Tenth of December

Choose one of these stories and analyze how it makes a case for the need for empathy in modern life. What keeps people from empathizing with each other, and how do they overcome it (or not) in these stories?

In “Puppy,” how are Callie’s actions toward her family aligned with Marie’s? What keeps Marie from seeing how they are similar?

Analyze the ethical implications of Jeff’s behavior in “Escape from Spiderhead.” Is his ultimate decision the correct one? According to what system of values?

What role does desire play in “The Semplica Girl Diaries”? How does desire help fuel economic inequality throughout the story?

How do the stylistic choices in these stories inform the thematic content? Choose one or two stories from this collection and demonstrate how stylistic choices in the sentence-level writing help develop the narrative’s intent.

Some protagonists in this book end up in a better emotional place by the end of their stories, while others stagnate. What leads to these characters’ fates?

How is Tenth of December engaged with contemporary cultural and social issues? What are these stories trying to say about how people live in 21st-century America?

What different forces are demeaning or dehumanizing characters in these stories? What are the stories trying to say about human dignity as a result?