Education A Beacon in the Night Dr. Peih-ying Lu Sept 30, 2013

Pre-reading Questions Who or what decides what a person’s occupation or profession will be in your country? Parents? Government? The person himself? An examination system? Who or what should decide?

Pre-reading Questions What occupation(s) or profession(s) would you want your children to go into? Would you insist that your children follow your choices?

In- class Questions What does Yossel look like? Do people’s appearances usually match their professions, in your opinion? That is, does a lawyer usually look like a lawyer, a worker like a worker?

In- class Questions What criteria did the narrator’s father use to choose a restaurant? Would the narrator choose the same restaurant? Would you? Would a medical student in your country have enough free time to help out at home as much as Yossel did?

Was the narrator as impressed by Yossle as the narrator’s father was? How did the narrator and his father react differently to Yossel’s parents’ situation when Yossel came home only two or three days a week? Why do you think the narrator and his father saw Yossel so differently?

What was Yossel’s deception? How did Mr. Shepps find out about it? Were you surprised by the deception? Do you think Yossel enjoyed this deception? How do you think he felt? At the end, the narrator and his father view the deception differently. How does each one see it? Which one do you agree with?