Below is the reading from Generosity by Richard Powers for the quiz April 18th. I hope this form of providing the text works.
Quiz:
1. The art students remind Russell Stone of how it feels to what? (53)2. What was Thassadit Amzwar's journal entry about? (55)
3. Who wrote the thesis, "Unless you care for the people in your story the way you want your reader to, all the description in the world will arrive stillborn."? (57)
4. What nickname does Mason give Thassa? (58)
5. What journal entry does Russell assign his students? (58)
6. What does Thassa's father do that results in his students finding him at his desk? (63-64)
7. After her three page entry on "Why you might not want to grow up in my hometown," what does Thassa still write about Algeria? (65)
Discussion Questions:
1. Despite the life that she has lived in only 23 years, Thassa still remains extremely happy. This raises the question of, is there a happiness gene or is happiness determined by nature and nurture?
2. When Thomas Kurton, a genetic specialist, learns of Thassa's story, he embarks on using her genomic sequence to discover the "happiness" gene. Kurton's plan is to sell this gene to parents in order to produce happy children. When we think of designer babies, we think of physical and disease preventive measures, but have you ever thought about altering your child's attitude?
3. Due to Thassa's new fame, she is under immense pressure from the public and media. She is even offered money for her eggs. Her happiness begins to degrade to the point in which she attempts to take her own life. Can we study happiness without killing it?
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