Eudora Welty's literary contributions

July 24, 2001
Web posted at: 1:11 PM EDT (1711 GMT)

Overview: Who was Eudora Welty? What literary contributions did Welty make? Students can read Welty's "Why I Live at the P.O." and other Welty works, and generate a list of adjectives to describe her work. Challenge students to identify current authors for whom this list can also apply.

Curriculum connections: Language Arts, Literature

After students read the CNNfyi.com article, "Author Eudora Welty dead at 92", ask the following questions:

1. Who was Eudora Welty? When was her first story published? How do you think the historical time period may have affected her work? For which novel did she win the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for fiction?

2. Share with students her quote from a 1991 interview: "I'm not any kind of prophet, but I think it's in our nature to talk, to tell stories, appreciate stories. I think you write about whatever's current. ... They won't be the same kind of stories, but they'll be about human beings." What does the statement mean? Do you think most authors would agree with this statement? Explain.

3. How did Welty's childhood surroundings influence her writing? What were some examples of magazines given in the article that published her stories? What was the premise of "One Writer's Beginning"?

4. Have you read any stories by Eudora Welty? If yes, what have you read, and how would you describe the work? If not, which southern American writers have you read, and how would you characterize their work? In what ways do southern American fiction works differ from literature written by northern American writers? Why do you think this is?

5. Have students read Welty's, "Why I Live at the P.O." Generate a class discussion about the story. Some questions may include: From what point of view is the story written? What are some examples of the way the family treats Stella Rondo? Why do you think the family shows Stella Rondo favoritism? What is the relationship between the narrator and Stella Rondo? Give examples. What are some reasons that the narrator moves out of the home? From the last few paragraphs, do you think the narrator is sincere about her decision to move away from her family? Discuss.

6. Direct students to read parts of other literature by Eudora Welty. These may include short stories from "The Wide Net and Other Stories," "The Golden Apples" and "The Bride of Innisfallen and Other Stories." Then ask: What are some similarities and differences between "Why I Live at the P.O." and her other short stories? Brainstorm with adjectives to describe her work and create a list of these on the board. Ask students, what current authors would the list also be applicable to their stories? Discuss.

Eudora Welty: Why I Live at the P.O.
Eudora Welty, Mississippi writer and photographer

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