55 pages • 1-hour read
Inventing Elliot
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Essay Topics
Describe the atmosphere that prevails throughout the book. How does Gardner’s writing style create it?
Why is Elliot unsympathetic to his father’s condition? How could he react differently? What does Elliot’s father represent to him?
What are the critical personal choices that Elliot makes throughout the novel, and are they the correct ones? Discuss.
Explore the concept of a “fresh start.” Draw on your own experiences as well as those presented in the book.
Discuss Elliot’s and his mother’s relationship. In what ways do they fail each other, and in what ways do they lift each other up?
Put yourself in Ben’s shoes and explore his relationship with Elliot. Answer from Ben’s perspective.
Do the Guardians believe they are a noble society? How does their misinterpretation of 1984 differ from Orwell’s intention?
Why didn’t Elliot tell the principal the truth when asked about the rumors, and how did this interaction affect Elliot?
Is it better to be faithful to your authentic self, or to lie in order to fit in? Discuss.
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