English IV 2009 Summer Reading Study Guides
by Jackie Arnold
June 23, 2009
English IV & CP English IV Summer Reading Project
Mrs. Hull
Summer 2009
English IV/CP English IV Summer Reading Project
50 Points ENG IV/ 120 Points CP ENG IV
This project will be due sometime during the first week of school.
Please don’t wait until school starts to work on this project. It will be WAY too much to do in a night or two. PLAN AHEAD AND HAVE FUN WITH IT!
**ENGLISH IV WILL ONLY COMPLETE PHASE #1 AND IT WILL BE WORTH 50 POINTS. CP ENGLISH IV WILL COMPLETE PHASE #1 AND PHASE #2 FOR A TOTAL OF 120 POINTS.**
Phase #1 is completing the correlating book discussion guide.(50 points for English IV/ 30 points for CP English IV)
Phase #2 is to complete the following (it should be typed and in MLA style) (CP English IV ONLY 90 points):
-
Give a brief summary of the plot. In 1-2 full pages tell the story. Include 3-5 of the main events and describe what happens at the end.
-
Explain the significance of the title of the book in 10-14 sentences. Authors do not choose a title randomly. Usually the title is symbolic in some way.
-
Describe the setting and genre—time period, location, etc. and type of novel (10-14 sentences).
-
In 1-2 full pages, identify what caused a major change in the main character(s) and explain how the character(s) changed. These changes may have been a consequence of choice, a conflict, a display of some outstanding trait like courage, or even a result of events that occur in the novel.
-
In double-entry journal style, copy ten of your favorite phrases/sentences (cite page numbers) from the book and explain why you chose them.
-
In double-entry journal style, list three truths about human nature and find three events from the text (cite page numbers) that relate to those truths.
-
Make up 5 true/false, 5 multiple choice, 5 matching and 5 short answer test questions for this novel. Put the correct answers on a separate sheet of paper.
-
In 1 full page, write a review of the book you read. Would you recommend it to other people? Why or why not? Would you have changed any element of the novel (i.e. plot, characters, setting, resolution, conflicts, point of view, etc.)?
-
Select and complete 1 of the following creative components that relates to and reflect the main points of your novel. Suggestions: book jacket, character scrap/memory book, newspaper, character diary, comic (at least 8 panes with drawings and text), song, travel brochure, scene rewrite from a different point of view, movie poster with a cast of stars, letters written between two or more characters, etc.
Discussion Questions for Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes
-
Alex and Lacy's friendship comes to an end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide that it's in Josie's best interest to keep her away from Peter? What significance is there to the fact that Alex is the first one to prevent Josie from being friends with Peter?
2.Alex often has trouble separating her roles as a judge and a mother. How does this affect her relationship with Josie? Discuss whether or not Alex's job is more important to her than being a mother.
3.A theme throughout the novel is the idea of masks and personas and pretending to be someone you're not. To which characters does this apply, and why?
4.At one point defense attorney Jordan McAfee refers to himself as a "spin doctor," and he believes that at the end of Peter's trial he "will be either reviled or canonized" (250). What is your view of Jordan? As you were reading the book, did you find it difficult to remain objective about the judicial system's standing that every defendant (no matter how heinous his or her crime) has the right to a fair trial?
5.Peter was a victim of bullying for twelve years at the hands of certain classmates, many of whom repeatedly tormented him. But he also shot and killed students he had never met or who had never done anything wrong to him. What empathy, if any, did you have for Peter both before and after the shooting?
6.Josie and Peter were friends until the sixth grade. Is it understandable that Josie decided not to hang out with Peter in favor of the popular crowd? Why or why not? How accurate and believable did you find the author's depiction of high school peer pressure and the quest for popularity? Do you believe, as Picoult suggests, that even the popular kids are afraid that their own friends will turn on them?
7.Josie admits she often witnessed Matt's cruelty toward other students. Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? How much did you empathize with Josie?
8.Regarding Lacy, Patrick notes that "in a different way, this woman was a victim of her son's actions, too" (53). How much responsibility do Lewis and Lacy bear for Peter's actions? How about Lewis in particular, who taught his son how to handle guns and hunt?
9.At one point during Peter's bullying, Lacy is encouraged by an elementary school teacher to force Peter to stand up for himself. She threatens to cancel his play dates with Josie if he doesn't fight back. How did you feel, when you read that scene? Do you blame Lacy for Peter's future actions because of it? Do you agree or disagree with the idea that it a parent's job to teach a child the skills necessary to defend himself?
10.Discuss the novel's structure. In what ways do the alternating narratives between past and present enhance the story? How do the scenes in the past give you further insight into the characters and their actions, particularly Peter and Josie?
11.When Patrick arrives at Sterling High after the shooting, "his entire body began to shake, knowing that for so many students and parents and citizens today, he had once again been too late" (24). Why does Patrick blame himself for not preventing an incident he had no way of knowing was going to happen?
12.Dr. King, an expert witness for the defense, states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of chronic victimization. "But a big part of it, too," he adds, "is the society that created both Peter and those bullies" (409). What reasons does Dr. King give to support his assertion that society is partly to blame for Peter's actions as well as those of the bullies? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
13.Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Why does Peter remain silent about Josie's role in the shooting? In the end, has justice been satisfactorily dealt to Peter and to Josie?
14.Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
15. Shootings have occurred at a number of high schools across the country over the last several years. Did Nineteen Minutesmake you think about these incidents in a more immediate way than reading about them in the newspaper or seeing coverage on television? How so? In what ways did the novel affect your opinion of the parties generally involved in school shootings -- perpetrators, victims, fellow students, teachers, parents, attorneys, and law enforcement officials?
16. What do you think the author is proposing as the root of the problem of school violence? What have you heard, in the media and in political forums, as solutions? Do you think they will work? Why or why not?
Honors English IV Summer Reading Project
Mrs. Hull
Summer 2009
Honors English IV Summer Reading Project
150 points
This project will be due sometime during the first week of school.
Please don’t wait until school starts to work on this project. It will be WAY too much to do in a couple nights. PLAN AHEAD AND HAVE FUN WITH IT!
Phase #1 is completing the correlating book discussion guides for the novels you read. These should be typed.(40 points)
Phase #2 is the following:
Choose whichever activities you would like from the following list. Each is worth points from 1 to 4. You must do any combination of activities to earn 10 points. Each activity will be assessed on a ten point scale to equal a total of 100 points. Each of the three novels should be represented in your combination of activities.
1-point Activities
1A. Change the time and place of the novel. Explain how this would change the story. First tell us where and when the novel takes place. Then tell us where and when you would change it to. Focus on how the characters would be different and on how the plot might change.
1B. Become one of the characters and describe your experiences during a certain event from the novel. Your description should be at least a page and a half. Write in the first person and remember to use as many senses as possible in your description.
1C. Make a cartoon of the book or a chapter (at least 8 panels in full color with text).
1D. Write a blues song for your character. Include a one paragraph explanation after the song about why this song is appropriate for the character.
2-point Activities
2A. Write a letter to a character. Then, have that character write a letter answering back in his/her authentic voice (using words they would use and saying things they would say). Each letter should at least be one page.
2B. Become a character and write a diary with at least 5 entries. Include events from the novel and how you feel about them. Write in the voice of the character.
2C. What would happen after the story is over? Write a brief summary (two pages) of a sequel to the book (describe main characters; tell what the plot would be).
2D. Redesign the front and back cover of the book, complete with a blurb and quotes on the back (these should be made up).
3-point Activities
3A. What happened first? Write the chapter that comes before the book began. This should be at least 4 pages and in the style of the book.
3B. Pick two characters from different books. Describe a meeting between the two of them (where and when and how it would take place) and write at least 20 lines of dialogue between them.
3C. Rewrite a section of the book from a different character’s point of view than is in the original book. This should be at least 4 pages and in the style of the book.
3D. Rewrite a section of the book with yourself as the character. This should be at least 4 pages and in the style of the book.
4-point Activities
4A. Act out and video tape several scenes from the book of at least ten minutes. Present it to the class.
4B. Write and illustrate a full children’s book telling the story of your book. Include a book cover.
Phase #3: Present your project to the class the first week of school. (10 points)
Discussion Questions for Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes
-
Alex and Lacy's friendship comes to an end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide that it's in Josie's best interest to keep her away from Peter? What significance is there to the fact that Alex is the first one to prevent Josie from being friends with Peter?
2.Alex often has trouble separating her roles as a judge and a mother. How does this affect her relationship with Josie? Discuss whether or not Alex's job is more important to her than being a mother.
3.A theme throughout the novel is the idea of masks and personas and pretending to be someone you're not. To which characters does this apply, and why?
4.At one point defense attorney Jordan McAfee refers to himself as a "spin doctor," and he believes that at the end of Peter's trial he "will be either reviled or canonized" (250). What is your view of Jordan? As you were reading the book, did you find it difficult to remain objective about the judicial system's standing that every defendant (no matter how heinous his or her crime) has the right to a fair trial?
5.Peter was a victim of bullying for twelve years at the hands of certain classmates, many of whom repeatedly tormented him. But he also shot and killed students he had never met or who had never done anything wrong to him. What empathy, if any, did you have for Peter both before and after the shooting?
6.Josie and Peter were friends until the sixth grade. Is it understandable that Josie decided not to hang out with Peter in favor of the popular crowd? Why or why not? How accurate and believable did you find the author's depiction of high school peer pressure and the quest for popularity? Do you believe, as Picoult suggests, that even the popular kids are afraid that their own friends will turn on them?
7.Josie admits she often witnessed Matt's cruelty toward other students. Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? How much did you empathize with Josie?
8.Regarding Lacy, Patrick notes that "in a different way, this woman was a victim of her son's actions, too" (53). How much responsibility do Lewis and Lacy bear for Peter's actions? How about Lewis in particular, who taught his son how to handle guns and hunt?
9.At one point during Peter's bullying, Lacy is encouraged by an elementary school teacher to force Peter to stand up for himself. She threatens to cancel his play dates with Josie if he doesn't fight back. How did you feel, when you read that scene? Do you blame Lacy for Peter's future actions because of it? Do you agree or disagree with the idea that it a parent's job to teach a child the skills necessary to defend himself?
10.Discuss the novel's structure. In what ways do the alternating narratives between past and present enhance the story? How do the scenes in the past give you further insight into the characters and their actions, particularly Peter and Josie?
11.When Patrick arrives at Sterling High after the shooting, "his entire body began to shake, knowing that for so many students and parents and citizens today, he had once again been too late" (24). Why does Patrick blame himself for not preventing an incident he had no way of knowing was going to happen?
12.Dr. King, an expert witness for the defense, states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of chronic victimization. "But a big part of it, too," he adds, "is the society that created both Peter and those bullies" (409). What reasons does Dr. King give to support his assertion that society is partly to blame for Peter's actions as well as those of the bullies? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
13.Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Why does Peter remain silent about Josie's role in the shooting? In the end, has justice been satisfactorily dealt to Peter and to Josie?
14.Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
15. Shootings have occurred at a number of high schools across the country over the last several years. Did Nineteen Minutesmake you think about these incidents in a more immediate way than reading about them in the newspaper or seeing coverage on television? How so? In what ways did the novel affect your opinion of the parties generally involved in school shootings -- perpetrators, victims, fellow students, teachers, parents, attorneys, and law enforcement officials?
16. What do you think the author is proposing as the root of the problem of school violence? What have you heard, in the media and in political forums, as solutions? Do you think they will work? Why or why not?
Discussion Questions for Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns
1.The
phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi,
is quoted twice in the novel – once as Laila’s family prepares to
leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from
Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: “Miriam is
in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance
of a thousand suns.” Discuss the thematic significance of this
phrase.
2.Mariam’s mother tells her: “Women like us. We endure. It’s
all we have.” Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and
how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.
3.By the time Laila is rescued from the rubble of her home
by Rasheed and Mariam, Mariam’s marriage has become a miserable
existence of neglect and abuse. Yet when she realizes that Rasheed
intends to marry Laila, she reacts with outrage. Given that Laila’s
presence actually tempers Rasheed’s abuse, why is Mariam so hostile
toward her?
4.Laila’s friendship with Mariam begins when she defends
Mariam from a beating by Rasheed. Why does Laila take this action,
despite the contempt Mariam has consistently shown her?
5.Growing up, Laila feels that her mother’s love is reserved
for her two brothers. “People,” she decides, “shouldn’t be allowed
to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to
their old ones.” How does this sentiment inform Laila’s reaction to
becoming pregnant with Rasheed’s child? What lessons from her
childhood does Laila apply in raising her own children?
6.At several points in the story, Mariam and Laila pass
themselves off as mother and daughter. What is the symbolic
importance of this subterfuge? In what ways is Mariam’s and Laila’s
relationship with each other informed by their relationships with
their own mothers?
7.One of the Taliban judges at Mariam’s trial tells her,
“God has made us different, you women and us men. Our brains are
different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors
and their science have proven this.” What is the irony in this
statement? How is irony employed throughout the novel?
8.Laila’s father tells her, “You’re a very, very bright
girl. Truly you are. You can be anything that you want.” Discuss
Laila’s relationship with her father. What aspects of his character
does she inherit? In what ways is she different?
9.Mariam refuses to see visitors while she is imprisoned,
and she calls no witnesses at her trial. Why does she make these
decisions?
10.The driver who takes Babi, Laila, and Tariq to the giant
stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley describes the crumbling
fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as “the story of our country, one invader
after another… we’re like those walls up there. Battered, and
nothing pretty to look at, but still standing.” Discuss the
metaphorical import of this passage as it relates to Miriam and
Laila. In what ways does their story reflect the larger story of
Afghanistan’s troubled history?
11.Among other things, the Taliban forbid “writing books,
watching films, and painting pictures.” Yet despite this edict, the
film Titanicbecomes a sensation on the black market. Why
would people risk the Taliban’s violent reprisals for a taste of
popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban’s restrictions on such
material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat
it poses to repressive political regimes?
12.While the first three parts of the novel are written in
the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do
you think was the author’s intent in making this shift? How does it
change the effect of this final section?
Discussion Questions for Barbara Kingsolver’s
The Poisonwood Bible
1. What
are the implications of the novel's title phrase, the poisonwood
bible, particularly in connection with the main characters' lives
and the novel's main themes? How important are the circumstances in
which the phrase comes into being?
2. How does Kingsolver differentiate among the Price
sisters, particularly in terms of their voices? What does each
sister reveal about herself and the other three, their
relationships, their mother and father, and their lives in Africa?
What is the effect of our learning about events and people through
the sisters' eyes?
3.What is the significance of the Kikongo word nommo and its
attendant concepts of being and naming? Are there Christian
parallels to the constellation of meanings and beliefs attached to
nommo? How do the Price daughters' Christian names and their
acquired Kikongo names reflect their personalities and
behavior?
4.The sisters refer repeatedly to balance (and, by
implication, imbalance). What kinds of balance--including
historical, political, and social--emerge as important? Are
individual characters associated with specific kinds of balance or
imbalance? Do any of the sisters have a final say on the importance
of balance?
5. What do we learn about cultural, social, religious, and
other differences between Africa and America? To what degree do
Orleanna and her daughters come to an understanding of those
differences? Do you agree with what you take to be Kingsolver's
message concerning such differences?
6.Why do you suppose that Reverend Nathan Price is not given
a voice of his own? Do we learn from his wife and daughters enough
information to formulate an adequate explanation for his beliefs
and behavior? Does such an explanation matter?
7.What differences and similarities are there among Nathan
Price's relationship with his family, Tata Ndu's relationship with
his people, and the relationship of the Belgian and American
authorities with the Congo? Are the novel's political details--both
imagined and historical--appropriate?
8. How does Kingsolver present the double themes of
captivity and freedom and of love and betrayal? What kinds of
captivity and freedom does she explore? What kinds of love and
betrayal? What are the causes and consequences of each kind of
captivity, freedom, love, and betrayal?
9. At Bikoki Station, in 1965, Leah reflects, "I still know
what justice is." Does she? What concept of justice does each
member of the Price family and other characters (Anatole, for
example) hold? Do you have a sense, by the novel's end, that any
true justice has occurred?
10. In Book Six, Adah proclaims, "This is the story I
believe in . . ." What is that story? Do Rachel and Leah also have
stories in which they believe? How would you characterize the
philosophies of life at which Adah, Leah, and Rachel arrive? What
story do you believe in?
11.At the novel's end, the carved-animal woman in the
African market is sure that "There has never been any village on
the road past Bulungu," that "There is no such village" as Kilanga.
What do you make of this?
Discussion Questions for Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes
-
Alex and Lacy's friendship comes to an end when they discover Peter and Josie playing with guns in the Houghton house. Why does Alex decide that it's in Josie's best interest to keep her away from Peter? What significance is there to the fact that Alex is the first one to prevent Josie from being friends with Peter?
2.Alex often has trouble separating her roles as a judge and a mother. How does this affect her relationship with Josie? Discuss whether or not Alex's job is more important to her than being a mother.
3.A theme throughout the novel is the idea of masks and personas and pretending to be someone you're not. To which characters does this apply, and why?
4.At one point defense attorney Jordan McAfee refers to himself as a "spin doctor," and he believes that at the end of Peter's trial he "will be either reviled or canonized" (250). What is your view of Jordan? As you were reading the book, did you find it difficult to remain objective about the judicial system's standing that every defendant (no matter how heinous his or her crime) has the right to a fair trial?
5.Peter was a victim of bullying for twelve years at the hands of certain classmates, many of whom repeatedly tormented him. But he also shot and killed students he had never met or who had never done anything wrong to him. What empathy, if any, did you have for Peter both before and after the shooting?
6.Josie and Peter were friends until the sixth grade. Is it understandable that Josie decided not to hang out with Peter in favor of the popular crowd? Why or why not? How accurate and believable did you find the author's depiction of high school peer pressure and the quest for popularity? Do you believe, as Picoult suggests, that even the popular kids are afraid that their own friends will turn on them?
7.Josie admits she often witnessed Matt's cruelty toward other students. Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? How much did you empathize with Josie?
8.Regarding Lacy, Patrick notes that "in a different way, this woman was a victim of her son's actions, too" (53). How much responsibility do Lewis and Lacy bear for Peter's actions? How about Lewis in particular, who taught his son how to handle guns and hunt?
9.At one point during Peter's bullying, Lacy is encouraged by an elementary school teacher to force Peter to stand up for himself. She threatens to cancel his play dates with Josie if he doesn't fight back. How did you feel, when you read that scene? Do you blame Lacy for Peter's future actions because of it? Do you agree or disagree with the idea that it a parent's job to teach a child the skills necessary to defend himself?
10.Discuss the novel's structure. In what ways do the alternating narratives between past and present enhance the story? How do the scenes in the past give you further insight into the characters and their actions, particularly Peter and Josie?
11.When Patrick arrives at Sterling High after the shooting, "his entire body began to shake, knowing that for so many students and parents and citizens today, he had once again been too late" (24). Why does Patrick blame himself for not preventing an incident he had no way of knowing was going to happen?
12.Dr. King, an expert witness for the defense, states that Peter was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of chronic victimization. "But a big part of it, too," he adds, "is the society that created both Peter and those bullies" (409). What reasons does Dr. King give to support his assertion that society is partly to blame for Peter's actions as well as those of the bullies? Do you agree with this? Why or why not?
13.Why does Josie choose to shoot Matt instead of shooting Peter? Why does Peter remain silent about Josie's role in the shooting? In the end, has justice been satisfactorily dealt to Peter and to Josie?
14.Discuss the very ending of the novel, which concludes on the one-year anniversary of the Sterling High shooting. Why do you suppose the author chose to leave readers with an image of Patrick and Alex, who is pregnant? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future?
15. Shootings have occurred at a number of high schools across the country over the last several years. Did Nineteen Minutesmake you think about these incidents in a more immediate way than reading about them in the newspaper or seeing coverage on television? How so? In what ways did the novel affect your opinion of the parties generally involved in school shootings -- perpetrators, victims, fellow students, teachers, parents, attorneys, and law enforcement officials?
16. What do you think the author is proposing as the root of the problem of school violence? What have you heard, in the media and in political forums, as solutions? Do you think they will work? Why or why not?
Discussion Questions for Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns
1.The
phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi,
is quoted twice in the novel – once as Laila’s family prepares to
leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from
Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: “Miriam is
in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance
of a thousand suns.” Discuss the thematic significance of this
phrase.
2.Mariam’s mother tells her: “Women like us. We endure. It’s
all we have.” Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and
how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.
3.By the time Laila is rescued from the rubble of her home
by Rasheed and Mariam, Mariam’s marriage has become a miserable
existence of neglect and abuse. Yet when she realizes that Rasheed
intends to marry Laila, she reacts with outrage. Given that Laila’s
presence actually tempers Rasheed’s abuse, why is Mariam so hostile
toward her?
4.Laila’s friendship with Mariam begins when she defends
Mariam from a beating by Rasheed. Why does Laila take this action,
despite the contempt Mariam has consistently shown her?
5.Growing up, Laila feels that her mother’s love is reserved
for her two brothers. “People,” she decides, “shouldn’t be allowed
to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to
their old ones.” How does this sentiment inform Laila’s reaction to
becoming pregnant with Rasheed’s child? What lessons from her
childhood does Laila apply in raising her own children?
6.At several points in the story, Mariam and Laila pass
themselves off as mother and daughter. What is the symbolic
importance of this subterfuge? In what ways is Mariam’s and Laila’s
relationship with each other informed by their relationships with
their own mothers?
7.One of the Taliban judges at Mariam’s trial tells her,
“God has made us different, you women and us men. Our brains are
different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors
and their science have proven this.” What is the irony in this
statement? How is irony employed throughout the novel?
8.Laila’s father tells her, “You’re a very, very bright
girl. Truly you are. You can be anything that you want.” Discuss
Laila’s relationship with her father. What aspects of his character
does she inherit? In what ways is she different?
9.Mariam refuses to see visitors while she is imprisoned,
and she calls no witnesses at her trial. Why does she make these
decisions?
10.The driver who takes Babi, Laila, and Tariq to the giant
stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley describes the crumbling
fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as “the story of our country, one invader
after another… we’re like those walls up there. Battered, and
nothing pretty to look at, but still standing.” Discuss the
metaphorical import of this passage as it relates to Miriam and
Laila. In what ways does their story reflect the larger story of
Afghanistan’s troubled history?
11.Among other things, the Taliban forbid “writing books,
watching films, and painting pictures.” Yet despite this edict, the
film Titanicbecomes a sensation on the black market. Why
would people risk the Taliban’s violent reprisals for a taste of
popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban’s restrictions on such
material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat
it poses to repressive political regimes?
12.While the first three parts of the novel are written in
the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do
you think was the author’s intent in making this shift? How does it
change the effect of this final section?
Discussion Questions for Barbara Kingsolver’s
The Poisonwood Bible
1. What
are the implications of the novel's title phrase, the poisonwood
bible, particularly in connection with the main characters' lives
and the novel's main themes? How important are the circumstances in
which the phrase comes into being?
2. How does Kingsolver differentiate among the Price
sisters, particularly in terms of their voices? What does each
sister reveal about herself and the other three, their
relationships, their mother and father, and their lives in Africa?
What is the effect of our learning about events and people through
the sisters' eyes?
3.What is the significance of the Kikongo word nommo and its
attendant concepts of being and naming? Are there Christian
parallels to the constellation of meanings and beliefs attached to
nommo? How do the Price daughters' Christian names and their
acquired Kikongo names reflect their personalities and
behavior?
4.The sisters refer repeatedly to balance (and, by
implication, imbalance). What kinds of balance--including
historical, political, and social--emerge as important? Are
individual characters associated with specific kinds of balance or
imbalance? Do any of the sisters have a final say on the importance
of balance?
5. What do we learn about cultural, social, religious, and
other differences between Africa and America? To what degree do
Orleanna and her daughters come to an understanding of those
differences? Do you agree with what you take to be Kingsolver's
message concerning such differences?
6.Why do you suppose that Reverend Nathan Price is not given
a voice of his own? Do we learn from his wife and daughters enough
information to formulate an adequate explanation for his beliefs
and behavior? Does such an explanation matter?
7.What differences and similarities are there among Nathan
Price's relationship with his family, Tata Ndu's relationship with
his people, and the relationship of the Belgian and American
authorities with the Congo? Are the novel's political details--both
imagined and historical--appropriate?
8. How does Kingsolver present the double themes of
captivity and freedom and of love and betrayal? What kinds of
captivity and freedom does she explore? What kinds of love and
betrayal? What are the causes and consequences of each kind of
captivity, freedom, love, and betrayal?
9. At Bikoki Station, in 1965, Leah reflects, "I still know
what justice is." Does she? What concept of justice does each
member of the Price family and other characters (Anatole, for
example) hold? Do you have a sense, by the novel's end, that any
true justice has occurred?
10. In Book Six, Adah proclaims, "This is the story I
believe in . . ." What is that story? Do Rachel and Leah also have
stories in which they believe? How would you characterize the
philosophies of life at which Adah, Leah, and Rachel arrive? What
story do you believe in?
11.At the novel's end, the carved-animal woman in the
African market is sure that "There has never been any village on
the road past Bulungu," that "There is no such village" as Kilanga.
What do you make of this?
