Lab Girl

Compare and contrast the characters of Hope Jahren and Bill Hagopian. In what way do their differences and similarities strengthen central themes or tendencies of the memoir?

How has your awareness of ecology changed? Describe specific elements of the memoir that might affect the reader’s point of view.

What is the effect of longer biographical chapters followed by shorter, descriptive chapters related to plants? How does this structure deepen the reader’s understanding of the memoir’s main themes or characters?

What is the role of figurative language in this memoir? How does it color the reading of the text?

Discuss the role of femaleness in the memoir. How does it change and complicate over the course of the text?

How might this memoir cause the reader to think about the field of science and botany in a different context?

Analyze the relationship between Jahren and Bill. How does it compare and contrast with one or two other relationships in Jahren’s life?

Consider the role of female scientists in Jahren’s time. How does this memoir deepen the reader’s understanding of women’s adversity in a patriarchal society?