In what ways does the novel present Tati as the only person capable of breaking the family’s cycle of toxic silence? What factors contribute to this capability?

Discuss the novel as a commentary on American history. How might the Dupree family be representative of the American struggle for freedom and happiness, especially in light of the history of the slave trade?

Compare the roles of antagonistic male figures like Zephaniah Foster and Roman Brown with supportive ones like Sampson Benjamin and Eugene Washington. How do these characters collectively explore different facets of patriarchy, responsibility, and their impact on the Dupree women’s lineage?

Discuss the novel’s position on religion, contrasting the iconography of the family Bible against the folk practices that the Duprees use to care for each other.

How does Tati’s desire to find her father drive a critique of the American nuclear family?

Discuss the novel’s interrogation of generational inheritance. Based on the Duprees, is each person doomed to struggle against the “curse” of their elders and ancestors? Why or why not?

How does the nature of the curse impact the characterization of Sarah(?) before she is formally introduced? What does this suggest about the power of storytelling and its ability to affect the truth?

Looking at the secrets kept in each generation of the Dupree family, how does the novel reconcile the protective instinct around secret-keeping against the destructive consequences secrets have on other people’s lives?