Reconstructing Amelia discussion questions Assignment #1 (through first “Facebook: September 14,” pp. 1‐22) 1. Check out http://www.kimberlymccreight.com/ and watch the trailer for the novel. What do you think of it? What do you think about a novel having a trailer? 2. Pay attention to the dates of all the sections. Discuss the dates of the sections in this reading assignment. 3. What sort of person do you imagine writing the blog “gRaCeFULLY”? Why is it capitalized as it is? Does it seem plausible to you? 4. How about the text between Ben and Amelia—does it seem realistic? 5. What can you infer about what Kate thinks about Jeremy? 6. Discuss what we learn in this reading about Kate and Amelia’s relationship. What are the issues with which they struggle? 7. What can you infer about Kate’s relationship with her own mother? 8. What do you make of the writing here? Of the simile “Black, flat‐heeled, rugged, it lay there on its side like a felled animal”? 9. Discuss why the novel begins with Amelia’s death. Assignment #2 (through the first “Kate: November 26,” pp. 23‐53) 1. What do you think about Amelia and Sylvia’s friendship? Does it seem realistic to you? 2. What is your impression of Amelia, so far in the novel? 3. What is your impression of Sylvia, so far in the novel? 4. Discuss Kate’s reaction to Amelia’s death and the network of friends who help her survive. 5. Who is Daniel Moore, and how does Kate feel about him? 6. Discuss Kate’s phone call from her mother. 7. Discuss the evidence for suicide—and discuss “impulsive suicide.” 8. What is your impression of Jeremy, so far in the novel? Assignment #3 (through the second “Kate: November 26,” pp. 54‐83—read to “gRaCeFULLY: September 19th) 1. Discuss Amelia’s thinking about clubs in general and the Magpies in particular. Do you understand why she decides not to walk out on the group? 2. What do you think about the whole idea of secret high school clubs? 3. What are your early impressions of Zadie? Dylan? 4. What is the first task given to the potential members by the Maggies? 5. Discuss the incident four days before Amelia’s death when she asks about her father. Why do you think that Kate is so secretive about his identity? 6. Discuss what Kate finds on Amelia’s iPhone and her belief, in retrospect, that she should have monitored her daughter’s electronic life. 7. Discuss whether parents should monitor their children’s electronic life. Is it possible for them to do so effectively? Wise? Foolish? Assignment #4 (up to Amelia’s text to Ben: “I went to the first coed party today” in “Amelia: October 1,” pp. 84‐113) 1. Discuss Kate’s investigation into Amelia’s life. Do you think she is wise to try to “reconstruct” Amelia? 2. Discuss the conversation between Kate and Adele Goodwin. Who is Adele, and what do you make of her? Also discuss Kate’s attitude in general to the PTA moms. 3. Discuss what Amelia does to Mr. Zaritski and her conversation with Mr. Woodhouse. Why is she acting as she is? 4. Discuss what Amelia says about Dylan. In what ways are the two alike? 5. Discuss: “The odds are stacked against a good kid like you staying good. That’s true, even at a place like Grace Hall.” 6. What do you make of Woodhouse? Are you surprised that he knows about the Magpies? 7. What do you make of the conversation between Sylvia and Amelia toward the end of the reading? What does Amelia ask Sylvia? What does Sylvia ask Amelia? 8. Where does Dylan take Amelia in her house and why? Assignment #5 (through first “Kate: November 27,” pp. 114‐144 1. Discuss the interaction between Kate and Amelia on the evening of October 1. What almost happens? 2. Explain why McCreight includes Kate’s sections from 1997 and 1998? 3. Discuss Kelsey. Is she a foil character for Kate? 4. What news about Amelia does Kelsey share with Kate? 5. Discuss the strange text that Kate receives. Does her response suggest that she has some idea about what it is asking? 6. Discuss what has happened to Molina. Coincidence? 7. What do you think about Lew Thompson? And about what he says to Kate: “You know a lot more than you think”? 8. Were you surprised by Sylvia’s outburst? Assignment #6 (through second “Kate: November 27,” pp. 145‐178) 1. Discuss the third prank of the Maggie pledges. Does your opinion of Amelia change because she participates? 2. Discuss the Nietzsche quote that Sylvia reads to Amelia—and its possible significance. 3. Discuss Kate and Lew’s continuing reconstruction of Amelia’s life. What do they find that seems particularly important to you? 4. What kind of person is Lew? Do you like him? 5. Do you agree with Seth’s advice to Kate—to quit trying to find out what happened? 6. Why do you suppose Daniel pops up again? 7. What are the implications of the text that Kate receives at the end of the assignment? 8. At this point, which of the characters in the novel do you like? Dislike? Assignment #7 (through “Kate: July 19, 1997,” pp. 179‐205) 1. Keep paying attention to dates. How long has it been since the last Amelia section? And evidently, what have Dylan and Amelia been doing in the afternoons? 2. What intervenes so that Amelia doesn’t end up talking with her mom about what is going on? Do you find the scene plausible? 3. Talk about the conversation between Liv and Amelia. What do you think is going on with Liv? 4. Discuss Ian’s reaction to Amelia’s assignment—and why she decides to go ahead. Also, why Ian? And what do you think about Ian? 5. Why do you suppose Ben keeps delaying his meeting with Amelia? 6. What do you make of the enigmatic “Kate: July 19, 1997” section. What do you suppose that she has done? Assignment #8 (up to “I got back to school somehow” in “Amelia October 20,” pp. 206‐237) 1.
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Discuss Kate’s opinion of Ben and what you think about it. Discuss what Kate tells Lew about Amelia’s dad. Discuss what Kate and Lew find at Grace Hall—and how they are treated. Discuss what Lew tells Kate about Frank Carmon. Discuss the conversation with Liv. What do you make of Sylvia’s response to Amelia’s statement about her sexuality? What do you think of Dylan’s behavior in this assignment? Of her statement that “I don’t trust people”? 8. Discuss the scene when Zadie barges into Amelia’s house. If you read Gatsby, discuss any similarities with a scene in that novel. Assignment #9 (through second “Kate November 28,” pp. 238‐268) 1. Discuss the conversation between Amelia and Woodhouse. What does he want her to do in exchange for what? 2. What do you think about the emails between Kate and Rowan? 3. Discuss what Seth tells Kate: “You were a good mother. . . . You did the best you could. . . .How it ends up is a crapshoot.” 4. What do you think about the phone conversation between Kate and Woodhouse? And what do you think of his name? 5. Discuss the conversation with Dylan and her mom—and what we learn about Dylan. 6. Discuss what Jeremy tells Kate and why. 7. What are the implications of the final text of the assignment? Assignment #10 (through “Amelia: October 23, 6:32 p.m.,” pp. 269‐297) 1. Discuss how the Maggies bully Amelia. What would you do if someone like this happened to you? 2. Discuss how the Maggies keep Amelia from turning them in. 3. Discuss the anger Amelia feels toward her mom. Do you think that she is justified? 4. How does Kate treat Amelia? How should she treat her? 5. Does anything Dr. Lipton say surprise you? What do you think of the advice she gives Amelia? 6. Discuss Syliva’s response to Amelia’s confession. How do you feel about Sylvia at this point? 7. What do you think about Ben’s texts to Amelia? Assignment #11 (through “Kate: October 9, 1997 3:56 a.m.,” pp. 297‐326) 1. Discuss what we learn about the author of gRaCeFULLY in this assignment—and what you think about that person. 2. Discuss the interaction between Katie and Ian. 3. Talk about the clash between Lew and Mrs. Pearl. 4. Discuss what Woodhouse does—and how you feel about him. 5. Discuss the reaction at school to the text message sent out by the Maggies to the students. Does the reaction surprise you? Would something like this happen at Baylor? 6. Discuss the mechanics of the plagiarism. Should Liv know what happened? 7. Again, what do you think about Ben’s texts? Assignment #12 (through “Julia did not look happy to see them” in “Kate: November 30,” pp. 327‐357) 1. Examine the conversation between Jeremy and Kate. What does Kate first think? And what does she learn? Ultimately, what does she think about Jeremy’s conduct? What do you think? 2. Who is Kate protecting by not telling Woodhouse what is going on? 3. Discuss the bombshell news that Kate and Lew learn at Zadie’s house. 4. Discuss villainy and evil. Is someone in this novel evil? Is there a villain? Assignment #13 (finish the novel) 1. Discuss what Julia and Sylvia say to Kate about her job as a mother. Do you agree? 2. Discuss the tour that Sylvia and Amelia take—and what it suggests about Sylvia. 3. Why is Liv on the roof? What about the conversation that she has? 4. Why does Sylvia take Amelia on the roof? And what happens on the roof? 5. Discuss the epilogue. Who is Phillip? 6. Discuss the novel as a whole: are you glad you read it? Is it a good novel to read and discuss in English class? 7. What questions would you like to ask Kimberly McCreight about the novel? 8. Discuss essay topics.