START A CONVERSATION ABOUT . . . . . . secrets · In BROTHER, BROTHER I explored these in...
Transcript of START A CONVERSATION ABOUT . . . . . . secrets · In BROTHER, BROTHER I explored these in...
START A CONVERSATION ABOUT . . .. . . secrets
Discussion Questions
• Brotherisasomewhatpassivepersonatthebeginningofthestoryandgoesalongwithwhathisgrandmotherandsmall-townlifeinSchuylerrequireofhim.Howdoesthischangeinthecourseofthestory?Whatarethecatalystsforthischange?
• WhatisBrother’sdefinitionofafamilyandhowdoesthischangebytheendofabook?DescribehowBrotherandGabequestionandresolvetheirdifferentideasofwhatafamilyis.Whatabrotheris?
• HowdoesmeetingKitinfluenceBrother?DoyouthinksheandBrotherwillstillbetogetherintenyears?Whyorwhynot?
• Thereareanumberoffraternalpairingsinthestory:BrotherandGabe,ColeandJack,SenatorandAmos,MitchellandCarl—evenunrelatedTrooperandFrankbecomebrothersofakind.Compareandcontrastoneortwoofthesepairings.Whatdoesitmeantobesomeone’sbrother?Whatareabrother’sburdens,obligations,andresponsibilities?
• Mem’sprimaryliferuleis:payattention,payattention,payattention.HowimportantispayingattentioninthelivesofBROTHER,BROTHER’smaincharacters?Inlife?
• FamilyandhiddenpastsplaybigrolesinBROTHER,BROTHER.HowdoesBrother’sarrivalatEdenrevealandalterthetroubledfamilyhistoryontheislandestate?
• DescribeBrotherandGabe’sinitialinteraction.Howdoyouthinktheirrelationshipwillprogressinthefuture?WhatdoyouseeBrotherandGabedoinginfifteenyears?Inthirty?Doyouseethemcloserorfurtherapart?
• TheSenator’sislandiscalledEden.Inwhatwaysisthisplaceaptlynamed?Inwhatwaysnot?
• TheOscarWildequote,“Thepureandsimpletruthisrarelypureandneversimple,”isthreadedthroughoutthestory.HowdoesBrothercometotermswithhishiddenfamilyhistory?
• Thesearchforidentityisanessentialcomponenttothestory.WhatparallelscanyoudrawbetweenBrother,Gabe,andtheSenator’sreactiontothefamilyrevelations?Howdothesereactionsdiffer?
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A Discussion Guide for BROTHER, BROTHER by Clay Carmichael
A note from the author
What makes your book real?“On the most basic level, I hope that BROTHER,BROTHERhas a strong senseofplace. I’manativeNorth Carolinian and though the places in thebook arefictional, they’rebasedonN.C. Piedmontand coastal places. The characters are compositesof people, family and not, whom I have known intheyearsI’velivedinandexploredmystate.NorthCarolinahaslongbeensharplydividedaboutmanyissues, just as the country is today. In BROTHER,BROTHERIexploredtheseinmicrocosm,usingthepersonalandpoliticaldivideswithinBrother’sfamily.Growingup,thiswaswhereIfirstexperiencedthesedividesandexperiencedthemmostintensely.”—CLAYCARMICHAEL
A note from the editor
What made you acquire this book?“BROTHER,BROTHERisoneofthosebookswhereyou fall in lovewith thecharacters immediately.When I made my offer for this novel, I evenincludedachartofwhocouldplaywhominthemovieversion—that’showclearlyIcouldvisualizethese people! I especially love Brother, who issearching for his identity and uncovering somedeeplyunsettlingsecretsalongtheway.”—NANCYMERCADO
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