ACTIVITY 9

PART A - AUTHOR’S STYLE

  1. Reread the first paragraph of Part 1. What words does Bilger use to compareLady to a movie star? Why does he make this comparison?
  1. Now read the third paragraph. Identify the medical terminology in thisparagraph. Why does Bilger use it?
  1. What do Shawn Levering and Cathy Langston represent?
  1. What does Lady represent? Is Lady’s surgery the intended focus of this article? Or is Lady part of a bigger picture?

PART B - AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

  1. What problem does the story of Lady and the Leverings represent?
  1. Why did Bilger choose the Leverings to write about? How does this choice affect the reader’s attitude towards people who spend large amounts of money on their pets?
  1. Why does Bilger spend so much time describing Aronson? (What is Bilger’s purpose in doing so?)Think: How do they feel about Dr. Aronson. Is she a good person? Do they trust her? What are her motives for operating on Lady? Is she just after money? Is she a "mad scientist" who enjoys trying out new techniques without concern for the welfare of the patient? Or, are her motives pure? Does she care about Lady? Is she the kind of doctor that you would want to operate on your pet?

PART C - AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Read Part 3 again, using the margins of your text to identify evidence both in favor of and against the Leverings’ decision to have Lady undergo a kidney transplant. Annotate the text by placing a plus sign "+" in the right hand margin beside evidence in favor of the Leverings’ decision to have Lady undergo a kidney transplant and a minus sign "–" in the left hand margin beside evidence that causes you to disagree with the Leverings’ decision.

PART D - AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Part 6 is possibly the most thought-provoking section of "The Last Meow," and, in comparison to any of the parts thus far, comes the closest to revealing Bilger’s position regarding current veterinary practices.

  1. Quickwrite: "Do [animals] also feel enough pleasure—enough joy in the sheer fact of existence—to make surviving worthwhile?"
  1. Why does Bilger include the anecdote involving the mastiff named Taberia who is dying of cancer?
  1. What does it suggest about his position on this topic? Think about and use the following in your answer:

• Why does Bilger describe Taberia and her condition in such detail?
• Why quote the resident who is treating Taberia?
• Why describe the owner? Why do we care that she is a bartender at Red
Rock West in Manhattan?

• Why does Bilger describe the way the owner “crouched” inside Taberia’s
cage and “cradled” her dog’s head?
• Why quote the owner’s description of Taberia as a “drunken ballerina”?
• Why bring up the debate over euthanasia for humans?

  1. Why does he conclude Part 6 with the words of Taberia’s owner?

"When someone buries a dog there [in the country’s oldest and most prestigious pet cemetery], you know they must have loved it to death."

  1. Up until Part 6 of the article, Bilger has chosen NOT to express his opinion overtly, but based on the anecdote he presents in Part 6, what do you infer Bilger’s response would be to his own question about how far you should go for a pet? What does he think animals like Taberia would say (if animals had a choice)?

(Use answer to #2 to help answer this question, as well as class discussion on Bilger’s use of meaningful details, figurative language, and word choice.)

PART E – AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Inferring a Writer’s Purpose – Conclude Parts 3 & 6

Bilger presents both sides. After reviewing evidence in favor of and against the Leverings’ decision, answer the following question: Why does he present the information this way (as in Parts 5 & 6) instead of simply stating his opinion?