Definition essay questions

1) An idea in the paragraph that was fresh to me was the idea that a Yankee is someone who is generous but will never offer to help another; only will they help someone if they are asked.
2) I am no expert on what a Yankee is, but I would have described it as a northerner if you asked an American and an American if you asked a foreigner. Also to some, especially hardcore baseball fans, Yankee would denote a fan or player of the New York Yankees.
3) A comprable thing to define would possibly be a "limey", which is a slang term for Britons. It came about from the British practice of growing limes onboard ships because they were easy to grow and the sailors would have some fresh fruit to avoid scurvy.
4) The "good Samaritan" gave me some idea of what a Yankee is, but the other two allusions didn't help my understanding very much.
5) No, its important for the reader to understand that there are misconceptions concerning what a Yankee is and then dispell the misconceptions.
6)

"That's what I think defines this dying breed of the American Yankee: an extraordinary sense of balance and reserve, a holding off — and yet, behind all that reserve, a reservoir of generosity and friendliness that can be nearly overwhelming. "