Alphonse and Gaston

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alphonse-and-gaston

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Alphonse and Gaston known for?The phrase 'Alphonse and Gaston' became an idiom for excessive politeness
2. What is the creator?Frederick Burr Opper
3. What is the first publication?New York Journal, September 22, 1901
4. Who are Alphonse and Gaston?Alphonse and Gaston are two cartoon friends who are famous for being extremely polite. They were created by cartoonist Frederick Burr Opper and first appeared in a comic strip in 1901.
5. When did the comic strip first appear?The comic strip started on September 22, 1901, when it was published in William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal.

Hyper-politeness: An extreme and exaggerated form of polite behavior, often to a comical or impractical degree.
Social Satire: The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize societal norms, institutions, or individuals.
Idiom: A phrase or expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements.
Archetype: A very typical example of a certain person or thing; a recurring symbol or motif.