The Street

Min can be seen as a weak, needy person, yet she also takes agency to change her own situation. How does Min’s character progress throughout the course of the novel, and does she end in a better, worse, or similar position than where she began?

Jones’ behavior is often erratic, misanthropic, and deceptive. How much of this can be blamed on his intrinsic personality, and how much on his environment and experiences?

Petry evokes lush descriptions of the exterior world of the street, on which the characters live. In what ways is the street itself characterized throughout the novel, and how does this add to the book’s themes?

Compared to other white characters in the novel, why does Junto seem more willing to treat blacks as equals?

Lutie’s time working for and living with the Chandler family had a profound impact on her. What are some of Lutie’s experiences with the Chandler family that shaped her outlook on American society and race relations?

Mrs. Hedges and Boots are the most financially-successful African-Americans in the novel, yet each achieved this success at a moral or social price. What do the means through which they achieved financial success reveal about the opportunities for African-Americans during this time period? 

Lutie’s assault and murder of Boots seems both shocking and inevitable. In what ways is this violence foreshadowed throughout the novel?

What is the reader led to believe will be Bub’s future? By abandoning him, does Lutie provide him with the means to break free from the troubles that she’s created, or is she dooming him to repeat the cycle of poverty and hopelessness?