1) One man they meet on the road says
"There is no God and we are his prophets." What does he mean by this?
Explain the role of God and faith in The
Road. As always, use direct references to the text as your proof.
2) Describe the relationship between the
boy and his father. What do they feel
for each other? How do they maintain their affection for and faith in each
other in such brutal conditions? How do they support each other during the
tougher times of the novel?
3) What does The Road ultimately suggest
about good and evil? What separates the “good guys” from the “bad guys”? How do
we as readers know this?
4) Use the idea that the boy is symbolic
of a religious figure or “the one” and explain how his role changes over the
course of the novel.
Their Eyes Were Watching God1)
In what ways does Janie violate typical gender boundaries? How could some of her words or actions be seen as masculine? How did the men in her life react to this?
2)
One
of the universal themes of literature is the idea that children suffer because
of the mistakes of an earlier generation. Examine the development of this theme
in Their Eyes Were Watching God by analyzing the story that Nanny tells about her life (14-20).
Discuss Nanny’s interactions with white men and women. How did growing up in
slavery impact her worldview? How has her past impacted her relationship with
her daughter and granddaughter?
3)
Joe is the most ambitious character in the novel, determined to take his destiny into his own hands. How does he assert his will in Eatonville? On Janie? Does Joe succeed in achieving his goals?
4)
5)
How did slaves’ positions as a sub-class, those not considered human at all, affect Nanny’s outlook on life? To what social class does she aspire to be included in? What are the defining characteristics of this class? How does she impose this perspective on Janie?
6)
Consider
Janie’s description of the day she realized that she was not white (pages 8-9)
and compare this description to Zora Neal Hurston’s essay, “How It Feels to be
Colored Me.” (Link Below) In both texts, the speaker’s explanation of her awareness of race
refers to more than an awareness of skin tone. What does Hurston mean when she
writes about “realizing she was colored”? What does Janie become aware of when
she views the photo? How would you describe Hurston’s view of racial identity?
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