In a small part of the city West of Washington Square, the streets have gone wild. They turn in different directions. They are broken into small pieces called "places." One street goes across itself one or two times. A painter once discovered something possible and valuable about this street. Suppose a painter had some painting materials for which he had not paid. Suppose he had no money. Suppose a man came to get the money. The man might walk down that street and suddenly meet himself coming back, without having received a cent!
This part of the city is called Greenwich Village. And to old Greenwich Village the painters soon came. Here they found rooms they like, with good light and at a low cost. Sue and Johnsy lived at the top of a building with three floors. One of these young women came from Maine, the other from California. They had met at a restaurant on Eighth Street. There they discovered that they liked the same kind of art, the same kind of food, and the same kind of clothes. So they decided to live and work together.
That was in the spring. Toward winter a cold stranger entered Greenwich Village. No one could see him. He walked around touching one person here and another there with his icy fingers. He was a bad sickness. Doctors called him Pneumonia. On the east side of the city he hurried, touching many people; but in the narrow streets of Greenwich Village he did not move so quickly.
Question 1: Describe the layout of the streets in the small part of the city West of Washington Square?
Answer: The streets in the small part of the city West of Washington Square are described as wild, turning in different directions, broken into small pieces called "places," and sometimes crossing over themselves one or two times.
Question 2: What did a painter discover about the street in Greenwich Village, and how did he illustrate this discovery?
Answer: A painter discovered that on the street in Greenwich Village, it was possible for a person to meet themselves coming back without having received any money. This was illustrated by the concept of a man walking down the street to avoid paying for painting materials, only to encounter himself returning without having paid.
Question 3: What is significant about Greenwich Village for painters, as mentioned in the passage?
Answer: Greenwich Village is significant for painters because it offers rooms with good light at a low cost. It became a preferred location for painters to live and work due to its favorable conditions.
Question 4: Who are Sue and Johnsy, and how did they come to live together in Greenwich Village?
Answer: Sue and Johnsy are two young women who came from different states (Maine and California) and met at a restaurant on Eighth Street in Greenwich Village. They discovered they had similar tastes in art, food, and clothing, so they decided to live and work together.
Question 5: Who is the "cold stranger" mentioned in the passage, and how does he affect the people of Greenwich Village?
Answer: The "cold stranger" referred to in the passage is Pneumonia, a severe illness. He affects the people of Greenwich Village by bringing sickness to the area, but he moves more slowly through the narrow streets compared to the east side of the city.
Question 6: Why do you think the author contrasts the movement of the illness in Greenwich Village with its movement on the east side of the city?
Answer: The author may contrast the movement of the illness in Greenwich Village with its movement on the east side of the city to highlight the unique characteristics of Greenwich Village and its inhabitants. The slower movement of the illness in Greenwich Village might emphasize the tight-knit community and perhaps the slower pace of life there compared to the bustling east side of the city.
