Explain the relationship between Cascadia College and Cascadia University. When and why
did Cascadia College lose the “liberal arts”? How does Levin take this fact?
What academic degree does Levin have? How does he get his present job? What is his plan
for future as a college instructor? (p. 30)
What kind of building is Humanities Hall? Why does Levin go there?
What is Gilley doing in his office when Levin peeks in? What do you think of his
“future book”? Do you think Levin really believes it is a “great stuff”? (p. 31)
Who is Milly? What is the
“coffee
room”? What is the “comp room”? How does it look like? Why does it have “shelves divided into individual filing slots”
(p. 32)?
Who is Joe Bucket? What does he do at home? Who does he write about for his
dissertation?
What kind of person seems to be Dr. Fabrikant? Why does Levin know what he teaches?
Why does Gilley give Levin an office on the same floor as his? Whose office was it a
year ago? What kind of person was the former occupant?
What is Levin
’s new “department assignment” (p. 35)? How does the department seem to
be run? What seem to be its atmosphere according to Gilley? Have you heard of “publish or perish”
(p. 36)? What does it mean? What kind of person does
Gilley say they do not want around in their department?
What does Prof. Fairchild say is the main function of his department? How does he think
of teaching literature?
What are the
“two kinds of
people” Prof. Fairchild
deplore? According to him, what kind of things did Leo Duffy do? Why and how was he fired?
What are the three things Prof. Fairchild suggests Levin to refrain from? Did Duffy seem
to have respected the first two suggestions? How does Levin react to the third? Explain
about Prof. Fairchild
’s
father? What happened to him?
What do you think of Prof. Fairchild? Do you like him?