Chapter Four - Discussion Groups
Activity
In groups, respond to the prompt assigned in a detailed manner. Use examples and
quotations from the novel to support your responses. When finished, be prepared to
share and discuss your responses with the rest of the class.
1. In Chapter Four Granny Logan gives Lou Ann a Mason jar filled with
water from Tug Fork, where Lou Ann herself was baptized. She intends
for Lou Ann to baptize Dwayne Ray with the same water. What does it
mean to be baptized, not just in a religious sense, but in a community
sense? Describe Lou Ann’s memories of her own baptism. What do you
think her inability to recall her childhood feelings suggests? Why is the
jar of Tug Fork water significant? What does it represent? What does
Angel do with the bottle of water, and what does this action represent?
2. Chapter Four is about the bond that exists between women. Lou Ann’s
mother and grandmother come to visit Lou Ann in Tucson after the
birth of her son. In deference to “the power of mothers and
grandmothers” (Pg. 72), Angel moves back in with Lou Ann to prevent
them from learning about their divorce. What “power” is this? Describe
the relationship that exists between Lou Ann, her mother, and
grandmother. How are they linked to one another? How does Kingsolver
use this chapter to underscore the solidity of the bond between women?
3. Lou Ann and Angel’s marriage is clearly in trouble. Why do you think
she tries to hide this fact from her mother and grandmother? Why can
she tell Bobby Bingo about her problems, but not her own family?
4. Re-read the final five paragraphs of Chapter Four. What does this
chapter’s conclusion indicate about the future of Lou Ann’s
relationships with Angel, Dwayne Ray, and her own family?