– Why is Mrs. Clandon so strong in her beliefs of the rights to privacy? In Act I, she says that while some families get involved in each other’s business, the Clandons are lucky that they were not brought up like that. She often brings up the fact that she does’t have a right to questioning her family members. Why does she feel that she needs to mention it all the time?

Also, why does Mrs. Clandon seem to have a better relationship with Gloria than with Phillip and Dolly? Is Gloria’s maturity (as opposed to the immaturity of her younger siblings) a cause or a result of her relationship with her mother?

– I found the part on criticism (pages 81-91) very interesting. While we conclude that criticism is “insanely personal,” what makes someone a good or bad critic? In current day theatre, what is more popular, formal or contextual criticism? (87-89)