Essay Questions

Compare and contrast Homer Bailey and Teal’s definitions of a house. - "And He Built a Crooked House"

Homer Bailey and Teal’s definitions of a house are contradictory. Homer Bailey illuminates "speaking in broad terms, I've always regarded a house as a gadget to keep off the rain." Comparatively, Teal expounds, “ I don't think of a house as an upholstered cave; I think of it as a machine for living, a vital process, a live dynamic thing, changing with the mood of the dweller—not a dead, static, oversized coffin. Why should we be held down by the frozen concepts of our ancestors? Any fool with a little smattering of descriptive geometry can design a house in the ordinary way.” Homer Bailey’s definition endorses uncomplicatedness because it dwells on the fundamental utility of a house which is to deliver an operative roof. Comparatively, Teal’s definition appeals to grand sophistication that rises above the old-fashioned assemblies of housing. Teal holds that a house should have a convoluted outline and ostentatious superfluities.

Explicate the irony of the title Professor. - “Columbus Was a Dope”

Barnes addresses Fred as professor. However, Fred refutes the praiseworthy designation: “Right. But please don't call me 'Professor.' I'm not one and it ages me. I'm still young." Appleby’s refusal of the title is ironic considering that the title professor is esteemed. The ironic denunciation accentuates the realism of partiality whereby some individuals may not draw prestigious utility from designations that are conventionally considered to be high-status.