71 pages • 2-hour read
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Essay Topics
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of bullying and ableism.
Throughout the novel, Selah uses metaphors to describe emotions that she cannot express in literal terms. Choose several of these metaphors and analyze how they portray her interior world. How do these images illuminate the lived experience of autism, as understood through the social model embraced by the neurodiversity movement?
How do Sue and Pop act as mirrors for Selah’s developing sense of self?
How does the novel’s depiction of Pebblecreek critique broader educational expectations surrounding behavior and neurotypical norms?
What effects do Selah’s posted poems have on her community? How does she use them to reclaim her own space within the school?
How does the author’s decision to reinterpret Selah’s behavior through a neurotype framework change the novel’s portrayal of earlier conflicts?
Compare and contrast FantasyCon with Pebblecreek. How do both settings influence Selah’s identity formation?
How does the novel use moments of miscommunication to develop tension?
How does Selah’s shifting view of her rules align with her growing sense of autonomy, and how do her old and new rules each reflect different cultural models of disability and self-understanding?
How does the novel challenge stereotypes, expand representation, or shift prevailing narratives about autistic identity?
Selah’s poems often shift in shape, pacing, and negative space, depending on her state of mind. How do these variations create a sensory architecture that mirrors her internal world? Be sure to analyze elements such as spacing, line breaks, and visual layout.
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