On Such A Full Sea

When Fan leaves B-Mor, a variety of changes begin to occur in the fabric of their society. What are these changes, and how does Fan’s experience mirror what happens in B-Mor? Does the stability and reliability of B-Mor family life make them the most satisfied of the three classes, or are they merely complacent? Should they have continued their rebellion and tried to change things, or was it better to be satisfied with what they had?

Instead of a narrator, the book uses the collective voice of B-Mor residents to tell the story of Fan. What does this style of narration add to the book? Why do you think the author made this choice? How might it read differently if it had been told by Fan herself, in the first person?

The narration comes without being limited by physical time or space. How does the author implicitly explain this? How does our knowledge of outside events enhance the narrative?

There are many stories and legends within the larger story, from the story Quig tells Fan about his past; to the tales that Fan has heard about her brother, whom she never knew; to the wall of stories represented on the mural the girls create at Miss Cathy’s. Do these stories have anything in common? What is their effect on their audience? What about the stories’ effect on the tellers? 

Fan’s journey is a quest, which traditionally follows a pattern called the hero’s journey and deals with a protagonist’s transformation. Fan, though, doesn’t seem to fundamentally change from the start to the end of her quest. Why do you think this is true? If Fan has not changed through her experience, what has changed over the course of the book?

Reg has already disappeared when the book begins. Why do you think the author has chosen not to introduce us to Reg as an active character during the novel? Is he important as a character, or is he more of a symbol?

We see a great deal of growing discontent in B-Mor. Why do you think this unrest is happening? How is it connected to Fan? What resolves it? Do you think Fan would have left B-Mor if Reg had not disappeared? Do you think the discontent within B-Mor would have occurred if Fan had not gone after Reg?

America has long been a country that struggles with racism and other forms of prejudice. In addition, new divisions have sprung up in place of racial discord, such as economic and social barriers. What are some of the divisions in the future America of the book, and how do they affect the characters and their lives?