about grade-one thinking, construct a definition of grade-one thinking. This is a combination of literal and interpretive reading. Then, critically respond to this question: Is Golding's characterization of a grade-one thinker self-contradictory? 4. Interpretive/Critical: In the beginning of his essay, Golding says that "It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like." His diction in this matter of fact sentence implies that such a thing is an overly simplistic way to view life. Yet, at the end of the essay Golding says he would rearrange one last time the statuettes in his old headmaster's office. Explain the significance of that last arrangement as it relates to Golding's view of human nature and hisgrades of thinking. 5. Critical: How might you criticize Golding's conception of thinking as consisting of the three grades he develops? What are the problems, if any, within any grade or between the grades? If his "system" has problems, how might you refine or revise it to reflect the nature of human thinking? To read the essay online, go to Thinking
as a Hobby |