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Discussion Questions for Book Clubs and EducatorsDeath of a Past LifeThe book begins and ends with birds. There are also bird stories throughout. What do birds symbolize? How do children respond to great upheavals as compared to adults? How does the book contrast wealth and poverty? How is wealth and poverty divided in our society? What are the similarities between now and then? How would you define the contrast between the dark episodes in the book and areas where family and love prevailed? What was the interplay between good and evil? To what extent is the plot driven by the fact that the characters were mixed nationality? How does our society now deal with mixed nationalities, ethnicities, races, sexual preferences? How has the relationship between parents and their children (mothers and daughters and fathers and daughters particularly) changed or stayed the same through time? How strong of a voice do individuals have now in their ability to influence the government and world events as compared to people of the era covered in the book? What would you have done if faced with the opportunity to regain your freedom like Josephine had? How would you have dealt with the potential of losing half of your family in order to retain freedom for the other half? If you were to flee your home or country what possessions would you take with you? How would you have handled the conflicts that the family did any differently? How did the use of religion and/or spirituality influence the events and/or outcomes of the book or the characters ability to deal with them? How do you think the family dealt with life in America in the 1950’s? |
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