Reading Response Questions (RRQ)
The Barbary Plague
by Marilyn Chase Chpts. 18-19 and Epilogue
ENGL 1A
Answers should be in complete sentences and in your own words unless a specific quote is required as part of your
answer. . Page numbers refer to the paperback version ordered for this class. If you have a different version, you may
need to do some searching. If you are unfamiliar with any of the words used in these questions (such as connotation,
allusion, irony etc.), be sure to look them up before attempting to answer the questions.
Chpt. 18
“’Ain’t It Awful?,’”
Chpt. 19
“The Pied Piper,” and Epilogue
Who’s Who?
1. Who was Halstead Stansfield? (you may need to consult the index to find references to him in earlier chapters). What
happened to him at the beginning of Chpt. 18? (181-
182)
2. Who was Richard Creel? What simple, but effective solution did he use for rat-proofing homes and offices? (183)
3. What are some contrasts between Colby Rucker and Rupert Blue? What is important about their differences? (187-
188)
4. What unique dual jobs did Rupert Blue hold? What became his public health focus after the plague? What ultimately
happened to him? (202-
206)
5. What happened to Joseph Kinyoun after he left San Francisco and a career in public health? (207-
208)
6.Locate support for Chase’s statement: “The personae of Kinyoun and Blue are a study in the making or unmaking of an
effective public health lead
er” (208).
Language/Word Choice/Terms/Concepts/Techniques
7.
What is “recrudescence”?
Locate the definition and simile Chase provides to explain this term. What is being
compared and how does this use of figurative language enhance the point Chase is trying to make? (186)
8.
What happens after this suspenseful, foreshadowing sentence from Chase on page
188: “Just when San Francisco
seemed on the verge of being controlled, and unforeseen tragedy struck in the East Bay”?
9.
Locate the simile on page 195 at the beginning of Chpt. 19. What is being compared and how does this use of
figurative language enhance the point Chase is trying to make?
10.
What is ironic about Hearst’s statement in the
Examiner
? (197)
Setting the Scene
11.
What was the “Great White Fleet” and why was its arrival in San Francisco so important? (
184-187 and earlier, see
Index)
12.
Review the statistics on rats in San Francisco. What is the estimate of how many total rats were killed? What is
particularly interesting about these numbers? (194-
195)