Playworld

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

1. How did you respond to Griffin Hurt’s relationship with Amanda West? Which aspects of their dynamic were most and/or least resonant to you, and why?

2. The novel explores the complexities of Navigating Challenges in a Fast-Paced Environment. Compare and contrast Griffin’s coming of age in New York City to your own experience. Did you have similar challenges and responsibilities? How did place define them, and how did you navigate them?

3. Which adult in Griffin’s life did you sympathize with most strongly? For example, consider Griffin’s relationships with Shel Hurt, Lily Hurt, Naomi Shah, and Elliott Barr. Who do you believe had Griffin’s best interests in mind?

4. Griffin’s academic, athletic, and acting responsibilities define his story and impact his character. How do his experiences in these realms compare to your own?

5. Discuss Griffin’s relationships with his parents. How do his parental dynamics compare with your own? If you were Griffin, would you have navigated the same familial conflicts in the same ways?

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

1. The novel is set in the early 1980s amid the Carter/Reagan era. What role does this temporal backdrop play in Griffin’s story? How would the novel change if set in a different era? Do you think Ross makes good use of this historical setting? Why or why not?

2. The novel contains themes of sexual abuse and childhood trauma. Discuss Ross’s handling of these sensitive topics. Consider also how Griffin responds to the harassment and violence he suffers; how does Ross use Griffin’s experience to make a commentary on both exploitation and silence?

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

1. Playworld is divided into two parts that contain titled chapters. Analyze the significance of the structure to Griffin’s narrative and its themes. Is the novel linear? Why or why not? Consider Griffin’s understanding of story and plot, particularly in the context of acting.

2. The novel is written from Griffin’s first-person point of view. Explore how his narrative voice shapes the novel’s trajectory, mood, and themes. How would the novel differ if written from the third-person point of view?

3. The novel’s macro setting is Manhattan, New York. Discuss the role that this geographical backdrop plays in the evolution of Griffin’s story. How also does the setting relate to the novel’s moods and atmospheres, and how would the novel differ if set in another American city?

4. As a child actor, performance defines much of Griffin’s coming of age. Discuss the Dichotomy between Public Image and Private Reality. Does he reconcile these alternate realms and selves?

5. The narrative features recurring images of cars and driving. How do cars and driving relate to Griffin’s internal experience? What about other, secondary characters?