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Discussion Questions and Answers (chapter 29-38) THEME

 

What do you think the main themes were for this novel?

-Family isn't necessarily your blood relatives, it's also other people who come into your life and show they care.

-No matter what backround you come from, you decide what you do with your life and whether you are happy.

-It's never too late to improve a situation.

-It is better to forgive and move on than to hold a grudge against someone who doesn't deserve your time.

Do you think the author was trying to express any opinions through this story?

-Yes, we think the author gave an honest portral of what it is like to go through teen pregnancy, to lose someone you love, and she also touched on the topics of abusive and depression. Althoughshe did not suport teen pregnancy, she did show that you should not judge someone based on their situation, because you do not know how they got themselves in that position. She also showed that although someone may seem nice, you need to be careful trusting someone (Willy Jack, Roger Briscoe etc.)

Did you notice any symbolism throughout the story that was used to help express the theme?

-The buckeye tree brought good luck and grew from a wilted, struggling tree to a strong, thriving tree by the end of the story, much like Novalee. They reinforce the theme of "No matter what backround you come from, you decide what you do with your life and whether you are happy."

Which characters do you think have grown the most from the beginning to end of the story? How?

-Novalee: grew more mature and independent

-Forney: grew more brave and responsible

-Willy Jack: grew more empathetic and considerate

-Benny Goodluck: grew more independent and curious

Do you find any of the themes or topics in this story relate-able? How so?

-We found that the topics of family, forgiveness etc. were relate-able because they are things we have dealt with in our own lives, so it was easy to make connections between what was happening in the story and events that have taken place in our own lives.

Do you think Billie Letts did a good job resolving the story? Were you happy with the ending?

-We were pretty happy with how the author ended the story because we felt like all the plot lines were resolved, and that you could make connections between what happened at the beginning of the novel and what happened at the end, and see the growth the characters had made.

Is there any lessons you felt you learned from this book? Did it make you think?

-We felt like after reading this story we may be a bit less judgemental if we were to see a young girl around our age who was pregnant and alone, because we've seen throughout the story that Novalee had gotten in her situation based on bad decisions, but also bad luck. She was jsut trying to do the best with what she could. So in that way, this book changed our point of view and made us think differently.

After reading this book, how would you describe it to your friends?

-A lot of unexpected twists and turns

-Exciting, but at times depressing

-Realsitic. Relateable characters.

What age group do you think would most relate to and understand the themes presented in this novel? Why?

- At some points in the novel I think it would be most easy for teens to relate to this story because Novalee is dealing with teen pregnancy. During other points I think it would be more young adults who could relate to his story, because there is a lot involving young parents, and young people in relationships, falling in love for the first time or getting their heart broken for the first time.

Do you think the themes at the beginning of the novel are the same as the themes at the end of the novel?

-We think that the themes at the beginning of the story are pretty much the same at the end of the story. There is just more of a meaning and sense of maturity behind the themes at the end of the story as Novalee really begins to understand them herself.