The Compound

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

On the Beach

• the 1959 film version of the book about nuclear war that Eli gets for his birthday
• Consider how both texts treat relationships and innocence and experience.

“Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer

• a 7-page contemporary short story about a father manipulating his daughter into unethical behavior
• Compare and contrast how “Ashes” and The Compound treat shame, guilt, and relationships; power, control, and intimacy; and innocence and experience.

“Guilt” by Judy Budnitz

• a contemporary short story about a man who is manipulated into giving his own heart to save his mother’s life
• Students can listen to actor Matt Malloy reading the story aloud.
• Compare and contrast how “Guilt” and The Compound treat shame, guilt, and relationships.

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss

• a young adult novel detailing the ingenious ways a family survives after being stranded on a deserted island
• connects to themes of relationships, innocence, and experience
• Compare and contrast the relationships in the Robinson family during their isolation with those in the Yanakakis family in The Compound.

Other Student Resources

“Nuclear Fallout Shelters Were Never Going to Work” by Robert Klara

• a History Channel article that discusses the truth about fallout shelters
• explains the design problems with fallout shelters, the consequences of a nuclear attack, and the government’s motivation for promoting fallout shelters

“End of the world: How to survive Armageddon”

• a 14-minute YouTube video by Crime Beat TV that explores the subculture of people trying to prepare themselves for some kind of Armageddon
• considers a variety of perspectives on whether preparing for the “end of the world” is necessary or possible

The Problem of Shame

• a 6-minute YouTube video by The School of Life that discusses how shame negatively impacts people
• offers insight into Eli’s behavior and thinking

“10 Signs Your Parents Are Manipulative”

• a 6-minute Psych2Go YouTube video that discusses manipulative parenting
• offers insight into Rex’s relationships with his children