Final Jeopardy: 19th Century Novels (5-27-16)

The Final Jeopardy question (5/27/2016) in the category “19th Century Novels” was:

“The Gold Bug”, Edgar Allan Poe’s story about the search for Captain Kidd’s buried loot, helped inspire this 1883 novel.

9x champ Buzzy Cohen saw his winnings rise to $164,603 yesterday. Will he win his 10th game today? Only if Buzzy can beat today’s challengers: Megan Hauser, from Chicago, IL; and Erin Delaney, from North Hills, CA.

Round 1 Categories: She-Cago – Numerical Lit – I’m So Jelly – Podcasts – Land Down Under Adjacent-ish – Classified 3 F

Erin found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Numerical Lit” under the $800 clue on the 4th pick of the round. She was in a tie with Buzzy at $600. Megan had yet to ring in. She bet the $1,000 allowance and she was RIGHT.

O’Brien is the totalitarian torturer in this novel.  show

WHAT IS “1984”?

Megan finished in the lead with $5,200. Erin was second with $4,400 and Buzzy was last with $3,000.

Round 2 Categories: Fear – Surprise – Ruthless Efficiency – Almost Fanatical Devotion – Nice Red Uniforms! – The Spanish Inquisition

Buzzy found the first Daily Double in “Ruthless Efficiency” under the $1,200 clue on the 8th pick of the round. In second place with $4,600, he had $5,400 less than Erin’s lead. He bet $4,000 and he was RIGHT.

You might get a new office chair thanks to this study of efficiency in the working environment, from Greek for “work”. show

WHAT IS ERGONOMICS?

Megan found the last Daily Double in “Nice Red Uniform!” under the $1,600 clue, with 5 clues to go after it. She was in second place with $9,200 now, $7,200 less than Erin’s lead. She bet $2,000 and took a guess with “Red Hats.” That was WRONG.

National name of the papal protectors seen here.

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WHAT IS THE SWISS GUARD?

Erin finished in the lead with $16,400. Buzzy was next with $12,200 and Megan was in third place with $7,200.

ALL of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS “TREASURE ISLAND”?

In Feb. 1884, 3 months after “Treasure Island” was published in novel form, The NY Times noted in its review: “Perhaps it would have been fairer if Mr. Stevenson had dedicated this thrilling tale of buccaneers not to ‘S.L.O., an American Gentleman,’ [his stepson, Samuel Lloyd Osbourne] but to ‘E.A.P., an American Author,’ since it is the story called ‘The Gold Bug’ with many pleasant and clever amplifications.”

In “My First Book–“Treasure Island,” a Sept. 1894 article in McClure’s Magazine, Robert Louis Stevenson acknowledged Poe’s influence (among others) but he thought of it as “trifles and details,” adding “No man can hope to have a monopoly of skeletons or make a corner in talking birds.” RLS felt he owed his largest “Treasure Island” debt to Washington Irving “for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther.”

Megan bet $7,000 and finished with $14,200.

Buzzy bet $8,000. That brought him up to $20,200.

Erin bet $8,001 and won the match with $24,401. Congrats, Erin! All of the contestants played well today but Erin is our new Jeopardy! champ.

I’M SO JELLY ($1000) Born Ferdinand LaMothe in 1890, this New Orleans pianist claimed to have invented jazz

SURPRISE ($1000) One-word title of R.J. Palacio’s book about Auggie, a 5th grader with a different kind of face

2 years ago (Julia Collins’ record-breaking 20th win): TWO of the players got this FJ in “19th Century Politics”

A Senate seat from this southern State sat vacant for 4 years; when it was filled, its ex-occupant had become U.S. Pres. show

WHAT IS TENNESSEE?

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