Summer Reading Discussion Questions
The Awakening
1. “Whatever we may do or attempt, despite the embrace and transports of love, the hunger of the lips, we are
always alone. I have dragged you out into the night in the vain hope of a moment's escape from the horrible
solitude which overpowers me. But what is the use! I speak and you answer me, and still each of us is alone;
side by side but alone. In 1895, these words, from a story by Guy de Maupassant called „Solitude, which she
had translated for a St. Louis magazine, expressed an urbane and melancholy wisdom that Kate Chopin found
compelling. To a woman who had survived the illusions that friendship, romance, marriage, or even
motherhood would provide lifelong companionship and identity, and who had come to recognize the existential
solitude of all human beings, Maupassant's declaration became a kind of credo.” Discuss how this credo has
shaped Chopin’s novel The Awakening.
2. Chopin scholar Erin E. McDonald, PhD, states, “Past feminist examinations of Kate Chopin's work have
focused on the question of whether the heroine's suicide in The Awakening was intended to signify rebellion or
defeat, most commonly reaching the conclusion that the author intended to leave this point ambiguous.” Discuss
the significance of Pontellier’s final act. Why was her suicide so necessary, or was it? Discuss.
3. Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle share several intimate conversations about Edna’s relationship with her
children. Edna sums up her sense of duty to her children in this way: “I would give up the unessential; I would
give up money, I would give life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (67). What does she mean by
this? What is the unessential? What is the essential? Connect this sentiment to a central meaning of the novel.
4. “The Awakening was a scandalous book when it arrived from the turn-of-the-century presses, with a heroine
who found her husband dull, married life dreary and confining, and motherhood to be bondage.” Is this an
accurate summary for the novel? Explain.
5. Consider the significance that setting plays in this novel: the cottage at Grand Isle, the Pontellier estate in
New Orleans, the Pigeon House, Mlle Reisz’s apartment, the beach and ocean, Louisville, etc. How do these
various setting locations reflect Edna’s metamorphosis throughout the novel?
6. While many read Chopin’s novel through a feminist lens, they forget that most of the male characters possess
many nontraditional “feminine qualities: Leonce does the shopping and attends Janet’s wedding; Robert takes
great pleasure in tending to and cooking for Edna; Arobin dons a dusting-cap and cleans and performs
housework for Edna. These do not represent the stereotypical, oppressive male components of society as seen in
feminist literature. Published in 1899, perhaps the novel should be read through the lens of Dark-romanticism
(Chopin was quite familiar with the works of the major romantic figures, and even has Edna read from the
works of Emerson). The idea that while the natural world may indeed possess supernatural qualities, these
qualities need not be positive or beneficial to the individual. In fact, Chopin’s initial title of the novel was The
Solitary Soul. Considering the recurring natural images discuss how The Awakening emulates the themes of
Dark Romanticism (consider the impact of Edna’s newly found individualism upon her life).
7. What is the symbolic importance of the lady in black and of the two lovers? These characters often appear at
the same points in the novel; what is the significance of this pairing?
8. What is the symbolic meaning of Edna’s first successful attempt to swim?
9. Early in The Awakening, the narrator remarks that Léonce thinks of Edna as “the sole object of his
existence.” What evidence does the novel provide to support this declaration?
10. How does the text use clothing and garments (or the lack thereof) to portray Edna’s rebellion against
Victorian norms?
11. Of the many awakenings Edna undergoes in the novel, which are most important to her progress? Which
may be considered “rude” or unexpected awakenings?
12. Explore the full implications of the various images of birds in the novel. How do the different species of
birds mentioned—parrots, mockingbirds, pigeons—symbolize different ideas?
13. Throughout the novel, Edna feels caught between the way others see her and the way she sees herself.
Identify several moments in which this struggle is apparent. How does the text portray Edna’s growing
awareness of these contradicting views?
14. Some critics view Edna’s suicide at the end of the novel as a failure to complete her escape from
convention—an inability to defy society once stripped of the motivation of a man by her side. Others view her
suicide as a final awakening, a decision to give herself to the sea in a show of strength and independence that
defies social expectation. Which interpretation do you find more compelling, and why?
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Frankenstein
1. You might have noticed some Christian influences in this text. To start off, there’s the creator/creation
paradigm. And, of course, the monster is compared to Adam. But the monster is also compared to the fallen
angel – Satan – and Victor takes on comparisons to God. You could even go so far as to call Victor’s death a
sacrifice that makes him a Christ figure. Do the book’s Christian influences force characters to be either good or
evil? What might Shelley be saying about this?
2. Compare Victor Frankenstein with the monster he created. In what ways are their life experiences similar? In
what ways are they different?
3. The idea of friendship is a dominant theme in the novel. Examine the idea of friendship in light of Walton,
Victor, and the monster. Were their views of friendship different? Did they have different qualities they needed
in a friend?
4. Repeatedly the monster says that it was the fault of mankind that he had turned evil. Do we, as part of
mankind, have a responsibility to the outcasts of society? Who are the outcasts?
5. Why do you think Mary Shelley subtitled her novel, "The Modern Prometheus"?
6. At the end of the novel, Victor chases his monster. Why do you think that the monster leaves food and an
obvious trail for Victor to follow? What does the monster mean by the following quote at the end of the novel?
"If thou [Victor] were yet alive, and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in
my life than in my destruction."
7. Do you think that it was Victor's fault that the monster turned bad? Should he have made a female monster
as a companion? What do you think would have happened to Victor's mind and peace had he made the female?
8. What responsibility do you feel the creator bears for his creation and for the actions of his creation? Consider
this question on many levels-God and man, God and angels, man and his children, man and his inventions
(nuclear weapons, cloning, viruses, etc.), and so on.
9. How does Walton's journey (the purpose, the destination, his desires) parallel the story of Frankenstein and
his monster?
10. The idea of nature and God's creation being a restorative to the soul is mentioned again and again. Consider
these quotes "The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnizing my
mind, and causing me to forget the passing cares of life." (Chapter 10) "The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air
of day, restored me to some degree of tranquility." (Chapter 16) "But the fresh air and bright sun seldom failed
to restore me to some degree of composure." (Chapter 18) Why do you think Shelley set up the contrast of one
creation being a restorative and another being a curse? Symbolically, what did going to a land of ice mean to the
monster and to Victor? How is this nature compared/contrasted to the snow and ruggedness of Switzerland?
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Prayer for Owen Meany
1. Though he's portrayed as an instrument of God, Owen Meany causes the death of John's mother. What other
deaths was Owen indirectly involved with? Do you find Owen's close relationship with death to support or
undermine his miraculous purpose?
2. Owen speaks and writes in capital letters, emphasizing the potency of his strange voice. At the academy, he is
even referred to as the Voice. Why is Owen's voice so important? What other occasions can you think of in
which Owen's voice played an especially meaningful role?
3. Reverend Merrill always speaks of faith in tandem with doubt. Do you believe that one can exist without the
other or that one strengthens the other? Was your opinion about Merrill's views on faith and doubt affected by
the revelation of his relationship to John Wheelwright?
4. Merrill experiences a bogus miracle and resurgence of faith when John stages his mother's dressmaker
dummy outside the church. Later, John's involvement in Owen's rescue of the Vietnamese children spurs John's
own faith: "I am a Christian because of Owen Meany," he says. Do you think the genuineness of Owen's
miracle makes the birth of John's faith more valid than the faith engendered by Merrill's bogus miracle?
5. The Meanys claim that, like Jesus, Owen was the product of a virgin birth. Owen dislikes the Catholic
Church for turning away his parents, but Owen himself makes the Meanys leave the Christmas Pageant. Name
other instances when Owen's feelings toward his family seem conflicted. Do you think Owen ever considers
himself Christ-like?
6. An observer necessary to the Christmas Pageant but seldom an active participant, John plays Joseph to
Owen's baby Jesus. John refers to himself on other occasions as "just a Joseph." Do you see John's role as
Joseph-like throughout the story? Are there other biblical characters with whom you identify John?
7. Did Irving's references to the armless Indian and the pawless armadillo prepare you for Owen's sacrifice?
What other clues did Irving give about Owen's final heroic scene?
8. Throughout the novel, John gives hints to the forthcoming action, adding, "As you shall see." Did you find
this to be an effective way to keep you reading and engaged in the story?
9. Owen Meany taught John that "Any good book is always in motion--from the general to the specific, from
the particular to the whole and back again." Do you think Irving followed his own recipe for a good book?
Supply examples in support of your position.
10. Given John's dislike of Gravesend Academy, which expelled Owen, did you find it interesting that John
later taught at an academy in Toronto? In what other ways does John, as an adult, embrace issues or events that
he was indifferent or hostile to as an adolescent?
11. John assists Owen in rescuing the children, but John always plays the supporting part in Owen's adventures.
Based on the scenes in Toronto in the 1980s, do you think John ever escaped his supporting role? How do you
think John's retained virginity reflects on his sense of self?
12. Did your feelings about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam change after reading Irving's portrayal of the
peace movement, the draft dodgers, and Owen's involvement in the army? Were you surprised by Owen's
efforts to get to Vietnam?
13. John's reactions to and obsession with the Iran-Contra affair of the 1980s reflect his position as neither a
true Canadian nor a true American. Do you think that non-Americans have a clearer vision of the machinations
and deceptions within American politics? What did John's focus on American politics tell you about his adult
character?
14. Irving frequently foreshadows tragedy; for example, hailstones hit John's mother on the head during her
wedding day, providing a glimpse of her later death by a baseball. What other events does Irving foreshadow?
15. Several reviews call A Prayer for Owen Meany "Dickensian," and Irving himself incorporates scenes from
Dickens in the story. In what ways does Irving's writing remind you of Dickens's? What other writers would
you compare Irving to?
16. Owen Meany, the only child of a New Hampshire granite quarrier, believes he is God’s instrument. He is.
Defend, challenge, or qualify this statement.
17. This is John Irving’s most comic novel; yet Owen Meany is Mr. Irving’s most heartbreaking character.
Defend, challenge, or qualify this statement.
18. This is one piece of theatre that has a lot of theatre in it! How does the juxtaposition of the two plays-withinthe-play, the Nativity and A Christmas Carol, relate to the themes of the story. What is the significance of the
role Owen plays in each? What was it like to watch both stories unfold simultaneously?
19. The Vietnam War is central to this play. What do you know about this War, the events that caused it, the
people involved, American response, etc? Would you call this play pro-war or anti-war, or neither? Can you
relate any of the scenes dealing with the Vietnam War to the conflicts America is currently involved with in
Iraq and Afghanistan, or to any other wars throughout history?
20. Is Tabitha a good mother to John? What might Owen see in Tabitha that makes him love her?
21. Why do you think John and Owen are best friends? In what ways do they support each other throughout the
play? Do they ever fail each other as friends? How? Who is the main character of the play, Owen or John, or
both?
22. Discuss the extent to which baseball, John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Vietnam, and television are
symbols for the decaying morality in America.
23. Cite incidents from the story to illustrate the extent to which this is a coming-of-age story for John.
24. How is the concept of free will dealt with in A Prayer for Owen Meany?