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The Goldfinch: Chapter 5 (Badr al-Dine)
Goldie seems to be rushing Theo out of the vicinity of the building. If you get that sense, too, explain why you think that's so.Mrs. Barbour air-kisses Theo when he is leaving. While she appears cold...
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The Goldfinch: Chapter 6 (Wind, Sand and Stars)
There is no doubt that Boris and Theo -- uncared for and unwatched by any adults -- are both coping with the pain in their lives with self-medication and a mildly lawless attitude towards life. Now...
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The Goldfinch: Chapter 7 (The Shop-Behind-the Shop)
When Theo wakes up, he says he feels like he has entered another universe. Has he? Explain.Theo states that he fears his alcohol and drug use has damaged his brain -- and maybe even his soul. Is there...
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Chapter 8: The Shop-behind-the-Shop, continued
Why isn't Theo excited about his early college admission? Why does he feel bad that Hobie is excited? And why doesn't he try once he's there? And why not live in the dorm? Most high school students...
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Chapter 9: Everything of Possibility
How do you think the quote under Section IV fits in with the story? Explain.What is significant about Andy's (and his dad's) death? Why does it hit Theo so hard?What is ironic about Andy's death? What...
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Chapter 10: The Idiot
What's surprising about the engagement of Theo and Kitsey? What does the china shopping tell you about their relationship? Does he seem to be in love as deeply as he says he is? Evidence? Do you find...
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Chapter 11: The Gentleman's Canal
Explain your understanding of the quote by Nietzsche on p. 639. What does it mean? How does it fit in with the story?Boris's plan is sketchy and largely unexplained. Why does Theo jump in so quickly...
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Chapter 12: The Rendezvous Point
When Theo saw his father on an old TV show, he tells us that the "multiple ironies of this were so layered and uncanny that I gaped in horror." What are some of the ironies?On p. 702, Theo outlines his...
View ArticleTest Reminder
Remember, there will be a test on the first day of class. It will include some or all of the following types of questions: multiple choice, true/false, matching, and short answer. If you read both...
View ArticleSome Additional Questions About the Book as a Whole
Do you find Oskar sympathetic or annoying? Or both?Oskar "plays Yorick" (the long dead jester whose skull Hamlet holds in his hand!) in a school production. What is the significance of that...
View ArticleChapter 17: Beautiful and True
What is so important about the interaction between Ron and Oskar?Why is Oskar so interested in Gerald's daughters and his relationship with them?What does Oskar mean when he refers to digging up his...
View ArticleChapter 16: My Feelings
Oskar's grandma says something interesting when he offers to get her magazines like he used to do: "I told him to bring a suitcase so he could come back with one of everything." She follows this up by...
View ArticleChapter 15: A Simple Solution to an Impossible Problem
Notice the parallel between Oskar's thoughts on not knowing when the "last time" would be and the thoughts on this in the previous chapter. What is significant about this?Where does Oskar think Mr....
View ArticleChapter 14: Why I'm Not Where You Are 9/11/03
What did you make of the way this chapter was started?What is different about this door knob?Why does Oskar's grandmother allow Thomas back into her life?The code using telephone pad numbers may have...
View ArticleChapter 13: Alive and Alone
I think it's the first time I've seen the phrase "extremely loud" in the book. In this case, it's pessimistic thinking that is so loud in his mind...not sure where that will lead...Why are all of the...
View ArticleChapter 12: My Feelings
Why is the interview with the father of the missing girl so important to this story?There's a shift in the conversation...she starts off the story by referring to Oskar as "you"...then she shifts and...
View ArticleChapter 11: The Sixth Borough
Why does Oskar's father tell him the story of the Sixth Borough? What is the moral of the story here? How does it tie in with Oskar's earlier search in Central Park?
View ArticleChapter 10: Why I'm Not Where You Are 4/12/78
Why has this chapter been marked up in red? What does that tell you?So Oskar's grandfather had gotten Anna pregnant before the bombing of Dresden. How does this change your view of him and his behavior...
View ArticleChapter 9: Happiness, Happiness
A very graphic, first-hand description of the atomic bomb attack on Japan. What is significant about Oskar's choice to share this with the class? How is it connected?How does the story of Buckminster...
View ArticleChapter 8: My Feelings
Oskar's grandmother states, "He never took pictures of me, and we didn't buy life insurance." What does this statement tell us about the character and their relationship?When did his grandma move?...
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