Mr. McKinlay's English Classes

2. There are several pop culture references in the novel that reveal when the story

takes place. For example, in this chunk, Nomi mentions:

Look up these artists, films, and TV shows on line to find out when they were

released and popular. What do they reveal about when the story takes place?

3. On page 4 Nomi says "If we could get out of this town things might be better…."

Who does she mean by "we"? Why haven’t they left the town?

1. Nomi says about East Village:

What does she mean?

2. Have you ever lived in a small town/village, or attended a small school? What are

the pros and cons of life in such small communities, especially for a teenager?

Consider the implications for social life, entertainment, career opportunities, the

chance to learn new things and to learn about the world. Compare and contrast

your experiences and opinions to Nomi’s.

3. Despite Nomi’s complaints and Trudie’s raging about the simplisticness of the

town and the church, Nomi explains "But there is a kindness here. A complicated

kindness." (46). What do you think she means by this?

4. The author develops characters by having the narrator, Nomi, describe what she

remembers and observes about them. Re-read the passage describing Trudie on

pages 18-19 (beginning "There were other things you may not necessarily know

or remember about my mother" and ending "…filled the silent part of their lives

with books and coffee and other things.").

Notice the pattern that the sentences follow. Most of them begin with "She…" followed by a verb to describe something Trudie did or believed, rather than how she looked. Nomi essentially strings together different images she recalls that help paint a picture of who her mom is.

5. The novel is told through the eyes of one character, Nomi. This is referred to as a first person narrator. Does this type of narrator add or detract from the story?

6. Who is Sheridan? Who is Lydia?

7. What is shunning? Describe the "bedtime shunning story".

8. Who is Hans Rosenfeldt?

Quotations

Page 8 - "My mother’s dream was to go to the Holy Land. She was very intrigued with Jews. There were none in our town. There were no black people or Asians either. We all looked pretty much the same, like a science fiction universe."

Page 21 - The other day I found her passport in her drawer when I was putting away my dad’s laundered handkerchiefs. I wish I hadn’t. For the purpose of my story, she should have it with her. I sat on my dad’s bed and flipped through page after empty page. No stamps. No exotic locales... Just the ID information and my mother’s black and white photo...

ENG 12 - GBH Novel Study: A Complicated Kindness Part 2

1. Discuss the Mouth’s early years.

2. a). Record TWO quotations from this part of the novel that you feel best reveal

b) Describe Nomi’s relationship with Ray.

3. Complete a DRATS chart to assess Tash’s character.

4. What seems to be the problem with Lids? What do you believe the nurses think it is?

5. Why do so many Americans visit the town?

6. What is Nomi’s "new faith"? (91)

7. Who is The Golden Comb? What role does he play in the community of East

Village? What, according to Nomi, do Menno Simmons and The Golden Comb have

in common? (78)

Read and discuss the quotations taken from Part 2 of the novel. Evaluate each of the quotations using the Evaluating a Quotation chart provided. Then, choose the THREE that you think are the most significant quotes in this chunk of the novel –THREE that are essential to this part of the story’s plot, character development, atmosphere, or to developing an important insight (theme).

A. I once had a conversation with my typing teacher about eternal life. He wanted

me to define specifically what it was about the world that I wanted to

experience….I ended up saying stupid stuff like I just want to be myself, I just

want to do things without wondering if they’re a sin or not. I want to be free. I

want to know what it’s like to be forgiven by another human being (I was stoned,

obviously) and not have to wait around all my life anxiously wondering if I’m an

okay person or not and having to die to find out. I wanted to experience

goodness and humanity outside of any religious framework. I remember making

finger quotations in the air when I said religious framework. God, I’m an asshole.

(48)

B. When he [The Mouth] was finally finished he disappeared again for a few seconds

and then came back and leaned his head against the top part of the stove, near

the fan, the way he had earlier, like a guy completely defeated by life, with holes

he could never fill with ice cream no matter how much he ate, and I almost

started to cry thinking about poor The Mouth being dumped by the city girl and

just wanting to be able to write a poem that someone in the world would dig. (51-

52)

C. The sweetest winds blow over us Mennos sometimes, when the poultry massacre

stops long enough for us to smell them, and they can literally stop you dead in

your tracks and break your heart. It’s the certain smell of that wind and the

sudden whoosh of heat that just undoes me. It’s a June wind mostly. An

embrace. (Did I just say embrace? Asshole.) I could smell it now. (59-60)

D. On hot nights when the wind is right, the smell of blood and feathers tucks us in

like an evil parent. There are no bars or visible exits. (52)

E. In church, she was one of the loudest singers. She knew all the words to all the

hymns and when she sang she reminded me of a bird or a political prisoner who

had just been released from her cage. (90)

F. Walking along Main Street felt ominous. It was way too bright. This is what an

autopsy must feel like, I thought. (60)

G. Our house stayed the same, in its level of disorder. My father would sigh and

escape into his world of isotopes and carbons….These radioactive elements decay

in order to become more stable. I rather like that he’d say. (92)

Write the quote letter in the space provided; then rate it in light of each of the established criteria. Explain your rating in the column on the right.