29 pages • 58 minutes read
Willa CatherThe Sculptor's Funeral
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1905A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Steavens struggles to recognize any sense of loss and grief over Merrick’s death in the townspeople of Sand City. Only Laird seems to appreciate the life and accomplishments of the artist. Yet the sculptor and the lawyer are so different that Steavens cannot understand the connection between them. Compare and contrast the characters and characterization of Merrick and Laird. Be sure to note any important symbols and symbolism in your comparison.
Merrick is described in an almost saintlike manner. Identify and discuss the significance of the Christian imagery in “The Sculptor’s Funeral,” and explain the role of the artist within this motif.
The men of Sand City are typically depicted as a single group. Discuss the characterization of the townspeople and explain how this helps develop the theme of The Artist Against Society.
Setting plays an important role in the fiction of Willa Cather. “The Sculptor’s Funeral” makes use of two settings: the Western frontier and the home where Merrick was raised. Explain how setting is used to develop one or more of the themes in “The Sculptor’s Funeral.”
An important motif in “The Sculptor’s Funeral” is the danger that money and materialism represent to the spiritual happiness of the townspeople. Explain how the representation of the townspeople fits within this motif.
A significant theme in “The Sculptor’s Funeral” is Exile and Homecoming. Analyze and discuss the symbolism that develop this theme. What motivates the townspeople’s exile of the artist? Provide support from the text.
“The Sculptor’s Funeral” is focalized through the perspective of Steavens, a student of Merrick. How would your perception be different if the descriptions of the deceased artist and his family dynamic were filtered through one of the townspeople? Rewrite a passage from the perspective of one of the Sand City locals to help you imagine this contrast.
Merrick and the life he leads as an artist are associated with the East in this story, while the townspeople of Sand City are associated with the West. Discuss how these characterizations and motifs shape your response to the Western frontier in “The Sculptor’s Funeral.” In other words, how are the East and the West characterized, and what do they represent?
The description and the behavior of Annie Merrick reveal information about the townspeople and about Merrick’s childhood. Discuss her and her purpose within the short story. What does her characterization add to the story?
Cather establishes a motif of violence surrounding the greater struggle that pits The Artist Against Society. Identify the moments in the story in which violence is mentioned and discuss how this motif adds to the complexity of the theme.
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