Hello bookies,
I hope this message reaches you in good health and spirits. For all of my bookies in the Atlanta area, i pray that all is well with you. IT has been a hectic few days in the Atlanta area and I'm happy to say that we are back to normal!
Well, Sweet Pea was a a delight to read and I hope you enjoyed it as well. Below are our final set of discussion questions for Leaving Atlanta.
REMINDER: We being "The Mountain Between Us" on Monday!
1. The novel is divided into three sections, each with a different point of view. How did this affect your experience reading the novel? Which section was your favorite and why?
2. The three children in this novel all have very different home lives. Which parents do the best job with their children?
3. For the author, Tayari Jones, the Atlanta Child Murders were a defining moment in her childhood. She has said in an interview that: “This is when found out how the world worked. That children could die. That there were people who would want to hurt you for no reason at all. But it was also when I found out that there were people who we didn’t even know, who would do whatever they could to keep us safe.” Was there a moment in your own childhood that caused you to look at the word with a more grown-up perception?
4. The character, Mrs. Greir, makes a big difference in Octavia’s life. Did you have a special relationship with a teacher in your life? How do you think that student-teacher relationship has changed over the years?
5. The issue of social/economic class is very important in Leaving Atlanta. In your reading of this piece, how did you see economic class as a factor in the children’s lives?
1. Each section showed the different views of the same event, The Atlanta Children Murders. Each sectioned all tied into each other, intertwining the children in some shape form or fashion. I really enjoyed Octavia's part of the story. Octavia, to me saw things differently than the others. She valued the little things yet she was the most in tuned with reality. I think it's because she lived in a single family household. Her mother worked late hours, so she had to take care of herself. Octavia reminded me of myself, which is why I enjoyed her part the most.
ReplyDelete2. I think all the parents tried to do the best jobs they could with their children.l I do not think being raised by one parent or two can determine who will do a good job on raising kids, especially in these times.
3. The moment I realized how the world work was when JonBenet Ramsey was killed. It hit close to home, because she was killed on my birthday. At that time I realized the world is a very scary place.
4. My Mrs. Greir didn't show up until High School. Her name now is Mrs. Kennedy. She was my home room teacher and always looked out for me. With her guidance I was able to make it through the 4 years of torture, well at the time it was pure torture, but these days with the intense bullying it was a cake walk. In these times, teachers are not there for the kids. The care and compassion isn't there like it use to be. Now it's you not passing or you doing this or that, oh well! I am not saying this is ALL teachers, but its a good handful of them out there like this.
5. played a big factor. For Tasha, the news of her parents "Divorcing" was not acceptable. She was being looked at differently. He nice coat her dad bought her, she cherished it like and when she was pushed down and it was ruined she was very upset.
For Rodney, he came from a respectable family, so when we saw that he stole from their family friend store we really couldn't believe it. Not to mention "hanging" around with the wrong crowd. His dad was a successful business owner, so why would he steal. His mother was very high class acting as well.
Octavia lived in a rough neighborhood, however she would say she lived across the street from the projects. She never waned to seem as if she was poor. Even when Mrs. Greir dropped her off and she mentioned the trash on the street, saying it was the dog that turned over the trash which is why the streets looked dirty.
Where you lived, what you wore and the construct of your family life was all looked at. Each family handled the events differently and in their own way.