How do you think Hattie will react to her situation the following day? Write a scene that could come at the end of the story, showing Hattie's reaction.

Read Bellow's novella Seize the Day, and draw your own comparisons between its protagonist, Tommy Wilhelm, and Hattie Waggoner.

Do you think Hattie is representative of the adventurous, self-sufficient Westerner? Why or why not? Do you think anyone in the story is representative of the West? Explain your answer.

The narrator states that "you couldn't help being fond of Hattie." Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Bellow scholar Robert Kiernan stated that Hattie's "alienation from her own emotions . . . borders on schizophrenia." Conduct research on schizophrenia and then assess the validity of Kiernan's statement.

Bellow's fiction generally takes place in urban settings. Imagine that Hattie lived in New York City. Would...