1. This short story is divided into seven different sections.

In a list, identify the

time periods dealt with in each.

This part of the story introduces Alice and her complicated feelings about mirrors. It
then shifts to the present, where, after her accident and recovery, Alice discusses
her new body with her sister.

The narrative then takes us back to Alice’s time in the hospital right after her
accident, showing her efforts to adjust to her new body during the initial stages of
her recovery.

We return to the present, where Alice and Jenny are in bed, and Jenny reveals that
she no longer trusts Alice, highlighting the growing tension between them.

The story then goes back to the hospital, where Alice is grappling with the reality
that this new body now belongs to her.

In the present, Alice’s family is having her favorite cake, chocolate mocha, but Alice
realizes she no longer enjoys it because her new body has different tastes.

The narrative shifts back to the hospital, where Alice is starting to understand how
her entire body and perception have changed.

Finally, we return to the present where Alice encounters Mr. Jarred on the street
and realizes that despite her new body, she remains the same Alice inside.

2. The beginning of the story is deliberately written to create suspense.

a) What questions are raised in the reader’s mind by the end of the first two
paragraphs?

In the first two paragraphs, readers might have several questions, but two key ones
stand out: Why does Alice avoid mirrors, and why does she react strangely when
she sees her reflection? The line, "It was disquieting, however, to come upon a
mirror without warning" (Coakley 1), suggests Alice’s anxiety about seeing herself in
the mirror, raises questions about her mental and physical state. These unanswered
questions create a sense of suspense, encouraging readers to continue reading and
understanding why Alice behaves this way around mirrors.

b) What are some possible answers to these questions?

After reading the short story, I have been able to find the answers to some of the
questions that the reader would have in the first two [Link]
questions many people had were why does Alice avoid mirrors and why does she
not want to look at her own reflection, but these were answered, shortly after they
were brought up. From the line, “She'd had an accident, they said. But long before
the psychiatrist told her, she knew. These weren't her hands. This wasn't her
breath.”(Coakley 1), we now realize that Alice had been in an accident, causing her
to move to a new body, which she doesn't recognize as herself, causing her to avoid
mirrors and her own reflection, which she doesn't accept as herself.

3. a) Why does Jenny not allow her sister to read her diary?

Jenny won’t let Alice read her diary because she no longer sees her as her sister.
After Alice’s brain transplant, she ends up in a new body, and Jenny feels like she
needs to “get to know you better” (Coakley 2). This indicates that the transplant
has impacted their relationship, and Jenny thinks Alice needs to rebuild her trust.
Jenny might feel this way because Alice now looks completely different in Gail’s
body, making it hard for Jenny to view her as her sister. The change is so significant
that treating Alice as family becomes challenging for Jenny.

b) Do you agree with her reasoning? Explain.

Yes, I completely agree with Jenny’s response. After considering it from her
perspective and discussing it with my classmates, I think Jenny's reaction is entirely
understandable. After Alice's body swap, she now appears as a stranger to Jenny,
even though she used to look exactly like her sister. This sudden change, where her
identical twin now seems different, must be hard for Jenny to process. Given that
they once looked like mirror images of each other, it makes sense that Jenny would
need time to adjust. Overall, Jenny’s reaction seems reasonable, and I would
probably have reacted in the same way.

4. What arguments does Mrs. Jarred make to support her opinion that Alice is
still her daughter?

[Link] argues that Alice is still her daughter, because the body which Alice is in,
was once her daughter's [Link] the Jarred family donated Gail's(their
daughters) to the hospital, they didn't expect her back to life with the brain of
another random (Alice). This reaction can be seen when [Link] states “When
we signed the release form donating her body, we didn't know they were going to
bring her back to life with some new brain. Our Gail is alive and living somewhere in
Toronto and I'm not even allowed to see her”, which shows us that she didn't expect
Gail to be “alive” again and we can also see her implying the message that she still
thinks Alice is her [Link] the quote above, she states that our Gail is alive,
which we know isn't, and that her body is what's alive, not her soul, which Mrs.
Jarred does not [Link] the end, Mrs. Jarred argues that Alice is her daughter
because she is using Gail's body, but although she is in Gail's body, it's Alice in there,
not Gail.

5. a) What evidence is there that Alice is still the same person?

One way to demonstrate that Alice is still the same person is when she recalls her
old memories to her sister, Jenny, to show that she remains Alice, just in a different
body. She mentions things like, "I have the same memories: Camp Wasaga, moving
to Toronto, Dad" (Coakley 2), which confirms that she retains all her memories from
her previous life, proving that her inner self is unchanged. Additionally, Gail’s dad
remarks, “I looked into your eyes and I didn’t see my daughter.” This statement
highlights that, despite being in a new body, it is still Alice, not Gai

b) What evidence is there that she is different, even just slightly?

Even though there is ample evidence that Alice remains the same person mentally,
her physical body is no longer the same as it used to be. For instance, Alice
mentions that her hips feel completely different (Coakley 2), indicating that her
body has changed. Another sign of this change is when "Alice tried hard not to let
her face show any reaction to the cake, but the taste of the mocha forced her
mouth into a grimace" (Coakley 4). This demonstrates that her body now reacts
negatively to the chocolate mocha cake she once loved. Thus, while Alice’s identity
remains the same on the inside, her physical form is no longer the same as it was
before.

Media Connection: Answer in 4-5 sentences

(4 marks)
1. Alice says that a reporter scaled her hospital walls to get a picture and
quotation from her. Why would a reporter go to such extremes to gain access
to Alice? Why would Alice and her family want to avoid the media?

A reporter might climb Aliwall just to get some footage, which would be a big deal.
In the story, Alice is called the "first surviving recipient of a brain transplant," which
is a huge scientific accomplishment. So, any news about it would be super
important, and the reporter could make a lot of money from it. Since the reporter
got a picture and a quote from Alice, they probably sold it to make some cash
because people would pay for that exclusive information. With reporters doing
activities like this, it makes sense that Alice and her family would want to stay away
from the media. Moreover, it would get annoying to deal with it constantly and can
be dangerous. Like how celebrities try to avoid reporters and paparazzi because
they don’t want their faces everywhere, Alice and her family are probably feeling
the same way. All the reporters hanging around would be such a hassle, so it makes
sense they’d want to avoid the media as much as possible.

Topic Sentence:
Brain transplants might be too risky to attempt on humans.
Support Detail 1:
It’s uncertain if someone would keep their original identity after a brain transplant or
become a completely different person.

Support Detail 2:
Getting proper consent from both the brain donor and recipient is tricky, as both must fully
understand and agree to the risks of the procedure.

Support Detail 3:
Brain transplants could cause confusion in legal matters, like how we identify a person or
deal with inheritance, leading to problems with laws and families.

Clincher:
Due to concerns about identity, consent, and legal issues, brain transplants come with big
ethical challenges and might not be worth the risk.

Paragraph:

Brain transplants present significant risks for humans and raise several complex issues. One
major concern is the potential impact on a person’s identity. After a brain transplant, it’s
uncertain whether the individual receiving the brain would retain their original sense of self
or develop an entirely new identity. Another critical issue is obtaining clear and informed
consent from both the donor and the recipient. It’s challenging to ensure that both parties
fully understand what the procedure involves and agree to it without any
misunderstanding. Additionally, brain transplants could create legal complications, such as
confusion over a person's legal identity and problems with inheritance or family matters.
Considering these significant challenges related to identity, consent, and legal issues, it
may be wise to carefully reconsider the complications of brain transplants at this time.