Grief is the Thing with Feathers

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you make of the novella’s experimental combination of poetry and prose? Did you find the story easy to understand, or did its structure detract from your reading experience?

2. How did the arrival of Crow shift your expectations about the novella? What did it add to your reading of the narrative? Do you think Crow is real, or is he a figment of Dad’s imagination?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The boys in the book often respond to their grief violently. Did you experience grief as a child, and if so, how do you remember processing your emotions at that age?

2. Did this book challenge your preexisting understanding of the grieving process? If so, how?

3. Most of the book takes place at the family home, emphasizing grief’s tendency to take place in private spaces. Where do you find comfort and peace in difficult times?

4. Think about a time in your life when you had to find closure or move on from something difficult. Was there a particular moment when you made the decision to move on, or was it a more gradual process?

5. Dad has a parasocial relationship with Ted Hughes. Do you have experience with parasocial relationships, either personally or from afar? What do these relationships offer? What do you think the benefits and drawbacks are?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Porter has self-identified as a feminist and specialized in feminism during his master’s studies. With this in mind, consider a feminist reading of Grief. How does the text depict and explore gender relations, and to what end?

2. Examine the commentary that Grief is making about Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath’s relationship and its cultural impact. What do you think the author’s message is? How does it contribute to contemporary conversation about the intersection of partnership and mental health?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Porter leaves Mum’s cause of death ambiguous throughout the novella, although he occasionally provides hints that she died during a tragic accident at home. How does this ambiguity inform the narrative’s exploration of the family’s grief?

2. Crow is an allegorical character who symbolizes grief. Are there any other elements of the book that could be interpreted as allegorical? How do these allegorical references contribute to the narrative?

3. The book’s title is an interpolation of the title of Emily Dickinson’s 1861 poem, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers.” Why do you think Porter chose to make this reference? What does it add to the overall thematic message of the novella?

4. Consider Porter’s choice to group the boys as one voice in the text. Are they distinguishable at any point from one another? Why do you think the author made this choice?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Grief Is the Thing with Feathers has been adapted into several media, including film. If you were to adapt the novella, what medium would you choose? Which elements would you choose to amplify? 

2. Porter chooses to personify grief as a crow. Which animal would you choose, and why?