The Memory of Things

With a first-person narrative, characterization details about the protagonist often come from indirect means. Kyle does not frequently talk about himself in terms of his own traits, but the reader can glean information about his attributes from his interior monologue, his decisions, and others’ words about him. List the three strongest traits that apply to Kyle and explain your rationale for each through support from the text.

Despite his own fears and worries, Kyle feels an intuitive desire to help and protect the girl on the bridge; this inciting incident is a direct effect of the terrorist attacks. How does the “real history” of the ensuing days impact the plotline and conflicts for the rest of the novel? How does the author refer to or align historical events with the events of Kyle’s and the girl’s time together? Select at least three incidents or scenes in the novel’s rising action, climax, and/or falling action that show a defined connection to real events, figures, or outcomes of September 11th.

Hannah’s internal conflict begins before the book opens; much of her complexity as a character stems from her backstory, such as memories of her childhood travels with her mother and flashbacks to the stage or hospital. What three to four memories or retold backstory events do you think most strongly shape or impact Hannah’s characterization? Use book details to explore these memories or events and list a connecting character trait for each.

Many novels have a defined “villain,” but Kyle does not know much about the terrorists, their political rationales for their deeds, or Osama Bin Laden. How does this fact influence the tone or mood of the book? If the antagonist is someone (or something) else, who or what is it? Who “wins” in the conflict between protagonist and antagonist in The Memory of Things?

What parallels do you see between Hannah’s character and conflict and the role of Odette, which she performed in Swan Lake? Are there any other parallels you can note on a plot or symbolic level? (Read a brief summary of the plot of Swan Lake here.)

Novels with strong historical connections like The Memory of Things often offer multiple themes. What theme phrase or statement can readers extract from the novel on the topic of unity? How does this theme idea connect to the motif of being “tethered”? Detail your response with four to five events or character actions; be sure to think beyond Hannah and Kyle to secondary characters’ actions.

Hannah’s wings first serve to identify her as the eye-catching “bird-girl” on the bridge. The mystery of her possession of the wings is solved over the course of the novel. What facets of character or conflict might the wings symbolize in the novel? What text details make this clear?

A challenge for any writer on the topic of September 11th is continuing a story with conflict, suspense, or emotional high points that befit or adequately articulate the aftereffects of that Tuesday morning. In The Memory of Things, what two to three plot points are the most pivotal in terms of revelatory or meaningful events? When and where do the characters learn life-changing lessons? Little can “match” the emotional complexity of the actual attacks, but in what ways are your choices suitable parallels?