Thurber's "The Very Proper Gander" Quiz

Answer: intelligent

Various sources suggest the gander's attractiveness could have led to jealousy which resulted in his being treated unfairly. A misunderstanding ruins his seemingly perfect life.

Answer: singing to his wife and children

This very proper gander seemed to spend his time taking care of his own business and not getting involved in the barnyard gossip. Thurber's use of barnyard birds, who flutter, chatter, and squawk, aptly shows these unbecoming human behaviors.

Answer: not identified

Who would have known this observation could lead to such insanity, but it was the spark that ignited the fire of mob mentality. This fable has been compared to Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" in which unsupported accusations lead to hysteria.

Answer: rooster

Oh no! Propaganda! That was dangerous and anti-establishment. Something must be done, and as Charles Dickens said "People do what the mob do." Thurber shows how humans often want to be part of the crowd rather than standing apart and challenging something that hasn't been proven.

Answer: hawk

In political terms, a hawk is someone who supports war, and a dove is one who favors peace. Bird terms are used because hawks are predators and eat other animals, whereas doves usually eat fruit or seeds.

Answer: hawks

A quote attributed to Jonniel Riverol says "The mob had many heads but no brain" Thurber's fable illustrates how humans have the need to "top" each other. Each animal had to add to the rumor/story with something even worse.

Answer: flag

Thurber often used animals to poke fun at human behavior. The flock of birds in this fable personifies the problems caused by jumping to conclusions without checking the facts. Interesting that one form of social media today is named "Twitter".

Answer: throwing a bomb

The birds began to act unreasonably as the rumors spread. Thurber also dealt with this topic in his 1913 short story "The Day the Dam Broke" about an incident from his childhood in Ohio.

Answer: unbeliever

He was also called a Hawk-lover, a Flag-hater, and a Bomb-thrower - all based on what the gander's fowl, or foul, friends thought they had seen or heard. These actions would be considered un-American, especially at the time Thurber was writing.

Answer: driven out of the country

And so Thurber's fable show us how destructive one false accusation can be. British blogger Simon Cooke made a reference to Thurber's fable when he wrote about someone misreading or mishearing the word "snigger" and thinking it was a racist slur. It became a big deal on social media, and Cook suggested that anyone you think is trying to overthrow the government should be kicked off Twitter.