Chapter+4+Answers

Chapter 4 Answers

1. At the beginning, Alvin is a strong, independent individual who was not afraid to speak his ideas and feelings toward things. He expressed his anger at Lindbergh's election by running away to join the Canadian Army so he could fight the Nazis. When he comes back to America without his leg, he changes into a very angry individual who is very quiet, and who seems to be more antisocial. He wouldn't even look Phillip's father in the eye when he got to the train station. As his nurse pointed out, "'I've seen the ones without //any// limbs angry, but nobody before ever angry like him." (page 130) He acts this way because he feels ashamed. He feels ashamed because he lost his leg, so he loses some of his independence. Also, he didn't want his family to see him like this, according to Phillip's mother. (page 131)

2. "The Stump" is significant because it describes the point in the Roth's lives where they have to not pay attention about everything else in the world and they have to focus on one obstacle so they can adjust to a new type of life, especially Alvin. Alvin may literally have a stump, but he has to stop thinking about the situation with Lindbergh and the Nazis and he has to try and adjust to living life without a leg. Phil has to learn how to grow up faster than he should, and this is sort of a stump in his life because he is trying to grow up, but he still has a childish attitude. Also, the title refers to Alvin's leg, where "the stump" was always "broken down." Alvin returned to America as a "broken down" man because he lost his leg, and he felt ashamed because of that.

3. Throughout the book, Philip describes the cellar in detail as a "dark cavern,"; "a ghoulish realm apart"; a place where "-stains in every hue of the excremental rainbow and seepage blotches that looked as if they'd leaked from a corpse-." However he may not want to, he continually finds himself in the cellar because of the responsibilities or for other hard-to-avoidable reasons. As shown by the ghosts and spirits described living in the basement, he feels as though things are out to get him, a fear following him even as he goes back into the safer part of the house. For instance, in the same way that the fear of ghosts preside over him, the fear of the future; of Lindbergh; and of how Lindbergh is effecting the people he loves presides over him in his everyday life. He also describes the cellar as a dark place. This aspect is shown later in the book as his family starts to get farther apart and his parents hit Alvin, Sandy and Philip. As things change within his family, he is put in the dark where he is unsure of what may happen next.

4. At the beginning of the book, Phillip is innocent and naive, and as the book goes on he changes gradually. This is a turning point in both Phillip's ideals and innocence. Previously Phil had been coaxed into things such as following people or stealing from his mother, by his friend Earl. However, stealing the football was different. When he followed people, he was doing no harm to anyone, just following his urges of curiousity. When he stole from his parent's pockets, he still felt like he had done something wrong. Unlike pervious instances, Phillip did not feel guilt for his action. All it took was for Alvin to casually ask for one and Phil stole it. He felt as if it was just the thing to do for the situation, something he would have never thought of before.

5. Uncle Monty's statements are very rude, and somewhat arrogant. The author states, "Alvin, in those early days, could tell him to shut up and go away." (page 150) However, Alvin's character feels more broken down than anything, which could have impacted his decision not to yell at Uncle Monty. When Uncle Monty starts to talk to Alvin about the incident, Alvin speaks to him about it without any anger or sadness. Sure, he does show pain when he closes his eyes and "hoping never to open them again." In a way, Uncle Monty's statements are insulting, and all Alvin does is listen and not speak too much. As the author states, "Alvin didn't cry, didn't curse, didn't holler, even after Monty was out the back door and into his car and he could have unleashed his every evil thought." Alvin seemed to be a defeated man, and it showed at the way Alvin was reacting after Monty had left their house and not even opened his eyes to look at Phil, even if Phil begged him to.