After reading the attached story "Killing the Bear," answer the following questions (for every question you need textual evidence to support your answer):

What associations do the first two paragraphs bring to your mind?  Can you imagine yourself in a similar scene?  How would you feel?  How do you react to the suggestion the "she" ended up more than a dog's protector "than the other way around"?

Do paragraphs 3-6 alter the mood created by the first two paragraphs? What contrasting moods are created by the third section?

What is your response to the following sentence?  "Her hands lift to cover her breasts."  For instance, what expectations does that statement create for you?

How do paragraphs 12-16 affect the reader's understanding of her attitude towards bears?

How does her construction of a porch, and the movement of her sofa onto the porch, affect your response to the bear's appearance?  What does the bear's smell contribute to your response?  How about the bears' sex?  (The bear is a "him," not an "It.")

Paragraphs 19-21 observe how various cultures have honored bears, but it also has ominous aspects.  Explain how the reader's sense of danger builds in the seventh section.

Why are the summer days marked with an X?  Does that have anything to do with bears?

Describe your reaction to the paragraphs 32-41.

Is the final scene surprising?  Why or why not?