1. At the beginning of our discussion of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky I mentioned that the novel was the winner of the Bellwether Prize in 2008--an award that is given to a novel that promotes and takes a stance on issues of social justice. What are the main social justice issues the novel deals with? How does the novel make an impact in relation to these issues? Did it make an impact on you? Do you believe that literature has the ability to create social justice? If so, how?
2. Is Rachel a "tragic mulatta" in the manner of Nella Larsen's characters, or is Durrow successful in imagining an alternate future for her?
3. Durrow never tells us exactly why Mor jumps from the building with her family. Rather, she leaves it to readers to fill in the blanks. Why is it that Mor jumps? Does the novel blame her, or allow us to understand the difficulties she faced in a highly racialized society? Do we agree with Rachel's grandmother that Mor is "evil" and a bad mother?
4. Why is Rachel's grandmother so fearful of her dating boys? Do her fears at all relate to Mor? Is she overreacting, or are her concerns justified?
5. Discuss the significance of the swan at the end of the novel. Why does Rachel wish that her family could fly?
Happy writing,
--JI
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