Topic 1

Who is Pearl? How does her marriage to Beck affect her relationship to her family of origin? How does Beck’s leaving affect her? What does she do to cope? What is some evidence that she’s not coping well? What does she think of her children? How does she deal with her approaching death? How does Pearl find a sense of satisfaction by looking through her drawer of mementos with Ezra?

Topic 2

Who is Cody? What kind of person is he at age 14? How does Beck’s abandonment affect him? How does he feel about his brother Ezra? Describe some of the ways he shows his feelings. Why does he pursue Ruth, and how does he feel when he’s successful? What are some ways his lifestyle is similar to his father’s? What does he end up doing for a living? How does this...