Tricks

Hopkins addresses the complex issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. What narrators provide alternative perspectives on the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adult sex work? When are the characters judgmental about the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adult sex work? Provide specific examples.

Describe the differences in the voices of the five narrators. Where do their lives overlap? How are they different? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.

Read “A Brief History of Banning Ellen Hopkins,” which details attempts to censor the author’s novels, including Tricks. Reflect on the reasons behind its censorship and broader implications regarding safety, access, and intellectual freedom. How do attempts to ban Hopkins’s novels reflect societal fears or discomforts about sensitive topics, particularly content geared toward teenage audiences?

Analyze how Hopkins portrays gender in the novel. What are the pressures placed on the characters to conform to traditional notions of masculinity or femininity, and how does it intersect with patriarchal violence? How do these expectations influence the characters’ behavior, their relationships, and The Struggle With Identity and Self-Worth?

Tricks explores various coping mechanisms that the characters employ in response to trauma or situational hardships. How does each narrator cope with their trauma, and how do these coping strategies influence their paths moving forward? Which strategies are more destructive, and which better allow for The Possibility of Healing in the Face of Adversity?

Examine how Hopkins explores the concept of “escape” in Tricks. Are the characters’ attempts to escape their circumstances internal, external, or a combination of both? How do their escape strategies impact their futures?

Analyze the setting of Las Vegas. How does the setting contribute to Hopkins’s exploration of agency versus coercion, particularly regarding the commercial sexual exploitation of children? How would the narrative change if the narrators did not each interact with Las Vegas?

Describe the significance of the different narrators interacting with each other. How do the characters impact each other? Why does Hopkins keep some of the characters separate? How would the narrative change if those kept separate interacted with each other?