"Better Be Ready 'bout Half Past Eight" by Alison Baker

[Mrs. Terenzi]

Ask a question.

[BadrKis]

Do you think society’s view on the issue of gender change played a role in the way Byron perceived Zach’s decision at first, as he was shocked and skeptical of the decision?  

[Desiree Vargas]

Why does then narrator always refer to his mother even though he never valued her opinion when she was alive?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mrs. Terenzi
Date: Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Subject: "Better Be Ready 'bout Half Past Eight" by Alison Baker
To: apes-2...@googlegroups.com


Ask a question.

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[Walid_94]

Why do you think Byron tells his child about his and Zach's life as they were growing up? Does he not want Toby to become like Zach? Does this contrast with the short story we recently read, "The All-Girl Football Team," by Lewis Nordan?

On Wednesday, September 12, 2012 2:17:50 PM UTC-4, Mrs. Terenzi wrote:

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[Mrs. Terenzi]

Was his reaction a result of conditioning by society, or was it a sincere personal reaction? Good question.

[Mrs. Terenzi]

His mother "appears" in the story twice. Why?

[Mrs. Terenzi]

Does he want Toby to better understand his friend? How might we compare Byron's experimentation with cross-dressing with Nordan's narrator's experimentation?

[samanthaleecoleman]

This question is a bit more literal and sparked out of my confusion, but I'm going to ask it anyways. Does Zach actually become a woman? In the reading, the speaker notices that Zach (or Zoe) "open[s] the door to the men's room" (104), however, it is implied that Zach is now Zoe (a woman). Hence, why would Zoe be going into the men's bathroom if she is a woman?

[maggylovesjellyfish]

Does society view the transformation of a man into woman differently than a woman into a man? Would one face more criticism or hardship? Is one more accepted than the other?

[kevins19957]

How much of an influence do you think his mother had on him (regarding his desire to change into a women)? What kind of mother do you think she was? i.e strict, kind, open etc

[Nghi Ta]

Why is the title of the story called "Better Be Ready 'Bout Half Past Eight?" Why does Emily sing "I'll be Don Ameche in a taxi, honey" to Toby? Why is Don Ameche relevant in this story?

[Katya Perez]

Is Byron attracted to Zoe by the end of the story? And if he is, why does he say that Zoe "should be ashamed of herself" if he is attracted to her?

On Sep 12, 2012 2:17 PM, "Mrs. Terenzi" <althea....@gmail.com> wrote:

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[kev55guevara]

In the story Terry says " Are man and woman so different, so unrelated, that no transformation is possible?" Do you agree or disagree with his statement and why?