DISCUSSION QUESTIONS South of Broad |
1. At the beginning of the
novel, Leo is called on to mitigate the racial prejudice of the football
team. What other types of prejudice appear in the novel? Which
characters are guilty of relying on preconceived notions? Why do you
think Leo is so accepting of most people? Why is his mother so
condemnatory?
2. What do you think of the title "South of Broad"? How does the
setting inform the novel? Would the novel be very different if it were
set in another city or region?
3. As a teenager, Leo is heavily penalized for refusing to name the
boy who placed drugs in his pocket. Why did he feel compelled to protect
the boy's identity? Do you think he did the right thing?
4. When Leo's mother asks him to meet his new peers, she warns,
“Help them, but do not make friends with them.” Do you think such a
thing possible? Through the novel, how does Leo help his friends, and
how do they help him?
5. Leo's mother tells him, “We're afraid the orphans and the Poe
kids will use you,” to which he responds, “I don't mind being needed. I
don't even mind being used.” Do you think this is a healthy attitude
toward friendship? Do any of the characters end up “using” Leo? Does his
outlook on friendship changed by the end of the novel?
6. Leo admits that the years after Steven's suicide nearly killed
him. How was he able to cope? How do Leo's parents deal with their
grief? What does the novel say about human resilience and our propensity
to overcome tragedy?
7. When Sheba suggests to Leo that he divorce his wife, he says, “I
knew there were problems when I married Starla so I didn't walk into
that marriage blind.” Do you think that knowledge obligates Leo to stay
with his wife? In your opinion, does Leo do the right thing by staying
married? Would you do the same?
8. Both Chad and Leo are unfaithful to their wives, but only Leo is
truthful about it. Do you think this makes Chad's infidelity a worse
offense? Why or why not?
9. At two points in the novel, the group tries to rescue a friend:
first Niles, then Trevor. But when Starla is in trouble, they don't
attempt to save her. Why do you think this is? Has Starla become a “lost
cause”?
10. At one point Leo remarks, “I had trouble with the whole concept
[of love] because I never fully learned the art of loving myself.” How
does the concept of self-love play into the novel?
11. In the moment before Leo attacks Trevor's captor, he recites a
portion of “Horatio at the Bridge,” a poem about taking a lone stand
against fearful odds. What is the significance of the verse? Do you
think it's appropriate to that moment?
12. The twins are the novel's most abused characters and also the
most creative. Do you think there is a connection between suffering and
art?
13. What do you make of the smiley face symbol that Sheba and
Trevor's father paints? How does the novel address the idea of happiness
coexisting with pain?
14. At several points in the novel, characters divulge family
secrets. Do you believe that this information should stay secret, or is
there value in bringing it to light?
15. Leo examines his Catholicism at several points in the novel.
What do you think he might say are the advantages and drawbacks of his
religion? Do you think all religions are fraught with those problems?
16. One might interpret Leo's mother's attitude toward religion as
one of blind faith. If Steven had admitted his abuse to her, do you
think she would she have believed him? How do you think the information
might have affected her?
17. Sheba and Trevor are literally tormented by their childhoods,
in the form of their deranged father. How are some of the other
characters hindered by the past? Are they ever able to escape its
clutches and, if so, by what means?
18. Discuss the scene in which Leo and Molly rescue the porpoise.
What does the event symbolize?
19. Why do you think the discoveries about Leo's mother and
Monsignor Max begin and end the novel? What theme do these incidents
convey?
20. Chapter one begins with the statement, “Nothing happens by
accident,” and Leo often reflects on the way that destiny has shaped his
life. How does destiny affect the other characters? Do you agree that
real life is the result of predetermined forces? Or can we affect our
fate.
|
Home l About Us l Features l Contact Us l Share l Submit Book |