Thursday, November 20, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Wildflower Hill - discussion questions
QUESTIONS:
1. Which story did you enjoy reading
more, Emma’s or Beattie’s? How did you relate to both of them?
2. Early in the novel, Beattie’s friend Cora tells her: “There are two types of women in the world, Beattie, those who do things and those who have things done to them” (p. 31). How does Beattie adopt this motto throughout her life? Does Emma live by the same credo? Do you agree with Cora’s theory about women?
3. How did you feel when Margaret went behind Beattie’s back to let Henry see Lucy? How do you feel about Mary, Henry, and Molly’s determination to “keep Lucy away from sin”? Is this just a selfish excuse to keep Lucy away from Beattie?
4. Discuss how religion is treated in the novel. Being a good Christian is emphasized by characters such as Mary, Henry, and Molly, but Lucy feels closer to God when she prays privately, and Beattie seems to feel more in tune with the land. Talk about each character’s concept of God and “good vs. evil.”
5. Beattie remarks that it doesn’t matter how she earns money, as long as she can feed her child: “Children can’t eat morals” (p. 135). Do you agree? Do you think Beattie did the right thing working for Raphael and serving drinks illegally?
6. Discuss the poker game that leads to Beattie’s ownership of Wildflower Hill. Why does Beattie come up with such a risky proposal? Why does Raphael agree to it?
7. Beattie often blames herself for letting Lucy be taken away. Did she do the right thing by relinquishing more and more control to Henry? Should she have filed for sole custody? What is more important, for a child to have contact with both of her parents or to be raised in the most stable, “proper” way possible?
8. Compare and contrast Beattie’s relationships—with Henry, Charlie, and Ray. Do you think Beattie should have told Ray about her former relationships? How do you think he would have reacted?
9. Why do you think Beattie kept every record from her past at Wildflower Hill? Was it as Emma muses, that she was clinging to every scrap, or do you have a different theory?
10. How does Emma’s sense of identity, priorities, and relationships change throughout the novel? What event impacts her the most?
11. Discuss Mina’s father’s reluctance to see Mina perform. Do you understand his embarrassment? Why does Patrick refuse to get involved?
12. Emma decides to finally visit Lucy and deliver her grandmother’s letter, even though her grandmother never intended to send it. How do you think Lucy will receive her? What do you envision happening after the close of the novel?
2. Early in the novel, Beattie’s friend Cora tells her: “There are two types of women in the world, Beattie, those who do things and those who have things done to them” (p. 31). How does Beattie adopt this motto throughout her life? Does Emma live by the same credo? Do you agree with Cora’s theory about women?
3. How did you feel when Margaret went behind Beattie’s back to let Henry see Lucy? How do you feel about Mary, Henry, and Molly’s determination to “keep Lucy away from sin”? Is this just a selfish excuse to keep Lucy away from Beattie?
4. Discuss how religion is treated in the novel. Being a good Christian is emphasized by characters such as Mary, Henry, and Molly, but Lucy feels closer to God when she prays privately, and Beattie seems to feel more in tune with the land. Talk about each character’s concept of God and “good vs. evil.”
5. Beattie remarks that it doesn’t matter how she earns money, as long as she can feed her child: “Children can’t eat morals” (p. 135). Do you agree? Do you think Beattie did the right thing working for Raphael and serving drinks illegally?
6. Discuss the poker game that leads to Beattie’s ownership of Wildflower Hill. Why does Beattie come up with such a risky proposal? Why does Raphael agree to it?
7. Beattie often blames herself for letting Lucy be taken away. Did she do the right thing by relinquishing more and more control to Henry? Should she have filed for sole custody? What is more important, for a child to have contact with both of her parents or to be raised in the most stable, “proper” way possible?
8. Compare and contrast Beattie’s relationships—with Henry, Charlie, and Ray. Do you think Beattie should have told Ray about her former relationships? How do you think he would have reacted?
9. Why do you think Beattie kept every record from her past at Wildflower Hill? Was it as Emma muses, that she was clinging to every scrap, or do you have a different theory?
10. How does Emma’s sense of identity, priorities, and relationships change throughout the novel? What event impacts her the most?
11. Discuss Mina’s father’s reluctance to see Mina perform. Do you understand his embarrassment? Why does Patrick refuse to get involved?
12. Emma decides to finally visit Lucy and deliver her grandmother’s letter, even though her grandmother never intended to send it. How do you think Lucy will receive her? What do you envision happening after the close of the novel?
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