“If I were a man“ by Charlotte Perkins 

“Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield 

“Dusting” by Julia Alvarez 

you have to answer 10 questions for each reading selection 

ENC 1102 Homework Questions
NOTE: the same questions will apply to every chapter assignment from the textbook. In other
words, you will read the assigned reading for the chapter (ALL READING SELECTIONS ARE
AVAILABLE ONLINE—Google them), then answer the following ten questions IN COMPLETE
SENTENCES.
EXTRA CREDIT: Quote from the selection to support your answer

You do not have to re-type the questions. Just number your paper 1-10 and answer IN
COMPLETE SENTENCES. Your effort will result in a higher or lower grade. It depends on you.

Due dates are clearly marked on the syllabus

1. What do you know about the author? (What I am looking for is autobiographical
information about the author that explains his choice of subject matter or his potential
bias. What I do NOT want is random details about his personal life. Google him/her for
more information).

2. Do you trust the author? Why or why not? (This question is based on the assumption

that even non-fiction can be colored by opinion and bias. How fair and even handed do
you think the author is about his/her subject matter? Be sure to answer the second
part—point to evidence in the text where you can see the bias or where you can discern
the fairness—QUOTE).

3. Who is the intended audience? (You might be able to figure this out by finding out in
which magazine the article was first published; depending on the readership, you will
have some idea who the author is addressing. For example, if an article was originally
published in a feminist magazine, the intended audience was feminists).

4. What is the subject of the selection? (Here, I want a brief 3-4 sentence summary of what
are the main points of the selection. Also, list the thesis, or main argument the author is
making).

5. What is the author’s relationship to the subject matter? (Most selections are
autobiographical, so what in the author’s life is being reflected in the selection? Why
does he personally care about the subject matter and how others see it?)

6. Where does the selection take place? (I want a physical location like a city).

7. When does the selection take place (I want a specific year or decade. One clue is the
ORIGINAL date of publication, NOT the date the textbook was published).

8. How is this selection a good example of the type of writing it represents? (Every
selection falls under a genre of writing. Look at you Study Guide and pick one or two

details that are typical of that type of writing and quote and/or summarize from the text
to show that this selection follows the guidelines for that type of writing).

9. Why did the author write this selection? (How is the way we think about the subject
supposed to be affected? How is the way we act in our day-to-day lives supposed to
change?)

10. What is the reader supposed to learn about human nature and the way humans react or
interact? (This refers to the “theme” or “lesson” of the reading; an example might be
“human beings have complicated relationships and even the apparently most
harmonious marriages involve secrets”).

Your answer will be marked correct as long as you:

1. Do NOT leave the question unanswered or answer “I don’t know” or “the text
doesn’t say.” Use your reasoning skills as well as context clues or publication details
to make an educated guess. You will not be punished if I don’t agree with your
answer. Just show me the factual basis for your answer.

2. Answer each question with a complete sentence. The easiest way to do this is to
restate the question followed by the answer. For example, “The intended audience
of this selection is feminists because it was originally published in a feminist
magazine.”

3. Answer every part of the question
4. Explain the facts/story details on which you have based your answer. You can do this

by summarizing details from the selection, quoting from it directly, or both.