Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories Study Questions & Topics for Discussion

Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories Topics for Discussion

What do you know about Joseph Mitchell? What kinds of stories interested Mitchell? What did he dislike about his job as a reporter? Why?

Who was Mazie Gordon? Who was Jane Barnell? How were the two women similar? How were they different? What might have happened if the two women had become friends?

Who was Peggy? Was she more like Mazie Gordon or Jane Barnell? What makes you think so? Compare the three women. Which was the most self-absorbed? Which was the least? Support your answers.

Describe three of the people Mitchell interviewed who had jobs related to the fishing industry. Describe their jobs. How were they similar? Dissimilar? What aspects of their lives did Mitchell seem to find most interesting? What aspects did you find most interesting? Why?

Describe McSorley's Saloon. Compare the business's owners. What kind of people were the "regulars" of the business....
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